1. Unit 01 - Overview Psychology’s History
Psychology’s Big Issues and Approaches
Careers in Psychology

2. Psychology’s Roots: Prescientific Psychology
Ancient Greeks:
Socrates, Plato: mind separate from body, preexisting knowledge, used logic
Aristotle: no preexisting knowledge (comes from experience), loved data over logic
Rene Descartes:
agreed with Socrates & Plato, 1st to talk about nerve pathways
Francis Bacon: focused on experimentation (Enlightenment period/scientific approach)
John Locke: “tabula rasa (the mind is a “blank slate”)
Empiricism: (Locke & Bacon) what we know comes from experience; observation & experimentation enable scientific knowledge

3. Psychology’s Roots Psychological Science is Born
Wilhelm Wundt (1879): “father of psychology”, 1st psych lab ever
University of Leipzig
Reaction time experiment
G. Stanley Hall:
1st US psych lab

4. Psychology’s Roots Thinking About the Mind’s Structure
Edward Titchener
Structuralism
Used introspection (looking inward, describing sensations & feelings of an experience) to reveal the structures of the mind
Unreliable, unscientific, required highly trained, verbal people

5. Psychology’s Roots Thinking About the Mind’s Function
William James: Harvard professor, influenced by Charles Darwin
Functionalism: explored how mental & behavior processes function: adapt, survive & flourish
Wrote the 1st psych textbook: Principles of Psychology

6. Mary Calkins: 1st woman in psych program at Harvard, denied degree, 1st female APA President
Margaret Floy Washburn: 1st female psych Ph.D., 2nd female APA president
Experimental psychology: study of behavior & thinking using the experimental method

7. Psychological Science Develops
Sigmund Freud
Emphasized how emotional responses to childhood experiences & unconscious thought processes affect our behavior
Father of psychoanalysis

8. Behaviorism: (1920s) view that psych should be objective; studies behavior without reference to mental processes
John B. Watson & Rosalie Rayner:
Science based on observable behavior, not mental processes
Behavior influenced by conditioning

9. Behaviorism B.F. Skinner “study of observable behavior” Conditioning
Used rats & pigeons

10. Humanistic psychology: (1960s) emphasized the growth potential of healthy people: drew attention to the way the environment influences behavior & importance of meeting need for love & acceptance
Carl Rogers & Abraham Maslow
Cognitive Neuroscience: interdisciplinary study of brain activity linked with cognition (perception, thinking, memory, language)

11. Psychology:
The science [way of asking & answering questions] of behavior [anything an organism does] and mental processes [internal, subjective experiences: sensations, perceptions, dreams, thoughts, beliefs, feelings

12. Psychology’s Biggest Question
Nature vs Nurture
Biology versus experience
Debated by Greeks, Locke & Descartes
Charles Darwin
Natural selection: traits contributing to reproduction & survival will most likely be passed on (evolution)
Nurture works on what nature endows

13. Psychology’s Three Main Levels of Analysis
Levels of Analysis: differing complementary views for analyzing any given phenomenon
Biological
Psychological
Social-cultural
Biopsychosocial Approach: integrated approach, includes all 3 above
See Table on pg. 12! (VERY important)

14. Psychology’s Three Main Levels of Analysis

15. Psychological Approaches/Perspectives
Behavioral: how we learn observable responses
Biological: how body & brain enable emotions, memories, sensory experiences; genes & environment influence on differences
Cognitive: thinking, knowing, remembering, communicating; how we encode, process, store & retrieve info
Evolutionary: how natural selection promoted survival of genes (evolution of behavior & mind)
Humanistic: how we meet our needs for acceptance & achieve self-fulfillment
Psychodynamic: how behavior springs from unconscious drives/conflicts (looks as past experiences)
Social-cultural: how behavior/thinking varies across situations & cultures

16. Psychology’s Subfields
Psychometrics: scientific study of measurement of human abilities, attitudes & traits
Basic Research: pure science; aims to increase knowledge (for its own sake)
Biological psychologists: study links between brain & mind
Developmental psychologists: study changing abilities from “womb to tomb”
Cognitive psychologists: experiment with thinking & how we solve problems
Educational psychologists: study influences on thinking & learning
Personality psychologists: investigate persistent traits
Social psychologists: explore how we view & affect each other

17. Applied Research: scientific study that aims to solve problems
Industrial/organizational psychologists: application of psych concepts/methods to optimize behavior in workplaces
Human factors psychologists: how people/machines interact; how environments can be made safe & efficient
Counseling psychologists: assists people with problems in living & greater well-being
Clinical psychologists: studies, assesses & treats disorders
Psychiatrists: medical doctors; provide medical & psychological therapy (often, use of drugs)
Positive psychology: study of human functioning; goal of discovering/promoting strengths/virtues to help people thrive
Community psychologists:
Study how people interact with social
environments & how social institutions
affect people & groups

18. Research Subfields (Careers)
Cognitive psychologists: anything related to thinking, attention, perception, language, memory, judgement, decision-making, forgetting, intelligence (professor, consultant)
Developmental psychologists: research on age-related issues; education/school, child psychopathology, gerontology; public policy, health care, child care. Usually specialized by age.
Educational psychologists: learning & environment; research, test-creation, employee-training
Experimental psychologists: investigate behavioral processes in humans/animals; learning, attention, memory; academic settings, zoos, government agency, business
Psychometric and Quantitative Psychologists: design, analyze, interpret tests & results of research; university, testing company, research firm, government agency
Social psychologists: study aggression, attitudes, prejudice, attraction, group behavior, leadership; university, market research, hospital, government agency, research firm

