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Introduction to Psychology

Introduction to Psychology. History, Application, Methods. What is Psychology. The science of behavior (what we do) and mental processes (sensations, perceptions, dreams, thoughts, beliefs, and feelings)

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Introduction to Psychology

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  1. Introduction to Psychology History, Application, Methods

  2. What is Psychology • The science of behavior (what we do) and mental processes (sensations, perceptions, dreams, thoughts, beliefs, and feelings) • Psychologists examine how we process information--how we organize, interpret, store, and use it. • APA: American Psychological Association largest organization dedicated to the advancement of Psychology

  3. What do psychologists worry about • Stability vs. Change • How does age affect personality? • How does our personality change within the “stages?” • Rationality vs. Irrationality • Are we really “wise”? • Biology vs. Experience (nature/nurture) • Nature v. Nurture

  4. The Big One: Nature v. Nurture • The question: the relative contribution that genes and experience make to development of psychological traits and behaviors • Notables have said: • Plato-character and intelligence inherited. • John Locke-mind is a “tabula rosa” (blank slate); experience writes • Rene Descartes-ideas are innate • Charles Darwin-natural selection; survival of the fittest Natural selection: principle that those inherited trait variations contributing to survival will most likely be passed on to succeeding generations

  5. View Point

  6. Levels of Analysis

  7. Types of Psychologists • Clinical: work in clinics, hospitals, private practices treating disorders • School: work for school districts to treat mild disorders • Counselors: Talk therapy for everyday problems • Psychiatrist: Medical doctor who specializes in disorders uses psychotherapy and drugs for treatment

  8. Types Continued • Sports/Performance: Work for sports teams to maximize performance and minimize anxiety • Forensic: Study criminal behavior and/or testify in court regarding defendant sanity • Industrial/Organizational: Work for large organizations to maximize employee output and profit

  9. Schools of Psychology Historical Development

  10. Ancient History • Stone Age • Trephination: carving holes in the skull to release evil spirits • Greeks • Socrates and Plato concluded that mind is separate from the body and knowledge is innate • Plato and Democritus: Relationship between thought and behavior • Aristotle: Observation/data based and knowledge is aquired

  11. Pre-Scientific Psychology • Who • Rene Descartes (1596-1650)—Pre-Science • John Locke (1632-1704)—Science • What did they ask • Is the mind connected to the body or distinct? • Descartes: mind distinct • Are ideas inborn or is the mind a blank slate filled by experience? • Descartes: inborn • Locke: filled

  12. HistoricalContemporary Debates

  13. The Birth of Psychological Science • Francis Bacon (1561-1626) • Natural Sciences and revolutionary in Scientific Philosophy • Empiricism • Knowledge comes from experience via the senses • Science flourishes through observation and experiment • Phrenology • Study of personality based on head bumps

  14. Fathers of Psychology • Hermann von Helmholtz • Physicist • Conducted simple experiments on perception and the nervous system • First to measure the speed of a nerve impulse. • William Wundt(1879 Leipzig, Germany) • Founded the first formal laboratory devoted to experimental psychology • Founder of structuralism, • Utilized introspection

  15. Fathers of Psychology • Herman Ebbinghaus • 1885 published classic studies on memory • G. Stanley Hall • First psychology laboratory in US (1883) at John Hopkins Univ • First American Psychology Journal (1887) • First president of American Psychological Association (1892)

  16. Fathers (and Mothers) of Psychology • Margaret Floy Washburn: First woman to receive PhD in Psychology (1894) • Francis Cecil Sumner: First African-American PhD in psychology • Mary Whiton Calkins: First woman elected president of APA, 1905

  17. Growth of Psychology Figure 1- British Psychological Society membership

  18. Schools of Psychology

  19. Structuralism • Edward Titchener(Cornell University) • Student of Wundt • Emphasized the “what” of mental illness rather than “why” or “how” of thinking • Founder of structuralism • Founder of experimental psychology

  20. Structuralism • Uses introspection: the systematic examination by individuals of their own thoughts and feelings about specific sensory experiences. • Emphasized the structure of the mind and behavior. • Opposition • Reduced all complex human experience to sensations • Studied only verbal reports of human conscious awareness • Sought to combine parts into a whole rather than study complex behaviors directly.

  21. Functionalism • Major opponent to structuralism • Primary importance to learned habits that allow organisms to adapt to their environment and to function effectively • “What is the function or purpose of any behavioral act?”

