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Unit 1: (History)
The Story of
Psychology
Psychology Roots
 Behavior
and Mental Process
 Definition of Psychology:
the science that seeks to
understand behavior and mental
processes, and to apply that
understanding to the service of
human welfare
Psychology Roots
 The
word “Psychology” comes
from the Greek

Psyche: meaning mind or soul

Logos: meaning study of
Psychology Roots
 Science:
psychology is based on empirically
collected data, NOT hunches
 Behavior:
any action we can record and measure
 Mental Processes:
cognitive activities, sensation, perceptions,
dreams, thoughts, beliefs, feelings
Psychology Roots
 The
Goals of Psychology

Observe Behavior

Describe Behavior

Explain Behavior

Predict Behavior

Control Behavior
Prescientific Psychology
 Ancient

Greece
Socrates and Plato:
Believed that the mind and body were
separate and that the mind continued
after death. They also believed that
knowledge is innate
Socrates
Plato
Prescientific Psychology
 Ancient
Greece
 Aristotle: Believed that knowledge
is an outgrowth of experience
Aristotle
(384-322 B.C.)
Prescientific Psychology
 Modern

Science
Descartes (1596-1650):
Believed that knowledge is innate
Knew that nerve paths are important
and that they enable reflexes
Prescientific Psychology
 Modern

Science
Francis Bacon (1561-1626):
was one of the founders of
modern science
He relied on experiments, and
experience
Prescientific Psychology
 Modern

Science
John Locke (1632-1704):
He believed that at birth
our mind is a blank slate
• Tabula Rasa: blank slate on which
experience writes
Prescientific Psychology
 Modern

Science
John Locke
• Empiricism: The belief that knowledge is
gained through observation and
experimentation. Psychologists use the
methods of science to conduct empirical
research (meaning that they perform
experiments and other scientific procedures
to systematically gather and analyze
information about psychological
phenomena)
Psychological Science is Born
 Wilhelm
Wundt: Opened the first
laboratory devoted exclusively to
psychological research. He wanted to
make psychology an independent
discipline rather than a stepchild of
philosophy or physiology. He believed
that consciousness: the awareness of
immediate experience should be the
subject matter of psychology
Psychological Science is Born
 Wilhelm

Wundt
Leipzig, Germany:
in 1879 (which is
considered to be the
birthday of psychology) Wundt
opened the first psychological
laboratory in Leipzig, Germany
Psychological Science is Born
 Wilhelm

Wundt:
Structuralism: Introduced by
Wundt’s student, Edward Titchener, it
is an approach to studying
consciousness where one
attempts to discover the
elements that make up the
mind
Psychological Science is Born

Classic Experiment
Wundt measured how quickly people could
respond to a light by releasing a button they had
been holding down. He then determined how
much longer the response took when people
held down one button with each hand and had to
decide, based on the color of the light, which
one to release. Wundt reasoned that the
additional time revealed how long it took to
perceive the color and decide which hand to
move. The logic behind this experiment remains
a part of research on cognitive processes today.
Psychological Science is Born
 Edward

Titchener:
Titchener was Wundt’s student who
introduced the structuralist approach to
studying psychology.
Psychological Science is Born
 Edward
Tichener:
 Introspection:
a technique of “inward looking” that was
used by structuralists in an attempt to
discover the elements of the mind.
However, introspection has its
limitations. What are they?
Psychological Science is Born
 William
James:
James rejected studying the elements of
consciousness. He advocated studying
the functions of consciousness. He
founded the first U.S. laboratory at
Harvard University.
Psychological Science is Born
 Influenced
by: Charles Darwin
Psychological Science is Born
 Functionalism:
the study of how our thoughts and
feelings function to increase our
chances of survival.
Psychological Science is Born
 Stream
of consciousness: the ever
changing pattern of images, sensations,
memories and other mental events—
was James’ method
of studying
consciousness
rather than
introspection
Psychological Science is Born
Functionalists question the function of
behavior and thinking.
For example: Why do we sleep? What
function does sleep serve? How does it
contribute to our survival?
Psychological Science is Born
 Principles
of Psychology: First psychology
text book. It took William James 12 years
to write.
897 pages
Psychological Science Develops
 Psychodynamic


Perspective:
Has its roots in Freudian psychoanalysis
Believes that behavior reflects
unconscious internal conflict between
inherited instincts
and society’s
behavioral rules
Psychological Science Develops
 Psychodynamic

