OBJECTIVES Describe the range of topics that are covered in an
introductory course in psychology Cite questions psychologists ask
and describe how research is performed Explain Important trends
within psychology Summarize the careers and specialized fields in
psychology
RUTH & GARY The story is simple but is it? From a
psychologist point of view, the behavior is complex Ruth decided to
eat lunch because of her physiological (physical) state, which was
what? She was hungry
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RUTH & GARY Ruth was also motivated by her cognitive
(mental) elements? Why did Ruth know she had to eat now? She had
classes scheduled for the next several hours
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RUTH & GARY When Ruth entered the cafeteria, she perceived
sensory stimuli different from those outside, but paid little
attention to them. New sights New sounds New smells (except that
the food smelled good)
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RUTH & GARY Ruth went through the line and paid for her
food, what was her learned behavior? She had to go through line and
pay for her food like how a rat runs a maze for food reward Do you
see the same in you at lunch? Do you have a routine? Do you take
the same path? Sit at same table?
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RUTH & GARY Ruth looked for a social group to join, but
found none to which she belonged? What would you do in this
situation? Ruth sat alone until Gary joined her. Why do you think
Gary felt free to join Ruth at her table? In most schools and
colleges there is an informal rule, or norm, that students who have
a class together may approach each other socially. Do you agree
with this informal rule or norm? Does the same apply to people who
ride the same public bus and why?
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RUTH & GARY Ruth remembered how Gary behaved in the past
and his note borrowing routine, what did this trigger in Ruth?
Emotional reaction of Anger Why didnt Ruth dumped her food on Garys
head as a 2-year old might have done? Ruth acted in a way more
appropriate to her stage of development What does development mean
to you? Ruths response was a characteristic of her what?
Personality She told Gary she didnt have the notes (even though he
had seen them) and left
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RUTH & GARY When these situations occur, and followed by
depression, either students behavior could indicate psychological
disturbance. If Gary relied on others for help and manipulated
people to get his way, his behavior might be a sign of A
personality disorder Ruth might as well since she interprets simple
request as demands but finds herself unable either to meet or
refuse the request in a direct way. Does either students behavior
seem abnormal?
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ANY SITUATION What we learned from Ruth and Gary is that
situations or occurrences raise many questions about why people
behave and feel as they do. How is behavior influenced by their
physiological states? What motivates them to choose one action
instead of another? What we talk about, analyze, interrupt, and
evaluate are reflected by how psychologists analyze and view
behavior.
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WHY STUDY PSYCHOLOGY New ways of looking at and interpreting
your behavior Daily events you might ordinarily take for granted
may now become fuel for thought Learning about psychology can help
you gain a better understanding of your own behavior, knowledge
about how psychologists study human and animal behavior, and
practical applications for enriching your life Insight Practical
Information
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WHY STUDY PSYCHOLOGY INSIGHT Psychology can provide useful
insight into behavior Ex: Suppose a student is convinced that he is
hopelessly shy and doomed forever to feel comfortable in groups. He
learns through social psychology that different groups tend to have
different effects on their members. He is not comfortable at
parties but comfortable at meetings at school What can you analyze
why he is uncomfortable at parties and not meetings? The student is
not paralyzingly shy, he just does not like unstructured groups
Thinking about your feelings can help you gain confidence in
yourself. After this class, you may see yourself in a new way
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WHY STUDY PSYCHOLOGY PRACTICAL INFORMATION Diversity of human
and animal behavior How to train a puppy How to shape the behavior
of those around you Mnemonic devices (memory aids) 30 day has
September Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally ROY G BIV
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OVERVIEW OF PSYCHOLOGY Psychology: Is the scientific study of
behavior and mental processes. Can involve both animal and human
behaviors. Humans: Psychology covers everything that people think,
feel, and do Some psychologists believe that you should study only
behavior that you can see, observe, or measure directly (Ruths
behavior) Some psychologists believe that our fantasies, thoughts,
and feelings are also important, even though these behaviors are
not directly observable. (Ruths thoughts) While psychologist differ
on which kinds of behavior are important, they do agree that the
study of behavior must be systematic Systematic? The use of
systematic method of asking and answering questions about why
people think, act, and feel as they do reduces the chances of
coming to false conclusions.
