What is Psychology?

What movies have you seen with professional psychologists as characters?

• kind of work done?• area of specialty?• how realistic was characterization?

Exercise: Psychologist as Scientist

List three adjectives that describe a typical psychologist.

List three adjectives that describe a typical scientist.

art chemistry

___1_________2_________3_________4_________5_________6_________7___

philosophy physics

Science: Where is Psychology?

Roots of Psychology – Pre-scientificDualism – Mind/Body are separate and interact

Monism – Mind/Body are parts of the same thing.

Hippocrates- mind/soul reside in the brain but not a physical substance.

Plato – used self examination(introspection) and concluded knowledge is Innate

Descartes – “I think, therefore I am”

Aristotle – mind/soul are a result of our anatomy and physiology. Knowledge is acquired by experience.

Locke – we are born a “blank slate” (tabula rasa) and experience fills the slate.

Psychology’s RootsPsychological Science is Born

Wilhelm Wundt (1879)• Founder of scientific

psychology• Set up first lab in 1879 in

Leipzig, Germany • Focused on structure of the

mind and indentifying basic elements of consciousness using introspection.

Psychology developed into three different branches, or schools of thought

• structuralism (structural elements)

• functionalism (functions)

• behaviorism (observable behavior)

Structuralism Thinking About the Mind’s STRUCTURE Emphasizes consciousness and identification of

elements of thought using introspection.Wilhelm Wundt - studied consciousness using

introspection. G. Stanley Hall – brought introspection to U.S.

at John Hopkins University, First President of American Psychological Association (A.P.A).

Edward Titchener – studied elements of consiousness at Cornell University.

Margaret Washburn – First woman to complete her Ph.D. in psychology

Functionalism – Thinking about the mind’s FunctionEmphasizes how organisms uses its

perceptual abilities to adapt to its environment. Want to EXPLAIN behavior by OBSERVING behavior.

William James – wrote Principles of Psychology.

Mary Whiton Calkins – first woman president of the A.P.A.

Functionalism paved the way for behaviorism and applied subfields of psychology.

Unit 1 Pop Quiz(get a piece of paper)

A test of how you react to unexpected situations

Q#1: What did you experience when you learned of the “pop” quiz? (introspection)

Q#2: Which thoughts and emotions were Expressed by the class? (observable)

Q#3: What steps might you take to overcome anxiety when faced with unexpected situations?(applied)

Psychological Science Develops (1920s)Sigmund Freud (childhood

experiences and unconscious thought processes affect behavior)

LO #3

Sex

Violence

Unconscious Mind

Psychological Science Develops (1960s)Behaviorism

John B. Watson B.F. Skinner

(reinforcement theory)

“study of observable behavior”

Fidgeting

Crying

trembling

+GET

something

-REMOVEsomething

“you be the parent”(1. You caught your son/daughter sneaking out the window on Sat night…..)(2. You want your son/daughter to study at least 1 hour every night….)

Behavior Encouraged Behavior Suppressed

Stimulus presented

+(get)

Stimulus removed

or withheld

–(remove)

Psychological Science Develops 1960sHumanistic psychology

Carl Rogers (environmental influences, need for love and acceptance)

Abraham Maslow

(hierarchy of needs)

Psychological Science Develops 1960s Cognitive Neuroscience

(study of brain functioning)

examples . . . What part of brain is working when we do arithmetic? What chemical allows us to react to physical excitement or danger?

And

Cognitive-Behavioral theory.

How do my thoughts affect my behaviors?

Think / Feel / DoStressful Peaceful

Example: Cut off by speeding, reckless motorist!

Wronged

Anger

Horn & Finger!

Accepting

Peaceful

Smile or a Shrug

Thought

Feeling

Action

Sinful(Old Adam)

Godly( New Man )

1 2

3

4

5 6

7

Assignment:

Recall two occurrences when you recognize and then intentionally restructure your emotional response to a cognitive event.

