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Chapter 1
What is Psychology?
© 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
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Defining Psychology
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Psychology in Historical Perspective
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Contemporary Approaches to Psychology
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What Psychologists Do
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Science of Psychology and Health and Wellness
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Psychology: Defined
Psychology is the scientific study of
behavior and mental processes.
Three Key Components
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science – systematic methods
behavior – what can be directly observed
mental processes – thoughts, feelings, motives
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Science of Psychology
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Critical Thinking
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Skepticism
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Objectivity
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Curiosity
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Use of Systematic Method
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Usually asks and answers questions about
why people think, act, and feel as they do
reduces the chances of coming to false
conclusions
Blind man and elephant story
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The Goals of Psychology
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Description
Explanation
Prediction
Influence
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Description
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Describe or gather information about the
behavior being studied and present what is
known
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Explanation
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Are not content with the facts
They seek to explain why people or animals
behave
Hypothesis- an assumption or prediction
about behavior that is tested through
scientific research
Theory- a set of assumptions used to
explain phenomena and offered for
scientific study
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Prediction
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Use knowledge and predict what organisms
think and feel in various situations
By studying past behaviors, psychologists
can predict future behaviors
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Influence
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Psychologists seek to influence behavior in
helpful ways
Basic Science- the pursuit of knowledge
about natural phenomena for its own sake
Applied Science- discovering ways to use
scientific findings to accomplish practical
goals
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Scientific Method
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Question
Hypothesis
Experiment
Results
Conclusions
Theory
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Psychology – A General Science
Psychology is not limited to the study
of psychological disorders.
Freud’s view of human nature
 positive psychology
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Narcissism Epidemic
Narcissism…unusually self-confident,
self-assertive, and self-centered.
Generation born since 1980s
“More narcissistic than early generations”
vs.
“Attitudes have been stable over time”
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History of Psychology
Western Philosophy
Biology and Physiology
Wilhelm Wundt (1832-1920)
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1879 – established 1st psychology lab
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The Origins of Psychology
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5th and 6th Centuries
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Greeks studied human behavior and decided
people were rational and not dominated by gods
Greeks set the stage for the development of
sciences
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The Origins of Psychology
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1500 and 1600s
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Copernicus- published idea that the earth was
not the center of the universe, the sun was.
Galileo Galilei- used a telescope to confirm the
predictions of Copernicus
Descartes- proposed a link between the body
and mind
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Marmaduke Sampson
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Studied “why crime occurs”
Believed behavior was the result of the
shape of the head
Phrenology- the practice of examining
bumps on a person’s skull to determine that
person’s intellect and character traits
Inspired scientists to consider the brain
instead of the heart as responsible for
human behavior
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Wilhelm Wundt’s
Structuralism
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identified structures of the mind
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introspection
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systematic, detailed self-reports
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Williams James’
Functionalism
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identified the functions and purposes
of the mind
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stream of consciousness
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human interactions with outside world
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why is human thought adaptive?
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Inheritable Traits
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Sir Francis Galton
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Wanted to understand how heredity influences a
person’s abilities, character, and behavior.
His study focused on genius being a hereditary
trait
Did not consider that distinguished families
may also have exceptional environments and
socioeconomic advantages
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Inheritable Traits
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Scientists recognized flaws in Galton’s
research
They came up with the theory that “a
person’s heredity and environment interact
to influence intelligence”
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Gestalt Psychology
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German Psychologists
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Max Wertheimer
Wolfgang Kohler
Kurt Koffka
Disagreed with the principles of structuralism and
behaviorism
Believed perception was more than a sum of its
parts
Studied how sensations are assembled into
perceptual experiences
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Psychology and Evolution
Charles Darwin
On the Origin of Species, 1859
Natural Selection
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competition for resources
genetic characteristics that promote
reproduction and survival are favored
environmental changes alter course of
evolution
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Contemporary Approaches
Current Psychological Perspectives
Biological
Behavioral
Psychodynamic
Humanistic
Cognitive
Evolutionary
Sociocultural
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Biological Approach
The biological approach focuses on the
brain and nervous system.
Neuroscience
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study of the structure, function, development,
genetics, biochemistry of the nervous system
thoughts and emotions have physical basis in brain
allowed psychologists to better understand the brain
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Behavioral Approach
The behavioral approach focuses on the
environmental determinants
of observable behavior.
