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Intro Lesson 1 9/10/2012 7:11:00 PM
Lesson 1: The Evolution of Psychology
Lesson Objectives
Upon completion of this lesson, you should be able to:
explain how psychology developeddiscuss psychology's origins in philosophy and physiology
contrast the "schools" from structuralism to humanism
describe research areas in psychology
discuss professional specialties in psychology
discuss seven key themes that relate to psychology's subject matter and
field of study
take steps to improve your academic performance
Reading Assignment
Weiten, Chapter 1
Discussion
Your textbook defines psychology as a scientific approach to the study of
behavior. Some psychologists study the behavior of people; others focus on
animal behavior. The subject matter for psychologists may be directly
observable and measurable behavior, or mental processes, such as dreams
and emotions, may be examined through an individual's self reports.
The basic goals of psychology are to explain, predict,
and control behavior. Psychologists incorporate their observations and
assumptions about behavior into theories. Explanations and predictions are
derived from theories. It is important to update theories when new
information is discovered. Psychologists consider controlling the behavior of
unconsenting others to be unethical. However, psychological theories may
be applied to help people who seek to modify their behaviors.
Some psychologists engage in pure research (no immediate practical
application). Others conduct applied research, which is relevant to specific
personal or social problems. In addition to conducting research,
psychologists may teach or apply psychological principles to help people
realize behavioral goals.
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Your textbook provides an exhaustive listing of occupations within the field
of psychology. Clinical practice may include clinical, school, educational, and
community psychologists. Researchers are typically developmental,
personality, social, environmental, or experimental psychologists. Industryemploys consumer and industrial psychologists.
Psychology's roots reach far back into history. The Greeks were early
contributors, noting the relation between behavior and external forces and
using introspection to gain self-knowledge. Over the last 150 years,
several important movements have formed modern psychology. Wilhelm
Wundt introduced structuralism, in which objective sensations are
differentiated from subjective feelings. Functionalism was introduced by
William James in the early 1900s and is founded on overt behavior and the
formation of habits. Around the same time, John B. Watson
founded behaviorism, in which measurable responses to environmental
stimuli are of concern. From Germany there came Gestalt psychology,
which deals with perceptions and insight. Finally, Sigmund Freud
contributed psychoanalysis, which concerns itself with unconscious and
irrational motivation.
In explaining, predicting, and controlling behavior, psychologists typicallywork from one of four contemporary perspectives: biological, cognitive,
psychoanalytic, or behavioral. The biological perspective looks to hormonal
and/or genetic factors in explaining behavior. The cognitive perspective
focuses on perceptions, cognitions, problem-solving, and dreams. Your
textbook discusses the structuralism, functionalism, Gestalt, and humanistic
schools of the cognitive perspective. The psychoanalytic perspective was
developed largely through the work of Sigmund Freud, who saw behavior as
motivated by sexual and aggressive instincts. The behavioral
perspective focuses on situational determinants of behavior. Fundamental
to this view was the early work of Ivan Pavlov, John Watson, and B. F.
Skinner. Social learning theorists have more recently expanded the
behavioral perspective to include cognitive factors.
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Psychologists employ five basic methods in their study of behavior:
naturalistic observations, experiments, surveys, case studies, and
correlations. Naturalistic observation involves actually observing behavior
as it occurs in the environment. Your textbook discusses the various control
techniques employed in the experimental method to determine the causesof behavior. The survey method may employ interviews, questionnaires,
and/or psychological tests to obtain self-report information from subjects.
The behavior of an individual is examined closely in a case study. Finally,
the correlational method determines the degree to which variables are
related to each other. Regardless of the methods used, psychologists must
adhere to ethical standards that require informed consent, confidentiality,
considerate treatment, and debriefing of research participants.
Throughout this course, as you examine psychology in its many variations,
seven key ideas are emphasized as unifying themes. These seven key
themes come in two sets: three relate to psychology as a field of study and
four relate to psychology's subject matter. The three key themes having to
do with psychology as a field of study are as follows:
psychology is empirical
psychology is theoretically diverse
psychology evolves in a sociohistorical context
Themes four through seven, related to psychology's subject matter, are
these:
behavior is determined by multiple causes
behavior is shaped by cultural heritage
heredity and environment jointly influence behavior
our experience of the world is highly subjective
Self Test
Now check your knowledge with thisSelf Test.
