1. History and Perspectives in Psychological Science
Unit 1 AP History and Approaches
Psychology: study of behavioral and mental
processing.
Psychology is a Behavioral Science.
Pseudoscience:
Phrenology:
Greeks Socrates/Plato /Aristotle: started asking how the
body and mind were related?
Rene Descartes: “I think therefore I am”
Innate: meaning we are born with it.
John Locke: Disagreed with Rene and said that we are born with certain knowledge and principles that help us to become part of society.
Tabula Rasa:
Charles Darwin:
1. Theory of Natural Selection:
2. Published Origin of Species
Gestalt: (The whole is Greater than the sum of its parts)
Physiological Needs:
Psychological Needs:
4 Goals of Psychology: D
2. E
3. P
4. I
Psychology is Empirical: Idea that what we know comes from experience, observation/experimentation.
Give def. and ex. Of each:
Applied Research:
Basic Research:
Modern Psychology’s Roots
Wilhelm Wundt Remember these 3 things: 1. 2.
3. Introspection:
Structuralism: Edward Titchener (Wund’ts student) Try to understand the structure of conscious experience by analyzing the intensity, clarity and quality of its basic parts.
Example:
Functionalism: William James Theory that emphasized the functions of
consciousness.
William James:
The scientific method is used to reduce errors and biases.
A theory is a proposed explanation. In Psychology we will be studying different theories.
Hypothesis moves from an educated guess to a predication between Relationships between variables

2. Contemporary Approaches
Nature vs. Nurture?
Contemporary Approaches
Perspectives are specific approaches or viewpoints used to explain mental processes and behavior
The Eclectic approach is when you use multiple theories to explain human behavior.
Perspectives
Focus
Key questions & Influential People
How would you explain the Hulk’s behavior with these approaches and how would you treat him?
Cognitive
Thinking skills. How we process information.
Jean Piaget,
Biological
Brain, neurons, nervous system
How does the brain communicate with the body?
Social-cultural
Impact of social factors on behavior and personality
Milgram
Evolutionary
Natural selection- survival
Charles Darwin
Behavioral
Nature vs. nurture debate
Is your behavior learned from others? Punishments and Rewards Ivan Pavlov
Psychodynamic or Psychoanalysis
Unconscious conflicts/motivations
Sigmund Freud
Humanistic/
Positive Psychology
Free will, improve self-esteem and self- concept
Carl Rogers, Abraham Maslow`
Psychologist:
Psychiatrist:
Mary Calkins
Kenneth & Mamie Clark
Stanley Hall
Francis Sumner

3. What are Psychology’s Main Subfields? Subfields Focus Clinical
Counseling
Developmental
Educational
Personality
Positive
Community
Engineering
Industrial –Organizational
Psychiatrist
Psychometrics
Neuropsychologist
Sport
School psychologist
Review
Type of Psychologist?
1. Are a major league baseball player in a slump?
2. Are a corporate executive that wants to increase employee moral?
3. Have a child you suspect may have a learning difficulty?
4. Want to develop a valid, reliable test to measure student performance in a school district?
How can you study better? SQ3R
What is the testing effect?