Sociocultural Behavioral Psychoanalytic APPROACHES TO PSYCHOLOGY Humanistic Biological Cognitive

What is Psychology? The scientific study of behavior and mental processes (humans and animals) Covers what we….. Think Feel Do What is behavior? It includes just about everything. It includes attitudes, thoughts, physical changes, and emotional changes. Largest association of Psychologists worldwide

Why Study Psychology? Application to everyday life Gain insight into behavior (yours and others) Application to everyday life = Potty training through shaping (reward and punishment) Application to everyday life = Hypnosis and other techniques related to psychology can help you overcome an addiction like smoking. Application to everyday life = Help you improve your memory Application to everyday life = Get better grades Gain insight into behavior = learn why someone you know is shy and withdrawn

Why Study Psychology? Dispel myths about human behavior Test your Intuitions = Each answer is False

Goals of Psychology Describe behavior Explain behavior Predict behavior Influence behavior During the process of trying to explain human behavior, psychologists create hypothesis and test them. A hypothesis is an educated guess. They use the knowledge gained to create theories that will help them predict and influence human behavior. Just like scientists, Psychologists use the scientific method of research Can you think of an example that illustrates each of the goals of psychology?

History of Psychology Phrenology – Examining bumps on the skull to determine intellect and character traits (19th century) Phrenology encouraged psychologists to study the role of the brain, rather than the heart, in human behavior. Past attempts at understanding human behavior (weird or not) have led to what we know today and shaped the current Approaches to Psychology

Wilhelm Wundt “Father of psychology” Started 1st lab to study humans (1879) Established Psychology as formal field of study Introspection – self observation, report thoughts and feelings Wundt would ask individuals to perform activities and then ask them to report their own sensations. Wundt took a scientific approach to human behavior, probably because of his background in the field of science. He wanted to break down the basic elements of human experience and try to understand each part.

William James “Father of MODERN Psychology” or “Father of Psychology in the U.S.” Principles in Psychology = 1st Psychology Textbook Principles of Psychology was the 1st Psychology textbook James taught the first psychology class at Harvard in 1875

Contemporary Approaches to Psychology Psychoanalytic Behavioral Humanistic Cognitive Biological Sociocultural Phrenology encouraged psychologists to study the role of the brain, rather than the heart, in human behavior.

PSYCHOANALYTIC Key ideas childhood experiences unconscious forces Sigmund Freud (1856 – 1939) Unconscious motivations are responsible for human behavior Techniques: Free association Psychoanalysis Dream analysis

BEHAVIORAL John Watson (1878 – 1958) B.F. Skinner (1904 – 1990) Key ideas Observable Behavior Conditioning/Learning Prior experience John Watson (1878 – 1958) Behavior the result of conditioning – “We are what we learn to be” B.F. Skinner (1904 – 1990) Reinforcement

HUMANISTIC Key ideas Self-directed Uniqueness Potential to develop

COGNITIVE Key ideas How we ….. Process, Store, Retrieve information Thought patterns Problem solving Behavior results from memories, expectations

BIOLOGICAL A.k.a. Behavioral neuroscience Key ideas How the brain, nervous system, hormones, genetics influence behavior

SOCIOCULTURAL Key ideas Cultural influence on behavior Gender Socioeconomic status

Eclecticism By combining information from all of the approaches, psychologists stand a better chance of describing, explaining, predicting, and controlling behavior.

Psychology as a Profession Psychologist Observe, analyze, evaluate behavior Doctorate degree Psychiatrist Medical degree + training in psychiatric medicine Phrenology encouraged psychologists to study the role of the brain, rather than the heart, in human behavior.

Clinical Psychologist diagnoses and treats people with emotional disturbances Counseling Psychologist help people deal with problems of everyday life Developmental Psychologist Study changes that occur throughout life

Educational Psychologist helps students learn Industrial/Organizational Psychologist employed by businesses to boost production, improve working conditions, make the workplace a more satisfying environment

Research v. Applied Psychology Research Psychologists – study origins, causes, results of behavior Applied Psychologists – make direct use of the findings of research psychologist; deal directly with clients

Methods of Research Naturalistic Observation Case Study Observe subjects in a natural setting without interfering Natural behavior Phrenology encouraged psychologists to study the role of the brain, rather than the heart, in human behavior. Case Study Intensive investigation of one or more participants long-term observations, diaries, tests, interviews

Cross-sectional Study Survey Interviews, questionnaires, or both asking many individuals a fixed set of questions Longitudinal Study Data is collected over a number of years Development time-consuming Cross-sectional Study Different age groups – same time – compare

Longitudinal vs. Cross-Sectional

Psychological Experiments Phrenology encouraged psychologists to study the role of the brain, rather than the heart, in human behavior.

Double-Blind Experiment Neither participants nor experiment knows which received medication keeps researcher unbiased Placebo effect change in illness/physical state from knowledge and perception of treatment believing it will have an effect fake medication