Written Assignment
Please return to the "Lessons and Assignments" page to access the Written
Assignment for this lesson.
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My name is Pia Aiya. I have a degree from the University of Georgia is
Spanish and am currently working on my degree in Biochemistry. This is my
first IDL course but I am just as dedicated to it as I would be to a classroombased course. I have always wanted to take psychology, but my schedule
never permitted it. I am currently living at home with my parents and
working for my father as a director of marketing and sales for his jewelry
lighting business. I am taking Medical Biochemistry at UGA two days a week
and working the other three days. I am also applying to medical schools with
hopes to start in 2013.
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Book Notes 9/10/2012 7:11:00 PM
Book Notes:
Psychology is about understanding all the things we do (2)
Probing whys and hows gives answers (2)
No simple answer to the mystery of pathological gambling (3)
Study of psychology teaches the complexity of behavior (3) Early History:
Greek : psyche = soul and logos = the study of a subject
18th century = the study of the mind
Wundt (founder of psychology) an independent discipline not a stepchild of
philosophy or physiology
o 1879 he did first formal lab for research in psychology at university of
leipzip
o psychology became the scientific study of conscious experience (4)
o lab studies focused on attention, memory, sensory processes and
reaction time experiments in regards to mental processes
G. Stanley Hall: student of Wundt
o End of 19th
century, established Americas first research lab in psych at
johns Hopkins in 1883
o Americas first psych journal 1887
o American psychological association (APA) he was driving force 1893 ,
first president
1879 psychologys date of birth
Structuralism vs. Functionalsim
Structuralism Edward Titchener at Cornell
Structuralism was based on the notion that the task of psychology is to
analyze consciousness into its basic elements and investigate how these
elements are related
o Like sensation, feeling and images to the conscious experience
Structuralists depended on introspection (the careful, systematic self-
observation of ones own conscious experience)
o Trained people to be more objective and aware then exposed to
auditory tones, optica illusions and visual stimuli
Functionalism was based on the belief that psychology should investigate the
function or purpose of consciousness, rather than its structure
Functionalism William James (formal training medicine), moved to Harvard
to study and teach psychology
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o His teachings show psychology deeply embedded in a network of
cultural and intellectual influences
o Natural selection: heritable characteristics that provide a survival or
reproductive advantage are more likely than alternative characteristics
to be passed on to subsequent generations and thus come to beselected over time
o Consciousness he argued consists of a continuous flow of thoughts
stream of consciousness
Functionalism led to behaviorism and applied psychology
Freud and the unconscious
Freuds approach to psychology grew out of his efforts to treat mental
disorders
Unconscious contained thoughts, memories, and desires that are well below
the surface of conscious awareness but that nonetheless exert great
influence on behavior
Slip of the tongue revealing true feelings and dreams showing feelings people
are unaware of
Psychoanalytic theory attempts to explain personality, motivation and mental
disorders by focusing on unconscious determinants of behavior
Watson and Behaviorism
1913-1920 John B. Watson founded behaviorism
Behaviorism is a theoretical orientation based on the premise that scientific
psychology should study only observable behavior
Suggested that psychologists abandon the study of consciousness all
together (trying to redefine psychology) (8)
o Basis of verifiability
Behavior refers to any overt (observable) response or activity by an organism
Clashed with psychoanalytic theory
Mission to relate overt behaviors (responses) to observable events in the
environment (stimuli)Pavlovs dogs (9)
Animals became test subjects (better than humans b/c more control)
Skinner and Free Will
B.F. Skinner influenced by Pavlov and Watson
Organisms tend to repeat responses that lead to positive outcomes and they
tend not to repeat responses that lead to neutral or negative outcomes
o Pigeons playing ping pong (9)
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People are controlled by their environment, not themselves
Free will is an illusion
Behaviorism like his flourished in 1950s and 60s
Humanist
1950s behaviorism and psychoanalytic theory thought dehumanizing bymanythought failed to recognize qualities of human behavior
Humanism formed through loose alliance of diverse opposition to behaviorism
and psychoanalytic theory
Humanism is a theoretical orientation that emphasizes the unique qualities of
humans, especially their freedom and their potential for personal growth
Carl Rogers argued that human behavior is governed by each individuals
sense of self
Greatest humanist contribution is their innovative treatments for psychological
problems and disorders
Modern History
Applied psychology = the branch of psychology concerned with everyday, practical
problems
not mainstream until WWII
Clinical psychology is the branch of psychology concerned with the diagnosis and
treatment of psychological problems and disorders
