INTRODUCING PSYCHOLOGY

CHAPTER 1

OVERVIEW OF PSYCHOLOGY

• Psychology is the scientific study of behavior and mental processes

• This covers everything people think, feel, and do

• This study of human behavior is systematic rather than simplistic

THE GOALS OF PSYCHOLOGY

• Description: Gather information about the behavior

• Explanation: Propose hypothesis and construct theories about the behavior

• Prediction: Predict future behaviors based on past ones

• Control: Influence behavior in helpful ways

TEST YOUR INTUITIONS ABOUT BEHAVIOR

• 1. For the first week of life, a baby sees nothing but shades of gray.

• 2. Slow learners remember more of what they learn than fast learners.

• 3. Highly intelligent people tend to be physically frail and socially isolated.

• 4. Psychiatry is a subdivision of psychology

• 5. A child learns to talk more quickly if adults around the child habitually repeat the word he or she is trying to say, using proper pronunciation

THE SCIENTIFIC BASIS OF PSYCHOLOGY

• Psychologists rely on the scientific method to ensure data is collected correctly

• Although the scientific method is used, many questions about behavior remain unanswered and psychological theories are continually revised

HISTORICAL APPROACHES

• Structuralists: Psychologists who studied the basic elements that make up conscious mental experiences (Wilhelm Wundt)

• Introspection: A method of self-observation in which participants report their thoughts and feelings

HISTORICAL APPROACHES, CONT.

• Functionalists: Psychologists who studied the function (rather than the structure) of consciousness (William James)

• Functionalists study how animals and people adapt to their environments

HISTORICAL APPROACHES, CONT.

• Inheritable traits: Sir Francis Galton studied heredity and how it influenced a person’s ability, character, and behavior

• Galton raised the question of heredity vs. environment or nature vs. nurture

CONTEMPORARY APPROACHES

• Psychoanalytic Psychology: The study of unconscious motives and conflicts and how they determine behavior

• Sigmund Freud is considered the father of psychoanalysis

CONTEMPORARY APPROACHES, CONT.

• Behavioral Psychology: The study of how organisms learn or modify their behavior based on their response to events in the environment

• Ivan Pavlov pioneered this approach in his famous dog experiment

CONTEMPORARY APPROACHES, CONT.

• Humanistic Psychology: Developed as a reaction or behavioral psychology. Humanists believe each person has freedom in directing his or her future and in achieving personal growth

• Cognitive Psychology: The study of how we process, store, and use information and how this influences our behavior

CONTEMPORARY APPROACHES, CONT.

• Biological Psychology: The study of how physical and chemical changes in our bodies influence our behavior

• Sociocultural Psychology: The study of the influence of cultural similarities and differences on behavior and social functioning

PSYCHOLOGY AS A PROFESSION

• A psychologist is someone trained to observe, analyze, and evaluate behavior.

• Psychologists and psychiatrists are different professions- psychiatry is a specialty of medicine

Dr. Elizabeth Connors, PhD

TYPES OF PSYCHOLOGISTS

• Clinical psychologists: Help people with personal problems. They typically work in private offices, mental hospitals, prisons, or clinics.

• Counseling psychologists: Advise and assist people with problems of everyday life. Typically work in schools or industrial firms.

TYPES OF PSYCHOLOGISTS, CONT.

• Developmental psychologists: Study changes that occur throughout life

• Educational psychologists: Deal with topics related to teaching children and young adults

• Community psychologists: Help design, run, or evaluate mental health for the state or local government, or private organizations

• Industrial/organizational psychologists: Employed by business firms and government agencies to boost production, etc.

AMERICAN PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION (APA)• The APA is a society of

psychologists and educators

• It is the major psychological association of the United States and the world’s largest association of psychologists

• It is made up of 53 divisions and works to advance the science and profession of psychology