IntroducingIntroducing PsychologyPsychology

What is it that fascinates What is it that fascinates psychologists about ordinary psychologists about ordinary

behavior? What exactly do they behavior? What exactly do they study?study?

Introducing PsychologyIntroducing Psychology

• I. Why Study Psychology?I. Why Study Psychology?

• II. Overview of PsychologyII. Overview of Psychology

• III. A Brief History of PsychologyIII. A Brief History of Psychology

• IV. Psychology as a ProfessionIV. Psychology as a Profession

I. Why Study Psychology?I. Why Study Psychology?InsightInsight• Psychology can provide Psychology can provide

useful insight into useful insight into behavior.behavior.

• Of course, few people Of course, few people are more obnoxious are more obnoxious than a novice than a novice psychologist.psychologist.

• The more you study The more you study psychology, the more psychology, the more respect you will gain for respect you will gain for the complexity and the complexity and diversity of human and diversity of human and animal behavior.animal behavior.

I. Why Study Psychology?I. Why Study Psychology?

Practical InformationPractical Information

• You will learn You will learn concrete and detailed concrete and detailed ways to carry out a ways to carry out a number of useful number of useful procedures, i.e. procedures, i.e. shaping, mnemonic shaping, mnemonic devices, and life devices, and life development.development.

II. Overview of PsychologyII. Overview of Psychology

Defining PsychologyDefining Psychology

• PsychologyPsychology is the scientific study of is the scientific study of behavior and mental processes.behavior and mental processes.

• Psychology is trying to understand why Psychology is trying to understand why people do the things they do.people do the things they do.

• Behavior has causes; it is governed by Behavior has causes; it is governed by laws and rules. laws and rules.

• Thus, the study of behavior must be Thus, the study of behavior must be systematic.systematic.

• The flaw in all their reasoning is that The flaw in all their reasoning is that speculating on the WHOLE from a speculating on the WHOLE from a few FACTS can lead to VERY few FACTS can lead to VERY LARGE errors in judgment.LARGE errors in judgment.

The Scientific Basis of PsychologyThe Scientific Basis of Psychology

Psychologists rely on the Psychologists rely on the scientific methodscientific method::

• Identify a specific problem or questionIdentify a specific problem or question

• Formulate a hypothesisFormulate a hypothesis

• Collect data through observation and Collect data through observation and experimentexperiment

• Analyze the dataAnalyze the data

• Draw a conclusionDraw a conclusion

Goals of PsychologyGoals of Psychology

DescribeDescribe

The first task for any The first task for any scientist or scientist or psychologist is to psychologist is to gather information gather information about the behavior about the behavior being studied and being studied and present what is present what is known.known.

Goals of PsychologyGoals of Psychology

ExplainExplain

• Psychologists also seek to explain why Psychologists also seek to explain why people behave as they do.people behave as they do.

• Theories are formed from a large number Theories are formed from a large number of experimental studies.of experimental studies.

• Theories allow us to describe and explain Theories allow us to describe and explain observed behavior.observed behavior.

Goals of PsychologyGoals of Psychology

PredictPredict

• Psychologists want to predict what Psychologists want to predict what humans will do, think, and feel in various humans will do, think, and feel in various situations.situations.

• By studying descriptive and theoretical By studying descriptive and theoretical accounts of past behaviors, psychologists accounts of past behaviors, psychologists can predict subsequent behaviors.can predict subsequent behaviors.

Goals of PsychologyGoals of Psychology

ControlControl

Some psychologists Some psychologists seek to influence seek to influence or control behavior or control behavior in helpful ways.in helpful ways.

What problems may occur when a What problems may occur when a researcher accepts one theoretical view?researcher accepts one theoretical view?

III. The Establishment of III. The Establishment of PsychologyPsychology

StructuralismStructuralism

• 1879 – The first psychology 1879 – The first psychology lab was set up in Germany lab was set up in Germany by Wilhelm Wundt.by Wilhelm Wundt.

• He attempted to map out the He attempted to map out the basic structure of thought basic structure of thought process.process.

• He used introspection, a He used introspection, a method of self-observation in method of self-observation in which one looks within and which one looks within and reports their thought process.reports their thought process.

FunctionalismFunctionalism

• 1890 – American 1890 – American psychologist William psychologist William James theorized all James theorized all activities of the mind – activities of the mind – thinking, feeling, thinking, feeling, learning, and learning, and remembering – serve remembering – serve only to help us survive only to help us survive as a species.as a species.

Five Major Approaches in Use Five Major Approaches in Use in Psychologyin Psychology

1. Biological Psychology1. Biological Psychology

• Some psychologists Some psychologists today focus on the today focus on the physiological basis physiological basis of behavior.of behavior.

• It’s the belief that It’s the belief that everything you do or everything you do or feel involves some feel involves some correlation in the correlation in the brain.brain.

2. Psychoanalysis2. Psychoanalysis• Founded by Sigmund Freud, Founded by Sigmund Freud,

he was interest in the he was interest in the unconscious mind.unconscious mind.