Took off during and after WWII because many psychologists called to war to
screen trauma soldiers
Veterans Administration (VA) trained and paid for clinics for veterans
psychological scars
1988 Association for Psychological Science (ASP) serves exclusively as an
advocate for the science of psychology
Cognition and Physiology
Cognition refers to the mental processes involved in acquiring knowledge
once called consciousness
Cognitive perspective point out that the way people thing about events surely
influences how they behave
Biological perspective maintain that much of human and animal behavior can
be explained in terms of the bodily structures and biochemical processes that
allow organisms to behave
Increased Interest in Cultural Diversity
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Cross cultural research costly, difficult, time consuming
Psychologists worry that cultural comparisons may inadvertently foster
stereotypes of various cultural groups
Ethnocentrism is the tendency to view ones own group as superior to others
and as the standard for judging the worth of foreign ways Civil rights movement, womens movement and gay-rights movements all
raised doubts about whether psychology had dealt adequately with human
diversity
New interest in culture appears attributable to two recent trends
o advances in communication, travel and international trade has shrunk
the world and increased global interdependence bringing more and
more Americans and Europeans into contact with people of non-
Western culture
o the ethnic makeup of Western world has become an increasingly
diverse multicultural mosaic
The emergence of Evolutionary Psychology
Evolutionary Psychology examines behavioral processes in terms of their
adaptive value for members of a species over the course of many generations
o Natural selection favors behaviors that enhance organisms
reproductive success
Doubters say evolutionary psychology cannot be tested and explanations are
post hoc and speculative accounts for obvious behavioral phenomena
Positive Direction
Positive psychology movementcomes from Seligmans 5 year old daughter
thinking father was too grumpy.
Argued that psychology devoted too much attention to pathology, weakness,
damage and ways to heal suffering
Positive psychology uses theory and research to better understand the
positive, adaptive, creative, and fulfilling aspects of human existence.
Three areas of interest
o Positive subjective experiences positive emotions
o Positive individual traits positive strengths and virtues
o Positive institutions and communities society, strong families, etc.
Psychology Today
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Psychology is the science that studies behavior and the physiological and
cognitive processes that underlie it, and it is the profession that applies the
accumulated knowledge of this science to practical problems
Research areas in Psychology
Developmental psychology Social psychology
Experimental psychology
Physiological psychology
Cognitive psychology
Personality
Psychometrics
Educational psychology
Health psychology
Professional Specialties in Psychology
Four established professional specialties:
o Clinical psychology
o Counseling psychology
o School psychology
o Industrial/organizational psychology
2 emerging specialties are clinical neuropsychology and forensic psychology
Clinical Psychology and Psychiatry differ in the way they approach the
treatment of mental disorders and how they obtain their degree
Psychiatry is a branch of medicine concerned with the diagnosis and
treatment of psychological problems and disorders
Seven Unifying themes
Theme 1: Psychology is Empirical
o Empiricism is the premise that knowledge should be acquired through
observation
o Its conclusions are based on direct observations rather than reasoning,
speculation, traditional beliefs or common sense
o Wheres the evidence? How do you know?
Theme 2: Psychology is Theoretically Diverse
o A theory is a system of interrelated ideas used to explain a set of
observations
Theme 3: Psychology Evolves in a Sociohistorical Context
o Trends, events, issues, and values in society effect psychology
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Theme 4: Behavior is Determined by Multiple Causes
Theme 5: Behavior is Shaped by Cultural Heritage
o Culture refers to the widely shared customs, beliefs, values, norms,
institutions, and other products of a community that are transmitted
socially across generations Theme 6: Heredity and Environment Jointly Influence Behavior
o Nature vs. Nurture
Theme 7: Peoples Experience of the World is Highly Subjective
o People see what they want to see
o People see what they expect to see
Improving Academic Performance
1. Set up a schedule for studying
2. Find a place to study where you can concentrate
3. Reward your studying
Improving your Reading
SQ3R is a study system designed to promote effective reading, which
includes five steps: survey, question, read, recite, and review
Improving Test Taking Strategies
Testwiseness is the ability to use the characteristics and format of a cognitive
test to maximize ones score
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Lesson 1 Questions 9/10/2012 7:11:00 PM
1. Who is Wilhelm Wundt? Why is he important to current day psychology?
a. Wundt is considered to be the founder of psychology because he
was the first to view psychology as separate from physiology or
philosophy. He is important to current day psychology because he
turned what was up until that point a intellectual concept into ascience with rule and theories.