19. Forensic psychologists: legal issues & psych
Forensic psychologists: legal issues & psych. Often work with law enforcement.
Health psychologists: promote health & prevent disease. Smoking, weight loss, sleep, pain management, problems associated with terminal illness. Private practice, hospital school, mental health, rehab, etc.
Industrial/organizational (I/O) psychologists: ways to increase productivity, personnel selection, job satisfaction. Organizational structure, behavior, training.
Neuropsychologists: treat nervous system disorders (Alzheimer’s, stroke, head injuries, learning disabilities, autism, ADHD)
Rehabilitation psychologists: work with people who’ve lost function after accident or illness. Usually in rehab or hospitals.
School psychologists: diagnose & treat problems that affect learning
Sport psychologists: study factors that influence participation in sports. Coach & athlete prep, diagnose/treat problems (substance abuse, anxiety). Usually research, teaching, private practice or with a team/organization

20. The Helping Professions
Clinical psychologists: often specialize in disorders; research, teaching, assessment, consultation; private practice, mental health, schools, medical settings, counseling, government, military
Community psychologists: enhance environmental settings; prevention, crisis intervention; focus on underserved & minorities; work with public health; mental health depts., corrections, welfare, research, consultation, teaching
Counseling psychologists: help people adjust to life transitions or changes; don’t usually deal with severe psychopathology. Therapy, assess mental health; coping mechanisms. Academic setting, mental health, private practice.

21. Definition Slides (you do not have to copy these in your notes—put them on your flash cards!)

22. Empiricism
= the view that knowledge originates in experience and that science should, therefore, rely on observation and experimentation.

23. Structuralism
= early school of thought promoted by Wundt and Titchner; used introspection to reveal the structure of the human mind.

24. Functionalism
= a school of thought promoted by James and influenced by Darwin; explored how mental and behavioral processes function – how they enable the organism to adapt, survive, and flourish.

25. Experimental Psychology
= the study of behavior and thinking using the experimental method.

26. Behaviorism
= the view that psychology (1) should be an objective science that (2) studies behavior without reference to mental processes.
Most research psychologists today agree with (1) but not with (2).

27. Humanistic Psychology
= a historically significant perspective that emphasized the growth potential of healthy people.

28. Cognitive Neuroscience
= the interdisciplinary study of the brain activity linked with cognition (including perception, thinking, memory, and language).

29. Psychology
= the science of behavior and mental processes.

30. Nature-Nurture Issue
= the longstanding controversy over the relative contributions that genes and experience make to the development of psychological traits and behaviors.
Today’s science sees traits and behaviors arising from the interaction of nature and nurture.

31. Natural Selection
= the principle that, among the range of inherited trait variations, those contributing to reproduction and survival will most likely be passed on to succeeding generations.

32. Levels of Analysis
= the differing complementary views, from biological to psychological to social-cultural, for analyzing any given phenomenon.

33. Biopsychosocial Approach
= an integrated approach that incorporates biological, psychological, and social-cultural levels of analysis.

34. Behavioral Psychology
= the scientific study of observable behavior, and its explanation by principles of learning.

35. Biological Psychology
= the scientific study of the links between biological (genetic, neural, hormonal) and psychological processes.
Some biological psychologists call themselves
behavioral neuroscientists,
neuropsychologists,
behavior geneticists,
physiological psychologists, or
biopsychologists.

36. Cognitive Psychology
= the scientific study of all the mental activities associated with thinking, knowing, remembering, and communicating.

37. Evolutionary Psychology
= the study of the evolution of behavior and mind, using principles of natural selection.

38. Psychodynamic Psychology
= a branch of psychology that studies how unconscious drives and conflicts influence behavior, and uses that information to treat people with psychological disorders.

39. Social-Cultural Psychology
= the study of how situations and cultures affect our behavior and thinking.

40. Psychometrics
= the scientific study of the measurement of human abilities, attitudes, and traits.

41. Basic Research
= pure science that aims to increase the scientific knowledge base.

42. Developmental Psychology
= a branch of psychology that studies physical, cognitive, and social change throughout the life span.

43. Educational Psychology
= the study of how psychological processes affect and can enhance teaching and learning.

44. Personality Psychology
= the study of an individual’s characteristic pattern of thinking, feeling, and acting.

45. Social Psychology
= the scientific study of how we think about, influence, and relate to one another.

46. Applied Research
= scientific study that aims to solve practical problems.

47. Industrial-Organizational (I/O) Psychologists
= the application of psychological concepts and methods to optimizing human behavior in workplaces.

48. Human Factors Psychologists
= an I/O subfield that explores how people and machines interact and how machines and physical environments can be made safe and easy to use.

49. Counseling Psychology
= a branch of psychology that assists people with problems in living (often related to school, work, and marriage) and in achieving greater well-being.

50. Clinical Psychology
= a branch of psychology that studies, assesses, and treat people with psychological disorders.

51. Psychiatry
= a branch of medicine dealing with psychological disorders; practiced by physicians who often provide medical (for example, drug) treatments as well as psychological therapy.

52. Positive Psychology
= the scientific study of human functioning, with the goals of discovering and promoting strengths and virtues that help individuals and communities to thrive.

53. Community Psychology
= a branch of psychology that studies how people interact with their social environments and how social institutions affect individuals and groups.

54. Testing Effect
= enhanced memory after retrieving, rather than simply rereading information.
Also sometimes referred to as a retrieval practice effect or test-enhanced learning.