• He believed that behavior He believed that behavior occurred without us knowing occurred without us knowing why.why.

• He believed that our conscious He believed that our conscious experiences are only the tip of experiences are only the tip of the iceberg, that beneath the the iceberg, that beneath the surface are primitive biological surface are primitive biological urges that are in conflict with urges that are in conflict with the requirements of society the requirements of society and morality.and morality.

2. Psychoanalysis2. Psychoanalysis• Free association – a Free association – a

technique in which a technique in which a patient said patient said everything that came everything that came to mind, no matter to mind, no matter how absurd or how absurd or irrelevant it seemed.irrelevant it seemed.

• Dream Analysis – Dream Analysis – dreams are the dreams are the expression of the expression of the most primitive most primitive unconscious urges.unconscious urges.

2. Psychoanalysis2. Psychoanalysis

• Both he believed Both he believed revealed the revealed the operation of operation of unconscious unconscious processes.processes.

• He used his case He used his case studies to develop a studies to develop a comprehensive comprehensive theory of personality.theory of personality.

3. Behaviorism3. Behaviorism

• Belief that the Belief that the environment shapes environment shapes you into what you you into what you are.are.

• The key idea is that The key idea is that all animals adjust all animals adjust their behavior to their behavior to meet the demands meet the demands of their environment.of their environment.

3. Behaviorism3. Behaviorism• Behaviorists stress Behaviorists stress

investigating observable investigating observable behavior.behavior.

• They believe that all They believe that all behavior, even instinctive behavior, even instinctive behavior, is a result of behavior, is a result of conditioning.conditioning.

• American B.F. Skinner, American B.F. Skinner, influenced both the public influenced both the public and scientists with his and scientists with his techniques of conditioning techniques of conditioning behavior by rewards and behavior by rewards and punishments.punishments.

4. Cognitive Processes4. Cognitive Processes• Emphasizes the importance Emphasizes the importance

of thought processes in of thought processes in learning behavior.learning behavior.

• We perceive and interpret We perceive and interpret our world, think about our world, think about problems, constantly problems, constantly assess our knowledge of assess our knowledge of ourselves and others, and ourselves and others, and use language to use language to communicate with one communicate with one another.another.

5. Humanism5. Humanism• Focuses on the uniqueness Focuses on the uniqueness

of individuals through of individuals through choices.choices.

• Belief that the human mind is Belief that the human mind is able to influence and change able to influence and change the world in which it the world in which it functions.functions.

• Proposed by Abraham Proposed by Abraham Maslow to counter the Maslow to counter the psychoanalytic and psychoanalytic and behavioral approaches which behavioral approaches which he felt was dehumanizing.he felt was dehumanizing.

IV. Psychology as a IV. Psychology as a ProfessionProfession

What is a Psychologist?What is a Psychologist?

• Psychologists are people who have been Psychologists are people who have been trained to observe and analyze behavior trained to observe and analyze behavior patterns, to develop theories on behavior, patterns, to develop theories on behavior, and to apply what they know to influence and to apply what they know to influence behavior.behavior.

• Just as there are many different branches Just as there are many different branches of medicine, there are also many different of medicine, there are also many different fields of psychology.fields of psychology.

PsychiatryPsychiatry

• Psychiatry is a Psychiatry is a specialty of specialty of medicine. medicine.

• They study how to They study how to treat people with treat people with disturbed behavior disturbed behavior and can prescribe and can prescribe medicine.medicine.

Clinical and Counseling PsychologyClinical and Counseling Psychology

• Specialists in this field are also referred to Specialists in this field are also referred to as psychotherapists.as psychotherapists.

• They help people deal with personal and They help people deal with personal and everyday problems.everyday problems.

• Some help with emotional and learning Some help with emotional and learning problems.problems.

• They account for about one-half of all They account for about one-half of all psychologists.psychologists.

Personality, Social, and Personality, Social, and Developmental PsychologyDevelopmental Psychology

• Usually involved in research.Usually involved in research.

• Some may create personality tests.Some may create personality tests.

• Others study groups and may be interested Others study groups and may be interested in public opinion.in public opinion.

Other FieldsOther Fields• Educational Psychology – Related to Educational Psychology – Related to

teaching children and young adults.teaching children and young adults.• Community Psychology – May help design, Community Psychology – May help design,

run or evaluate a mental health clinic.run or evaluate a mental health clinic.• Industrial/Organizational Psychology – Study Industrial/Organizational Psychology – Study

and develop methods to boost production, and develop methods to boost production, improve working conditions, and job improve working conditions, and job placement.placement.

• Experimental Psychology – Do everything Experimental Psychology – Do everything from testing how electrical stimulation of the from testing how electrical stimulation of the brain affects behavior to studying how brain affects behavior to studying how disturbed people think.disturbed people think.

Psychology ties together all that has been Psychology ties together all that has been discovered about human behavior and discovered about human behavior and

feelings in order to look at the total human feelings in order to look at the total human being.being.