2. Name three significant individuals in the early development of psychology
as a discipline and describe their major contributions to the field.
a. While there were many important individuals in the early
development of psychology as a discipline, three that stand out are
William James, Sigmund Freud, and John Watson. James defended
the idea of functionalism and believed psychology should study the
purpose and function of consciousness. His work incorporated the
idea of natural selection of characteristics and he was one of the
first to think of consciousness as a flow of thoughts. Freud on the
other hand was the first to bring the unconscious to psychology. He
is best known for developing the psychoanalytic theory which is still
used today. Though he is best know for his idea that behavior is
driven by sexual urges. Finally, Watson is known for founding
behaviorism which suggests psychology study observable behavior.
3. Briefly discuss and contrast the five schools of psychological thought that
were developed after Freud's psychodynamic theory.a. After psychodynamic theory many psychological thoughts sprung
up. Behavioral psychology was first introduced by John Watson and
comes from fundamentalism. It is based on the thought that
psychology should scientifically study observable behavior. Its
major criticism was that it fixated on animal behavior. Humanistic
psychology was introduced in the 1950s and it revolved around the
idea that humans had their own unique, complex qualities different
from those of animals. Cognitive psychology developed in the 1950s
and 1960s and believed human behavior could not be understood
without studying how people process, store and attain information.
Biological psychology believed behavior could be explained by the
subjects bodily structure and biochemical functions. Biological
psychology was introduced in the 1800s but not developed until the
1950s. Evolutionary psychology believes in natural selection of
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traits. This idea was introduced by William James and his belief of
functionalism.
4. Briefly describe the advances and changes that occurred in psychological
thinking after World War II.
a. Due to the war, many soldiers were psychologically scarred, whichcalled for more psychologists. The Veterans Administration
therefore paid to train people in clinical psychology and thus
psychology evolved from an academic science to a profession.
Furthermore, this time period after the war led to increased interest
in the cognitive perspective and the biological perspective.
Together, these led to the discovery that mind, body, and behavior
were interrelated. Later, this led to interest in cultures effect of
behavior and eventually evolutionary psychology.
5. Briefly summarize the basic tenets of evolutionary psychology.
a. The main idea behind evolutionary psychology is natural selection
of behavioral traits lead to the successful continuation of a species
with those traits.
6. How is psychology defined today?
a. Psychology today is defined as both a profession and as a science.
The profession uses the studied theories and applies them to real
life problems. The science studies behavior and its cognitive and
physiological procedures.7. Briefly describe the differences between academic psychology and applied
psychology and describe two types of applied psychology specializations.
a. Applied psychology deals with everyday, practical problems where
as academic psychology is the study of psychology as a science and
is more greatly invested in research rather than application. One
example of applied psychology is clinical psychology, where the
main concern is diagnosing and treating those with psychological
issues. Another example is counseling psychology which is similar
to clinical psychology in that it deals with evaluating and treating
psychological disorders but counseling psychology differs in that it
only deals with moderately sever cases.
8. Pick two different types of academic psychologists and briefly compare
the types of issues researched by them.
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a. Two types of academic psychologies are social psychology and
educational psychology. Social psychology deals with communal
relationships and their effect on behavior. Social psychology
researches issues such as conformity, aggression, and prejudice.
Educational psychology on the other hand deals with methods ofteaching and learning. This type of psychology researches
curriculum optimization, classroom diversity and motivational
factors.
9. How do a psychologist and psychiatrist differ? How are they the same?
a. Psychologists and psychiatrists differ in how they approach
treatment of a problem and how they obtain their degree. A
psychologist must go to graduate school and choose a specialty in
order to get a doctorate. A psychiatrist goes to medical school and
get a MD degree. They are similar in that they both treat mental
disorders.
