1. Introduction to Psychology Overview

2. Psychology: An Overview Understanding human thought, emotion, and behavior scientifically Practical applications Behavior is complex; many theoretical approaches

3. What is Psychology? Psyche/logos: study of the mind Scientific study of mental and behavioral processes Scientific observation; data collection; drawing conclusions

4. More than intuition.... Need for empirical testing Evaluating the quality of evidence “Expertise” should not be blindly accepted Role of critical thinking

5. Goals of Psychology To understand, describe, explore, predict, and control behavior Basic and applied research Social policy implications

6. Subfields in Psychology Developmental Educational Personality Social Comparative Biopsychology Cognitive Cultural Evolutionary Gender Sports Environmental Forensic Industrial organizational Positive/peace

7. History of Psychology 1879: first laboratory for psychological research: Leipzig, Germany Wilhelm Wundt Emphasis on conscious experience; introspection

8. Structuralism vs. Functionalism Structuralism: the basic elements (structure) of consciousness Functionalism: the function/purpose of consciousness; more applied William James

9. Psychoanalytic Perspective Sigmund Freud: (1856-1939) “Father of Psychology” Role of the unconscious Repressed conflicts

10. Psychoanalytic Perspective Id: governed by the pleasure principle Ego: governed by the reality principle Superego: the “internalized parent” Psychoanalysis: An early approach for treating mental illness

11. Psychoanalytic Perspective Freud noted the importance of early childhood Psychosexual stages

12. Behaviorism (1913) John Watson & B.F. Skinner Study of observable behavior only Abandoned the study of consciousness- “unscientific” Associations between stimuli Reinforcements and punishments

13. Behaviorism “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, and yes- beggar man and thief” --John Watson

14. Behaviorism We are a product of our environments “Free will is an illusion” – B.F. Skinner From John Locke: we are born into the world tabula rasa: as blank slates upon which experience writes

15. Humanistic Approach 1950s: study of the unique qualities of humans Emphasis on freedom, human potential, and personal growth Abraham Maslow; Carl Rogers

16. Humanistic Approach Subjective experience Human potential Innate goodness Self-actualization

17. Recent trends in psychology Interest in culture and diversity Evolutionary perspectives Positive psychology Socio-cultural/historical approaches

18. Themes in Psychology 1. Psychology is empirical 2. Psychology is theoretically diverse

19. Themes in Psychology 3. Psychology evolves in socio-historical context 4. Behavior is determined by multiple causes

20. Themes in Psychology 5. Behavior is shaped by cultural heritage 6. Heredity and environment jointly influence behavior (nature/nurture debate) 7. Our experiences are subjective