1. Myers’ PSYCHOLOGY (7th Ed)
Prologue:
The Story of Psychology

2. Prologue: Psychology’s Roots
Prescientific Psychology
Is the mind connected to the body or distinct?
Are ideas inborn or is the mind a blank slate filled by experience?

3. Prologue: Psychology’s Roots

4. Prologue: Psychology’s Roots
Psychological Science Is Born
Empiricism
Knowledge comes from experience via the senses
Science flourishes through observation and experiment

5. Prologue: Psychology’s Roots
Wilhelm Wundt opened the first psychology laboratory at the University of Liepzig (c. 1879)

6. Prologue: Psychology’s Roots
Structuralism used introspection (looking in) to explore the elemental structure of the human mind

7. Prologue: Psychology’s Roots
Functionalism focused on how behavioral processes function- how they enable organism to adapt, survive, and flourish

8. Prologue: Psychology’s Roots
Psychological Science Develops
Wundt--German philosopher and physiologist
James--American philosopher
Pavlov--Russian physiologist
Freud--Austrian physician
Piaget--Swiss biologist

9. Prologue: Psychology’s Roots
Figure 1- British Psychological Society membership

10. Prologue: Psychology’s Roots
Definition of Psychology
The science of behavior (what we do) and mental processes (sensations, perceptions, dreams, thoughts, beliefs, and feelings)

11. Prologue: Contemporary Psychology
Psychology’s Big Issues
Nature-nurture controversy
the relative contribution that genes and experience make to development of psychological traits and behaviors

12. Prologue: Contemporary Psychology
Natural selection
principle that those inherited trait variations contributing to survival will most likely be passed on to succeeding generations

13. Prologue: Contemporary Psychology
Psychology’s Perspectives

14. Psychoanalytic Approach
Believes that a person’s behavior is determined by instinctual urges and early childhood experiences.

15. Psychoanalytic Approach
Believes that a person’s behavior is determined by instinctual urges and early childhood experiences.

16. Psychoanalytic Approach
Stresses the role of the unconscious.

17. Psychoanalytic Approach
Some psychoanalytic theorists focus on feelings of inferiority, while others emphasize the resolution of psychosocial or psychosexual conflicts.

18. Stresses the connection between stimulus/response and behavior/reward.
Behaviorist Approach
Stresses the connection between stimulus/response and behavior/reward.

19. Believes that the environment plays an instrumental role in behavior.
Behaviorist Approach
Believes that the environment plays an instrumental role in behavior.

20. Behaviorist Approach
Believes that a person’s behavior is determined by the actions that were rewarded or punished.

21. Behaviorist Approach
Learned Association – an individual learns to associate certain acts with the response it produces.

22. Emphasizes “free will” and the control of your own destiny.
Humanist Approach
Emphasizes “free will” and the control of your own destiny.

23. Humanist Approach
Believes that individuals are inherently motivated to satisfy both basic and enriching needs (self-actualization).

24. Believes that man is basically good.
Humanist Approach
Believes that man is basically good.
Believes that a person’s self-concept is important.

25. Focuses on the mental processing of the individual.
Cognitive Approach
Focuses on the mental processing of the individual.

26. Cognitive Approach
According to this approach, an individual’s difficulties often stem from false perceptions of reality.

27. Cognitive Approach
Cognitive theorists believe that people develop ideas of the world and base their judgments upon these perceptions.

28. Biological Approach
Advocates of the biological approach stress the genetic, medical and neurological components of the person.

29. Proponents believe that biological factors influence behavior.
Biological Approach
Proponents believe that biological factors influence behavior.
Hormonal changes
Brain anomalies
Neurochemical differences

30. Psychoanalytic Approach
Stresses the role of the unconscious.

31. Psychoanalytic Approach
Some psychoanalytic theorists focus on feelings of inferiority, while others emphasize the resolution of psychosocial or psychosexual conflicts.

32. Prologue: Contemporary Psychology
Psychology’s Perspectives
A lot depends on your viewpoint

33. Prologue: Contemporary Psychology
Psychology’s Subfields
Basic Research
Biological psychologists explore the links between brain and mind
Developmental psychologists study changing abilities from womb to tomb
Cognitive psychologists study how we perceive, think, and solve problems

34. Prologue: Contemporary Psychology
Psychology’s Subfields
Basic Research
Personality psychologists investigate our persistent traits
Social psychologists explore how we view and affect one another

35. Prologue: Contemporary Psychology
Psychology’s Subfields
Applied Research
Industrial/organizational psychologists study and advise on behavior in the workplace
Clinical psychologists study, assess, and treat people with psychological disorders

36. Prologue: Contemporary Psychology
Psychiatry
A branch of medicine dealing with psychological disorders
Practiced by physicians who sometimes use medical (for example, drug) treatments as well as psychotherapy