Psychology The Individual

Psychology This discipline focuses on factors that are unique to the individual and that influence how that individual will act and think.

Examples of Branches: Clinical - develops programs for treating individuals suffering from mental illnesses and behavioural disorders E.g. treating dangerous sex offenders in federal prisons

Examples of Branches... Experimental - sets up experiments to see how individuals act in particular situations E.g. would an individual help a stranger who was being threatened with violence from another person?

Skills & Methods Experiments using humans and animals Case studies of individuals over long periods of time Surveys - interviews and questionnaires

Schools of Thought What is this? A certain way of interpreting a discipline’s subject matter that has gained widespread credibility

Psychoanalytic Theory (1890s s) Founder is Sigmund Freud Based on the belief that the human mind consists of two parts 1) conscious = memories that can be recalled; 2) unconscious (more influential) = memories that cannot be recalled

Psychoanalytic Theory Unconscious can be further divided: ID - urges us to seek physical satisfaction SUPEREGO - pushes us to do the moral thing EGO - referee between the two

Psychoanalytic Theory Freud believed that early childhood experiences are stored in the unconscious mind and may create problems in adulthood if early relationships created frustration E.g. neurotic, abnormal, or criminal behaviour Can be treated by unlocking memories in the unconscious mind using: Hypnosis Dream Analysis Free Association

Dream Analysis This psychotherapeutic technique is used by psychoanalysts to interpret a person’s dream. Psychoanalysts believe dreams contain information about the individual’s unconscious thoughts and conflicts

Try It Out! On a piece of paper, outline the last dream that you remember having Include as much detail as possible Trade with a partner

Interpreting Dreams Freud distinguished between the dream’s manifest (conscious) and latent (unconscious) content. Psychoanalysts interpret the dream by analyzing the manifest content for disguised unconscious wishes and needs, especially those that are sexual or aggressive in nature.

Themes & Objects Using the chart below, can you offer any insight to your partner’s dream? ThemeObjects or Activities in Dreams Genitals (male)Umbrellas, knives, poles, swords, airplanes, guns, serpents, neckties, tree trunks, hoses Genitals (female)Boxes, caves, pockets, pouches, jewel cases, ovens, closets ParentsKings, queens, emperors, empresses SiblingsLittle animals

Be Careful! You need to be careful with dream analysis. Even Freud cautioned against over-interpreting: “Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar”

Free Association This method consists of encouraging individuals to say aloud whatever comes to mind no matter how trivial or embarrassing. Freud believed that the crux of the person’s emotional problem probably lurked below this point of resistance. Encouraging people to talk freely, Freud thought, would help emotional feelings to emerge Catharsis is the psychoanalytic term for the release of emotional tension a person experiences when reliving an emotionally charged and conflicting experience.

Psychoanalytic Theory Major Criticisms: mind cannot be studied because it cannot be seen Too much emphasis on sexual satisfaction or frustration in personality development

Behaviourism ( s) Founder is John B. Watson Based on the belief that behaviour can be modified by identifying factors that motivate it in the first place

Behaviourism Child-rearing methods have a huge influence on the character of individuals into adulthood Correct child-rearing methods = well- adjusted adults Used animal experiments & concluded that children should be raised using a strict approach

Behaviourism BUT later behaviourist B. Spock believed in a permissive approach to child-rearing

Behaviourism Criticisms: every child is unique and needs methods to take this into consideration Influence of heredity is ignored

Learning Theory (1880s-present) Founders Ivan Pavlov and B.F. Skinner Based on the belief that most human behaviour is learned - not instinctive By controlling the way humans learn, society can greatly influence personalities

Learning Theory Learning is a stimulus - response effect If subject is correctly stimulated it will give the appropriate response Therefore, if children are given clear and consistent expectations for good behaviour and swift but fair consequences for bad behaviour, they become secure, loving adults

B.F. Skinner & Operant Conditioning Skinner believed that all overt behaviour is determined by the external environment and that personality refers to a person’s relatively stable behavioural patterns He stressed that our behaviour always has the capacity for change if new experiences are encountered

Operant Conditioning Skinner’s believed that behaviour can be changed by a reward system Behaviour that is “good” = reward Behaviour that is “bad” = reward is held back Can you think of how we use operant conditioning in our lives today?

Learning Theory A. Bandura - learning is modelling Children observe behaviour and then copy it (good and/or bad) Criticism: learning is too vast a field to be summarized in one theory treats humans like robots

The Bystander Effect Catherine “Kitty” Genovese New York City woman stabbed to death in New York (March 13, 1964) Lack of reaction of numerous neighbours, fully aware but completely nonresponsive prompted investigation into the social psychological phenomenon: The Bystander Effect or “Genovese Syndrome” and especially diffusion of responsibility Her cries for help were heard and ignored by numerous residents at the apartment Genovese arrived home at about 3:15am As she walked towards her building she was approached by Winston Moseley – she ran; Moseley ran after her, overtook her and stabbed her twice in the back While she lay dying, he raped her, stole about $49 from her, and left

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