10. Briefly summarize the advice provided in the text on how to get more
out of lectures and improving your test-taking strategies.
a. There are many things that can be done to get more out of class
lectures. Start by actually attending class. The key is to stay
motivated, stay attentive and try to make notes as complete as
possible. This can be done by being an active listener, reading
ahead before class, taking notes in your own words, listening forclues as to what is important, and asking questions. These
strategies can be applied to improve test scores in many ways. The
best way is to set up a mental schedule based on the test; guess on
difficult questions, mark them, and move on; take questions how
they come, meaning dont make them more complicated than
needed; and finally review answers if time permits.
11. What is critical thinking, and why is it important in psychology?
a. Critical thinking is purposeful, reflective judgment that is used to
evaluate situations, make decisions, and solve problems. It is
imperative to psychology because the basis of critical thinking are
cognitive skills and affective outcomes both of which have been
greatly studied in psychology since its birth in the 19th century.
Essays
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1. Discuss the contributions of structuralism and functionalism to the
evolution of psychology as a discipline.
a. Wundt brought psychology into being as the scientific study of
conscious experience. From there sprang both functionalism and
structuralism. Both accept consciousness as the basis for scientificresearch, but they differ in how it should be studied. Structuralism
focuses on the basic elements components of consciousness and
their relation with one another. Functionalism on the other hand
delves into the reasoning behind consciousness itself. Both brought
about important techniques and discoveries, but eventually
structuralism diminished because the methods of result
interpretation were unreliable. The study of functionalism on the
other hand led to discoveries such as stream of consciousness by
William James and the study of behaviorism. In time however,
functionalism as defined by nineteenth century psychologists too
died out. It however left other forms of psychology -- with basis in
functionalism -- that are still around today.
2. Compare and contrast the psychoanalytic, behaviorist, and humanist
assumptions about human nature.
a. Views on human nature in psychology come down to attitude.
Humanists by definition view humans as superior to and different
from animals. For this reason they view human nature as essential.Free will that makes up human nature is for them what makes
humans unique from any other species.
b. Behaviorists on the other hand dont see human nature as negative
or positive. They dont actually believe human nature exists
because for them a persons views and opinions are the result of
the environment. In fact, behaviorists tried to redefine psychology
all together without the study of the consciousness.
c. All in all, behaviorists views clash with psychoanalysts views
because psychoanalysts believe subconscious urges cause humans
to behave the way they do. For this reason, psychoanalysts view
human nature as a negative stimuli. They go to the opposite
spectrum as humanists and believe everything about the behavior
of a person can be explained by impulses of which the person may
not even be aware.
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3. Compare and contrast the research interests of a developmental
psychologist, a physiological psychologist, a social psychologist and a
cognitive psychologist on the topic of love.
a. Each psychologist would be interested in a different aspect of love.
The developmental psychologist would be in the stage of life thepeople in love were in. He would want to know when the lovers first
fell in love and how that impacted their maturation. Furthermore, a
developmental psychologist would be interested in the components
of love and the components evolution in the peoples lives because
the developmental psychologist sometimes studies emotional
development as well as physical, mental, and social.
b. A physiological psychologist would be less interested in the
emotions associated with love and more interested in the effect love
has on the body. The physiological psychologist would research
chemical release in those in love versus chemical release in those
not in love. He would also look at brain function and activity in
response to love. Another topic of interest might be changes in
bodily functions when around that which the person loves.
c. A social psychologist would look have more in common with the
developmental psychologist versus the physiological psychologist.
The social psychologist would research loves effect on
relationships. He would be interested in how love changes thebehavior of the person in love and the behavior of those around the
person in love. The social psychologist may also be interested in
changes in daily thoughts that might occur as a side effect to being
in love.
d. Finally, the cognitive psychologist would combine the research and
interests of the social psychologist with that of the physiological
psychologist. The cognitive psychologist would be interested in
loves effect on higher mental function. He would look at how love
effects a persons reasoning, decision making, and overall
perception of himself and other. The cognitive psychologist would
also be interested in how love effects a persons creativity.
4. Imagine that you are the president of a large corporation that designs
different products for the home. Your company designs everything from
cleaning powders to furniture. What type of applied psychologist would
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you hire to work in your company? Explain how having them on staff
would benefit your company.
a. I would most likely hire a counseling psychology. As a president of
a company that designs products for the home, I need someone
who deals with practical, every day problems to tell me what needsfixing. This is what a counseling psychologist does. She/he would
inform me and my company on what patients suffer from most on a
daily basis and I would create products to make their lives easier so
their environment is a calmer place for them to live.
