Schacter Gilbert Wegner PSYCHOLOGY INTRODUCTION

SYLLABUS QUIZ How many tests will there be in this class? Are make-up tests given? What optional assignment can be turned in before each test? Is the final comprehensive? Is attendance taken? Is cheating on tests/papers allowed? Am I expected to be in class, seated and ready to participate at the beginning of class? What can I do to make the best grade possible?

TRUE OR FALSE The titles “psychologist” and psychiatrist” refer to the same profession. Psychologists study behavior and the mind but not biology. Negative reinforcement is the same as punishment. We can’t do much to improve our memory. Eyewitness testimony is the most reliable evidence in court. Psychologists just do therapy. A correlation between two variables means that one causes the other. A person with schizophrenia has a split personality. Adolescents emerge from this stage with emotional scars and conflicts. Most old people are at least a little bit senile.

WHAT IS PSYCHOLOGY? Psychology: the scientific study of the mind and behavior. Mind: our private inner experience of perceptions, thoughts, memories, and feelings. Behavior: observable actions of human beings and nonhuman animals.

Philosophical Developments How are mind and body related? Aristotle René Descartes (1596–1650)—Interactive dualism The mind and body interact to produce conscious experience

Foundations of Modern Psychology Psychology separated from philosophy in 19th century Wilhelm Wundt (1832–1920)–Leipzig, Germany established first psychology lab “stream of consciousness” - a person’s subjective experience of the world applied laboratory techniques to study of the mind (reaction times)

Wilhelm Wundt’s First Psychological Laboratory

Foundations of Modern Psychology Edward Titchener (1867–1927) Wundt’s student, professor at Cornell University structuralism— breaking down stream of consciousness into elemental components introspection- method of examining one’s own conscious experience focused on basic sensory and perceptual processes 44,000 elemental qualities of conscious experience

Edward Titchener and William James (1867-1927) William James (1842-1910)

Foundations of Modern Psychology William James-started psychology at Harvard Opposed Wundt and Titchener Functionalism: the study of the purpose mental processes serve in enabling people to adapt to their environment. Charles Darwin (1809-1882) natural selection: the features of an organism that help it survive and reproduce are more likely than other features to be passed on to subsequent generations. 10

Schools of Psychology-Psychoanalysis Sigmund Freud (1856-1939) unconscious: the part of the mind that operates outside of conscious awareness but influences conscious thoughts, feelings, and actions. psychoanalytic theory: an approach to understanding human behavior that emphasizes the importance of unconscious mental processes in shaping feelings, thoughts, and behaviors. psychoanalysis: a therapeutic approach that focuses on bringing unconscious material into conscious awareness to better understand psychological disorders

Sigmund Freud’s Psychoanalytic Couch

Schools of Psychology- Behaviorism John Watson (1878-1958) Behaviorism: an approach that advocates psychologists to restrict themselves to the scientific study of objectively observable behavior. Key Influence: Ivan Pavlov (1849-1936) Behaviorism grew out of his work with dogs associating a neutral stimulus with an automatic behavior

John Watson and Ivan Pavlov

Schools of Psychology- Behaviorism (cont’d) B. F. Skinner (1904–1990) American psychologist at Harvard studied learning and effect of reinforcement reinforcement: the consequences of behavior determine whether it will be more or less likely to occur again

Schools of Psychology- Humanism Carl Rogers (1902-1987) Humanistic psychology: an approach to understanding human nature that emphasizes the unique potential for psychological growth and self-direction Abraham Maslow (1908-1970) Hierarchy of Needs

Major Perspectives in Psychology Perspective is a way of viewing phenomena Psychology has multiple perspectives Biological Psychodynamic Behavioral Humanistic Positive Psychology Cognitive Cultural Evolutionary

Biological Perspective Studies the physiological mechanisms in the brain and nervous system that organizes and controls behavior Focus may be at various levels individual neurons areas of the brain specific functions like eating, emotion, or learning Interest in behavior distinguishes biological psychology from many other biological sciences

Psychodynamic Perspective Psychoanalytic approach (Sigmund Freud) both a method of treatment and a theory of personality drives and urges within the unconscious component of mind influence thought and behavior early childhood experiences shape unconscious motivations

Just for fun…

Behavioral Perspective View of behavior based on experience or learning (Watson, Skinner, Pavlov) Classical conditioning Operant conditioning Psychologists associated: Ivan Pavlov John Watson B.F. Skinner

Humanistic Perspective Developed by Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow behavior reflects innate ‘actualization’; growth and unique potential of person focus on conscious forces and self perception; free will more positive view of basic forces than Freud’s

Cognitive Perspective Advent of computers model for human mind (both register, store, and retrieve information). information processing systems. Cognitive psychology: the scientific study of mental processes, (how knowledge is acquired, organized, remembered) which includes perception, thought, memory, and reasoning. Influences include: Noam Chomsky –cognitive account of language acquisition Jean Piaget-intellectual development of children

Digital Computers in the 1950’s

Cultural Perspective The study of how cultural factors influence patterns of behavior and mental processes The study of psychological differences among people living in different cultural groups How are people’s thoughts, feelings and behavior influenced by their culture?

Positive Perspective Focuses on the study of positive emotions, states, and traits that increase personal well-being

Evolutionary Perspective Influenced by Darwin and the emphasis on innate, adaptive behavior patterns Application of principles of evolution to explain behavior and psychological processes

Review-Perspectives Column A Column B Perspective Emphasis ___1. Behavioral A. How cultural factors influence behaviour ___2. Biological B. Darwin’s theory of natural selection ___3. Cognitive C. The study of observable behaviour ___4. Cultural D. The study of positive emotions, psychological states, and positive individual traits ___5. Humanistic E. The unconscious, sex, aggression, conflicts, early childhood trauma, repression ___6. Psychoanalytic F. Physical bases of human and animal behaviour ___7. Evolutionary G. How mental processes work ___8. Positive H. Human potential, self-actualization, and free will

Specialty Areas in Psychology Biological Clinical Cognitive Counseling Educational Experimental Developmental Forensic Health Industrial/organizational Personality Rehabilitation Social Sports

The Major Subfields in Psychology

Employment Settings of Psychologists

Similarities/Differences-Psychiatrists and Psychologists Both trained in the diagnosis, treatment, causes, and prevention of psychological disorders Clinical psychologists receive doctorate (Ph.D. or Psy.D.) Psychiatrists receive a medical degree (M.D. or D.O.) followed by years of specialized training in treatment of mental disorders