INTRODUCING PSYCHOLOGY

Chapter 1

Through the study of psychology, people can discover psychological principles that have the potential to enrich the lives of humans

Section 1 – Why study Psychology?

Gaining insight into behavior

Psychology can provide useful insight into behavior Example

You may not be shy all the time You may just be uncomfortable in certain settings

Acquiring practical information You may learn how you are shaping the

behavior of those around you You may learn how development in your

childhood impact your actions today You may learn why you have certain fears

or phobias

Overview of Psychology Psychology is the scientific study of

behavior and mental processes Psychology covers everything people

Think Feel Do

The study of behavior is systematic

Goals of Psychology Describe behavior Explain behavior

Develop a hypothesis Develop a theory

Predict behavior Influence behavior

Basic science – research/long-term studies Applied science – using psychological principle to

solve immediate problems

The scientific basis of Psychology

Scientific method – psychologists used this to make sure they are collecting and analyzing data accurately

William Wundt set up the first psychology lab in Germany in 1879

Said psychology was two kinds of elements Sensations Feelings

Wundt’s beliefs led to the theory of introspection or the SCIENTIFIC METHOD

Psychology involves sets of questions, theories, methods, and possible answers that have been passed on and changed from generation to generation

Section 2 – A Brief History of Psychology

The Origins of Psychology Greeks

5th and 6th Centuries Decided people were not dominated by the gods,

but by their own minds – people were rational Tried to interpret the world through human

perceptions Set the stage for the sciences, including

psychology, by using observation

Copernicus – mid 1500s Earth was not the center of the universe, it

revolved around the sun Galileo – 1500s & 1600s

Used a telescope to confirm predictions about star position and movement base on Copernicus’s works

17th Century Philosophers gave us DUALISM The mind and body are separate and distinct Descartes disagreed

The mind controlled the body’s movements, sensations and perceptions

Mind and body work together to influence each other and crate a person’s experiences

Hilgard (1987) Modern science began to emerge by combining

philosophers’ reflections, logic, and mathematics with the observations and inventiveness of practical people

19th century – biologists announced the discover of cells as the building blocks of life

Chemists developed the periodic table of elements

Physicists made great progress in our understanding of atomic forces

Natural scientists were studying complex phenomena by reducing them to simpler parts

Psychology was formed

Historical Approaches Structuralism (Wundt) – established his

Laboratory of Psychology Became known as the founder of modern

psychology Was interested in the basic elements of

human experience Introspection is self-observation where Wundt

tried to map out the basic structure of thought processes.

Functionalism – William James – father of psychology in the U.S. Wrote the first Psychology textbook, The

Principles of Psychology, in 1890 Theorized that all activities of the mind serve

one major function To help us survive as a species

Focused on the functions or actions of the conscious mind and the goals or purposes of behaviors

Functionalists study how animals and people adapt to their environment

Inheritable Traits – Sir Francis Galton – mathematician and scientist – wanted to understand how heredity influenced a person’s abilities, character, and behavior Traced ancestry of famous people and found

that greatness runs in families – thus heredity Invented tests to assess the abilities and

characteristics of a wide range of people – these are the forerunners to today’s personality and IQ tests

Faults found because it was discovered that heredity and environment impact how a person behaves

Gestalt Psychology German scientists: Wertheimer, Kohler, and

Kofka argued that perception is more than the sum of its parts – it involves a whole pattern – Gestalt in German

They studied how sensations are assembled into perceptual experiences.

This is the forerunner for Cognitive approaches to Psychology

Contemporary Approaches Psychoanalytic – Freud – was interested in

the unconscious mind. Biological urges conflict with society and

morality Use free association to delve into his patients

minds Psychoanalyst’s role was to be objective – just

sit and listen then interpret the associations

Behavioral Psychology – Pavlov – behavior can be influenced by conditioned responses Pavlov’s Dogs Experiment Psychologists who wanted to investigate

observable behavior became known as Behaviorists Watson said psychology should only concern itself

with observable facts Skinner came up with the concept of reinforcement

Humanistic Psychology – Maslow, Rogers, & May – each person is unique and has a self-concept and potential to develop fully

Cognitive Psychology – Piaget, Chomsky, & Fetinger – focuses on how we process, store, and use information; how this information influences out thinking, language, problem solving, and creativity They believe behavior is more than a single

response to a stimulus Biological Psychology – emphasizes the

impact of biology on our behavior Psychobiologists study how the brain, the nervous

system, hormones, and genetics influence our behavior PET Scans CAT Scans

Sociocultural Psychology – The newest approach, studies the influence of cultural and ethnic similarities and differences on behavior and social functioning Also study the impact of immigration and

integration in the U.S. society Look at gender and socioeconomic status

Psychologists are trained to observe, analyze, and evaluate behavior patterns to develop theories of behavior, and to apply what they have learned to influence behavior.

Section 3 – Psychology as a Profession

What is a Psychologist? Psychologists are people who have been trained

to observe, analyze, and evaluate behavior. Psychiatry is a specialty of medicine – where

one learns to treat people with disturbed behavior

Clinical Psychologists help people deal with their person problems Private offices Mental hospitals Prisons clinics

Counseling Psychologists usually work in schools or industrial firms advising and assisting people with the problems of everyday life

Developmental Psychologists study physical, emotional, cognitive, and social changes that occur throughout life. Children Elderly Process of dying

Educational Psychologists deal with topics related to teaching children and young adults Intelligence Memory Problem solving Motivation

Community Psychologist may work in a metal health or social welfare agency operated by the state or local government or by a private organization May help design, run, or evaluate mental

health clinics

Industrial/Organizational Psychologists are employed by business firms and government agencies. They study and develop methods to

Boost production Improve working conditions Place applicants in the best jobs Reduce accidents

Environmental Psychologists work in business settings or within the government to study the effects of the environment on people

Forensic Psychologists work in legal, court and correctional systems. The help police by developing personality profiles

of criminal offenders or help law enforcement understand problems like abuse

Health Psychologists study the interaction between physical and psychological health factors Stress Depression Physical Ailments

Experimental Psychologists perform research to understand how humans and animals operate physically and psychologically.

American Psychological Association (APA) founded in 1892 is a scientific and professional society of psychologists and educators