Psychology Introduction Prof. BARAKAT Summer Term 1
The scientific study of behavior, mental processes, mind and cognitive activities Research leads to the development of theories about Behavior and Cognition The Greek word means – Psycho = mind or soul – Logo = study of Psychologists are interested in every aspect of human thought and behavior
Gain insight into the mind Understanding of people Understanding ourselves What do we hope to gain from studying psychology?
Philosophy Physiology Psychology
Any action that others can observe and measure: –Walking –Talking (cognition) –Physical movements
Emotion Behavior or mental process Feelings Thoughts Dreams Brain waves or privates thoughts Perception Memories
Observe Describe Explain Predict Control
A Social Science (Studies the structure of human society and the nature of the individual in the society) Studies the nature of the physical world (Brain or mind) Follows scientific principles (hypothesis, experimentation, data collection and analysis, and drawing conclusions)
Developmental Physiological Clinical and Counseling Industrial and Organizational Cognitive Psychology Comparative Psychology Forensic Psychology
Educational Psychology Evolutionary Psychology Health Psychology Social Psychology Positive Psychology Engineering Psychology Experimental Psychology
History of Psychology
Gods and nature Pseudopsychology and the fallacy of positive instances (Phrenology, Graphology, Astrology) Thoughts and dreams Mind centered in the heart
“Know Thyself” (Learn about ourselves by examining ones’ thoughts and feelings Introspection (modern term meaning “looking within”)
Student of Plato who wrote “Peri Psyches” (about the Mind) Human behavior is subject to laws Man seeks pleasure, not pain Addressed modern issues
Father of Medicine Suggested the brain was root of behavioral problems Thoughts, and feelings cause behavior
John Locke (philosopher) – “The mind is a blank slate” – Theorized that knowledge is not inborn but is learned from experiences Human behavior and mental processes should be supported by evidence In 1800s, psychological laboratories were established in Europe and United States
Investigates the biological basis of human behavior: – Neuropsychologists: brain vs nervous system, i.e. strokes, no taste when sick – Psycho-biologists: body chemistry or hormones, i.e., how they interact with drugs; how stress influences behavior – Behavioral geneticists: heredity factors, i.e., how alcoholism runs in families
Personality psychologists study the differences among individuals How personality traits differ between males and females Behavior as a stable personality trait or a response to a social reaction or stressful situation
Father of Modern Psychology First psychology laboratory (Germany, 1879) Studied simplest mental process (used measures of reaction time) Objective sensation reflects the outside world – Example: Sight/ taste Subjective feeling, emotion, response and mental images
The study of the most basic elements (sensations and perceptions) that make up our conscious mental experiences Involves Introspection – “What are the elements of Psychological processes?”
Study of the function rather than the structure of consciousness How our minds adapt to our changing environment Behavioral observations conducted in a laboratory – “What do certain behaviors and mental processes accomplish for the person?” Adaptive behavior patterns are learned because they are successful
1st American born psychologist Wrote “The Principles of Psychology” Experience is a fluid and an ever- changing flow of images and sensations Adaptive Action (Darwinism): – Behavior + success = Habit
Emphasized the objective, scientific analysis of observable behaviors Interested in behavior and its precise measurement rather than “consciousness” of Wundt and James
Stimulus/Response theory Adopted Ivan Pavlov’s concept of Conditioning Psychology as an objective, experimental science that analyzes observable behavior, predicts and attempts to control behavior
Environmental factors mould behaviour Mental events do not explain behavior (radicalism) Behavior is reinforced: - Positive reinforcement - Reward & Punishment Misguided rewards (punishment) lead to destructive actions
A view that combines cognition (thinking) and conditioning to explain behaviour Case study: Watching streaming videos Radical B.: Agent is rewarded by the pleasure of watching interesting videos Cognitive B.: Agent expects to find good videos at the Website
Gestalt means « form, pattern, or whole » Emphasized that perception is more than the sum of its parts The study of thinking, learning and perception as whole units instead of the small units of structuralism Studied how sensations are assembled into meaningful perceptual experiences
“The whole is greater than the sum of its parts” Deals with perceptions – How we see and understand things – Enables the individual to solve problems
Childhood experiences influence the development of later personality traits and psychological problems – This perspective is associated with the psychodynamic view (internal forces and impulses that are hidden) Emphasizes unconscious (conflict & past events. i.e., early childhood traumas)
Studied the unconscious to understand behavior – The Interpretation of Dreams Developed Ideas: – Therapy – Internal conflict – Study of impulses
Focuses on subjective human experience - Unconscious forces and behavioral emphasis on conditioning have a strong undercurrent of determinism Stresses free will Humanists are interested in psychological needs for love, self-esteem, belonging and spirituality
The Biological Perspective (Evolutionary view) The Psychological Perspective (Cognitive & Psychodynamic) The Socio-cultural Perspective (interactionism and relativity)