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What is psychology?
The scientific study of behavior and
mental processes
What makes psychology a
science?
Empirical method: involves gathering evidence
through careful observation, experimentation, or
measurement
Scientific method:
involves replication of
research results
The birth of psychology
Roots stem from:
Philosophy
Natural sciences
Natural Sciences
• Charles Darwin (18091882)
• Natural selection:
Organisms best
adapted to their world
are most likely to
survive, reproduce,
and pass on
characteristics to their
offspring [basis of
evolutionary
psychology]
Philosophy
•William James
(1842-1910)
•Functionalism
Early approach
that emphasized
the function or
purpose of
behavior and
consciousness
Psychology
• Wilhelm Wundt (18321920)
• Structuralism:
understanding the
conscious experience
through introspection
• 1st psych laboratory
• Trained introspection:
An objective
examination of ones
own conscious
experience
Psychology
• Sigmund Freud (1856-1939)
• Psychoanalytic theory: A
theory of personality and a
method of psychotherapy
focused on the role of the
unconscious in affecting
conscious behavior
Some Current
Perspectives
in psychology
The biological perspective
Psychological approach that focuses on
how bodily events affect behavior,
feelings, and thoughts
This perspective involves
Hormones
Brain chemistry
Heredity
Evolutionary influences
The learning perspective
Emphasizes how the environment and experiences
affect the behavior of any organism
Behaviorism (1900ish)
Environment
 Behavior
Social cognitive learning theory
(1960s)
Humanism
Emphasizes the potential good in all people
• Carl Rogers, shown in this portrait,
developed a client-centered therapy
method that has been influential in clinical
settings. (credit: "Didius"/Wikimedia
Commons)
The cognitive perspective
Psychological approach
that emphasizes what goes
on in people’s heads
This perspective
involves
Problem solving
Perception
Attention
Remembering
Thinking
Perception test:
https://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=lNGwGGOjifY
The sociocultural
perspective
Psychological approach
that emphasizes social
and cultural forces
outside the individual
This perspective
involves
Social psychology or the
study of rules, roles,
groups, and
relationships
Cultural psychology or
the study of cultural
norms, values, and
expectations
Eclectic psychology
Psychological approach that selects
the best features of each approach,
depending on the problem at hand.
What psychologists do
Research and teaching
Examples:
Health
Personality
Education
Development
Industrial/organizational
• Basic research is done for the
sake of gaining knowledge
• Applied research has practical
uses in society
Health and mental health services
Counseling psychologists help
people deal with problems
associated with everyday life.
School psychologists work with
parents, teachers, and students
to enhance student
performance.
Clinical psychologists diagnose,
treat, and study mental or
emotional problems.
• Psychotherapist: Most general
term for anyone who does any sort
of therapy—licensed or unlicensed
• Psychoanalyst: An individual who
does a specific form of Freudian
therapy called psychoanalysis
• Psychiatrist (not a psychologist!):
Medical doctor with a specialty in
treating unwanted behavior with
medicine
Psychologists in other settings
Examples:
Sports
Consumer issues
Advertising
Environmental issues
Public policy
Military
Animal behavior
Forensics