Psychology: Brain, Mind, and Culture, 2e

by Drew Westen

Paul J. Wellman

Texas A&M University

John Wiley and Sons, Inc.

PowerPoint Presentation: Chapter 1

Psychology: The Study of Mental Processes and Behavior

Lecture Outline

Boundaries of Psychology Biological versus cultural

Perspectives in Psychology Psychodynamic Behaviorist Cognitive Evolutionary

© 1999 John Wiley and Sons, Inc.

Psychology

Psychology is defined as the scientific investigation of mental processes and behavior

Psychological processes reflect the influence of: biological processes of the cells within the

nervous system the context of cultural beliefs and values

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Biopsychology Biopsychology seeks to understand the mind through

understanding the biological activity of the brain Localization of function is the notion that discrete

brain regions control discrete aspects of mental functioning Lesions of neural pathways alter behavior in animal

studies Humans with focal brain damage show evidence of

impairment of language– Broca: damage to left front hemisphere impairs language

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Localization of Function

Damage here producesdifficulty in speaking

Damage here producesdifficulty in languagecomprehension

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Cultural Influences and Psychology

Culture refers to the influence of membership in a larger group such as a tribe or nation A society is not simply the summation of

the individuals that make up the society• Rather, culture impacts psychological

functioning of individuals within the society

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Philosophical Issues of Psychology

Free will versus determinism? Nature versus nurture? Rationalism versus empiricism? Reason versus emotion? Continuity versus discontinuity with other

animals? Individualism versus relationality? Conscious versus unconscious?

© 1999 John Wiley and Sons, Inc.

Early Psychological Science Wilhelm Wundt: Proponent of structuralism

Established the first psychological laboratory Used the method of introspection to examine mental

processes• Observers were trained to provide verbal reports of their

psychological processes• Sought to define the structure of consciousness

William James: Proponent of functionalism Functionalism argued that consciousness is functional

and serves a purpose

© 1999 John Wiley and Sons, Inc.

Perspectives in Psychology Any issue can be

approached using a number of perspectives

We can be biased in our perspectives Face Vase

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Psychodynamic Perspective

The psychodynamic view posits that conscious and unconscious forces interact to control our thoughts and behaviors Behavior is an interplay between thoughts,

feelings, and wishes Some mental events are unconscious Mental processes can conflict

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Psychodynamic Perspective Metaphor for the Psychodynamic view:

Awareness is like an iceberg: the portion above water is the conscious, the larger bulk below the water is the unconscious

Methods: Seek to understand the meanings of the mental life of a client Speech and dream analyses

Data: Primarily case studies in which a therapist seeks understanding of the thoughts, feelings, and actions of the client

© 1999 John Wiley and Sons, Inc.

Behaviorist Perspective Behaviorist view is that learning plays a role in

acquiring and maintaining behaviors Conditioning in which stimuli are associated

• Restaurant is paired with bad news that leads to anxiety

• Pairing of novel flavor with illness leads to taste aversion

Conditioning in which behaviors have consequences:

• Positive consequences are reinforcing

• Negative consequences are punishing

© 1999 John Wiley and Sons, Inc.

Behaviorist Perspective Metaphor: Humans and other animals are

mechanistic: we show reflexive responses that can be elicited by external stimuli

Methods: Experimental method What are the relations between stimuli and

behaviors? Data: Quantitative empirical data analyses

that can be replicated Rats running in a maze for food

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Behaviorist Perspective:Animal Experiments of Learning

© 1999 John Wiley and Sons, Inc.

Cognitive Perspective The Cognitive view focuses on how people

process, store, and retrieve information Metaphor: The mind is like a computer

Identify inputs, outputs, and speculate on the mental programs that govern thought

Methods: Experimental Method Recall of previous material Reaction time

Data: Memory and decision-making

© 1999 John Wiley and Sons, Inc.

Evolutionary Perspective Evolutionary view: Human behaviors

evolved because they helped our ancestors survive and reproduce Animals and humans share common behaviors Behaviors are biological determined

Sociobiology: Natural selection operates on psychological

functions as well as physical functions

© 1999 John Wiley and Sons, Inc.

Evolutionary Perspective

Metaphor: “We are all runners in a race, competing for resources…”

Methods: Deductive, some experimental Data: Often start with a known behavior

in a species and attempt to explain it on the basis of evolutionary principles

© 1999 John Wiley and Sons, Inc.

Contributions of the Psychological Perspectives

Psychodynamic Focus on unconscious process and on conflict

Behavioral Focus on learning Behaviors can be modified by consequences

Cognitive Focus on thought and memory

Evolutionary Focus on why we feel, think, or behave

© 1999 John Wiley and Sons, Inc.

Major Subdisciplines of Psychology

Biopsychology Developmental Social Clinical Industrial/Organizational Educational Experimental Health

© 1999 John Wiley and Sons, Inc.

Copyright

Copyright 1999 by John Wiley and Sons, New York, NY. All rights reserved. No part of the material protected by this copyright may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without written permission of the copyright owner.

© 1999 John Wiley and Sons, Inc.