INTRODUCING PSYCHOLOGY
CHAPTER 1
OVERVIEW OF PSYCHOLOGY
• Psychology is the scientific study of behavior and mental processes
• This covers everything people think, feel, and do
• This study of human behavior is systematic rather than simplistic
THE GOALS OF PSYCHOLOGY
• Description: Gather information about the behavior
• Explanation: Propose hypothesis and construct theories about the behavior
• Prediction: Predict future behaviors based on past ones
• Control: Influence behavior in helpful ways
TEST YOUR INTUITIONS ABOUT BEHAVIOR
• 1. For the first week of life, a baby sees nothing but shades of gray.
• 2. Slow learners remember more of what they learn than fast learners.
• 3. Highly intelligent people tend to be physically frail and socially isolated.
• 4. Psychiatry is a subdivision of psychology
• 5. A child learns to talk more quickly if adults around the child habitually repeat the word he or she is trying to say, using proper pronunciation
THE SCIENTIFIC BASIS OF PSYCHOLOGY
• Psychologists rely on the scientific method to ensure data is collected correctly
• Although the scientific method is used, many questions about behavior remain unanswered and psychological theories are continually revised
HISTORICAL APPROACHES
• Structuralists: Psychologists who studied the basic elements that make up conscious mental experiences (Wilhelm Wundt)
• Introspection: A method of self-observation in which participants report their thoughts and feelings
HISTORICAL APPROACHES, CONT.
• Functionalists: Psychologists who studied the function (rather than the structure) of consciousness (William James)
• Functionalists study how animals and people adapt to their environments
HISTORICAL APPROACHES, CONT.
• Inheritable traits: Sir Francis Galton studied heredity and how it influenced a person’s ability, character, and behavior
• Galton raised the question of heredity vs. environment or nature vs. nurture
CONTEMPORARY APPROACHES
• Psychoanalytic Psychology: The study of unconscious motives and conflicts and how they determine behavior
• Sigmund Freud is considered the father of psychoanalysis
CONTEMPORARY APPROACHES, CONT.
• Behavioral Psychology: The study of how organisms learn or modify their behavior based on their response to events in the environment
• Ivan Pavlov pioneered this approach in his famous dog experiment
CONTEMPORARY APPROACHES, CONT.
• Humanistic Psychology: Developed as a reaction or behavioral psychology. Humanists believe each person has freedom in directing his or her future and in achieving personal growth
• Cognitive Psychology: The study of how we process, store, and use information and how this influences our behavior
CONTEMPORARY APPROACHES, CONT.
• Biological Psychology: The study of how physical and chemical changes in our bodies influence our behavior
• Sociocultural Psychology: The study of the influence of cultural similarities and differences on behavior and social functioning
PSYCHOLOGY AS A PROFESSION
• A psychologist is someone trained to observe, analyze, and evaluate behavior.
• Psychologists and psychiatrists are different professions- psychiatry is a specialty of medicine
Dr. Elizabeth Connors, PhD
TYPES OF PSYCHOLOGISTS
• Clinical psychologists: Help people with personal problems. They typically work in private offices, mental hospitals, prisons, or clinics.
• Counseling psychologists: Advise and assist people with problems of everyday life. Typically work in schools or industrial firms.
TYPES OF PSYCHOLOGISTS, CONT.
• Developmental psychologists: Study changes that occur throughout life
• Educational psychologists: Deal with topics related to teaching children and young adults
• Community psychologists: Help design, run, or evaluate mental health for the state or local government, or private organizations
• Industrial/organizational psychologists: Employed by business firms and government agencies to boost production, etc.
AMERICAN PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION (APA)• The APA is a society of
psychologists and educators
• It is the major psychological association of the United States and the world’s largest association of psychologists
• It is made up of 53 divisions and works to advance the science and profession of psychology