A new science is bornA new science is born

•Psychology’s intellectual parents Psychology’s intellectual parents were philosophy and physiologywere philosophy and physiology

•Psychology’s founder was Wilhelm Psychology’s founder was Wilhelm Wundt, who set up the first research Wundt, who set up the first research lab in 1879 (in Germany)lab in 1879 (in Germany)

•Wundt argued that psychology Wundt argued that psychology should be the scientific study of should be the scientific study of consciousnessconsciousness

Wilhelm WundtWilhelm Wundt

The battle of the schools The battle of the schools beginsbegins

Advocates of structuralism argued that Advocates of structuralism argued that psychology should use introspection to psychology should use introspection to analyze consciousness into its basic elementsanalyze consciousness into its basic elements

Advocates of functionalism argued that Advocates of functionalism argued that psychology should investigate the purposes psychology should investigate the purposes of consciousnessof consciousness

Functionalism had a more lasting impact on Functionalism had a more lasting impact on psychology, as it fostered the emergence of psychology, as it fostered the emergence of behaviorism and applied psychologybehaviorism and applied psychology

Freud focuses on Freud focuses on unconscious forcesunconscious forces

Although Sigmund Freud’s Although Sigmund Freud’s views were controversial, they gradually views were controversial, they gradually

became influentialbecame influential Psychoanalytic theory emphasizes Psychoanalytic theory emphasizes

unconscious determinants of behavior and unconscious determinants of behavior and the importance of sexualitythe importance of sexuality

According to Freud, the unconscious According to Freud, the unconscious consists of thoughts that one is not aware consists of thoughts that one is not aware of but that still influence one’s behaviorof but that still influence one’s behavior

Behaviorism DebutsBehaviorism Debuts Behaviorism, founded byBehaviorism, founded by

John B. Watson, asserted thatJohn B. Watson, asserted that

psychology should study onlypsychology should study only

observable behavior observable behavior Behaviorists stressed theBehaviorists stressed the

importance of environmentimportance of environment

over heredity and pioneeredover heredity and pioneered

animal researchanimal research

Behaviorism flourishes with the Behaviorism flourishes with the work of B.F. Skinnerwork of B.F. Skinner

Behaviorism reached its zenithBehaviorism reached its zenithof influence in the 1950sof influence in the 1950s Like Watson, SkinnerLike Watson, Skinneremphasized animal research, emphasized animal research, a strict focus on observablea strict focus on observablebehavior, and the importancebehavior, and the importanceof the environmentof the environment He generated controversy by arguingHe generated controversy by arguing that free will is an illusionthat free will is an illusion

The Humanists revoltThe Humanists revolt Finding both behaviorism and Finding both behaviorism and

psychoanalysis unappealing, advocates of psychoanalysis unappealing, advocates of humanism, such as Abraham Maslow and humanism, such as Abraham Maslow and Carl Rogers, began to gain some influence Carl Rogers, began to gain some influence in the 1950s in the 1950s

HumanismHumanism

Humanism Humanism emphasizes the emphasizes the unique qualities of unique qualities of human behavior and human behavior and the irrelevance of the irrelevance of animal researchanimal research

The humanists also The humanists also took an optimistic took an optimistic view of human nature, view of human nature, stressing human’s stressing human’s freedom and potential freedom and potential for growthfor growth

Cognitive PsychologyCognitive Psychology

• Cognitive psychologists are interested in the role played by thoughts in determining behavior

• Strategies for solving problems, interpretation of mental images, thinking and language are all of interest

to a cognitive psychologist

Cognitive PsychologyCognitive Psychology

• One key assumption

is that perceptions and

thoughts influence behavior

Evolutionary PsychologyEvolutionary Psychology

• The 1990s saw the emergenceThe 1990s saw the emergence

of a major, new theoreticalof a major, new theoretical

perspective called evolutionaryperspective called evolutionary

psychologypsychology

Its crucial premise is that the Its crucial premise is that the

patterns of behavior seen in apatterns of behavior seen in a

species are the product of species are the product of

evolution, just like anatomicalevolution, just like anatomical

characteristicscharacteristics

Evolutionary PsychologyEvolutionary Psychology

• Evolutionary Evolutionary psychologists study psychologists study physical traits and physical traits and social behaviorsocial behavior

• One key assumption One key assumption is that adaptive is that adaptive organisms survive organisms survive and transmit their and transmit their genes to future genes to future generations generations

Other Psychological PerspectivesOther Psychological PerspectivesOther contemporary psychological Other contemporary psychological

perspectives are perspectives are Biological, which studies how biological Biological, which studies how biological

processes influence behavior and mental processes influence behavior and mental processesprocesses

Learning, which studies how personal Learning, which studies how personal experience and reinforcement guide experience and reinforcement guide individual developmentindividual development

Sociocultural, which studies how Sociocultural, which studies how sociocultural, biological, and psychological sociocultural, biological, and psychological factors create individual differencesfactors create individual differences

Psychology becomes a profession

• In the first half of the 20th century, only a handful of psychologists were involved in the delivery of professional services to the public

• However, stimulated by the demands of WWII, clinical psychology began rapid growth in the 1950s

• Today, the vast majority of psychologists are involved in professional services