Prepare to share one in class.

Psychological Science Develops

Psychology-Defined as: The Scientific

study of Behavior and

Mental processes. 3 partsScientific study – collection and

examination of data to prove or support hypotheses.

Behavior – anything observable.Mental Processes – thoughts,

feelings, sensations, perceptions. (unobservable)

Psychology’s Three Main Levels of Analysis

Psychology’s Three Main Levels of Analysis

Psychology’s Three Main Levels of Analysis

Psychology’s Three Main Levels of Analysis

Psychological Approaches/Perspectives

biological

evolutionary

psychodynamic

behavioral

cognitive

humanistic

social-cultural

• physiological and bio-chemical factors that determine behavior and mental processes.

• how the natural selection of traits promoted the survival of the human species

• how behavior is influenced by unconscious drives and conflicts

• how organisms react to stimuli, learning as a result of experience.

• how we encode, process, store and retrieve information

• how we meet our needs for love and acceptance, and achieve self-fulfillment

• how behavior and thinking vary across situations and cultures

Psychology’s Subfields

psychometricsdifference between basic and applied research?

LO #6

FIELDS:

Biological psychology

Developmental psychology

Educational psychology

Personality psychology

Social psychology

basic research • investigates persistent traits

• studies changing abilities throughout the life span

• explores how we view and affect one another

• studies influences on teaching and learning

• explores link between brain and behavior

FIELDS:

Industrial/organizational psychology

Counseling psychology

Clinical psychology

psychiatry

applied research• helps people cope with

adjustments, challenges, and crises

• used in the workplace to help companies select and train employees

• medical doctors who may prescribe drugs in treatment

• assesses and treats mental, emotional, and behavior disorders

• focuses on interaction of people, machines, and physical environments

Psychology’s Biggest QuestionNature-Nurture Is

suebiology vs. experience

Are we a product of how we are born, biologically predisposed, DNA, etc..

OR are we a result of our experiences?

• What is Structuralisms goal and method?

• What is Functionalisms goal and method?

• What is the difference between Introspection and Observation?

• Which modern approaches fit with Structuralism?

• Which modern approaches fit with Functionalism?

Unit 1 Review

• Who said:

• “the mind is a tabula rasa”

• “I think, therefore I am”

• “We learn from experience”

• “Knowledge is Innate”

Unit 1 Review

• What is Structuralisms goal and method?• Emphasizes consciousness and identification of elements of thought using

introspection.

• What is Functionalisms goal and method?• Emphasizes how organisms uses its perceptual abilities to adapt to its environment.

Want to EXPLAIN behavior by OBSERVING behavior.

• What is the difference between Introspection and Observation?

• Introspection is looking within and self reporting, while observation is reporting what behaviors you and others can see and measure.

• Which modern approaches fit with Structuralism?• Psychoanalytic/Psychodynamic, Humanistic, Evolutionary, Social Cultural

• Which modern approaches fit with Functionalism?• Behavioral, Biological, cognitive

Unit 1 Review

• Who said:

• “the mind is a tabula rasa” - Locke - Monism

• “I think, therefore I am” – Descartes - Dualism

• “We learn from experience” – Aristotle - Monism

• “Knowledge is Innate” - Plato - Dualism

Unit 1 Review

Video: Vol. 1, DVD2, Psychological Disorders #2

Postpartum Psychosis: The Case of Andrea Yates

(7:00)

Set 5

Biological / Neuroscience – Behaviorism – Humanistic psychology – Evolutionary psychology – Psychoanalysis / psychodynamic – Developmental psychology – Cognitive psychology –

Behavior of Andrea Yates (p. 9)

Set 6

Biological / Neuroscience – Behaviorism – Humanistic psychology – Evolutionary psychology – Psychodynamic psychology – Developmental psychology – Cognitive psychology –

Behavior of Andrea Yates (p. 9)