© 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Chapter 1What is Psychology?

© 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Chapter Preview

Defining Psychology

Psychology in Historical Perspective

Contemporary Approaches to Psychology

What Psychologists Do

Science of Psychology and Health and Wellness

© 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Psychology: Defined

Psychology is the scientific study of

behavior and mental processes.

Three Key Components

science – systematic methods

behavior – what can be directly observed

mental processes – thoughts, feelings, motives

© 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Science of Psychology

Critical Thinking

Skepticism

Objectivity

Curiosity

© 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Use of Systematic Method

Usually asks and answers questions about

why people think, act, and feel as they do

reduces the chances of coming to false

conclusions

Blind man and elephant story

© 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

The Goals of Psychology

Description

Explanation

Prediction

Influence

© 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Description

Describe or gather information about the

behavior being studied and present what is

known

© 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Explanation

Are not content with the facts

They seek to explain why people or animals behave

Hypothesis- an assumption or prediction about behavior that is tested through scientific research

Theory- a set of assumptions used to explain phenomena and offered for scientific study

© 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Prediction

Use knowledge and predict what organisms

think and feel in various situations

By studying past behaviors, psychologists

can predict future behaviors

© 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Influence

Psychologists seek to influence behavior in

helpful ways

Basic Science- the pursuit of knowledge

about natural phenomena for its own sake

Applied Science- discovering ways to use

scientific findings to accomplish practical

goals

© 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Scientific Method

1) Question

2) Hypothesis

3) Experiment

4) Results

5) Conclusions

6) Theory

© 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Psychology – A General Science

Psychology is not limited to the study

of psychological disorders.

Freud’s view of human nature

positive psychology

© 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Narcissism Epidemic

Narcissism…unusually self-confident,

self-assertive, and self-centered.

Generation born since 1980s

“More narcissistic than early generations”

vs.

“Attitudes have been stable over time”

© 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

History of Psychology

Western Philosophy

Biology and Physiology

Wilhelm Wundt (1832-1920)

1879 – established 1st psychology lab

© 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

The Origins of Psychology

5th and 6th Centuries

Greeks studied human behavior and decided

people were rational and not dominated by gods

Greeks set the stage for the development of

sciences

© 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

The Origins of Psychology

1500 and 1600s

Copernicus- published idea that the earth was

not the center of the universe, the sun was.

Galileo Galilei- used a telescope to confirm the

predictions of Copernicus

Descartes- proposed a link between the body

and mind

© 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Marmaduke Sampson

Studied “why crime occurs”

Believed behavior was the result of the shape of the head

Phrenology- the practice of examining bumps on a person’s skull to determine that person’s intellect and character traits

Inspired scientists to consider the brain instead of the heart as responsible for human behavior

© 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Wilhelm Wundt’s

Structuralism

identified structures of the mind

introspection

systematic, detailed self-reports

© 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Williams James’

Functionalism

identified the functions and purposes

of the mind

stream of consciousness

human interactions with outside world

why is human thought adaptive?

© 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Inheritable Traits

Sir Francis Galton

Wanted to understand how heredity influences a

person’s abilities, character, and behavior.

His study focused on genius being a hereditary

trait

Did not consider that distinguished families

may also have exceptional environments and

socioeconomic advantages

© 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Inheritable Traits

Scientists recognized flaws in Galton’s

research

They came up with the theory that “a

person’s heredity and environment interact

to influence intelligence”

© 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Gestalt Psychology

German Psychologists

Max Wertheimer

Wolfgang Kohler

Kurt Koffka

Disagreed with the principles of structuralism and behaviorism

Believed perception was more than a sum of its parts

Studied how sensations are assembled into perceptual experiences

© 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Psychology and Evolution

Charles Darwin

On the Origin of Species, 1859

Natural Selection

competition for resources

genetic characteristics that promote

reproduction and survival are favored

environmental changes alter course of

evolution

© 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Contemporary Approaches

Current Psychological Perspectives

Biological

Behavioral

Psychodynamic

Humanistic

Cognitive

Evolutionary

Sociocultural

© 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Biological Approach

The biological approach focuses on the

brain and nervous system.

Neuroscience

study of the structure, function, development,

genetics, biochemistry of the nervous system

thoughts and emotions have physical basis in brain

allowed psychologists to better understand the brain

© 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Behavioral Approach

The behavioral approach focuses on the

environmental determinants

of observable behavior.

