chapter 1. section 1 – why study psychology? psychology can provide useful insight into behavior ...
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INTRODUCING PSYCHOLOGY
Chapter 1
Through the study of psychology, people can discover psychological principles that have the potential to enrich the lives of humans
Section 1 – Why study Psychology?
Gaining insight into behavior
Psychology can provide useful insight into behavior Example
You may not be shy all the time You may just be uncomfortable in certain settings
Acquiring practical information
You may learn how you are shaping the behavior of those around you
You may learn how development in your childhood impact your actions today
You may learn why you have certain fears or phobias
Overview of Psychology
Psychology is the scientific study of behavior and mental processes Psychology covers everything people
Think Feel Do
The study of behavior is systematic
Goals of Psychology Describe behavior Explain behavior
Develop a hypothesis Develop a theory
Predict behavior Influence behavior
Basic science – research/long-term studies Applied science – using psychological principle to
solve immediate problems
The scientific basis of Psychology
Scientific method – psychologists used this to make sure they are collecting and analyzing data accurately
William Wundt set up the first psychology lab in Germany in 1879
Said psychology was two kinds of elements Sensations Feelings
Wundt’s beliefs led to the theory of introspection or the SCIENTIFIC METHOD
Psychology involves sets of questions, theories, methods, and possible answers that have been passed on and changed from generation to generation
Section 2 – A Brief History of Psychology
The Origins of Psychology
Greeks 5th and 6th Centuries
Decided people were not dominated by the gods, but by their own minds – people were rational
Tried to interpret the world through human perceptions
Set the stage for the sciences, including psychology, by using observation
Copernicus – mid 1500s Earth was not the center of the universe, it
revolved around the sun Galileo – 1500s & 1600s
Used a telescope to confirm predictions about star position and movement base on Copernicus’s works
17th Century Philosophers gave us DUALISM The mind and body are separate and distinct Descartes disagreed
The mind controlled the body’s movements, sensations and perceptions
Mind and body work together to influence each other and crate a person’s experiences
Hilgard (1987) Modern science began to emerge by combining
philosophers’ reflections, logic, and mathematics with the observations and inventiveness of practical people
19th century – biologists announced the discover of cells as the building blocks of life
Chemists developed the periodic table of elements
Physicists made great progress in our understanding of atomic forces
Natural scientists were studying complex phenomena by reducing them to simpler parts
Psychology was formed
Historical Approaches
Structuralism (Wundt) – established his Laboratory of Psychology Became known as the founder of modern
psychology Was interested in the basic elements of
human experience Introspection is self-observation where Wundt
tried to map out the basic structure of thought processes.
Functionalism – William James – father of psychology in the U.S. Wrote the first Psychology textbook, The
Principles of Psychology, in 1890 Theorized that all activities of the mind serve
one major function To help us survive as a species
Focused on the functions or actions of the conscious mind and the goals or purposes of behaviors
Functionalists study how animals and people adapt to their environment
Inheritable Traits – Sir Francis Galton – mathematician and scientist – wanted to understand how heredity influenced a person’s abilities, character, and behavior Traced ancestry of famous people and found
that greatness runs in families – thus heredity Invented tests to assess the abilities and
characteristics of a wide range of people – these are the forerunners to today’s personality and IQ tests
Faults found because it was discovered that heredity and environment impact how a person behaves
Gestalt Psychology German scientists: Wertheimer, Kohler, and
Kofka argued that perception is more than the sum of its parts – it involves a whole pattern – Gestalt in German
They studied how sensations are assembled into perceptual experiences.
This is the forerunner for Cognitive approaches to Psychology
Contemporary Approaches
Psychoanalytic – Freud – was interested in the unconscious mind. Biological urges conflict with society and
morality Use free association to delve into his patients
minds Psychoanalyst’s role was to be objective – just
sit and listen then interpret the associations
Behavioral Psychology – Pavlov – behavior can be influenced by conditioned responses Pavlov’s Dogs Experiment Psychologists who wanted to investigate
observable behavior became known as Behaviorists Watson said psychology should only concern itself
with observable facts Skinner came up with the concept of reinforcement
Humanistic Psychology – Maslow, Rogers, & May – each person is unique and has a self-concept and potential to develop fully
Cognitive Psychology – Piaget, Chomsky, & Fetinger – focuses on how we process, store, and use information; how this information influences out thinking, language, problem solving, and creativity They believe behavior is more than a single
response to a stimulus Biological Psychology – emphasizes the
impact of biology on our behavior Psychobiologists study how the brain, the
nervous system, hormones, and genetics influence our behavior PET Scans CAT Scans
Sociocultural Psychology – The newest approach, studies the influence of cultural and ethnic similarities and differences on behavior and social functioning Also study the impact of immigration and
integration in the U.S. society Look at gender and socioeconomic status
Psychologists are trained to observe, analyze, and evaluate behavior patterns to develop theories of behavior, and to apply what they have learned to influence behavior.
Section 3 – Psychology as a Profession
What is a Psychologist?
Psychologists are people who have been trained to observe, analyze, and evaluate behavior.
Psychiatry is a specialty of medicine – where one learns to treat people with disturbed behavior
Clinical Psychologists help people deal with their person problems Private offices Mental hospitals Prisons clinics
Counseling Psychologists usually work in schools or industrial firms advising and assisting people with the problems of everyday life
Developmental Psychologists study physical, emotional, cognitive, and social changes that occur throughout life. Children Elderly Process of dying
Educational Psychologists deal with topics related to teaching children and young adults Intelligence Memory Problem solving Motivation
Community Psychologist may work in a metal health or social welfare agency operated by the state or local government or by a private organization May help design, run, or evaluate mental
health clinics
Industrial/Organizational Psychologists are employed by business firms and government agencies. They study and develop methods to
Boost production Improve working conditions Place applicants in the best jobs Reduce accidents
Environmental Psychologists work in business settings or within the government to study the effects of the environment on people
Forensic Psychologists work in legal, court and correctional systems. The help police by developing personality profiles
of criminal offenders or help law enforcement understand problems like abuse
Health Psychologists study the interaction between physical and psychological health factors Stress Depression Physical Ailments
Experimental Psychologists perform research to understand how humans and animals operate physically and psychologically.
American Psychological Association (APA) founded in 1892 is a scientific and professional society of psychologists and educators