Module 2As Science Evolves: The Past, the Present,

and the Future

Chapter 14 - Pages 15-26 Essentials of Understanding Psychology- Sixth Edition

PSY110 Psychology

© Richard GoldmanSeptember 18, 2006

Psychological Perspectives

Early Structuralism Introspection Functionalism Gestalt Psychology

Contemporary Neuroscience Psychodynamic Behavioral Cognitive Humanistic

Structuralisman Early Perspective

Developed by Wilhelm Wundt Set up first psychology laboratory 1879

Studied with a procedure called Introspection Patients were asked about stimuli Focused on the fundamental mental states of:

Perception Consciousness Thinking Emotions (and other mental states and activities)

Discredited because results were not reproducible

Introspection

Subject is presented with stimulus the psychologist then use the subject’s response to describe the mind

Discredited because it was not reproducible - not scientific

Replaced by Functionalism and Gestalt Psychology

Functionalisman Early Perspective

Lead by William James in the early 1900’s Focused on the purpose of consciousness

and behavior(how it allowed people to adapt to their environment)

Gestalt Psychologyan Early Perspective

Improved understanding of perception by viewing a variety of individual elements as a “whole”

“The whole is different from the some of its parts”.

NeuroscienceA Contemporary Perspective Biologically based – emphasizing

the study of: Brain, Never cell, & nervous system Biochemistry & Hormones Medication Inheritance Instinct

PsychodynamicA Contemporary Perspective

Sigmund Freud – 1900 Behavior is motivated by inner

unconscious forces Psychoanalysis Free Association

Behavioral Behaviorism originated

with the work of John B. Watson, an American psychologist -1920.

Watson believed that psychological data which did not result from direct observation was useless.

Championed by BF Skinner

operant conditioning “Skinner Box”

CognitiveHow people understand and

think

Humanistic People control their own behavior Free will Carl Rogers Abraham Maslow Hierarchy of Needs

Issues & Controversies Nature verses Nurture

Conscious verses Unconscious motivations Free Will verses Determinism Observable Behavior vs. Mental Processes Universal Principals vs. Individual Differences

Nature vs. Nurture Nature:

Behavior is determined by inheritance

NurtureBehavior is determined by

environment

Free Will vs. Determinism Free Will:

Behavior is controlled by freely made choices

Determinism: Inheritance Instinct Environment Training Behavior is not controlled by free will

Observable Behavior vs. Internal Mental Processes Observable Behavior:

Can be seen by an outside observerAllows easy application of scientific process

Internal Mental Processes Critical to understanding mental

processes

Universal Principals vs. Individual Differences Universal Principals:

Behavior and responses that are similar to all humans in all cultures

Individual Differences: Individual differences in humans

within a culture

End