1. Chapter 1 Discovering Psychology

2. Psychology
Systematic, scientific study of behaviors and mental processes
Behaviors refer to observable actions or responses in both humans and animals
Mental processes refer to a wide range of complex mental processes, such as thinking, imagining, studying, and dreaming

3. 4 Goals of Psychology
Describe different ways organisms behave
Explain the causes of behavior
Predict how organisms will behave
Control an organism’s behavior

4. “Psychology has a long past…..but only a short history!!!!”

5. How Did Psychology Begin?
Wilhelm Wundt
Father of psychology
Established the 1st psychology laboratory
in Leipzig, Germany
Structuralism
Study of the most basic elements
primarily sensations & perceptions that
make up our conscious mental experiences
Emphasis on the STRUCTURE of consciousness (awareness)
Introspection
Method of exploring conscious mental processes by asking subjects to look inward and report their sensations & perceptions

6. Functionalism
Study of the FUNCTIONS rather than the structures of consciousness
Interested in how our minds adapt to changing environments
William James
Viewed mental activities as having
developed through ages of evolution
because of their adaptive functions

7. Behaviorism
Emphasized the objective, scientific analysis of observable behaviors
John B. Watson
Rejected introspection as a psychological
technique because its results could not be
scientifically verified by other psychologists

8. Women in Psychology
Mary Calkins
Although she completed all of the requirements for a Ph.D., she was denied a doctorate by the Harvard administration because she was a woman
Margaret Washburn
1st woman to earn a Ph.D. in psychology (1908)
Today, women earn more Ph.D.s in psychology than men, however, in 1991 there were more male full-time psychologists than women

9. Minorities in Psychology
See page 24
First African-American woman to receive a Ph.D. in psychology (1934)
Between 1920 and 1966, only 8 Ph.D.s were awarded to Black students, compared to 3,767 doctorates to Whites
From 1892 to 1990, the cumulative membership of the APA was 128,000; 700 African American, 700 Latino, and 70 Native American

10. Careers in Psychology
Psychologist vs. Psychiatrist
A psychologist is someone who has completed 4 or 5 years of postgraduate education and has obtained a Ph.D. in psychology
Some states permit individuals with master’s degrees to call themselves psychologists
A psychiatrist is a medical doctor (M.D.) who has spent several years in clinical training, which includes diagnosing possible physical and neurological causes of abnormal behaviors

11. Careers in Psychology Many Career Settings
55% of psychologists work as clinical psychologists in one of the following settings:
Source: Pie graph data from “Psychological Science Around the World,” by M. R. Rosenzweig, 1992, American Psychologist, 47,

12. Careers in Psychology (cont.)
private practice or therapy setting
a mental health center
psychiatric, drug, or rehabilitation ward of a hospital
private office
27% work in academic settings of colleges & universities

13. Areas of Specialization
Social & Personality
Social psychology involves the study of social interactions, stereotypes, prejudices, attitudes, conformity, group behaviors, and aggression
Personality psychology involves the study of personality development, personality change, assessment, and abnormal behaviors
Developmental
Examines moral, social, emotional, and cognitive development throughout a person’s life span
Experimental
Includes areas of sensation, perception, learning, human performance, motivation, and emotion
Biological
Involves research on the physical & chemical changes that occur during stress, learning, and emotions

14. Areas of Specialization
Cognitive
Involves how we process, store, and retrieve information and how cognitive processes influence our behaviors
Psychometrics
Focuses on the measurement of people’s abilities, skills, intelligence, personality, and abnormal behaviors