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BLIND MEN AND THE ELEPHANT A long time ago, three very wise,
but blind men were out on a journey when they came across a
sleeping elephant. Because they could not see the elephant, they
did not know what was blocking their way so they set about to
discover what they could about the obstacle. As it happened, each
man put his hands on a different section of the elephant, examining
it in great detail and with much thought. The first man, having
felt the elephants trunk, described a creature that was long,
wormlike, and quite flexible. No, no! You must be mistaken. said
the second man who was seated astride the elephant, This creature
is wide, very round, and does not move very much. The man who was
holding one of the elephants tusks added his description of a
small, hard, pointed creature. Was each man correct? How can you
compare this story to human behavior? Many different approached are
necessary to understand the complex richness of human behavior
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INTUITIONS ABOUT BEHAVIOR HANDOUT Test your intuitions about
behavior by answering true or false to the statements.
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SCIENTIFIC BASIS OF PSYCHOLOGY Psychologists rely on the
scientific method Scientific method: Psychologists reach their
conclusions by identifying a specific problem or question,
formulating a hypothesis, collecting data through observation and
experiment, and analyzing the data. By asking specific,
well-defined questions, psychologists can gain insight into the
behavior they are studying. Hypothesis: An educated guess- the
researcher has some evidence for suspecting a specific answer. In a
hypothesis, researchers state what they expect to find, expressed
in such a way that it can be proved or disproved
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4 GOALS PSYCHOLOGY Psychologists seek to do 4 things
1.Description: First task for any scientist or psychologist is to
gather information about the behavior being studied and to present
what is known. (Ruths behavior in the cafeteria)
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4 GOALS PSYCHOLOGY 2. Explanation: Psychologists do not want to
simply state the facts Seek to explain why people (animals) behave
as they do Propose hypotheses Research studies designed to test
hypothesis. When completed more complex explanations are
constructed Theories: A complex explanation, based on findings from
a large number of experimental studies assembled to explain the
results. **Theories can change with new data, as it improves our
understanding. Understanding of mental illnesses (genetic?)
Theories allow us to describe and to explain observed behavior
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4 GOALS PSYCHOLOGY 3.Prediction: As a result of accumulated
knowledge, what organisms will do, and in the case of humans, what
they will think or feel in various situations. By studying past
behaviors, psychologists can predict subsequent behaviors
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4 GOALS PSYCHOLOGY 4. Control: Psychologists seek to influence
or control behavior Basic science: The pursuit of knowledge about
natural phenomena for its own sake When psychologists are
conducting studies with a long-term goal to find out more about
human or animal behavior (research) Applied science: Discovering
ways to use scientific findings to accomplish practical goals When
other psychologists are more interested in discovering ways to use
what we already know about people to benefit others and solve more
immediate problems.
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BASIC & APPLIED SCIENCE EXAMPLES Basic science: Studying
the infants ability to perceive visual patterns Not concerned with
design of crib Studying rapid eye movement in sleep and discover a
disturbance. Will try to understand and explain the situation, but
will not try to correct it Applied science: Will try to correct
disturbance in REM during sleep Clinical psychologists Consultant
to a toy manufacturer (applying psychological principles)
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WHAT IS PSYCHOLOGY? A group of students are gathering around
the commons area between 2 nd and 3 rd period. The late bell rings
and does little to disperse the students. The crowds of students is
getting larger making it nearly impossible to get to the two
students that are fighting. Mr. Hatcher intervenes and stops the
skirmish as quickly as it started. Both students are given a 10 day
out of school suspension. When the students return to my class
late, they are buzzing about the fight. My psychology students pose
questions about the incident? What questions can be posed about the
incident?
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QUESTIONS ABOUT THE INCIDENT Are some of us born more
aggressive than others? How are levels of aggression affected by
what we learn from our parents, peers, and culture group? What are
the biological influences on aggression? What motivates some people
to settle their differences physically while others talk them out?
Are young adults more likely than middle-aged adults to take part
in physical confrontations? How could this situation been avoided
or defused? Why we students so much more likely to watch this
conflict (and to be late to class) than to break it up?
