The Evolution of Psychology
Prior to 1879 o Physiology and philosophy scholars studying questions about the mind Wilhelm Wundt ( ) - University of Leipzig, Germany - Campaigned to make psychology an independent discipline - Established the first laboratory for the study of psychology in 1879 Psychology was born
Leipzig, the place to study psychology o Graduates of Wundt’s program set up new labs across Europe and North America G.Stanley Hall ( ), Johns Hopkins University o Established the first psychology laboratory in the U.S. in 1883 Between 1883 and 1893, 24 new laboratories in North America
Structuralism – led by Edward Titchener Focused on analyzing consciousness into basic elements Introspection – careful, systematic observations of one’s own conscious experience Functionalism – led by William James Focused on investigating the function or purpose of consciousness Led to investigation of mental testing, developmental patterns, and sex differences
Sigmund Freud ( ): Austria Founded Psychoanalytic school of thought Emphasis on unconscious processes influencing behavior o Unconscious = outside awareness
Behavior is influenced by the unconscious Unconscious conflict related to sexuality plays a central role in behavior Controversial notions caused debate/resistance Significant influence on the field of psychology
John B. Watson ( ): United States o Founder of Behaviorism o Behaviorist manifesto published in 1913 Psychology = scientific study of behavior Behavior = overt or observable responses or activities o Radical reorientation of psychology as a science of observable behavior o Study of consciousness abandoned
Nurture, not nature o “give me a dozen healthy infants, well-formed, and my own special world to bring them up in and I’ll guarantee to take any one at random and train him to become any type of specialist I might select – doctor, lawyer, artist, merchant-chief, and yes, even beggar-man and thief…” Behaviorist school of thought emphasized the environment (nurture) Focus on stimulus-response relationships S-R psychology
B.F. Skinner ( ): United States o Environmental factors determine behavior o Responses that lead to positive outcomes are repeated o Responses that lead to negative outcomes are not repeated o Beyond Freedom and Dignity o More controversy regarding free will
Charges that both were de-humanizing Diverse opposition groups got together to form a loose alliance A new school of thought emerged - Humanism o Led by Abraham Maslow ( ) and Carl Rogers ( ) o Emphasis on the unique qualities of humans: freedom and personal growth
In % of students graduating with psychology PhDs were women In 2005 it had increased to 70% Female psychologists earn less than male psychologists Inez Prosser: First African American woman to receive PhD in psych George Sanchez: conducted work on cultural bias of intelligence tests
Psychologist - 4 to 5 yrs of post grad education - clinical psych: specialized in a clinical subarea - counseling: similar to clinical, however work with different problems such as marriage, family or career setting - DO NOT PRESCRIBE DRUGS Psychiatrist - can diagnose physical and neurological causes of abnormal behavior - CAN PRESCRIBE DRUGS
Developmental: infancy, childhood, adolescence, adulthood and old age Social: social interactions, prejudices, conformity, group behavior etc. Experimental: research about sensation, perception, learning, human performance, motivation and emotion on animals and humans Physiological: biological, how does genetics influence behavior Cognitive: how we process, store, and retrieve info and how it influences behavior Personality: describe and understand individuals consistency in behavior Psychometrics: construct, administer and interpret psychological tests
Do not just read and review, ask yourself specific questions Eliminate distractions Break up your studying into sessions: brain remembers info longer if it has time to process what you’ve learned Setting Goals: - time goal - general goal - specific performance goal (did significantly better on exams)
Focuses on the belief that behavior is governed by physiological responses like changes in brain chemistry, brain structure, nervous system, etc. In other words: behavior is our personality, learning, motivation, emotions etc. So genetics plus our environment influence these behaviors “We are only starting to know just how much our brain, genes, hormones…determine our behavior.”
Focuses on mental processes (how we encode, process, store, and retrieve information). Believe that behavior is partially governed by the ways we think and interpret the world. “How I think, determines my behavior”
the importance of the external environment in shaping behavior. A behavior’s frequency is largely a result of rewards and punishments. the study of learning. experimental testing that is observable. “My observable behaviors are reinforced or punished and this is what determines my behavior.”
your early childhood plays a huge role in shaping your personality. childhood traumas and experiences create unconscious drives and conflicts that impact individual personalities. “My past, my unconscious, determines my behavior”
Focuses on an individual’s free will and potential for growth. Believes that behavior is determined by each person’s capacity to choose how to think and act which is dictated by their perceptions of the world. “I choose how I behave”
Focuses on how behaviors and mental processes vary amongst the different cultures of the world This is a more recent approach that came about as people in different places came into contact with each other more often (globalism) Used to understand and predict behaviors “My culture and social environment determines my behavior “
believe that people change or perpetuate (continue) behavior in order improve their chance to survive (and therefore reproduce) Based on Charles Darwin’s theory of “survival of the fittest” (Natural Selection) “Our behaviors are the result of our innate need to reproduce”