Introduction to Psychology Philosophical Foundations of the Psychological Sciences

What comes to mind when you think of psychology? Freud, couches, rats, anti-depressants

Common myths from psychological psuedo-science Our lives are determined by our childhood experiences (it’s all Mom’s fault) Our desires are hidden in our unconscious and emerge in our dreams

Science can answer some questions but not others The best things in life are free. Shakespeare’s Richard III is a better play than Romeo and Juliet. The death penalty is wrong. There is a genetic predisposition to schizophrenia. Attitudes affect the course of cancer. 2 + 2 = 4

Folk wisdom can be contradictory “Opposites attract” vs “birds of a feather flock together” “Better safe than sorry” vs “nothing ventured, nothing gained” “Look before you leap” vs “he who hesitates is lost” “Absence makes the heart grow fonder” vs “out of sight, out of mind”

True or False? Opposites generally attract We use only 10 percent of our brain power If you don’t vent your anger you’ll ‘explode’ Most of us suffer from low self-esteem Talking about your depression only makes it worse Women crave chocolate when they have PMS

Psychology is: A set of questions A set of theories and procedures for asking and answering questions A product of history Set of questions that are potentially answerable through scientific means (examples) Theoretical perspectives that help researchers decide what questions to ask & sets of tools with which to answer the questions Ideas that have been passed down & modified throughout history

What is psychology? The science of behavior and mental processes Also… Explanation Understanding Scientific investigation What is psychology?

The Goal of Psychology Psychologists engage in the study of psychology in order to understand, explain and predict and control behavior. Psychologists use evidence and create theories to explain these things.

Psychology’s Early Roots We have ALWAYS been concerned with who we are and why we do things, but only in the last 100 years has psychology become a science. Certain people took a role in the formation of psychology as a science Socrates Plato Aristotle

Plato and Socrates (427-347 B.C.) Socrates & Plato Believed we are born with complete knowledge within our soul. Knowledge continues when the body dies Learning – a process of inner reflection to discover the knowledge within us. Mind and body are different

Aristotle Aristole – (384-322 B.C.) Student of Plato Knowledge acquired through experience, not automatically in-born. Argued that careful observation, not just logic alone, was essential to explain things in the world.

Philosophical Developments Rene Descartes (1596-1650) Dualism: human body contains 2 distinct entities: Material body Mind/soul What separates man from animals is thought (which requires having a soul) Soul and mind are used interchangeably, here. Religion = strong hold on academics at this time Soul & physical body communicate with each other via threadlike stuctures

Problems with Descartes How can a non-material entity (soul/mind) have a material effect on the body? How can the body follow natural laws, yet be moved by a mind that does not? Precludes a scientific investigation of the mind.

Hobbes: Materialism Basic axiom: everything (behavior, thought, etc.) can be understood in terms of the body’s physical processes, especially the brain. Sort of the anti-Descartes Paved the way for empiricism Founder of materialism Not the type of materialism that we think of today. Empiricism- the idea that knowledge comes from sensory experiences Materialism – everything that happens is as a result of interactions with matter

Francis Bacon (1561-1626) Proposed that knowledge can only be drawn from our experience and that observations must be used. Early advocate for empiricism (knowledge comes from what we experience)

John Locke (1632-1704) Proposed the idea that humans are born totally blank of knowledge. He coined the term “tabula rasa” (blank slate) to describe his point.

Roots of Psychology Rationalism Philosophy Empiricism Psychology Emphasis on reason and logic Emphasis on data The RATIONAL foundation Tentative Theories Logical Coherence The EMPIRICAL foundation Hypothesis Testing (data) Valid and Reliable Methods Emphasis on data Emphasis on theory Psychology