Introducing Psychology

Introducing Psychology Chapter 1

Through the study of psychology, people can discover psychological principles that have the potential to enrich the lives of humans Section 1 – Why study Psychology?

Gaining insight into behavior • Psychology can provide useful insight into behavior • Example • You may not be shy all the time • You may just be uncomfortable in certain settings

Acquiring practical information • You may learn how you are shaping the behavior of those around you • You may learn how development in your childhood impact your actions today • You may learn why you have certain fears or phobias

Overview of Psychology • Psychology is the scientific study of behavior and mental processes • Psychology covers everything people • Think • Feel • Do • The study of behavior is systematic

Goals of Psychology • Describe behavior • Explain behavior • Develop a hypothesis • Develop a theory • Predict behavior • Influence behavior • Basic science – research/long-term studies • Applied science – using psychological principle to solve immediate problems

The scientific basis of Psychology • Scientific method – psychologists used this to make sure they are collecting and analyzing data accurately • William Wundt set up the first psychology lab in Germany in 1879 • Said psychology was two kinds of elements • Sensations • Feelings • Wundt’s beliefs led to the theory of introspection or the SCIENTIFIC METHOD

Psychology involves sets of questions, theories, methods, and possible answers that have been passed on and changed from generation to generation Section 2 – A Brief History of Psychology

The Origins of Psychology • Greeks • 5th and 6th Centuries • Decided people were not dominated by the gods, but by their own minds – people were rational • Tried to interpret the world through human perceptions • Set the stage for the sciences, including psychology, by using observation

Copernicus – mid 1500s • Earth was not the center of the universe, it revolved around the sun • Galileo – 1500s & 1600s • Used a telescope to confirm predictions about star position and movement base on Copernicus’s works • 17th Century Philosophers gave us DUALISM • The mind and body are separate and distinct • Descartes disagreed • The mind controlled the body’s movements, sensations and perceptions • Mind and body work together to influence each other and crate a person’s experiences

Hilgard (1987) • Modern science began to emerge by combining philosophers’ reflections, logic, and mathematics with the observations and inventiveness of practical people • 19th century – biologists announced the discover of cells as the building blocks of life • Chemists developed the periodic table of elements • Physicists made great progress in our understanding of atomic forces • Natural scientists were studying complex phenomena by reducing them to simpler parts • Psychology was formed

Historical Approaches • Structuralism (Wundt) – established his Laboratory of Psychology • Became known as the founder of modern psychology • Was interested in the basic elements of human experience • Introspection is self-observation where Wundt tried to map out the basic structure of thought processes.

Functionalism – William James – father of psychology in the U.S. • Wrote the first Psychology textbook, The Principles of Psychology, in 1890 • Theorized that all activities of the mind serve one major function • To help us survive as a species • Focused on the functions or actions of the conscious mind and the goals or purposes of behaviors • Functionalists study how animals and people adapt to their environment

Inheritable Traits – Sir Francis Galton – mathematician and scientist – wanted to understand how heredity influenced a person’s abilities, character, and behavior • Traced ancestry of famous people and found that greatness runs in families – thus heredity • Invented tests to assess the abilities and characteristics of a wide range of people – these are the forerunners to today’s personality and IQ tests • Faults found because it was discovered that heredity and environment impact how a person behaves

Gestalt Psychology • German scientists: Wertheimer, Kohler, and Kofka argued that perception is more than the sum of its parts – it involves a whole pattern – Gestalt in German • They studied how sensations are assembled into perceptual experiences. • This is the forerunner for Cognitive approaches to Psychology

Contemporary Approaches • Psychoanalytic – Freud – was interested in the unconscious mind. • Biological urges conflict with society and morality • Use free association to delve into his patients minds • Psychoanalyst’s role was to be objective – just sit and listen then interpret the associations

Behavioral Psychology – Pavlov – behavior can be influenced by conditioned responses • Pavlov’s Dogs Experiment • Psychologists who wanted to investigate observable behavior became known as Behaviorists • Watson said psychology should only concern itself with observable facts • Skinner came up with the concept of reinforcement • Humanistic Psychology – Maslow, Rogers, & May – each person is unique and has a self-concept and potential to develop fully

Cognitive Psychology – Piaget, Chomsky, & Fetinger – focuses on how we process, store, and use information; how this information influences out thinking, language, problem solving, and creativity • They believe behavior is more than a single response to a stimulus • Biological Psychology – emphasizes the impact of biology on our behavior • Psychobiologists study how the brain, the nervous system, hormones, and genetics influence our behavior • PET Scans • CAT Scans

Sociocultural Psychology – The newest approach, studies the influence of cultural and ethnic similarities and differences on behavior and social functioning • Also study the impact of immigration and integration in the U.S. society • Look at gender and socioeconomic status

Psychologists are trained to observe, analyze, and evaluate behavior patterns to develop theories of behavior, and to apply what they have learned to influence behavior. Section 3 – Psychology as a Profession

What is a Psychologist? • Psychologists are people who have been trained to observe, analyze, and evaluate behavior. • Psychiatry is a specialty of medicine – where one learns to treat people with disturbed behavior • Clinical Psychologists help people deal with their person problems • Private offices • Mental hospitals • Prisons • clinics

Counseling Psychologists usually work in schools or industrial firms advising and assisting people with the problems of everyday life • Developmental Psychologists study physical, emotional, cognitive, and social changes that occur throughout life. • Children • Elderly • Process of dying

Educational Psychologists deal with topics related to teaching children and young adults • Intelligence • Memory • Problem solving • Motivation • Community Psychologist may work in a metal health or social welfare agency operated by the state or local government or by a private organization • May help design, run, or evaluate mental health clinics

Industrial/Organizational Psychologists are employed by business firms and government agencies. • They study and develop methods to • Boost production • Improve working conditions • Place applicants in the best jobs • Reduce accidents • Environmental Psychologists work in business settings or within the government to study the effects of the environment on people

Forensic Psychologists work in legal, court and correctional systems. • The help police by developing personality profiles of criminal offenders or help law enforcement understand problems like abuse • Health Psychologists study the interaction between physical and psychological health factors • Stress • Depression • Physical Ailments • Experimental Psychologists perform research to understand how humans and animals operate physically and psychologically.

American Psychological Association (APA) founded in 1892 is a scientific and professional society of psychologists and educators

Introducing Psychology