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ASSIGNMENT In a minimum one page typed essay or two page
written essay answer one of the posed questions from students from
your own opinion about the incident and aggression. You may have to
look at yourself or others differently! Double spaced typed or
written 12 font
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PSYCHOLOGIST DOING BASIC RESEARCH Read page 10 and discuss
Broadness of studies
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BRIEF HISTORY OF PSYCHOLOGY Greek philosophers in 5 th & 6
th centuries Peoples lives were not dominated by gods but by their
own minds People were rational Nicolaus Copernicus: Mid 1500s The
Earth was not the center of the universe, it revolved around the
sun Introduced observation as key element Galileo Galilei Used a
telescope to confirm predictions about star positions and movements
based on Copernicus work Modern concept of experimentation through
observation
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BRIEF HISTORY OF PSYCHOLOGY Dualism: The concept that the mind
and body are separate and distinct Rene Descartes: Disagreed,
claiming link existed between mind and body Reasoned that mind
controlled the bodys movements, sensations, and perceptions Mind
and body influence each other to create a persons experiences.
Still being studied to
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CAUSES OF BEHAVIOR: A CASE STUDY Handout Complete individually
Review as a class Answer the 3 questions
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PSYCHOLOGY AS A DISCIPLINE Structuralism: Wilhelm Wundt:
(Founder of psychology) Originally trained as a physiology (how the
body works) Real interest human mind 1 st psychology lab Turned
psychology into a science Developed method of self-observation, to
collect information about the mind Introspection: A method of
self-observation in which subjects report on their thoughts and
feelings. Experiments important historically, his work attracted
many students who carried on the tradition of psychological
research
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PSYCHOLOGY AS A DISCIPLINE Functionalism: William James (Close
rival as the founder of psychology) Speculated that thinking,
feeling, learning, remembering-all activities of the mind-serve one
major function, to help us survive as a species Rather than
focusing on the structure of the mind as Wundt did, James focused
on the functions of the conscious mind and the goals or functions
of behavior
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PSYCHOLOGY AS THE STUDY OF UNCONSCIOUS PROCESSES Sigmund Freud
Interested in unconscious mind Importance of unconscious &
early childhood experiences Beneath the surface are primitive
biological urges that conflict with society and morality
Unconscious motivations and conflicts are are responsible for most
human behavior ID, Ego, Superego
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ID, EGO, & SUPEREGO
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FREUDS FREE ASSOCIATION Free association: Patient said
everything that came to mind, no matter how absurd or irrelevant,
without attempting to produce logical or meaningful statements
Freuds role, psychoanalyst, to be objective Sat & listened,
then interrupted Freud believed free association, revealed the
operation of unconscious processes Dreams are expressions of the
most primitive unconscious urges To learn about urges Dream
analysis: Extension of free association, which the patient applied
the same techniques to dreams Freuds theories challenged by some
today
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PSYCHOLOGY AS THE STUDY OF INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES Sir Francis
Galton (Mathematician & scientist 19 th century) Wanted to
understand how heredity influences a persons abilities, character,
and behavior Traced the ancestry of various eminent people and
found that greatness runs in families Concluded that genius is a
hereditary trait Did not consider genius to be a result of
exceptional environments or sociological advantages Galtons
writings raised the issue of whether behavior is determined by
heredity or environment (still a focus of controversy)
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PSYCHOLOGY AS THE STUDY OF OBSERVABLE BEHAVIOR Behaviorism:
Ivan Pavlov Rang a tuning fork each time he gave a dog some meat
powder The dog would naturally salivate when the powder reached its
mouth Eventually, the dog would salivate even if no food appeared
Conditioned to associate the sound with food Response: Salivation
Stimulus: Tuning fork New tool for psychologists, enabled them to
explain how certain acts and certain differences among individuals
were the result of learning
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PSYCHOLOGY AS THE STUDY OF OBSERVABLE BEHAVIOR Behaviorism
continued B.F. Skinner Conditioning, rewarding (& punishments)
those who display behavior that is considered desirable Ex: Potty
trained children, lose weight, quit smoking, overcome phobias
Criticized by many for what they say are manipulative conditioning
techniques
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PSYCHOLOGY AS THE STUDY OF OBSERVABLE BEHAVIOR Humanism:
Developed as a reaction to the behavioral movement Abraham Maslow,
Carl Rogers, & Rollo May Described human nature as active and
creative rather than passively reacting to external stimuli
Humanists feel that the human mind is able to influence and change
the world in which it functions
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PSYCHOLOGY AS THE STUDY OF COGNITIVE PROCESSES Ever stall
asking for something because of past reaction? Ever stall asking
for something because of what recently happened? Breakup, loss job,
or studying? Your knowledge of their condition or your memory of
the results of asking for a favor last time has altered your
behavior.
