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What Is Psychology?

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What Is Psychology? Thinking critically about psychology

Psychologys past Psychologys present

What psychologists do

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Thinking Critically About

Psychology Can you distinguish between

psychobabble and empiricalpsychology?

Critical thinking

The ability and willingness to

assess claims and makejudgments on the basis of well-supported reasons andevidence, rather than emotion

or anecdote.

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Critical Thinking Guidelines Be willing to wonder

Define your terms

Examine the evidence

Analyze assumptions and biases

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Critical Thinking Guidelines Avoid emotional reasoning

Dont oversimplify

Consider other

interpretations

Tolerate uncertainty

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Psychologys Past Three early psychologies

Structuralism

Functionalism

Psychoanalysis

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Structuralism Early approach that emphasized the analysis of

immediate experience into basic elements.

Interested in whathappens.

Trained introspection

Volunteers were taught to observe, analyze

and describe their own sensations, mentalimages, and emotional reactions.

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Functionalism Early approach that emphasized the function or

purpose of behaviour and consciousness.

Interested in how and why something happens

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Psychoanalysis A theory of personality and a method of

psychotherapy, originally formulated by

Sigmund Freud.

Emphasizes unconscious motives and

conflicts.

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Psychologys Present Major psychological perspectives

Two influential movements

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Major Psychological Perspectives Biological Perspective

Learning Perspective

Cognitive Perspective

Sociocultural Perspective

Psychodynamic Perspective

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The Biological Perspective Psychological approach that emphasizes bodily

events and changes associated with actions,

feelings, and thoughts.

This perspective involves:

Hormones

Brain chemistry

Heredity

Evolutionary influences

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The Learning Perspective A psychological approach that emphasizes

how the environment and experience affect a

persons or animals actions.

This perspective involves:

Behaviourism Social-cognitive learning theories

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The Cognitive Perspective

A psychological approach that emphasizes

mental processes in perception, memory,

language, problem solving, and other areas

of behaviour.

This perspective involves:

Computer models of human thinking Infant thinking

Intelligence testing

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Sociocultural perspective

A psychological approach that emphasizessocial and cultural influences on behaviour.

This perspective includes:

Social psychology, or the study of rules, rolesgroups, and relationships

Cultural psychology, or the study of cultural

norms, values, and expectations

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Psychodynamic Perspective

This perspective includes:

Unconscious thoughts,desires, and conflicts.

A psychological approach that emphasizes

unconscious dynamics within the

individual, such as inner forces, conflictsor the movement of instinctual energy.

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Two Influential Movements inPsychology

Humanist psychology

Feminist psychology

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Humanist Psychology A psychological approach that emphasizes

personal growth and the achievement of

human potential, rather than the scientificunderstanding and assessment ofbehaviour.

This approach:

Rejected behaviourism and psychoanalysis.

Emphasized creativity and achievingpotential.

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Feminist Psychology A psychological approach that analyzes the

influence of social inequities on gender

relations and on the behaviour of the twosexes.

This approach:

Recognized years of male bias in data collectionand psychotherapy.

Questions the use of research in justifying

womens lower status or elevating womens status

(female bias).

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What Psychologists Do Academic/research psychologists

Psychological practitioners

Psychologists in other settings

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Academic/Research Psychologists

Research in areas of basic or appliedpsychology.

Examples include: Experimental psychologists

Educational psychologists

Developmental psychologists

Industrial/organizational psychologists

Psychometric psychologists

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Psychological Practitioners Counselling psychologists help people deal

with problems associated with everyday

life. School psychologists work with parents,

teachers, and students to enhance studentperformance.

Clinical psychologists diagnose, treat, andstudy mental or emotional problems.

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Clinical psychologists are not: Psychotherapists

Psychoanalysts

Psychiatrists

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Psychologists in Other Settings

Sports

Consumer issues Advertising

Organizational problems

Environmental issues

Public policy

Opinion polls Military training

Animal behaviour

Legal issues

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What Areas do Psychology

Undergraduates Pursue?

Psychology

Other

Counselling

Education

Social work

Medicine

Law

Health Sciences

Business

Sociology