Perspective
This approach analyzed personality
traits and disorders in terms
of sexual and aggressive
drives or as the disguised
effect of unfulfilled
wishes and childhood
trauma
Psychological Science Develops
 Evolutionary
Perspective:
(Charles Darwin)
 Natural Selection:
genes that result in characteristics and
behaviors that are adaptive and useful
in a certain environment will enable the
creatures that possess them to survive,
reproduce, and thereby pass these
genes on to subsequent generations.
Psychological Science Develops
 Evolutionary

Perspective:
Natural selection (continued):
Genes that result in characteristics that
are not adaptive in that environment will
not be passed on to subsequent
generations because the creatures
possessing them will not be able to
survive and reproduce.
Psychological Science Develops
 Evolutionary

Perspective:
Natural Selection:
Psychological Science Develops
 Evolutionary

Perspective:
Ethnologist:
scientists who study animal behavior in
the natural environment
Psychological Science Develops
 Neuroscience
(Biological):
Studies how the body and brain enable
emotions, memories, and sensory
experiences
Psychological Science Develops
 Neuroscience
(Biological):
Studies the psychological effects of
hormones, genes, and the activity of the
nervous system, especially the brain
Psychological Science Develops
 Humanistic:
(Maslow and Rogers)
An approach to psychology that
emphasizes human beings’ inborn
desire for personal growth and their
ability to consciously make choices.
Psychological Science Develops
 Behavior
Genetics:
Studies how much our genes and our
environment influence our individual
differences
Psychological Science Develops
 Behavioral:
Founded by John B. Watson
This approach characterizes behavior
and mental processes as primarily the
result of learning. It examines how
observable responses are acquired
and changed
Psychological Science Develops
"Give me a dozen healthy infants, wellformed, and my own specified world to
bringthem up in and I'll guarantee to take
any one at random and train him to
become any type of specialist I might
select–doctor, lawyer,artist–regardless of
his talents penchants, tendencies, abilities,
vocations and race of his
ancestors"
Psychological Science Develops
 Cognitive:
Studies how we process, store, and
retrieve information. Sees
behavior as the result of
information processing
(for example, perception,
memory, thought, judgment,
and decision making)
Psychological Science Develops
 Cognitive:
Cognitive Psychologists work with
biologists, linguists, computer scientists,
and engineers to
identify the components
of thought that interact
to produce behavior.
Psychological Science Develops
 Social-Cultural:
How behavior and thinking vary across
situations and cultures.


The Social-cultural Perspective
addresses such issues as:
• Ethnicity
• Culture
• Socioeconomic Status
They also examine gender
Card Sort
 Psychodynamic





Instincts
Unconscious
Drives
Childhood
Trauma
Freud
 Humanistic




Potentiality
Perception of
Reality
Free Will
Choice
Card Sort
 Biological

Hormones
Heredity
Genetics
Brain Activity

Neurotransmitters



 Behavioral








Punishment
Rewards
Overt Actions
Watson
Learning
Environment
Directly Observable
Experiences
Card Sort
 Evolutionary



Darwin
Survival of the
Fittest
Natural Selection
 Cognitive






Problem Solving
Decision Making
Thinking
Information
Processing
Patterns of Thought
Process, Store &
Retrieve
Information
Psychology’s Big Debate
 Nature: the belief that everything we are
is due to our genes/our heredity
 Nurture:
the belief that everything we are
is due to experiences and environment
Psychology’s Big Debate
 Nature






Heredity
Genetics
Inborn
Innate
Descartes
Plato
 Nurture








Environment
Learning
Culture
Tabula Rasa
Experience
Locke
Watson
Aristotle
Psychology’s Three Main Levels of
Analysis
Psychology’s Subfields
Developmental Psychologist
Social Psychologists

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jwMj3PJDxuo
Experimental Psychologist
Physiological Psychologist
Personality Psychologist
Counseling Psychologists
Educational Psychologist
School Psychologist
Industrial/Organizational
Psychologist
Forensic Psychologist
Differences Between a
Psychologist and a Psychiatrist
Psychologists
Not medical doctors
Can’t prescribe medication
Can only use psychotherapy
Only 1/3 treat mental disorders
Psychiatrist
Are medical doctors
Can prescribe medication
Can use psychotherapy
and medical treatments
All treat mental disorders