5. Your text identifies three unifying themes that relate to psychology as a
field of study. Identify each of these themes and show how each theme
might be relevant in investigating clinical depression.
a. Psychology is empirical. This means conclusions about clinical
depression can only be drawn by directly studying and analyzing
those with clinical depression.
b. Psychology is theoretically diverse. This means investigating clinical
depression would be most beneficial if first the scientist proposed a
theory he/she would like proven about clinical depression. Then,
any observations about clinical depression have a purpose.
c. Psychology evolves in a sociohistorical context. Therefore, any
investigation of clinical depression must be compared to the
happenings of the world and society at that point in time. Thismeans todays findings of clinical depression may not mean as
much as they do tomorrow because tomorrow has a different
sociohistorcial context.
6. Your text identifies four unifying themes that relate to psychology's
subject matter. Identify each of these themes and show how each theme
might be relevant in investigating clinical depression.
a. First, Behavior is determined by multiple causes. In relation to
clinical depression, this means that there is no once cause of clinical
depression. This opens up infinite avenues as to what caused the
clinical depression.
b. Behavior is shaped by cultural heritage. This means clinical
depression could be a effect of the cultural circumstances in which a
person grew up. In this scenario, researching common cultural
factors in those with clinical depression could turn up answers.
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c. Heredity and environment jointly influence behavior. This
introduces the argument of nature versus nurture. With clinical
depression, this mean analyzing how many with clinical depression
have family members with clinical depression and analyzing
common environmental factors in those without family memberswith clinical depression.
d. Peoples experience of the world is highly subjective. This means
clinical depression patients could potentially have nothing in
common because each sees the world differently. The best way to
learn about clinical depression through this theme would be to
compare how patients interpret common occurrences.
7. Imagine that you have been asked to speak to a group of tenth-grade
students who have signed up for a study skills seminar offered by a local
youth group. Based on the information provided in the Personal
Application, what are ten concrete points that you would make in your
presentation?
a. Before the class properly and effectively prepare by following the
subsequent advice. First and foremost, set up a study schedule for
yourself. This ensures that you have time to properly prepare for
both class and exams. It also ensures that you are not stressed out
last minute cramming weeks of material in mere hours. Next,
designate a study area where you can concentrate. It is importantto have one or two places you can study sans distractions. This way
you can optimize your study time. Furthermore, set up short-term
rewards for yourself while studying. Do this by breaking up your
work and when you finish a portion, take a desired break such as a
snack or television show.
b. During class use the following guidelines. Be an active listener in
class. Even though it can be hard, avoid distractions such as day
dreaming. Also, read ahead before class. Most classes have
schedules. Skim the prepared assignment before going to class.
Then, take note in your own words instead of copying what the
teachers says. This is important for your understanding of the
material. The most important thing you can do in class is ask
questions. Many a time, even the not so important questions can
help you and those around you better understand the material.
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c. During the test the first thing you should do is set up a mental
schedule. This way you can finish the test without being rushed at
the end. Next, guess on hard questions and come back to them at
the end if time permits. This way you do not waste more time than
you have. Finally, look over and change any wrong answers at theend. Once done with the test, a second glance can help correct
answers chosen in the heat of the moment.
8. The Critical Thinking Application in your text lists four skills that are
exhibited by critical thinkers. Identify these four skills and show how they
might be used by a woman who was trying to decide whether to begin
hormone therapy once she was past menopause.
a. The first skill is understanding and using scientific investigation. The
woman might use this by asking how the hormone therapy affects
post-menopausal women. This skill may also motivate the woman
to find out what hormone therapy is made up of and how it will help
her. The second skill is the application of formal and informal logic.
This might lead the woman to the assume that because she has
already gone through menopause and will not get her period again,
she can expect minimal hormone interference from her body in
reaction to the hormone therapy. The third skill is evaluation of
credibility of information. This might lead the woman to question
her hormone therapy information sources. The final skill is analysisof reasoning to reach a viable conclusion. With this final skill, the
woman would weigh reasons to undergo hormone therapy against
reasons not to undergo hormone therapy and the one that
outweighs the other would be her decision.
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last question 9/10/2012 7:11:00 PM
Compare and contrast the psychoanalytic, behaviorist, and humanist
assumptions about human nature.
