Chapter 1 What is Psychology?

1. Chapter 1 What is Psychology?

2. The Science of Psychology: An Appreciative View, 2nd Edition (King) Overview • The Science of Psychology: An Appreciative View by Laura King (University of Missouri at Columbia) brings a truly appreciative view of psychology - as a science and for exploring behavior. • students must study the discipline of psychology as a whole • sub-disciplines are intricately connected • human behavior is best understood by exploring its functioning state in addition to its potential dysfunctions

3. Chapter Preview Defining Psychology Psychology in Historical Perspective Contemporary Approaches to Psychology What Psychologists Do Science of Psychology and Health and Wellness

4. Psychology: Defined Psychology is the scientific study of behavior and mental processes. Three Key Components • science – systematic methods • behavior – what can be directly observed • mental processes – thoughts, feelings, motives

5. Science of Psychology • Critical Thinking • Skepticism • Objectivity • Curiosity CSOC

6. Goals of Psychology • to describe behavior • to predict behavior • to explain behavior • Can we do this successfully without critical thinking, skepticism, objectivity and curiosity? • … and sometimes to manipulate or control behavior for either good or evil…

7. Psychology – A General Science Psychology is not limited to the study of psychological disorders. • Freud’s view of human nature • positive psychology – a branch of psychology that emphasizes human strengths • Example: Amish forgiveness (p. 7-8)

8. 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”

9. History of Psychology • Western Philosophy • Biology and Physiology • Wilhelm Wundt (1832-1920) • 1879 – established 1st psychology lab

10. History of Psychology • Western Philosophy • Socrates, Plato and Aristotle • Later Philosophers • Rene Descartes • Argued that the mind and body were completely separate

11. Wilhelm Wundt’s Structuralism identified structures of the mind (mental processes) introspection (“looking inside”) systematic, detailed self-reports (science) VIL-HELM VOONT

12. William James’ Functionalism identified the functions and purposes of the mind stream of consciousness human interactions with outside world why is human thought adaptive? Brother of author

13. Psychology and Evolution Charles Darwin On the Origin of Species, 1859 Natural Selection • competition for resources • genetic characteristics that promote reproduction and survival are favored • environmental changes alter course of evolution

14. Contemporary Approaches Current Psychological Perspectives • Biological • Behavioral • Psychodynamic • Humanistic • Cognitive • Evolutionary • Sociocultural

15. 1. Biological Approach The biological approach focuses on the brain and nervous system. Neuroscience • 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

16. 2. Behavioral Approach The behavioral approach focuses on the environmental determinants of observable behavior. Notable Behaviorists • John Watson • B.F. Skinner • rejected thought processes

17. Noted Behaviorist: John Watson Notable Behaviorists • John Watson • B.F. Skinner • rejected thought processes "Give me a dozen healthy infants, well-formed, and my own specified world to bring them up in and I'll guarantee to take any one at random and train him to become any type of specialist I might select--doctor, lawyer, artist, merchant-chief, and, yes, even beggarman and thief, regardless of his talents, penchants, tendencies, abilities, vocations, and race of his ancestors. I am going beyond my facts and I admit it, but so have the advocates of the contrary and they have been doing it for many thousands of years." –John B. Watson, Behaviorism, 1930

18. Noted Behaviorist: B.F. Skinner I did not direct my life. I didn't design it. I never made decisions. Things always came up and made them for me. That's what life is. -- B. F. Skinner If you're old, don't try to change yourself, change your environment. -- B. F. Skinner Notable Behaviorists • John Watson • B.F. Skinner • rejected thought processes

19. Psychodynamic Approach: Freud Known as the founding father of the psychodynamic approach Believed that there are unlearned biological instincts (especially of a sexual and/or aggressive nature) that can occur early in life and these instincts influence how a person thinks, feels, and behaves Had a couch

20. 4. Humanistic Approach Humanists emphasize • positive human qualities • capacity for positive growth • free will Humanistic Theorists • Carl Rogers • Abraham Maslow

21. Humanistic Approach: Carl Rogers Humanists emphasize • positive human qualities • capacity for positive growth • free will The only person who is educated is the one who has learned how to learn and change. -- Carl Rogers I believe that the testing of the student's achievements in order to see if he meets some criterion held by the teacher, is directly contrary to the implications of therapy for significant learning. -- Carl Rogers

22. Humanistic Approach: Abraham Maslow What is necessary to change a person is to change his awareness of himself. -- Abraham Maslow Humanists emphasize • positive human qualities • capacity for positive growth • free will

23. 5. 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

24. 6. Evolutionary Approach The evolutionary approach uses ideas such as adaptation, reproduction, and natural selection to explain human behavior. Evolutionary Psychologists • David Buss • Leda Cosmides

25. 7. Sociocultural Approach examines how social and cultural environments influence behavior and mental processes studies differences between ethnic and cultural groups within and across countries

26. Careers in Psychology Practice / Applied Research Teaching

27. Areas of Specialization • 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

28. 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

29. Career Settings in Psychology

30. Influence of Culture Individualistic Cultures • individuals viewed as unique and distinct from their social group • value independence Collectivistic Cultures • emphasize social group and the individual’s role within that group • value interdependence

31. Influence of Culture Individualistic subjects • prefer to work on tasks that they have had previous success with • like to emphasize their successes Collectivistic subjects • prefer to work on tasks that they have difficulty with • self-critical view

32. Science of Psychology andHealth and Wellness Mind-Body Connections • how the mind impacts the body • how the body impacts the mind

33. Chapter Summary Explain what psychology is and how it differs from an every-day, informal approach to understanding human nature. Discuss the roots and early scientific foundations of psychology. Summarize the main themes of the seven approaches to psychology. List some of the areas of specialization and careers in psychology. Describe the connections between the mind and the body.

34. Chapter Summary Defining Psychology scientific study of behavior and mental processes Historical Foundations of Psychology origins in philosophy and physiology structuralism – Wilhelm Wundt functionalism – William James evolutionary theory – Charles Darwin

35. Chapter Summary Contemporary Approaches to Psychology • current approaches – complementary Specializations and Careers in Psychology • practice, research, teaching • academic, clinic, private practice, industry, school Science of Psychology and Health and Wellness • mind-body connection is a “two-way street”