Download "What is Psychology" PPT

Mr. Burns
Warm-up: 9/8/2014
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Make a list of all the emotions,
perceptions of the world, thoughts, and
attractions you have had today since
waking up this morning.
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These are all topics that interest
psychologists.
The Field of Psychology
Psychology:
“Systematic, scientific study of *behaviors and *mental
processes”
Behavior can be a variety of things…
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Sweating (any type of physical change…)
Thinking (any type of thoughts…)
Screaming (any type of emotional change…)
Attitudes… (how you react to things…)
Studying behavior means trying to figure out why it occurs…
The Field of Psychology
Psychology:
“Systematic, scientific study of *behaviors and *mental
processes”
Mental Process or Cognitive Activities can be a variety of things…
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Dreams
Perceptions
Thoughts
Memories
Why Study Psychology?
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*You will gain a better understanding of why people act the
way they do.
 When you are able to better understand human nature or the way that
humans innately act, you will be able to influence people in ways that are
beneficial to yourself.
 How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie
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*You will learn more about your thoughts and feelings, in
doing so, you might discover more-effective ways to handle
or help others handle, the stresses of daily life
Do you freak out even when little things go wrong? There
are other ways to cope with daily slights.
The Field of Psychology
Goals of Psychology:
When studying behavior, a psychologists goals are to…
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Observe (perceive something and have it register as significant)
Describe (the different ways they are behaving)
Explain (what is causing the behavior?)
Predict (how will they behave in certain situations?)
Control (decreasing undesirable behavior)
Psychologists organize their research about behavior and mental
processes into theories. A *theory is a statement that attempts to
explain why things are the way they are and happen the way they
do.
Approaches:
Biological:
 Viewing behavior as the result of nervous
system functions and biology
 Chemical changes in the brain influence
behavior
 Examples?
Approaches:
Cognitive:
 One of the most popular approaches in psychology (in
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recent years)
Emphasizes how humans use mental processes to
handle problems or develop certain personality
characteristics
We can take information from the environment, analyze it,
and come up with a solution to almost any problem
We can change our thought patterns after looking at a
problem and come up with the best approach
A problem with this approach… downplays the effect of
emotion
Approaches:
Behavioral:
 Viewing behavior as the product of learning and
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associations
Studying events we have been exposed to earlier in our
lives… (What was the response? Were we punished?
Were we rewarded?)
B.F. Skinner felt we become whatever the environment
forces us to be – whether that’s good or bad…
He liked to focus on observable behavior (what could be
seen)
Not a fan of philosophy, or studying cognition and
unconscious processes
Approaches:
Psychoanalytic:
 Best known of all theories (Sigmund Freud’s work)
 Views the individual as the product of unconscious forces
 Sexual and aggressive impulses are hidden in our
unconscious from early childhood
 Impulses control our behavior in ways we are not aware
of
 In order to understand these impulses, need to go through
psychoanalysis
 Some of Freud’s ideas are still around
Approaches:
Humanistic:
 Believing that people are basically good and capable of
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helping themselves
Example… (“PERFECT SEED”)
Believe people have the power to overcome their
environment…
Carl Rogers was the most famous humanist
Abraham Maslow
Approaches:
Cross-Cultural (Sociocultural):
 Behavior viewed as strongly influenced by
the rules and expectations of specific social
groups or cultures (social, ethnic, racial,
religious, etc.)