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History of Psychology as a Science

History of Psychology as a Science. Old Ideas – New Methods. Old Ideas = Enduring Questions. What is the mind? Is it separate from the body? What makes people who they are – biology or environment? Is personality stable or can we change over time? What does it mean to be normal?.

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History of Psychology as a Science

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  1. History of Psychology as a Science Old Ideas – New Methods

  2. Old Ideas = Enduring Questions • What is the mind? Is it separate from the body? • What makes people who they are – biology or environment? • Is personality stable or can we change over time? • What does it mean to be normal?

  3. Philosophical Beginnings • Plato v. Aristotle (ancient Greece) • Plato • Idealism • Rationalism • Aristotle • Empiricism

  4. Philosophical Beginnings • Hippocrates (ancient Greece) • First Western classification of mental disorders • Mental illness is caused by imbalance of body humors • Black bile, yellow bile, blood, & phelgm • Example: too much black bile = depression

  5. Philosophical Beginnings • Descartes (Renaissance) • Dualism • The mind and the body are separate. • Mind = spiritual • Body = mechanical

  6. Philosophical Beginnings • Locke vs. Rousseau (1700s) • Locke • Tabula rasa = blank slate • Rousseau • Natural unfolding of hidden potential • “noble savages”

  7. Philosophical Beginnings • Darwin • Evolution & natural selection • Herbert Spencer = Social darwinism • Laws of natural selection apply to social systems

  8. Psychology as a Science • 1879 • Wilhelm Wundt established the first psychology laboratory • Leipzig, Germany • Wundt = Father of psychology • First experiment measured the time between hearing a ball drop and “knowing” that the ball had dropped • Used introspection to study behavior

  9. Psychology as a Science • Not all psychologists agree about how behavior and mental processes should be studied. • Different “schools of thought” or “perspectives” have emerged, grown, died, and endured through the years.

  10. Psychology as a Science • Structuralism • Explored the nature of the mind • Combined physics and philosophy • Wundt & his students • Edward Titchner = brought structuralism to the US (Cornell University) • G. Stanley Hall = established first psychology lab in US (Johns Hopkins Univ.) • First president of APA

  11. Psychology as a Science • Functionalism • Explored why the mind works the way is does • Opposed structuralism • Biggest advocate: William James • First American psychologist (Harvard) • Wrote first psychology textbook – Principles of Psychology (12 volumes)

  12. Psychology as a Science • Gestalt Psychology • German school • “gestalt” means “whole” • Disagreed with structuralism • Focus too narrow • The whole is greater than the sum of its parts. • Phi phenomenon as inspiration

  13. Psychology as a Science • Psychoanalysis • Sigmund Freud = father of psychoanalysis • Belief in the influence of unconscious thoughts & motives • Early childhood experiences are key to explaining adult behavior • Influential students • Carl Jung, Alfred Adler, Karen Horney

  14. Psychology as a Science • Behaviorism • Rebellion against psychoanalysis • Evolution of structuralist perspective • Desire for psychology to be more scientific • Concentrated solely on studying observable behavior • Founder: John B. Watson • Influenced by Ivan Pavlov & classical conditioning • Perspective dominated psychology for 70 years • Main leader: B.F. Skinner

  15. Psychology as a Science • Humanistic psychology • Rebellion against behaviorism & psychoanalysis • “Third Force” in psychology • Emerged in the 1950s and 1960s • Focused on helping people thrive • Main leaders • Abraham Maslow (hierarchy of needs) • Carl Rogers (unconditional positive regard)

  16. Psychology as a Science • Cognitive Revolution • Began in 1970s • Rebellion against behaviorism, which ignored the study of consciousness & mental processes • Early theories based on computer models • Main leaders • Martin Seligman • Robert Sternberg • Judith Rodin

  17. Psychology as a Science • Neuroscience • Began in 1980s • Resulted from advanced technology • Links biological processes with behaviors and mental processes • Evolutionary psychology • Links theory of evolution to behavior & mental processes

  18. Psychology as a Science • Modern Types of Psychologists • Clinical • Educational • Industrial/Organizational (I/O) • Forensic • Behavior genetics • Behavioral economics • Developmental • Cognitive • The list goes on…

  19. Psychology as a Science • Modern psychology • Eclectic • Divided between “clinical” and “academic” psychologists • More diverse • More women earn PhDs in psychology than men • High percentages of ethnic minorities earn advanced degrees in psychology

  20. Psychology as a Science • Notable achievements of women & people of color • Women • First APA President – Mary Whiton Calkins (1905) • First PhD awarded – Margaret Floy Washburn (1894) • People of color • First African American PhD – Francis Cecil Sumner (1920) • First female African American PhD – Inez Beverly Prosser (1933) • First African American APA President – Kenneth Clark (1970) • with Mamie Phipps Clark – research influenced Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court ruling

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