Notable Behaviorists
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John Watson
B.F. Skinner
rejected thought processes
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Psychodynamic Approach
Psychodynamics emphasizes
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unconscious thought
conflict between biological drives and
demands of society
early childhood family experiences
Psychoanalysis - Freud
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Humanistic Approach
Humanists emphasize
 positive human qualities
 capacity for positive growth
 free will
Humanistic Theorists
 Carl Rogers
 Abraham Maslow
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Cognitive Approach
The cognitive approach emphasizes the
mental processes involved in knowing.
Information Processing
…how humans interpret incoming info, weigh it,
store it, and apply it
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Evolutionary Approach
The evolutionary approach uses ideas such
as adaptation, reproduction, and natural
selection to explain human behavior.
Evolutionary Psychologists
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David Buss
Leda Cosmides
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Sociocultural Approach
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examines how social and cultural
environments influence behavior and mental
processes
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studies differences between ethnic and
cultural groups within and across countries
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Section 3
Psychology as a Profession
What is a Psychologist?
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Psychologists- is a scientist who studies the
mind and behavior of humans and animals
Psychiatry- is a branch of medicine that
deals with mental, emotional, or behavioral
disorders
These two professions are usually confused
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Subfields of Psychology
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Clinical psychologist- is a psychologist who
diagnoses and treats people with emotional
disturbances
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Counseling psychologist- is a psychologist
who usually helps people deal with
problems of everyday life
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School psychologist
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Subfields of Psychology
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Developmental psychologist- a psychologist
who studies the emotional, cognitive,
biological, personal, and social changes that
occur as an individual matures
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Educational psychologist- a psychologist
who is concerned with helping students
learn
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Subfields of Psychology
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Community psychologist- a psychologist
who may work in a mental health or social
welfare agency
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Industrial or organizational psychologist- a
psychologist who uses psychological
concepts to make the workplace a more
satisfying environment for employees and
managers
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Subfields of Psychology
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Environmental psychologists- work in a
business or with the government to study
the effects of the environment on people
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Psychobiologists- study the effect of drugs
or try to explain behavior in terms of
biological factors
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Subfields of Psychology
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Forensic psychologists- work in legal, court, and
correctional systems
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Health psychologists- study the interaction
between physical and psychological health factors
Experimental psychologists- is a psychologist who
studies sensation, perception, learning, motivation,
and/or emotion in carefully controlled laboratory
conditions
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Careers in Psychology
Practice / Applied
Research
Teaching
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Areas of Specialization
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Physiological Psych / Behavioral Neuroscience
Sensation and Perception
Learning
Cognitive Psychology
Developmental Psychology
Motivation & Emotion
Psychology of Women & Gender
Personality Psychology
Social Psychology
Industrial / Organizational Psychology
Clinical & Counseling Psychology
Health Psychology
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Areas of Specialization
Also (but not addressed in text beyond this chapter)
 Community Psychology
 School & Educational Psychology
 Environmental Psychology
 Forensic Psychology
 Sport Psychology
 Cross-Cultural Psychology
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Career Settings in Psychology
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Influence of Culture
Individualistic Cultures
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individuals viewed as unique and distinct
from their social group
value independence
Collectivistic Cultures
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emphasize social group and the individual’s
role within that group
value interdependence
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Influence of Culture
Individualistic subjects
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prefer to work on tasks that they have had
previous success with
like to emphasize their successes
Collectivistic subjects
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prefer to work on tasks that they have
difficulty with
self-critical view
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Science of Psychology and
Health and Wellness
Mind-Body Connections
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how the mind impacts the body
how the body impacts the mind
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Chapter Summary
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Explain what psychology is and how it differs from an everyday, informal approach to understanding human nature.
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Discuss the roots and early scientific foundations of
psychology.
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Summarize the main themes of the seven approaches to
psychology.
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List some of the areas of specialization and careers in
psychology.
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Describe the connections between the mind and the body.
© 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Chapter Summary
Defining Psychology
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scientific study of behavior and mental processes
Historical Foundations of Psychology
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origins in philosophy and physiology
structuralism – Wilhelm Wundt
functionalism – William James
evolutionary theory – Charles Darwin
© 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Chapter Summary
Contemporary Approaches to Psychology
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current approaches – complementary
Specializations and Careers in Psychology
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practice, research, teaching
academic, clinic, private practice, industry, school
Science of Psychology and
Health and Wellness
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mind-body connection is a “two-way street”
© 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.