  22. Famous Functionalists • William James • John Dewey • Pragmatist • Progressive education • Mary Calkins • Student of William James • Denied Harvard PhD • Posthumously awarded the degree • Memory research and President of the APA • Margaret FloyWashburn • First female PhD in psych • Second female President of the APA (1921) • The Animal Mind

  23. William James • Mind has an ongoing relationship with our environment (perhaps a product) • Influenced by Darwin • Influence for behaviorists • Consciousness cannot be studied • Published “Principles of Psychology” 1890

  24. Behaviorism • Emphasizes the study of objectively observable behavior rather than inner mental experiences. • Emphasizes the role of environment as the cause of behavior • From our environment, we learn to do certain behaviors and learn not to do others. Sometimes called learning theory. • Rewards and punishment

  25. Nail Biting • When nervous I bite my nails • Behaviorist: Let’s learn how to stop biting your nails • Not let’s learn on how to calm down

  26. Learning • If we study aggressive behavior in adults: • We might conclude that extra attention given to a child’s classmates or siblings. • Behaviorismthatchildren from physically abusive parents often learn to be abusive with their own children. • Behaviorismeducation through positive reinforcement rather than punishment

  27. Famous Behaviorists • John B.Watson • Importance of observable behavior • The chief goal of psychology was the prediction and control of behavior. • B. F. Skinner • Radical behaviorism • Acknowledged that evolution provided each species with a repertory of behaviors. • Ivan Pavlov • Classical conditioning.

  28. Gestaltism • The whole is greater than the sum of its’ parts • Opposes structuralism • Max Wertheimer • (1880-1943) • University of Prague • Founded psychiatric hospitals in Prague, Frankfurt, and Vienna • Professor of Psychology at the University of Frankfurt • Wolfgang Köhler • Kurt Koffka • Kurt Lewin

  29. Biological • The biological school of psychology focuses on the causes of behavior in the genes, the brain, the nervous system, and endocrine system. • Example • Study the role of specific brain systems in aggression • Stimulating different regions • Recording any destructive actions that are elicited.

  30. Cognitive • Cognition: mental activity including • Thinking • Remembering • Learning • Using language. • Behavior is only partly determined by environmental events and learning • People act because they think

  31. Cognitive Psychologists Study • The hostile thoughts and fantasies people experience when witnessing violent acts • Noting aggressive imagery and intentions to harm others • They study the impact of violence in movies and videos, including pornography, on attitudes toward gun control, rape, and war

  32. Predominant Cognitive Psychologists • Jerome Bruner • Developed a learning theory based upon categorization • David Ausubel • Attempted to explain meaningful verbal learning as a product of consciousness rather than of behavior • Created the “advance organizer” • Jean Piaget • Identified stages of cognitive development.

  33. Psychoanalytical • Emphasizes unconscious motives and conflicts • Originally also called "psychodynamic" • Looking at aggression • Reaction to frustrations caused by barriers to pleasure, such as unjust authority. • They view aggression as an adult’s displacement of hostility originally felt as a child against his or her parents.

  34. Famous Psychoanalysists • Sigmund Freud • Developed from his work with mentally disturbed patients • Views a person as being pushed and pulled by complex network of inner and outer forces. • Developed stages of life to age 12, claiming that an individual would change little after that point.

  35. Erik Erikson • Expanded on Freud’s stages of life to include 8 stages into later adulthood.

  36. Psychoanalysts • Carl Jung • Challenged his mentor Freud with the hypothesis that adulthood, not childhood, represents the most significant phase of psychology. • Bernice Neugarten • Focused on the difference between chronological age and social age.

  37. Humanism • Emphasize personal growth, self-esteem, and the achievement of human potential • Less on thescientific understanding, prediction, and control of behavior. • Humans are not driven by the powerful, instinctive forces suggested by Freudians or manipulated by environments.

  38. Maslow • Developed the Hierarchy of Needs • Stated that each level of needs must be satisfied before one moves onto the next.

  39. Carl Rogers • Developed the idea of active listening and the concept of UPR (unconditional positive regard).

  40. Evolutionary • Connect contemporary psychology to a central idea of the life sciences, Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution by natural selection. • Researchers focus on the environmental conditions in which the human brain evolved. • Survival of the fittest • Begs the question • Do selfish genes mean selfish people? • Is evolutionary psych racist?

  41. Social-Cultural • Study cross-cultural differences in the causes and consequences of behavior. • Example • Compare the prevalence of eating disorders for white Americans vs. African American teenagers within the U.S.

  42. Social-Cultural Psychologists Study • Perceptions of the world as affected by culture • Languages one speaks, and how it affects one’s experience of the world • How does culture affect child development toward adulthood. • Symbolic culture • Individuals within the culture • Acceptable behaviors within a culture

  43. Subfields of Psychology • Personality psychologists investigate our persistent traits • Social psychologists explore how we view and affect one another • Biological psychologists explore the links between brain and mind • Developmental psychologists study changing abilities from womb to tomb • Cognitive psychologists study how we perceive, think, and solve problems

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