Notable Behaviorists

John Watson

B.F. Skinner

rejected thought processes

© 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Psychodynamic Approach

Psychodynamics emphasizes

unconscious thought

conflict between biological drives and

demands of society

early childhood family experiences

Psychoanalysis - Freud

© 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Humanistic Approach

Humanists emphasize

positive human qualities

capacity for positive growth

free will

Humanistic Theorists

Carl Rogers

Abraham Maslow

© 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Cognitive Approach

The cognitive approach emphasizes the

mental processes involved in knowing.

Information Processing

…how humans interpret incoming info, weigh it,

store it, and apply it

© 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Evolutionary Approach

The evolutionary approach uses ideas such

as adaptation, reproduction, and natural

selection to explain human behavior.

Evolutionary Psychologists

David Buss

Leda Cosmides

© 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Sociocultural Approach

examines how social and cultural

environments influence behavior and mental

processes

studies differences between ethnic and

cultural groups within and across countries

Section 3

Psychology as a Profession

© 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

What is a Psychologist?

Psychologists- is a scientist who studies the

mind and behavior of humans and animals

Psychiatry- is a branch of medicine that

deals with mental, emotional, or behavioral

disorders

These two professions are usually confused

© 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Subfields of Psychology

Clinical psychologist- is a psychologist who

diagnoses and treats people with emotional

disturbances

Counseling psychologist- is a psychologist

who usually helps people deal with

problems of everyday life

School psychologist

© 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Subfields of Psychology

Developmental psychologist- a psychologist who studies the emotional, cognitive, biological, personal, and social changes that occur as an individual matures

Educational psychologist- a psychologist who is concerned with helping students learn

© 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Subfields of Psychology

Community psychologist- a psychologist who may work in a mental health or social welfare agency

Industrial or organizational psychologist- a psychologist who uses psychological concepts to make the workplace a more satisfying environment for employees and managers

© 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Subfields of Psychology

Environmental psychologists- work in a

business or with the government to study

the effects of the environment on people

Psychobiologists- study the effect of drugs

or try to explain behavior in terms of

biological factors

© 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Subfields of Psychology

Forensic psychologists- work in legal, court, and correctional systems

Health psychologists- study the interaction between physical and psychological health factors

Experimental psychologists- is a psychologist who studies sensation, perception, learning, motivation, and/or emotion in carefully controlled laboratory conditions

© 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Careers in Psychology

Practice / Applied

Research

Teaching

© 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Areas of Specialization

Physiological Psych / Behavioral Neuroscience

Sensation and Perception

Learning

Cognitive Psychology

Developmental Psychology

Motivation & Emotion

Psychology of Women & Gender

Personality Psychology

Social Psychology

Industrial / Organizational Psychology

Clinical & Counseling Psychology

Health Psychology

© 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Areas of Specialization

Also (but not addressed in text beyond this chapter)

Community Psychology

School & Educational Psychology

Environmental Psychology

Forensic Psychology

Sport Psychology

Cross-Cultural Psychology

© 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Career Settings in Psychology

© 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Influence of Culture

Individualistic Cultures

individuals viewed as unique and distinct

from their social group

value independence

Collectivistic Cultures

emphasize social group and the individual’s

role within that group

value interdependence

© 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Influence of Culture

Individualistic subjects

prefer to work on tasks that they have had

previous success with

like to emphasize their successes

Collectivistic subjects

prefer to work on tasks that they have

difficulty with

self-critical view

© 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Science of Psychology and

Health and Wellness

Mind-Body Connections

how the mind impacts the body

how the body impacts the mind

© 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Chapter Summary

Explain what psychology is and how it differs from an every-day, informal approach to understanding human nature.

Discuss the roots and early scientific foundations of psychology.

Summarize the main themes of the seven approaches to psychology.

List some of the areas of specialization and careers in psychology.

Describe the connections between the mind and the body.

© 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Chapter Summary

Defining Psychology

scientific study of behavior and mental processes

Historical Foundations of Psychology

origins in philosophy and physiology

structuralism – Wilhelm Wundt

functionalism – William James

evolutionary theory – Charles Darwin

© 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Chapter Summary

Contemporary Approaches to Psychology

current approaches – complementary

Specializations and Careers in Psychology

practice, research, teaching

academic, clinic, private practice, industry, school

Science of Psychology and

Health and Wellness

mind-body connection is a “two-way street”