Psychology:

Scientific study of behavior and mental processes tested through scientific research

Science:

• Study based on conducted research

• Collection of information, or data in an organized fashion

Behavior: (Physiological)

• the activity of an organism

• observable physical activity

Mental processes: (Cognitive)

• thinking activity of an organism

• unobservable activity

Stone Age - • SPIRITS!!

– Spirits are responsible for behavior

• People who behaved abnormally were thought to be possessed by evil spirits.

• To get rid of the evil spirit - chipped holes in the brain, usually resulting in death.– Trepanation

Ancient Egyptians - 500 BC

• “Ka” - inside each person was a smaller person responsible for behavior

• Evidence - look into the eye of someone and you will see a little person peering back at you.

Ancient Greeks - 400 BC

• Plato - thought the mind and body were separate

• Aristotle - first to think the mind and body were connected

Phrenology - 1700’s

• Believed you could read people’s personality by the bumps on their head.

• Divided the brain into faculties - each faculty represented an aspect of personality

Different approaches to studying Psychology…

Structuralism

• Wilhelm Wundt – Germany - late 1800s– Opened first Psychology Lab

Study of basic elements

Uses introspection• self observation of thoughts and

feelings

Functionalism

• William James – in US – late 1800s– “father of Psychology”

Study of how we “behave in” or “adapt to” our environment

• wrote the first Psychology Textbook

Biological Approach

• Brain and parts of the brain• Dr. Paul Broca• Dr. Carl Wernicke • Dr. Wilder Penfield

–Localization of function

Psychoanalytic Approach

• Sigmund Freud – Austria - 1905

Study of the unconscious mind and unconscious motives

Dreams reveal the unconscious

Behaviorist Approach

• Ivan Pavlov - Pavlov’s dogs

B.F. Skinner - training pigeons

Study of behavior, focusing on how it is learned through our environment

Cognitive Approach

• Jean Piaget - studied cognitive abilities of children

Study of how we process, store and use information

Study of how we think and what influences our thinking

Humanistic Approach

• Abraham Maslow

Study of the ways “healthy” people strive for self-actualization - the process of fulfilling your potential

Today, Psychology has expanded to include several fields…

Psychologist

• People who have been trained to observe, analyze, and treat behavior

Psychiatrist

• Study of medicine that deals with mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders

• Able to prescribe medication

Clinical Psychologists

• Study the diagnosis, cause and treatment of psychological disorders

• Work in private offices, mental hospitals, prisons

Counseling Psychologists

• Study the “normal” problems people face in everyday life

• Work in schools, industrial firms, private offices

Developmental Psychologist

• Study the changes that occurs in people from birth through old age

• I.e Child Psychologists - focus on childhood

•May help design children’s toys

Educational Psychologist

• Study topics related to teaching children and young adults

• Evaluate teaching methods and test styles

Community Psychologist

• Study in mental health or social welfare agencies operated by the government

Industrial/Organization Psychologist

• Study methods to boost production, improve working conditions, place applicants in jobs, train people, and reduce accidents

Environmental Psychologist

• Study the effects of the environment on people

Forensic Psychologist

• Study personality profiles of criminals and the workings of the law

• Work in courts or correctional systems

Sports Psychologist

• Study athletes and athletic performance

• Help athletes maximize their performance

• Study the benefits of participation in sports and design equipment

Health Psychologist

• Study the interaction between physical and psychological health factors

• Study how stress can lead to the common cold

Experimental Psychology

• Study the relationship between two or more variables

• Conduct experiments in a controlled setting (laboratory)