History of Psychology

Roots in Greece

• Plato once gave the idea to a student “Know Thyself”

• Socrates said it is important to examine our thoughts and feelings.

• Introspection- looking within

• Anything wrong with your mental state was thought to be a punishment from the Gods

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qR3rT428i8k

The Middle Ages

• Signs of agitation and confusion were signs of DEMONIC POSSESSION….BOO

• Also, the same idea as the Greeks, this was thought of as a punishment for sins committed

• Tests were ran to confirm or deny the presence of demons:– Water-Float Test

Science Evolves

• The Scientific revolution changed the world and how it viewed how things happened

• In the 1800’s psychology developed into the ideas of human behavior based on EVIDENCE

• Methods used were similar to those used in chemistry

Wilhelm Wundt

• He founded the field of psychology

• This idea became known as structuralism (concerned with discovering the basic elements of conscious experience)

• Consciousness was broken down into two separate categories

• Objective sensations- sight sound taste • Subjective feelings- were thought to include

emotional responses and mental image

• Combine these and you get the consciousness

William James• Thought that experience is a continuous stream

of consciousness

• Founder of the school of functionalism (how mental processes help organisms adapt to their environment. )

• Functionalism vs. Structuralism

• Functionalism includes behavioral observation as well as introspection

• Structuralisms ask what are the elements of a process

• Functionalists ask what is the purpose of a process

Adaptive practices

John B. Watson

• Rat in a maze example

• Watson thought there was a severe problem with the school of functionalism….where does behavior fall in all of this?

• Watson begins the school of behaviorism (the study of measurable behavior)

B.F. Skinner

• Skinner built on the idea of behaviorism, he felt that if a person were reinforced then they would be more likely to perform this action.

• Pigeons and rats can learn complex behaviors if they are reinforced in the right way.

• Can people be reinforced? Have you ever experienced this?

Sigmund Freud

• Possibly the most famous psychologist in history

• Emphasized the importance of unconscious motives and internal conflicts that determine behavior

• Interpret a slip of the tongue or a dream• What fills the mind of an individual is

conflicting impulses, urges, and wishes.

What is the Number One Factor that Effects Psychology?

• Biological-how we function• Cognitive-thoughts determine behavior• Humanistic-need for self fulfillment• Psychoanalytic- influenced by unconscious

feelings• Learning-the effect of experiences• Sociocultural- ethnicity, gender,

socioeconomic standing