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WAYS TO VIEW BEHAVIOR Handout Part A Group work Read over
description of approaches as a group Answer questions from flip
side of paper
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PSYCHOANALYTIC Billys problems stem from his early childhood
experiences, especially having his mother desert him. Because his
father feels inadequate. Billy cannot fulfill his identification
with him. During his various developmental stages, inherent
conflicts were not resolved.
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BEHAVIORIST Billy was rewarded by his father with toys and
trips, never quite knowing why he received these rewards. He sought
attention throughout his school years with the same expectations.
He learned that inappropriate behavior got him rewards.
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HUMANIST Billys main problem was that his basic needs were not
fulfilled. As he grew, his sense of self-worth was not realized by
relationships or success in school. Others did not recognize his
worth except in athletics.
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COGNITIVE Billy had many false perceptions. He thought that he
was not the favored child. He may have developed some faulty
notions about his role in his parents divorce. Later, as an
adolescent he believed that he could not succeed.
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BIOLOGICAL Billy needed to have his father take his medical
condition seriously. If the ADHD diagnosis was correct, treatments
and medication could have alleviated the problem. Had this
happened, the troubles that started in school may have resulted in
success rather than frustration.
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WAYS TO VIEW BEHAVIOR Classroom questions 1. Which approach
seems to have the best explanation of Billys situation? 2. What
factors make this approach most plausible? 3. Rank-order the
remaining approaches. Give a rationale for your choices.
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DIVERSITY IN PSYCHOLOGY Mary Calkins initially denied Ph.D.
first female president of APA Margaret Washburn first woman to
receive a Ph.D. in psychology Anna Freud child psychoanalysis
Kenneth and Mamie Phipps Clark D oll studies : work was cited in SC
decision Brown v. Bd of Educations ending racial discrimination in
schools
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PSYCHOLOGY AS A PROFESSION What is a psychologist? People who
have been trained to observe and analyze behavior patterns, to
develop theories on behavior, and to apply what they know to
influence behavior. Many different fields of psychology
Psychologist & psychiatrist are different professions
Psychiatry is a specialty of medicine Learns to treat disturbed
people with medicine Not involved with much research
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SPECIALTY FIELDS IN PSYCHOLOGY Clinical & counseling
psychology most popular Psychotherapists Help people deal with
their personal problems Work in private offices, mental hospitals,
prisons, and clinics School psychologist help young people with
emotional or learning problems Personality, social, or
developmental psychology Create personality tests, study groups,
and conduct polls and surveys
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SPECIALTY FIELDS IN PSYCHOLOGY Educational psychology Teaching
children and young adults regarding intelligence, memory, problem
solving, and motivation Evaluate teaching methods Devise tests New
instructional devices for films, TV, & classrooms Community
psychology Social welfare agency, mental health clinic
Industrial/Organizational psychology Study & develop methods to
boost production, improve working conditions, place applicants for
jobs, improve working conditions
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SPECIALTY FIELDS IN PSYCHOLOGY Experimental psychology
Electrical stimulation of a certain area of a rats brain affects
its behavior Studying how disturbed people think Observing how
different socioeconomic groups vote in elections
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PSYCHOLOGISTS DEDICATED TO ANSWERING MOST INTERESTING QUESTIONS
What happens during sleep? How can bad habits be broken? Is there a
way to measure intelligence? Do dreams mean anything? How does
punishment affect a child? Can memory be improved? What causes
psychological breakdowns?
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SPECIALTIES IN PSYCHOLOGY Handout Chart and answer
questions