1. Psychology
An introduction to the cool things you will learn this year

2. Psychology What is it? The study of our inner feelings and behaviors
Do our feelings always match our behaviors?
But I will still act tough.
(but I will be crying on the inside, so be gentle).
If you call me a dumb, I may feel sad inside.

3. History of Psychology
Although the science of psychology started in the late 1800’s, the concept has been around a lot longer.
There was evidence of trephination (cutting holes into a skull to let evil spirits out) back in the stone age.
It was like a bad SAW movie!!!!

4. Etymology
Aristotle used the term psyche to refer to the essence of life.
This word was translated into Greek to mean “mind” and closely related to the word “breath”.
Greek word logos means “the study of”
The study of the mind

5. Waves of Psychology
The science of psychology has gone through about 4 different waves since it started.
Waves are different ways of thinking over time.

6. Wave 1: Introspection
Started with Wilheim Wundt’s first psychological laboratory and first experiment and his concept of introspection in Leipzig, Germany 1879
Looking inward at one’s own mind/consciousness
Wundt’s student Edward Titchener introduced structuralism
Early school of psychology that used introspection to explore the elemental structure of the human mind
Could be unreliable
Like looking at the disconnected parts of a car

7. Wave 1: Introspection
Early 1900s German professor Max Wertheimer led the Gestalt movement.
Opposite of structuralism
Human consciousness is only meaningful as a whole, rather than breaking down the elements into parts
“The whole is different from the sum of its parts”

8. Stucturalism-Seeing the two separate lights
Gestalt psychologists see the motion of scissors cutting in the sign, rather than two separate lights. (phi phenomenon)

9. Wave 1: Introspection
Then Harvard professor William James wrote The Principles of Psychology (first psych textbook) in 1890 and discussed functionalism.
Focused on how mental and behavioral processes function-how they enable the organism to adapt, survive, and flourish
In reality these structuralism and functionalism do not have much impact on how psychologists think today.

10. Wave 2: Psychoanalysis
This wave of thinking started with Sigmund Freud (in the early 1900’s).
In a nutshell, during this time period people believed that most of your feelings come from a hidden place in your mind called the unconscious.
We protect ourselves from our real feeling by using defense mechanisms.

11. Wave 3: Behaviorism
During this time period (early to mid 1900s), people started to ignore how you feel inside.
All that mattered was how you acted.
If you they could change your behavior, who cares how you feel.
Very popular during the conservative 1950’s when social appearance mattered more than self expression.

12. Wave 4: Eclectic We are now in wave 4….which is about variety.
Psychologists pick and choose what theories to use depending on the situation and the client.

13. Wave Five is made up of about 7 different perspectives.
In other words, psychologists today, pick and choose from about 7 schools of thought to help you with your problems.
Thus we have:
THE SEVEN SCHOOLS OF PSYCHOLOGY

14. PERSPECTIVES OF PSYCHOLOGY
These eight perspectives often complement each other and together provide a fuller understanding of behavior.

15. BIOLOGICAL (Neuroscience) perspective
Focus: How the body and brain enable emotions and sensory experiences
Sample Questions: How are messages transmitted within the body? How is blood chemistry linked with moods and motives?

16. Biological Perspective
All of your feelings and behaviors have an organic root.
In other words, they come from your brain, body chemistry, neurotransmitters, etc…
Let us imagine for a second that your dog died (sad but it will happen). You become depressed. You stop eating and sleeping. What would a psychologist from this school say is going on and how might they help you?

17. BEHAVIOR GENETICS perspective
Focus: How much our genes and environment influence our individual differences
Sample Questions: Does nature (genetics) or nurture (environment) play a more prominent role in our development?

18. EVOLUTIONARY perspective
Focus: How the natural selection of traits promotes the perpetuation of one’s genes
Sample Questions: How does evolution influence behavior tendencies? Why do men and women have different mating strategies?

19. Evolutionary Perspective
Focuses on Darwinism.
We behave the way we do because we inherited those behaviors/traits.
Thus, those behaviors/traits must have helped ensure our ancestors survival.
How could this behavior ensured Homer’s ancestors survival?

20. PSYCHOANALYTIC/ PSYCHODYNAMIC perspective
Focus: How behavior springs from unconscious drives and childhood conflicts
Sample Questions: How can someone’s personality traits and disorders be explained in terms of sexual or aggressive drives or unfulfilled wishes and childhood trauma?

21. Psychoanalytic Perspective
If a man has intimacy issues and cannot form relationships with others. What do you think someone from this school may think?
Focuses on the unconscious mind.
We repress many of our true feelings and are not aware of them.
In order to get better, we must bring forward the true feelings we have in our unconscious.
Perhaps they may delve into the man’s unconscious and discover that he was bullied when he were younger. The bullying may have caused fear in getting close to others.

22. BEHAVIORAL perspective
Focus: How we learn observable responses
Sample Questions: How do learn to do things or not to do things through reward and punishment? What is the most effective way to alter our behavior?
Youtube link

23. Behavioral Perspective
Focuses on observable behaviors while putting feelings to the side.
We behave in ways because we have been conditioned to do so.
To change behaviors, we have to recondition the client.
Pretend that you fail psychology class. You become depressed. In turn, you begin to binge and gain weight.
What do you think a behaviorist may do?
They would probably ignore the fact that you are depressed and just focus on your overeating.
Maybe make you run a mile every time you eat over 2000 calories.

24. HUMANISTIC perspective
Focus: How each individual has great freedom of choice and a large capacity for personal growth
Sample Questions: How does a human being reach their full potential as a person?

25. Humanistic Perspective
Peaked in the late 1960’s and 70’s….so it focused on spirituality and free will.
We have to strive to be the best we can through “self-actualization”.
Happiness is defined by the distance between our “self-concept” and “ideal self”.

26. COGNITIVE perspective
Focus: How our thought process works and how we store and remember information
Sample Questions: How do we use information in remembering? Problem solving? Reasoning?

27. Cognitive Perspective
Focuses on how we think (or encode information)
How do we see the world?
How did we learn to act to sad or happy events?
Cognitive Therapist attempt to change the way you think.
She rejects you…don’t even get digits.
You meet a girl…
Hopes are high!!!
How do you react to the rejection?
Some learned get back on the horse
And try again.
Some learned to give up and live a lonely life of solitude.

28. SOCIAL-CULTURAL perspective
Focus: How thinking and behavior vary across situations and cultures
Sample Questions: How is our society different from other societies in the world?

29. Social-Cultural Perspective
Says that much of your behavior and your feelings are dictated by the culture you live in.
Some cultures kiss each other when greeting, some just bow.
Does your culture place value on individual or the group?

30. Case Study: Mary Davis
Mary Davis, a 25-year-old nurse, attends therapy once a week. She states that she is attracted to a female colleague and thinks about her at home. Mary is attending therapy in order to deal with her feelings.
What would a biological psychologist say is the cause of her feelings?
Behavioral psychologist?
Psychoanalyst ?

31. Check your Understanding
Juan has problems in relationships because he believes that showing emotion is a sign of weakness. Juan's behavior and mental process in this case would be of most interest to a psychologist from the ________ perspective.

32. Check your Understanding
Italian women typically keep their maiden names when they marry while this is still somewhat controversial in the United States. This difference in practice would be of most interest to a psychologist from the _________________ perspective.

33. Check your Understanding
Someone pulls out in front of you, nearly causing an accident. The most critical part of this situation for your behavior and mental processes is how you interpret this event--what does it mean. The study of how we interpret what happens to us would be of most interest to a psychologist from the _____________perspective.