UNIT 1: INTRODUCTION TO PSYCHOLOGY AREA OF STUDY 1: WHAT IS PSYCHOLOGY?

ORIGINS OF CONTEMPORARY PSYCHOLOGY PHILOSOPHY - Socrates, Plato & Aristotle (470-322 BC) Wrote at length about human thoughts, feelings and behaviour - Rene Descartes (1596-1650) Theory of Dualism: the mind and body are separate “I think, therefore I am” GRIVAS – pg.16-18

SCIENTIFIC ROOTS OF PSYCHOLOGY Hermann von Helmholtz (1821-1894) - Measured the speed of nerve impulses in a frog’s leg - Adapted his method to enable the study of humans - Provided evidence that nerve impulses take time to travel from a body part to the brain - EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE!!!!! GRIVAS – pg.18-19

HOMEWORK - Learning Activity 1.9 (pg.18)

CLASSIC PERSPECTIVES 5 Perspectives (schools of psychology/thought) - Structuralism (Wilhelm Wundt) - Functionalism (William James) - Psychoanalysis (Sigmund Freud) - Behaviourism (John B. Watson) - Humanism (Carl Rogers) GRIVAS – pg.19-24

CLASSIC PERSPECTIVES TASK LEARNING ACTIVITY 1.10 (pg.25) Summarising classic perspectives in psychology Complete the table using any mode of presentation you like Consult pages 19 to 24 in the text book for your information

STRUCTURALISM WILHELM WUNDT (1832-1920) German physiologist trained in medicine Interested in the study of consciousness Structuralism focuses on the structure of consciousness (the basic parts or building blocks that make up consciousness, how the parts are organised and how they are inter-related) Established a laboratory at the University of Leipzig in Germany Measured how long it took for participants to consciously detect the sight and sound of a bell being struck or letters shown for a fraction of a second Used introspection as a data collection technique GRIVAS – pg.19-20

FUNCTIONALISM WILLIAM JAMES (1842-1910) Established Psychology in America In 1890, published acclaimed two-volume textbook ‘Principles Of Psychology’ Functionalism focuses on studying the functions or purpose that mental processes serve in enabling people to adapt to their environment Functionalists are interested in how and why our thoughts and feelings lead us to behave the way that we do GRIVAS – pg.20-21

PSYCHOANALYSIS SIGMUND FREUD (1856-1939) Focuses on the roles of unconscious conflicts and motivations in understanding and explaining behaviour and mental processes Freud described past experiences, especially early childhood experiences, as very important in the development of our personality and behaviour Developed psychoanalytic theories from work with patients who sought his help with mental health problems GRIVAS – pg.21-22

BEHAVIOURISM JOHN B. WATSON (1878-1958) Rejected the emphasis on consciousness promoted by Wundt and James as well as the emphasis on the unconscious promoted by Freud Instead proposed that Psychology should focus on the scientific study of observable behaviour that is objectively measured Behaviourism involves understanding and explaining how behaviour is learned and molded by experience Believes that everything a person does is influenced by rewards and punishments GRIVAS – pg.22-23

HUMANISM CARL ROGERS (1902-1987) Humanism is an approach to understanding and explaining behaviour and mental processes that focuses on the uniqueness of each individual person Based on the assumption that all people are born good and that, throughout their life, each individual strives to reach their full potential Emphasised ‘free will’ (the fact that we control our own destinies) Rogers proposed a person-centered theory of personality GRIVAS – pg.23-24

HOMEWORK Make sure you have completed and submitted Learning Activity 1.10 (pg.25) (started in class) Learning Activity 1.11 (pg.25)