Download The unexamined life is not worth living.

What is Psychology?
z The science of behavior and the mind
y behavior - observable actions of a person
or animal
y mind - thoughts, feelings, sensations,
perceptions, memories, dreams, motives
and other subjective experiences
y science
x an objective way to answer questions
x based on observable facts / data and well
described methods
What is Psychology?
z A set of theories and procedures for asking
and answering questions
y the scientific method
y evolved over centuries, first in physics
z A product of history
y philosophy asked many of the basic questions
y physiology used similar methods
What is Psychology?
A set of questions about mental functioning
trace back to philosophy
Socrates (c. 470-399 B.C.) & Plato (c. 427-347
B.C)viewed mind as separate from the body &
continuing after death; some ideas are inborn;
“The unexamined life is not worth living.”
Aristotle (c. 384-322 B.C.) viewed mind and body as
connected; asked about memory, personality,
emotions, etc.; established the Lyceum; developed
“deductive logic” through a system of “syllogism.”
Philosophical Developments
A
Question: How are mind and
body related?
Dualism - body and soul are separate
but interrelated
origins in medieval religion
soul is seat of intellectual function and will
mind is product of the soul
mind not subject to scientific inquiry
to challenge this was punishable by death
Philosophical Developments
A
Question: How are mind and
body related?
Rene Descartes (1596-1650) - modified
dualism
since animals have no soul, much behavior
does not require soul
the body can therefore control much behavior
led him to study reflexes
Dissected animals & identified “animal spirits” flowed
through the body and provoked movement
the soul’s main function is thought, a uniquely
human attribute
Philosophical Developments
A
Question: How are mind and body
related?
Empiricism:
knowledge and intellect are acquired
John Locke (1632-1704) the mind at birth is a “white
paper” or blank slate (equal at birth…The Declaration
of Independence!)
sensory experiences produce elementary ideas
Science should rely on observation &
experimentation
Philosophical Developments
Another
Nativism
Question: Empiricism vs.
Nativism is the view that elementary ideas are
innate
If knowledge is innate
What is the purpose of education?
Can intellect be changed by experience?
Are abilities determined by our genes or our
experiences?
This is known as Nature vs. Nurture
appears throughout modern psychology
Foundations of Modern
Psychology
Charles Darwin (1809-1882)
Theory of natural selection (1859)
physical characteristics evolve through natural
selection
behavioral patterns also influence selection
inborn knowledge and behavioral tendencies
with survival value are passed on
Human beings are part of nature and can
be understood through the methods of
science
Foundations of Modern
Psychology
Darwin’s theory encouraged scientific inquiry
19th century developments in physiology
demonstrated the approach to use
based on scientific methods, controlled laboratory
experiments
influential beliefs from early physiology
reflexology - all human behaviors occur through
reflexes
localization of function - specific structures of the
brain serve specific functions in the control of mental
experiences and behavior
The division from physiology begins in the 19th
century, yet connections remain today.
