Psychology, Unit One The Evolution of Psychology

Objectives Know the founder and founding year of psychology Be able to distinguish each of the major movements in psychology

Growing from Greece Psychology has its earliest roots in Ancient Greece with the development of philosophy. Developed as a science combining biology and philosophy. Focused on the idea of the “Psyche” which is Greek for “the mind or soul”.

Wilhelm Wundt founded Psychology in 1879 by opening the first psych lab in Germany. –So many people studied under Wundt, that psychology was spread worldwide within about 5 years –The first American lab was est. at Johns Hopkins University in 1883

Sigmund Freud: Psychodynamic Theory Behavior results from repressed memories –These repressed memories are stored in our subconscious and result in primitive sexual/aggressive drives, thereby causing our behaviors –Controversial! Freud’s educated guess- NO PROOF!!!

Freud’s Id, Ego, Superego Freud identifies 3 aspects of personality –Id: irrational and emotional, source of libido and wants –Ego: rational, negotiates between the wants of the Id and the consequences seen by the superego –Superego: moral center, source of rules, values and anxiety

Freud traces adult issues back to conflict in the following critical stages of development

Freud’s Psychosexual Stages 1.Oral: 0-2, issues w/ weaning from breast feeding, seek pleasure from the mouth (chew gum, smoke, etc) 2.Anal: 2-4, issues w/ potty training, seek pleasure from retaining or expelling feces 3.Phallic: 4-5, Electra or Oedipus issues, seek pleasure from genitals From here all humans go through latency and the genital phase. The fewer conflicts in the first three stages, the more “normal” the person’s behavior

Freud’s daughter, Anna, developed the concept of defense mechanisms which are a way of protecting our psychological self. These are to help us cope with problems such as mental abuse or mental trauma.

Common Defense Mechanisms 1.Repression/Suppression: Hiding a memory or thought away. 2.Denial: Pretending something didn’t happen. 3.Projection: Blaming someone else to cover up your own guilt or memory. 4.Rationalization: Creating an explanation, even though its wrong.

More Defense Mechanisms 5. Intellectualization: Thinking about something logically without emotion. 6.Reaction Formation: Key word (reverse formation)- Turning the other cheek, doing the opposite. 7. Regression: Using a childish response like whining to deal with a problem.

Others include: acting out, humor, affiliation, aim inhibiting (settling), avoidance, compensation, HUMOR, passive-aggression 8. Displacement: Taking out emotion (usually aggression) on someone less threatening 9. Sublimation: Converting unacceptable behavior to something that is acceptable (kickboxing) 10. Altruism: Selflessness (donations)

From Psychodynamic to Behaviorism Watson and Skinner threw out Freud’s theories and said you cannot make claims w/o measurable/observable data –This means you can only study what is seen!

Watson Give me a dozen healthy infants, well- formed, and my own specified world to bring them up and I'll guarantee to take any one at random and train him to become any type of specialist I might select--doctor, lawyer, merchant-chief, and yes, even beggarman and thief, regardless of his talents, penchants, tendencies, abilities, vocations, and race of his ancestors." (1930)

Watson’s Little Albert Experiment

Watson Babies are a blank slate (tabula rasa) You can condition a child to do what you want Desensitization is derived from his studies –Cure phobias by gradually exposing subject to what they are afraid of

Skinner and behaviorism Elaborated on Watson’s theories by introducing: –Positive reinforcement –Negative reinforcement Explains how we are conditioned to relate certain memories to songs or smells, why we are sleepy at bedtime, or hungry at lunchtime, etc…