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Introduction Psychology

Introduction Psychology. What is Psychology?. Psychology is the scientific study of behavior and mental processes. “Psychology” has its roots in the Greek words of “psyche,” or mind, and “-ology,” or a field of study.”. “Psychology has a long past but only a short history.”

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Introduction Psychology

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  1. Introduction Psychology

  2. What is Psychology? • Psychology is the scientific study of behavior and mental processes. • “Psychology” has its roots in the Greek words of “psyche,” or mind, and “-ology,” or a field of study.”

  3. “Psychology has a long past but only a short history.” • Hermann Ebbinghaus History of Psychology

  4. Psychology vs. Psychiatry • Psychiatry is a specialty in the medical field, not a part of psychology. • Psychiatrists hold MDs and have specialized training in the treatment of mental and behavioral problems. • Psychology is a much broader field which has many different specialties.

  5. Origins of Psychology • Greeks- 5th & 6th centuries B.C. • People’s lives were dominated not so much by gods but their own minds • People are rational • Aristotle = Asked Why? • Began to compare the sensations, wonder how the thought process worked, and even why we slept

  6. Origins Continued… • During Renaissance people began to experiment and observe results • Rene Descartes first to pose dualism-idea that a link existed between the mind and body • Nativism- is the view that certain skills or abilities are 'native' or hard wired into the brain at birth. (1596-1650)

  7. A Change in Perspective • For hundreds of years medieval Christian churches felt the human mind, like that of God, was an unsolvable mystery. • In the 17th C. the French philosopher Rene Descartes argued that human sensations and behaviors were based on activity in the nervous system. Rene Descartes 1596-1650

  8. John Locke (1632-1704) • An Essay Concerning Human Understanding • Tabula rasa • Empiricism • Knowledge originates in experience and that science should rely on observation and experimentation

  9. Psychology Becomes a Science • Despite Descartes arguments and scientific breakthroughs at the time, psychology didn’t become a recognized science until the mid 1800s.

  10. Modern Psychology Rooted in History • Modern psychology developed from several conflicting ideas including structuralism, functionalism, Gestalt psychology, behaviorism and psychoanalysis.

  11. Psychological Science Is Born • Wilhelm Wundt • (1832-1920) • Established modern psychology as a formal field of study • 1st “Psychologist” • Developed the first psychology lab/experiment • Measuring reaction time

  12. Structuralism • Wilhelm Wundt (Voont) was the first to declare himself a psychologist. • He believed in structuralism. Wilhelm Wundt 1832-1929

  13. Structuralism: devoted to uncovering the basic structures that make up mind and thought-looking for the elements of conscious experience. • Structuralism relies on introspection, or the process of reporting one’s own conscious mental experiences. • What would be the strengths/weaknesses of introspection?

  14. Gestalt Psychology • Gestalt psychology was the opposite of structuralism. Instead of looking at the individual parts, it wanted to examine the whole. • Gestalt psychology looked at how the brain works by studying perception and perceptual thinking. • Ex. Recognizing a person’s face.

  15. E.B. Titchner- brought Wundt’s psychology to U.S. • Structuralism-study the basic elements that make up human mental experiences • Introspection • Looking inward- analyzing immediate sensations and how they related to one another. • Results varied and were unreliable • For example…

  16. Using structuralism and the idea of introspection I would need to analyze everyone’s immediate sensations. • Did this picture make you smile? • Did this picture make you want to cry? • Once again with structuralism, results varied and were unreliable

  17. Critics of Wundt and Structuralism • Like most new theories, people began to dispute and refute structuralism. • William James (the first U.S. psychologist) believed that psychology should look at function and not just structure. William James 1842-1910

  18. Functionalism • Functionalism- study how animals and people adapt to their environments.. • Influenced by Charles Darwin • William James- father of psychology in U.S. • Taught first psychology class at Harvard University in 1875. • Why does the brain think? Why does the nose smell? • Wrote “The Principles of Psychology” • Took 12 years! 1842-1910

  19. Functionalism- A theory that emphasized the functions of consciousness and the ways consciousness helps people adapt to their environment. • James thought that psychology should explain how people adapted-or failed to adapt-to everyday life outside the laboratory. The parts of the functionalist view of psychology

  20. James’ Functionalism • James’ criticism of Wundt’s structuralism was that it was boring and inaccurate because it was only done in the laboratory. • James wanted to see how people functioned in everyday life, not just in contrived situations. • Also he believed that mental process were not static. He described them as a “stream of consciousness.”

  21. Ladies • Margaret Washburn • First PhD 1894, Cornell • The Animal Mind- animal behavior research • Mary Calkins • Denied degree by Harvard in 1895 • First woman president of the APA • Renowned memory researcher Between 1996-2009 Females claimed two-thirds of U.S. Psychology Ph.D.s

  22. Psychology Defined 2012 • The definition has evolved over time. *The science of behavior and mental *processes. • Behavior = any action we can observe and record. • Examples: Yelling, smiling, sweating… • Mental Processes = internal, subjective experiences we infer from behavior. • Examples: Sensations, perceptions, feelings…

  23. Nature versus Nurture • The longstanding controversy over the relative contributions that genes and experience make to the development of psychological traits and behaviors. Plato Descartes Darwin Aristotle Locke

  24. Nature versus Nurture • How are humans alike but diverse? • Are gender differences biologically predisposed or socially constructed? • Is children’s grammar mostly innate or formed by experience? • How are differences in intelligence and personality influenced by heredity and by environment? • Are sexual behaviors more pushed by inner biology or pulled by external incentives?

  25. 4.2%Elementary and Secondary Schools 6.3%Business and Government 8.5%Other 19.4%Hospitals and Clinics 28.0%Colleges and Universities 33.6% Private Practice Psychology Today: Vigorous and Diversified Psychology’s Modern History Seven Unifying Themes PersonalApplication Psychology’s Early History

  26. 0.5%Forensic 0.6%Other 0.9%Clinical Neuropsychology 5.2% School 6.1%Industrial/Organizational 14.7% Counseling 72.1% Clinical Psychology Today: Vigorous and Diversified Psychology’s Modern History Seven Unifying Themes PersonalApplication Psychology’s Early History

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