Warm-upWhat is Psychology to you? What does this mean and why should we study it?

What is Psychology ?

Overview Early years Psychological Science is Born Psychological Science Develops Psychology’s Biggest Question Levels of Analysis Subfields

Psychology The scientific study of the human mind

and its functions, especially those affecting behavior in a given context…

Early Years Studies closely

related to Psychology can be shown in the world as early as the fifth and sixth centuries B.C. by the Greeks They set the stage

for developing Psychology by using observation as a means of knowing their world

Socrates- By logic… mind is separable from the body and continues after the body dies

Plato- Knowledge is innate you are born with it

Aristotle- Knowledge is not preexisting instead it grows from experiences

Early Years Next big ideas come in the 1600

Rene Descartes (1595-1650)- Said that “animal spirits” travel from the brain to the body through hollow nerves He agrees with Socrates and Plato, the mind is

separate from the body Francis Bacon (1561-1626)- Patterns and it’s

importance He believes the mind tries to find order in

everything… always looking for a pattern John Locke (1632-1704)- tabula rasa (Blank Slate)…

The mind is blank you learn from experiences

Psychological Science is Born Germany 1879- Wihelm Wundt creates

the first actual psychological experiment His experiment was about people’s

hearing and reactions… Trying to find a link between hearing and

mental process Following this are several different

experiments that begin what we today call Psychology

Leading to the creation of different “schools” or branches in the field

The Beginning Fields

Structuralism Edward Bradford

Titchener Study of the basic

elements that make up conscious mental experiences

The Structure of the mind and reporting on the elements of people’s experiences

Functionalism William James

(student of Charles Darwin) Study of the

function not the structure of the consciousness

How the brain functions

Beginning Fields Continued

Experimental Psychology

Titchener and Washburn Study of behavior

and thinking using experimental method

Explore thinking and behavior through experiments

Psychological Science Develops

Psychologist who develop the field are actually from all sorts of other fields of science… Philosophers,

physicians, biologists, physiologists

Change from looking at the introspection to the studying of observable behaviors

Wundt- Philosopher/ physiologist

James- Philosopher Pavlov- Physiologist Freud- Physician Piaget biologist

New Studies

Behaviorism 1920-1960 Watson and Skinner The view that

psychology, should be an objective science that studies behavior without reference to mental processes.

Study of behavior

Humanistic Psychology 1960-Present Carl Rogers and Maslow Historically significant

perspective that emphasized the growth potential of healthy people and the individuals potential for personal growth

Study current life needs

New Studies

Cognitive Neuroscience

1960- Present Supported earlier

psychologists and the importance of how our mind processes and retains information

the study of brain activity linked with mental activity

Big Questions!Nature vs Nurture

How are we humans alike? Are gender differences biologically

predisposed or socially constructed? Language innate or formed by

experience ? Intelligence and personality influenced

by heredity and environment? Etc.

Levels of Analysis- Anger Biological- brain circuits that make us have

a red face Evolutionary- How anger helped our

ancestors Psychodynamic- anger= out burst of

unconscious hostility Behavioral- What triggers angry responses

or aggressive acts Cognitive- interpretation of a situation

affects out anger anger affects thinking Social-Cultural- How expression of anger

varies across cultural contexts

Subfields Developmental Psychologists- Changing abilities from

womb tomb Cognitive Psychologists- How we perceive, think and

solve problems Educational Psychologists- Influences on teaching and

learning Personality psychologists- Investigation our persistent

traits Social Psychologists- How we view things and how that

affects others Counseling Psychologists- Help people cope with

challenges and crisis Clinical Psychologists- Assess and treats mental ,

emotional and behavioral disorders