Download - CH 1 Evolution of Psychology
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Weiten, Ch.1
The Evolution ofPsychology
From Speculation to
Science: HowPsychology Developed
Psychology Today:
Vigorous & Diversified
Putting it inPerspective: 7
Themes
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Have you ever
wondered
Why do I like the people, food, or music that I like? Or, why do I not like certain things or have an irrational
fear of certain things (like _____(you fill in the blank)(you fill in the blank))?
Why do I get down or up when my favorite song
comes on the radio? Why did I cheat on my testmy boyfriendmy
girlfriend?
Why do I get so tired or maybe bored in a class?(of(of
course not in psychology though)course not in psychology though)
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OrHave you ever wondered??
Are first-born children more
driven to achieve? Does handwriting or the way I
position myself in bed offer
any clues to my personality?
Do my dreams really meananything?
Does hypnosis really work?
Why my family or my
relationships look so
dysfunctional at times and
what to do about it?
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What is
Psychology? Psyche meaning the
soul
Logos referring to
the study of a subject
The study of the mind.
Has a foundation inphilosophy &
physiology
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The American Crowbar Case
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The story ofPhineas
Gage:
NPR All
Things
Considered
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Phineas Gage A
song by Hank Green
Lyrics on the slides that follow
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Oh, Phineas Gage was 25 years old in1848.
And he liked his job, working at therailroad, but he had another fate.He was blasting rock when somethingdistracted him.
And he forgot to put the tamping sand in.He shoved the tamping rod into that littlehole onto the blasting powder.
And suddenly his entire left frontal lobehad been turned into clam chowder.
Oh this is the story of Phineas Gage,who was stabbed in the brain.
And once your frontal lobe has beendestroyed, you can never go homeagain.
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A little while later Phineas Gage wassitting on his bed.He told the doctor the tamping rod hadshot straight through his head.But the doctor could not believe whatPhineas said.For if that were the case he surelywould be dead.
But then Phineas had a coughing fit.And a teacup full of brains fell out of hishead.
And that was more than the doctorcould explain.
Oh this is the story of Phineas Gage,who was stabbed in the brain.
And once your frontal lobe has beendestroyed, you can never go homeagain.
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Well the doctor told the familyto prepare for Gage's death.'Cause the one you takebefore your head gets stabbed
is usually your last breath.And Phineas spent the nextfew months in bed.In and out of consciousness,with a swelling in his head.But mere months after the
accident, he walked right downhis stairs, as if having lost aquarter of his brain left him noworse for wear.
Oh this is the story of PhineasGage, who was stabbed in thebrain.And once your frontal lobe hasbeen destroyed, you can nevergo home again.
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But unfortunately for Phineas, our story won'tend there.The reason we still know his name is thestrangest part of this affair.
After his brain was scrambled his friends andfamily said,
"Oh, this is no longer Phineas. There's a newman here instead."
And thus we know that operating on the brainneedn't not cause death.
And that what makes a person who he is, is notthe heart but the head.
Oh this is the story of Phineas Gage, who wasstabbed in the brain.
And once your frontal lobe has been destroyed,you can never go home again.
Oh Phineas Gage was 37 years old when hefinally made his way.
Back to his home and family, for he could tellthe day of his death was fin'ly creeping up onhim.'Cause he forgot to put the tamping sand in.
And as common in these cases, of severe headtrauma, seizures took their toll and put an endto this drama.
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What is Psychology?What is Psychology?Two competing viewsTwo competing views
Two figures in the history of psychology hadTwo figures in the history of psychology had
different ideas on how to define itdifferent ideas on how to define it
William Wundtwhat goes onwhat goes oninside our mindsinside our minds
John Watson-not what is innot what is inour heads, butour heads, butwhat behaviorwhat behaviordo you displaydo you display
Observable behaviorObservable behavior youyoucannot observe thoughts butcannot observe thoughts butyou can observe how someoneyou can observe how someone
responds to situationsresponds to situations
Inner sensations or mentalInner sensations or mentalprocessesprocesses -- what feelingswhat feelingsor thoughts does someoneor thoughts does someonehave?have?
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Psychologys Big IssuesPsychologys Big Issues
Stability vs. Change
Rationality vs. Irrationality
Na
turev
s. Nurture
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Stability v. ChangeStability v. Change Do we change over time in
distinct and universal stagesor do we basically remain the
same drooling, slobbering,
simple beings of our
beginnings?
Do these things change?
Personality traits, sense of
humor, tastes, etc
Can a shy child become the
teenage class clown?
Do we become adults or are wealways just big kids?
Do our personalities change in
different situations?
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Rationality vs. IrrationalityRationality vs. Irrationality A
re we wise or not? Why do we do things that are
bad for us when we knowthey are bad?
We screw up, we makemistakes, and we losesight of good judgment
But, we often dont change
behavior, we dont seemrational
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Nature vs. NurtureNature vs. Nurture
Am I the way I ambecause I was born that
way or because of mysurroundings?
Biology (genes) vs.Experience
Can I ever be likethese people, or doesnature give me limitations?
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Example from MegamindNature vs. Nurture?
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Philosophy was foundation for Psychology
Dualism
Socrates
Mind andbody areseparate
Monism
Aristotle
Mind andbody areone
Hobbes: no mind/soul and that only
energy and matter exists and thateverything is shaped by brain machinery
Descartes: natural instincts in the physical world
However he believed that humans were different and
they have a mind to guide the body.
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Wave One: IntrospectionKickin it old school
Started with William Wundts firstpsychological laboratory and his
concept of introspection
(structuralism).
Then William James wrote ThePrinciples of Psychologyand
discussed functionalism.
