1. Introduction and History of Psychology Chapter 1

2. History of Psychology  What Is Psychology – and What Is It Not?  Psychology is a broad field, with many specialties, but fundamentally, psychology is the science of behavior and mental processes.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uuvGh_n3I_M http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uuvGh_n3I_M

3. History of Psychology  What Is Psychology – and What Is It Not?  Psychology :  The scientific study of behavior and mental processes  Psychology is not:  Mere speculation about human nature  A body of folk wisdom about people that “everybody knows” to be true

4. What Is Psychology – and What Is It Not?  Psychology disputes unfounded claims from pseudo psychology.  Horoscopes, “false” rediscovered memories.  Pseudo psychology – Erroneous assertions of practices set forth as being scientific psychology.

5. Historical Roots  What are Psychology’s historical roots?

6. Historical Approaches  Structuralism: focused on revealing the most basic “structures” of the mind.  Mid 1800’s: Charles Darwin  He suggested a biological kinship btw humans and animals.  Chemistry: Whilem Wundt  Scientist had noticed patterns in properties of the chemical elements that led them to develop the periodic table  Wundt wondered could a similar process be applied to simplify our understanding of the mid?

7. Wilhelm Wundt  1879 Wundt established the first institute for psychological research at the University of Leipzig.  Wundt and his students began to conduct studies on what they supposed to be the “elements” of consciousness.  Sensation and perception, memory, emotion, etc.  Introspection: process of reporting on one’s own conscious mental experience.

8. Historical Approaches  Functionalism: Focus on Function  William James:  Critic of Wundt  Argued that Psychology should include the function of Consciousness, not just the structure.  “Stream of Consciousness” as a mental process that had no static structure, but was continually flowing, changing, and interacting with the environment.  Adapting

9. Historical Approaches  Gestalt Psychology: Focus on the WHOLE instead of the parts.  Opposite of structuralism.  Gestalt Psychologists were interested in how we construct “perceptual wholes”.  Such as our perception of a face.  Relied on introspection.

10. Historical Approaches  Behaviorism: Eliminate the mind and focus on BEHAVIOR  John B. Watson*:  Argued that a true and objective science of psychology should deal solely with observable events:  Stimuli from the environment and the organism’s response.  Behaviorism should be the science of BEHAVIOR not the mind.  Cared nothing about what people were thinking, instead they wanted to know how people would act.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMnhyGozLyE http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMnhyGozLyE

11. Historical Approaches  Psychoanalysis: Focus on the UNCONSCIOUS mind.  Sigmund Freud *  Asserted that mental disorders arise from conflicts in the unconscious mind.  Psychoanalytic: method of treating mental disorders.  *Still a force today.

12. Modern Approaches  Nine main perspectives characterize modern psychology:  Biological  Developmental  Cognitive  Psychodynamic  Humanistic  Behavioral  Socio-cultural  Evolutionary  Trait

13. Biological Perspective  View of Human Nature:  We are complex systems that respond to hereditary and environmental influences.  What Determines Behavior:  Neural structures, biochemistry, and inborn responses to external cues.  Our physical makeup and the operation of our brain influences our personality and behavior.  What does this mean? Use your own words.

14. Developmental Perspective  View of Human Nature:  We undergo predictable patterns of change throughout our lives.  Ex: Childhood, adolescence, adulthood.  What Determines Behavior:  Interaction between heredity and environment.  Ex: Nature v. Nurture  Describe this perspective in your own words.

15. Cognitive Perspective  View of Human Nature:  People are information-processing systems.  mental processes like sensation, perception, learning, memory, and language, all influence behavior.  What Determines Behavior:  Mental interpretation of our experience.  Describe this perspective in your own words.

16. Psychodynamic Perspective  View of Human Nature:  We are driven by dark forces of the unconscious.  FREUD! (unconscious, sexual, desires influence behavior)  What Determines Behavior:  Unconscious needs, conflicts, repressed memories, and childhood experiences.  Emphasizes the treatment of mental disorders over scientific research.  Describe this approach in your OWN words.

17. Humanistic Perspective  View of Human Nature:  Emphasizes human growth and potential.  Abraham Maslow, Carl Rogers  Perfect Flower  What Determines Behavior:  The influence of self-concept, perceptions, and interpersonal relationships, and on need for personal growth.  Describe this perspective in your OWN words.

18. Behavioral Perspective  View of Human Nature:  Behavior is primarily shaped by learning. We should look for the causes of behavior in our environment rather than in the biology of our mind.  John B. Watson, B.F. Skinner  What Determines Behavior:  Stimulus cues and our history of rewards and punishments.  Study the person from the outside only, focusing only on what they can directly observe.  Describe this perspective in your OWN words.

19. Sociocultural Perspective  View of Human Nature:  People are social animals, so human behavior must be interpreted in social context.  What Determines Behavior:  Cultures, social norms and expectations, social learning.  How are social influences different across cultures? Give examples!  Describe in your OWN words!

20. Evolutionary/Sociobiological Perspective  View of Human Nature:  Behavior is developed and adapted over time.  Charles Darwin  What Determines Behavior:  Natural selection, survival of the fittest.  What does this mean?  Describe in your OWN words!

21. Trait Perspective  View of Human Nature:  Individual differences result from differences in our underlying patterns of stable characteristics.  Examples: Laid back, moody, what else?  What Determines Behavior:  Each person’s unique combination of traits.  Describe in YOUR own words.

22. Think, Pair, and Share  Which approach do you like or agree with most, why?  Which approach do you dislike the most? Why?