1. A History of Psychology

2. Roots from Ancient Greece
Socrates (470 BC)- advised people to “Know thyself” which developed into introspection (looking within).
Aristotle (384 BC)-Laws of associationism (a learned connection between two ideas or events).
Hippocrates (460 BC) suggested madness and confusion are caused by abnormalities in the brain.

3. The Middle Ages
Europeans believed agitation and confusion were signs of the devil in people.
Water float test- based on the idea that pure medals sink
People considered possessed by the devil were thrown into deep water
The people who floated were executed for associating with the devil
The people who sank to the bottom were judged to be pure- unfortunately most drowned.

4. The Birth of Modern Science
More advances in science
Psychologist argued that ideas about human behavior should be supported by evidence.
1879-beginning of psychology as a modern laboratory science

5. Wilhelm Wundt and Structuralism
Structuralism- the school of psychology that maintains that conscious experience breaks down into objective sensations and subjective feelings.
Objective sensations: sight and taste that were assumed to reflect the outside world.
Subjective feelings: emotional responses and mental images.

6. William James and Functionalism
Functionalism- school of psychology that emphasizes the purposes of behavior and mental processes.
Concerned with how mental processes help organisms adapt to their environment.
Adaptive (successful) actions are repeated and become habits.
Less-Adaptive actions will stop.

7. John B. Watson and Behaviorism
Behaviorism- school of psychology that defines psychology as the scientific study of observable behavior.

8. B.F. Skinner and Reinforcement
Reinforcement- a stimulus or event that follows a response and increases the frequency of that response

9. The Gestalt School
Gestalt- the school of psychology that emphasizes the tendency to organize perceptions into meaningful wholes.

13. The pheeomnnal pweor of the hmuan mnid.
Aoccdrnig to rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoetnt tihng is that the frist and lsat ltteer be at the rghit pclae. The rset can be a total mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the human mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe.
Smiply amzanig huh?

14. True/False
Psychologist have very little interest in studying people’s emotions.
A book on Psychology, with content similar to that found in this textbook, was written by Aristotle more that 2,000 years ago.
In the Middle Ages, some innocent people were allowed to drown as a way of proving that they were not possessed by demons.
Some psychologists view our strategies for solving problems operated by our very own personal computers- our brains.
Sigmund Freud’s theories continue to influence psychology today.

15. Pop Quiz Define psychology List the 5 goals of psychology
Name two fields of psychology
Why is psychology different from other social sciences?