What is Psychology ?
What is your personal definition of psychology? How long do you think people have been trying to understand the mind?
Overview Early years Psychological Science is Born Psychological Science Develops Psychology’s Biggest Question Levels of Analysis Subfields
Psychology The scientific study of the human mind and its functions, especially those affecting behavior in a given context…
Early Years Studies closely related to Psychology can be shown in the world as early as the fifth and sixth centuries B.C. by the Greeks They set the stage for developing Psychology by using observation as a means of knowing their world Socrates- By logic… mind is separable from the body and continues after the body dies Plato- Knowledge is innate you are born with it Aristotle- Knowledge is not preexisting instead it grows from experiences
Early Years Next big ideas come in the 1600 Rene Descartes (1595-1650)- Said that “animal spirits” travel from the brain to the body through hollow nerves Dualism – The mind and body are separate Do you agree with this concept?
Francis Bacon (1561-1626)- Patterns and it’s importance He believed the mind tries to find order in everything… always looking for a pattern John Locke (1632-1704)- tabula rasa (Blank Slate)… The mind is blank you learn from experiences
Compare two people One is a thief who is in prison The other a successful engineer What would Plato say about why these people are who they are? Locke? Which do you think is more accurate?
Create a list of ten decisions you made or actions you chose to take in the last few days
Do you think humans have Or are our actions and beliefs driven by Free will… Or are our actions and beliefs driven by Environment… Biology… Unconscious forces… Something else… Explain
Look at your list of ten decisions or actions For each one What caused you to make that choice? (biology, free will, environment, etc…) Explain
Psychological Science is Born Germany 1879- Wihelm Wundt created the first actual psychological experiment His experiment was about people’s hearing and reactions… Trying to find a link between hearing and mental process Following this are several different experiments that begin what we today call Psychology Leading to the creation of different “schools” or branches in the field
The Beginning Fields Structuralism Functionalism Edward Bradford Titchener Study of the basic elements that make up conscious mental experiences The Structure of the mind and reporting on the elements of people’s experiences William James (student of Charles Darwin) Study of the function not the structure of the consciousness How the brain functions
Beginning Fields Continued Experimental Psychology Titchener and Washburn Study of behavior and thinking using experimental method Explore thinking and behavior through experiments
Psychological Science Develops Psychologists who develop the field are actually from all sorts of other fields of science… Philosophers, physicians, biologists, physiologists Change from looking at introspection to the studying of observable behaviors Wundt- Philosopher/ physiologist James- Philosopher Pavlov- Physiologist Freud- Physician Piaget- biologist
Humanistic Psychology New Studies Behaviorism Humanistic Psychology 1920-1960 Watson and Skinner The view that psychology, should be an objective science that studies behavior without reference to mental processes. Study of behavior 1960-Present Carl Rogers and Maslow Historically significant perspective that emphasized the growth potential of healthy people and the individuals potential for personal growth Study current life needs
New Studies Cognitive Neuroscience 1960- Present Supported earlier psychologists and the importance of how our mind processes and retains information the study of brain activity linked with mental activity
Big Questions! Nature vs Nurture How are we humans alike? Are gender differences biologically predisposed or socially constructed? Language innate or formed by experience ? Intelligence and personality influenced by heredity and environment? Etc.
Levels of Analysis- Anger Biological brain circuits that make us have a red face Evolutionary How anger helped our ancestors Psychodynamic out burst of unconscious hostility Behavioral What triggers angry responses or aggressive acts Cognitive- interpretation of a situation affects our anger anger affects thinking Social-Cultural How expression of anger varies across cultural contexts
Subfields Developmental Psychologists- Changing abilities from womb tomb Cognitive Psychologists- How we perceive, think and solve problems Educational Psychologists- Influences on teaching and learning Personality psychologists- Investigation our persistent traits Social Psychologists- How we view things and how that affects others Counseling Psychologists- Help people cope with challenges and crisis Clinical Psychologists- Assess and treats mental , emotional and behavioral disorders
Crash Course - Psychology