Myers’ PSYCHOLOGY (7th Ed) Prologue: The Story of Psychology

Prologue: Psychology’s Roots Prescientific Psychology Is the mind connected to the body or distinct? Are ideas inborn or is the mind a blank slate filled by experience?

Prologue: Psychology’s Roots

Prologue: Psychology’s Roots Psychological Science Is Born Empiricism Knowledge comes from experience via the senses Science flourishes through observation and experiment

Prologue: Psychology’s Roots Wilhelm Wundt opened the first psychology laboratory at the University of Liepzig (c. 1879)

Prologue: Psychology’s Roots Structuralism used introspection (looking in) to explore the elemental structure of the human mind

Prologue: Psychology’s Roots Functionalism focused on how behavioral processes function- how they enable organism to adapt, survive, and flourish

Prologue: Psychology’s Roots Psychological Science Develops Wundt--German philosopher and physiologist James--American philosopher Pavlov--Russian physiologist Freud--Austrian physician Piaget--Swiss biologist

Prologue: Psychology’s Roots Figure 1- British Psychological Society membership

Prologue: Psychology’s Roots Definition of Psychology The science of behavior (what we do) and mental processes (sensations, perceptions, dreams, thoughts, beliefs, and feelings)

Prologue: Contemporary Psychology Psychology’s Big Issues Nature-nurture controversy the relative contribution that genes and experience make to development of psychological traits and behaviors

Prologue: Contemporary Psychology Natural selection principle that those inherited trait variations contributing to survival will most likely be passed on to succeeding generations

Prologue: Contemporary Psychology Psychology’s Perspectives

Psychoanalytic Approach Believes that a person’s behavior is determined by instinctual urges and early childhood experiences.

Psychoanalytic Approach Believes that a person’s behavior is determined by instinctual urges and early childhood experiences.

Psychoanalytic Approach Stresses the role of the unconscious.

Psychoanalytic Approach Some psychoanalytic theorists focus on feelings of inferiority, while others emphasize the resolution of psychosocial or psychosexual conflicts.

Stresses the connection between stimulus/response and behavior/reward. Behaviorist Approach Stresses the connection between stimulus/response and behavior/reward.

Believes that the environment plays an instrumental role in behavior. Behaviorist Approach Believes that the environment plays an instrumental role in behavior.

Behaviorist Approach Believes that a person’s behavior is determined by the actions that were rewarded or punished.

Behaviorist Approach Learned Association – an individual learns to associate certain acts with the response it produces.

Emphasizes “free will” and the control of your own destiny. Humanist Approach Emphasizes “free will” and the control of your own destiny.

Humanist Approach Believes that individuals are inherently motivated to satisfy both basic and enriching needs (self-actualization).

Believes that man is basically good. Humanist Approach Believes that man is basically good. Believes that a person’s self-concept is important.

Focuses on the mental processing of the individual. Cognitive Approach Focuses on the mental processing of the individual.

Cognitive Approach According to this approach, an individual’s difficulties often stem from false perceptions of reality.

Cognitive Approach Cognitive theorists believe that people develop ideas of the world and base their judgments upon these perceptions.

Biological Approach Advocates of the biological approach stress the genetic, medical and neurological components of the person.

Proponents believe that biological factors influence behavior. Biological Approach Proponents believe that biological factors influence behavior. Hormonal changes Brain anomalies Neurochemical differences

Psychoanalytic Approach Stresses the role of the unconscious.

Psychoanalytic Approach Some psychoanalytic theorists focus on feelings of inferiority, while others emphasize the resolution of psychosocial or psychosexual conflicts.

Prologue: Contemporary Psychology Psychology’s Perspectives A lot depends on your viewpoint

Prologue: Contemporary Psychology Psychology’s Subfields Basic Research Biological psychologists explore the links between brain and mind Developmental psychologists study changing abilities from womb to tomb Cognitive psychologists study how we perceive, think, and solve problems

Prologue: Contemporary Psychology Psychology’s Subfields Basic Research Personality psychologists investigate our persistent traits Social psychologists explore how we view and affect one another

Prologue: Contemporary Psychology Psychology’s Subfields Applied Research Industrial/organizational psychologists study and advise on behavior in the workplace Clinical psychologists study, assess, and treat people with psychological disorders

Prologue: Contemporary Psychology Psychiatry A branch of medicine dealing with psychological disorders Practiced by physicians who sometimes use medical (for example, drug) treatments as well as psychotherapy