The Father of Psychology
Wilhelm Wundt (1832-1920)
Leipzig, Germany (1879)
wrote the first psychology textbook
applied laboratory techniques
to study of the mind
structuralism –
identify ‘atoms’ of the mind
focused on basic sensory and perceptual processes
measured reaction times
Other Pioneers
Edward Titchener (1867-1927)
Wundt’s student, professor at Cornell University
Introspection- looking inward
William James (1842-1910)
started psychology at Harvard in 1870s
opposed Wundt and Titchener’s approach
functionalism – how people (animals) adapt to their
environment; influenced by Darwin
Gestalt
Perception is more than the sum of its partsit involves a “whole pattern”
Max Wetheimer
(1880-1943)
Wolfgang Kohler
(1887-1967)
Disagreed with
structuralism &
behaviorism
Ex: you recognize a
chair, not the
individual
components
Perspectives
Perspective is a way of viewing
phenomena
Psychology has multiple perspectives
biological
psychoanalytic
cognitive
cross- cultural
social
Sigmund Freud
(1856-1939)
Psychoanalytic
Psychology
-Austrian physician that
focused on illness
-interest in the unconscious
mind
-psychoanalytic theory of
mental disorders
-free association: list without
filter or logic
Believed dreams are
expressions of our
unconscious urges
Behaviorism
Ivan Pavlov (1849-1936)
Russian physiologist
discovered conditioned reflexes , Pavlov’s dog
John B. Watson (1878-1958)
Focus on observable behavior
All behavior is conditioned; A-B-C
Little Albert experiment
B.F. Skinner (1904-1990)
American psychologist at Harvard
studied learning and effect of reinforcement
behaviorism
Pavlov’s Dog
B.F. Skinner
Phrenology: examining bumps on the skull to
make predictions about behavior & intellect
& character (19th century)
Biological Perspective
Study the physiological mechanisms in the
brain and nervous system that organize and
control behavior
Focus may be at various levels
individual neurons
areas of the brain
specific functions like eating, emotion or learning
Interest in behavior distinguishes biological
psychology from many other biological
sciences
Cognitive Perspective
How is knowledge acquired, organized,
remembered, and used to guide
behavior ?
Influences include
Piaget - studied intellectual development
Chomsky - studied language
Cybernetics - science of information
processing
Humanistic Perspective
Abraham Maslow & Carl Rogers 1960s
behavior reflects innate ‘actualization’
focus on conscious forces and self perception
More positive view of basic forces than Freud’s
Individuals have freedom in directing his/her future
and achieving personal growth
Sociocultural Psychology
The study of psychological differences
among people living in different
cultural groups (ethnicity, gender,
culture, socioeconomic status, etc…)
How are people’s thoughts, feelings
and behavior influenced by their
culture?
What are the common elements across
culture? Are these innate?
The Profession of
Psychology
American Psychological Association
had 52 divisions in 1998
Some represent areas of training and
specialization (e.g., developmental,
clinical)
Some are applied (i.e., teaching in
psychology, psychology and the law)
Areas of Specialization
Clinical
abnormal behavior and
psychological disorders
psychologist vs.
psychiatrist
Health psychology
psychological factors in
physical health
Counseling
dealing with normal life
situations
provide guidance
Industrial/Organizational 3%
Social and
Biological and
Personality 8%
Experimental
16%
Educational 3%
Other
Developmental 6%
Psychology
15%
School 3%
Clinical
36%
Counseling 10%
Areas of Specialization
Developmental
psychological change
over the life span
social, cognitive,
Biological and
personality
Experimental
16%
School
Other
Psychology
counseling and
15%
guidance in school
settings
Educational
Clinical
36%
learning and teaching
Industrial/Organizational 3%
Social and
Personality 8%
Educational 3%
Developmental 6%
School 3%
Counseling 10%
Areas of Specialization
Psychobiology
brain and behavior
studied at many levels
often uses animals as
research model
Experimental
basic laboratory focus
animals or humans
learning, memory,
motivation
Industrial/Organizational 3%
Social and
Biological and
Personality 8%
Experimental
16%
Educational 3%
Other
Developmental 6%
Psychology
15%
School 3%
Cognitive
experimental
human memory,
perception, etc.
Clinical
36%
Counseling 10%
Areas of Specialization
Social
social influences on
cognition and emotion
attitudes and beliefs
Personality
individual differences
perception by others
Industrial/organizational
people and work
job satisfaction
training and selection
Industrial/Organizational 3%
Social and
Biological and
Personality 8%
Experimental
16%
Educational 3%
Other
Developmental 6%
Psychology
15%
School 3%
Clinical
36%
Counseling 10%
Professional Work Settings
Colleges and
universities
Clinical settings
Elementary and
secondary
schools
Business
Government
Employment Settings of Psychologists
Business
& Industry
School
Private
Practice
Universities &
College
Government