Views on human nature in psychology come down to attitude. Humanists by
definition view humans as superior to and different from animals. For thisreason they view human nature as essential. Free will that makes up human
nature is for them what makes humans unique from any other species.
Behaviorists on the other hand dont see human nature as negative or
positive. They dont actually believe human nature exists because for them a
persons views and opinions are the result of the environment. In fact,
behaviorists tried to redefine psychology all together without the study of
the consciousness.
All in all, behaviorists views clash with psychoanalysts views because
psychoanalysts believe subconscious urges cause humans to behave the way
they do. For this reason, psychoanalysts view human nature as a negative
stimuli. They go to the opposite spectrum as humanists and believe
everything about the behavior of a person can be explained by impulses of
which the person may not even be aware.
Psychoanalysts view humans as essentially "bad" (primitive, animalistic,sexual, and irrational) and unconsciously driven to behave in certain ways.
This is a pessimistic view of humanity. Behaviorists view human nature as
nonexistent. Rather, behavior develops under the control of the
environment. Since behavior is regarded as conditioned reactions to
observable stimuli, the implication is that there is no such thing as free will.
Humanists view humans as essentially "good" and unique among species
because they have free will (conscious and rational), a natural potential for
growth, and a basic need to fulfill this potential. This is an optimistic view of
humanity.
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other notes 9/10/2012 7:11:00 PM
Structuralism:
Edward Titchener (English Professor in America)
Based on the notion that the task of psychology is to analyze
consciousness into its basic elements and investigate how these
elements are related. Recognizing Relationships
Breaking Down Barriers
Taking things Apart
Functionalism
William James (American Scholar)
Psychology should be based on the belied that psychology should
investigate the function or purpose of consciousness [alone] rather
than its structure.
Seeing the psychological process as a whole
Structuralism vs. Functionalsim
Structuralism Edward Titchener at Cornell
Structuralism was based on the notion that the task of psychology
is to analyze consciousness into its basic elements and investigate
how these elements are related
o Like sensation, feeling and images to the consciousexperience
Structuralists depended on introspection (the careful, systematic
self-observation of ones own conscious experience)
o Trained people to be more objective and aware then exposed
to auditory tones, optica illusions and visual stimuli
Functionalism was based on the belief that psychology should
investigate the function or purpose of consciousness, rather than its
structure
Functionalism William James (formal training medicine), moved to
Harvard to study and teach psychology
o His teachings show psychology deeply embedded in a network
of cultural and intellectual influences
o Natural selection: heritable characteristics that provide a
survival or reproductive advantage are more likely than
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alternative characteristics to be passed on to subsequent
generations and thus come to be selected over time
o Consciousness he argued consists of a continuous flow of
thoughts stream of consciousness
Functionalism led to behaviorism and applied psychology
9. Discuss the contributions of structuralism and functionalism to the
evolution of psychology as a discipline.
Wundt brought psychology into being as the scientific study of conscious
experience. From there sprang both functionalism and structuralism. Both
accept consciousness as the basis for scientific research, but they differ in
how it should be studied. Structuralism focuses on the basic elements
components of consciousness and their relation with one another.
Functionalism on the other hand delves into the reasoning behind
consciousness itself. Both brought about important techniques and
discoveries, but eventually structuralism diminished because the methods of
result interpretation were unreliable. The study of functionalism on the other
hand led to discoveries such as stream of consciousness by William James
and the study of behaviorism. In time however, functionalism as defined by
nineteenth century psychologists too died out. It however left other forms ofpsychology -- with basis in functionalism -- that are still around today.
Both perspectives reflect the early view that consciousness is the
appropriate subject matter for the new science, but they differed in regard
to how consciousness should be studied. With Wilhelm Wundt, the
structuralists believed that consciousness should be broken down into its
basic elements through introspection. This approach generated numerous
laboratory studies of sensory and perceptual phenomena. Structuralism
eventually died out due to the inconsistent results of introspective studies.
Along with William James, the functionalists emphasized the adaptive
purposes of consciousness, arguing that psychologists should look at the
continuous flow of thought rather than its static elements. Its practical and
applied focus generated advances in the study of mental testing, child
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development, and gender differences. Functionalism, too, gradually faded
away, but left applied psychology and behaviorism as its enduring
descendants.