Week 1 Introduction to Psychology

Chapter 1 Overview Exploring psychology’s roots Schools of thought in psychology Descriptive research methods The experimental method Ethics in psychological research Thinking about theories and research Psychologists at work

Psychology: The scientific study of behavior and mental processes What process do scientists use to answer questions about behavior and mental processes? Psychology: The scientific study of behavior and mental processes Instead of relying on common sense, psychologists use the scientific method Psychologists propose and test theories to explain behavior and mental processes Theory: A general set of principles that explains how separate facts are related

What are the goals of psychology? Description Identifying and classifying behaviors and mental processes Explanation Proposing reasons for behaviors and mental processes Prediction Offering hypotheses about how a condition or set of conditions will affect behavior and mental processes Influence Using research results to solve practical problems

What are the goals of psychology? Two types of research are done to accomplish psychologists’ four goals Basic research Research that seeks new knowledge to advance general scientific understanding Applied research Research conducted to solve practical problems and improve the quality of life

Exploring Psychology’s Roots Psychology’s roots can be traced to the beginning of recorded history But psychology as a formal academic discipline began in the 1800s

What did Wundt and Titchener contribute to psychology? Wilhelm Wundt (1832-1920) The “father” of psychology Used introspection to analyze basic elements of conscious mental experience Edward Bradford Titchener (1867-1927) Wundt’s student Established a psychological laboratory in the USA Structuralism Wundt and Titchener’s school of thought Structuralism was criticized because of its methods But structuralists established psychology as a science

Why is functionalism important in the history of psychology? Focused on how humans and animals use mental processes in adapting to their environments Broadened the scope of psychology to include behavior as well as mental processes William James (1842-1910) Functionalism’s most famous proponent Believed that the “stream of conscious- ness” functions to help humans adapt to their environment

Christine Ladd-Franklin Who were some of the individuals who overcame discrimination to make important contributions to the field of psychology? Christine Ladd-Franklin Completed PhD in the mid 1880’s at John Hopkins but did not receive her degree until 1926 Formulated a well-regarded theory of color vision Mary Whiton Calkins Completed the requirements for a doctorate at Harvard but Harvard refused to grant the degree to a woman Established a psychology laboratory at Wellesley College Developed the paired associates test

Margaret Floy Washburn Who were some of the individuals who overcame discrimination to make important contributions to the field of psychology? Margaret Floy Washburn Received PhD from Cornell University Wrote influential books including The Animal Mind (1908) and Movement and Mental Imagery (1916) Francis Cecil Sumner First African American to earn a PhD in psychology, in 1920 Chaired psychology department at Howard University

Who were some of the individuals who overcame discrimination to make important contributions to the field of psychology? Albert Sidney Beckham Established first psychological laboratory at a Black institution of higher learning – Howard University Conducted important studies on intelligence and how it related to occupational fields Kenneth Clark Received national recognition for writings on the harmful effects of racial segregation His writings affected Supreme Court rulings declaring national segregation unconstitutional

Who were some of the individuals who overcame discrimination to make important contributions to the field of psychology? Jorge Sanchez An Hispanic American psychologist Studied bias in intelligence testing during the 1930s Pointed out that cultural and language differences work against Hispanic students when they take IQ tests

Schools of Thought in Psychology The major schools of thought in psychology today include Behaviorism Psychoanalytic psychology Humanistic psychology Cognitive psychology Evolutionary psychology Biological psychology The sociocultural approach

How do behaviorists explain behavior and mental processes? Behaviorists view observable, measurable behavior as the only appropriate subject matter for psychology Behaviorism also emphasizes the environment as the key determinant of behavior

What do psychoanalytic psychologists believe about the role of the unconscious? Sigmund Freud’s theory of personality and his therapy for psychological disorders is called Psychoanalysis According to this theory, an individual’s thoughts, feelings, and behavior are determined primarily by the unconscious

According to Maslow and Rogers, what motivates behavior and mental processes? Humanistic psychology Focuses on the uniqueness of human beings and their capacity for choice, growth, and psychological health Abraham Maslow’s theory of motivation The need for self-actualization is the highest need in the hierarchy of needs Carl Rogers developed client-centered therapy An approach in which the client directs a discussion on his or her own view of the problem

What is the focus of cognitive psychology? Cognitive psychology focuses on mental processes such as memory, problem solving, decision making, perception, and language Information-processing theory An approach within cognitive psychology that uses the computer as a model for human thinking

What is the main idea behind evolutionary psychology? Evolutionary psychology focuses on how human behaviors necessary for survival have adapted in the face of environmental pressures over the course of evolution

How do biological psychologists explain individual differences in behavior and mental processes? Biological psychologists look for connections between specific behaviors (such as aggression) and specific biological factors (such as hormones) to help explain individual differences

What kinds of variables interest psychologists who take a sociocultural approach? The sociocultural approach focuses on how factors such as cultural values affect behavior Proponents of this approach believe that these factors are as important as evolutionary and physiological factors in affecting behavior and mental processes