In reality these ideas do not havemuch impact on how psychologists
think today.
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Wilhelm Wundt (1832-1920) German professor, mounted campaign
to make psychology an independent
discipline (rather than a portion ofphilosophy/physiology)
1879 psychologys date of birth,
Wundt succeeded in establishing the
first formal laboratory for research in
psychology at U. ofLeipzig.
Declared it should be a science. Used
empirical methods
Focus forWundt consciousness
(awareness of immediate experience)
Wundt had a tremendous following in
North America
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Structuralism vs. Functionalism
Structuralism the task of psychology is to analyzeconsciousness into its basic elements &
investigate how these elements related. (EdwardTitchener) Dependent on introspection careful, systematic self-
observation of ones own conscious experience.
Favored lab experiments
Functiona
lism psychology should investigate thefunction or purpose of consciousness, ratherthan its structure. (William James) Influenced by Charles Darwins natural selection
heritable characteristics that provide a survival orreproductive advantage are more likely thanalternative characteristics to be passed on tosubsequent generations and thus come to beselected over time.
Favored how people adapt to real world situations
Generally thought that functionalism won out andthen spawned the more modern AppliedPsychology & Behaviorism
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BehaviorismJohn B. Watson (1878-1958)
A theoretical orientation based on thepremise that scientific psychologyshould study only observablebehavior.
Proposed abandoning the study of
consciousness altogetherInstead focus on observed behaviors (any
overt/observable response or activity byan organism.
Watson also shined a light on nature versusnurture
Behaviorists look for stimulus anydetectable input from the environment.
Behavior approach is often referred to as
(S-R) Stimulus-Response
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Sigmund Freud (1856-1939) Austrian physician & one of the most controversial
intellectual figures of modern times.
Developed psychoanalysis as an approach to delve into the
mind of those with irrational fears, obsessions, and anxieties. Freud: unconscious contains thoughts,
memories, and desires that are well belowthe surface of conscious awareness butthat nonetheless exert great influence onbehavior.
Noted that seemingly meaningless slips of
the tongue would provide insight into
someones true feelings
Psychoanalytic theory attempts to explain
personality, motivation, and mental
disorders by focusing on unconsciousdeterminants of behavior.
Very controversial for his observations on
the importance of sexuality towards
human behavior
Freud focused on personality, motivation,
and abnormal behavior and those
concepts were later incorporated intomainstream psychology.
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B.F. Skinner (1904-1990)
Championed a return to the Watson strictfocus on observable behaviors
Organisms tend to repeat responses thatlead to positive outcomes, and they tendnot to repeat responses that lead toneutral or negative outcomes.
Working with lab rats & pigeons, heconducted experiments to show how hecould control behaviors of the animals.
Trained pigeons to play Ping-Pong! Wrote Beyond Freedom and Dignity(1971)
asserted that all behavior is fully governedby external stimuli.
People are controlled by their environment,not by themselves.
Free Will is an Illusion Skinner is often thought to be the most or
one of the most influential contributors topsychology
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Humanism 1950s opposition to
behaviorism andpsychoanalytic theory
Humanism theoreticalorientation thatemphasizes the unique
qualities of humans,especially their freedomand their potential forpersonal growth.
More optimistic view of
human nature. Carl Rogers (1902-1987)
& Abraham Maslow(1908-1970) prominenthumanists in psychology
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Growth of Psychology World War I created a huge
demand for mental testing of
military recruits. Became a profession as well as a
science afterWorld War II
1950s and 60s saw advances instudy of cognition led to renewal ofinterest in mental processes.
1980s saw a growth in culturalfactors influencing behavior. Trendsparked by growing globalinterdependence and culturaldiversity.
1990s witnessed emergence ofnew theoretical perspective calledevolutionary psychology. Patternsof behavior are the product ofevolutionary forces & naturalselection favors behaviors thatenhance reproductive success.
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Psychology Today:
Vigorous & Diversified
Psychology the science that studiesbehavior and the physiological andcognitive processes that underlie it, and it
is the profession that applies theaccumulated knowledge of this science topractical problems.
Contemporary psychology is multifacetedand spread throughout mainstream societythat has seen rapid growth
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Applied Psychologys
4 specialties:
Clinical psychology (non-medicalapproach)
Counseling psychology
Educational & school psychology
Industrial & organizational psychology
Psychiatrists are physicians whospecialize in the diagnosis andtreatment of mental disorders
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Weitens 7 Themes
Each theme appears throughout the text in a
number of variations
Learning both behavior and scientific discipline
that investigates it.7 Themes are in 2 sets
Statements high-lighting crucial aspects of
psychology as a way of thinking and field of study.
Broad generalizations about psychologys subjectmatter: behavior and the cognitive & physiological
processes that underlie it.
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Theme 1: Psychology is Empirical Psychologists base their conclusions on
observation through research rather thanreasoning or common sense.
Empiricism knowledge should be
acquired through observation Must be tested
Healthy dose of skepticism
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Theme 2: Psychology is
Theoretically Diverse
There are many competing schools of
thought in the field
Diversity has fueled progress and is also a
strength rather than a weakness Theory is a system of interrelated ideas used
to explain a set of observations.
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Theme 3: Psychology Evolves in
a Socio-historical Context
Psychology evolves in a socio-historical context,as trends, issues, and values in society excerptinfluence
Social trends, war, technology, and global
interdependence are all examples
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Themes Related to Psychologys
Subject Matter
Theme 4: Behavior is Determined by MultipleCauses
Theme 5: Behavior is Shaped by Cultural
Heritage Theme 6: Heredity & Environment Jointly
Influence Behavior
Theme 7: Peoples Experience of the World isHighly Subjective