1. Domain 1 Scientific Inquiry

2. Introduction to Psychology
Part 1:
Introduction to Psychology

3. Defining Psychology
What is psychology? What does a psychologist do?

4. Psychology The systematic study of behavior and mental processes
Systematic – systematic collection and examination or data to support or disprove hypotheses
Behavior – directly observable or measurable
Ex: reading, talking, listening
Mental processes – not directly observable or measurable
Ex: thoughts and emotions

5. Behavior or Mental Process?
dreaming
getting excited about going out
having a toothache
singing a song 'in your head'
worrying about your performance on a test
planning an excuse to get out of a date
singing a song aloud
writing a letter
doing arithmetic 'in your head'
experiencing 'butterflies in the stomach‘
Scratching you leg
Reading the time on your watch
Mental
Behavior

6. Of Psychology
Describe –tell what behaviors or mental processes are happening
Explain – tell why these behaviors or mental processes are happening
Predict – tell what behavioral or mental processes will likely happen in the future
Control – influence individuals behavior or mental processes

8. The Origin of Psychology
600 B.C. Psamtik I, the king of Egypt, conducts the first psychological study.
400 B.C. Greek philosophers conclude that it is neither god nor demons that control behavior but rather the mind of the individual themselves. (Hippocrates – mental illness stems from body)
5th-15th century (middle ages) Europeans believed that problems such as agitation and confusion were signs of possession by demons.
Psamtik I
Witch Hunts

9. 14th-18th century (Renaissance) brought great scientific and intellectual advances that opened up the way for psychological thought.
Nicolaus Copernicus – suggested that the earth revolved around the sun
Sir Isaac Newton – formulated the laws of gravity and motion
John Locke – theorized that knowledge is not inborn but rather learned from experience
Antoine Lavoisier – founded the science of chemistry
Rene Descartes – wrote about dualism
Sir Isaac Newton
Nicolaus Copernicus
Antoine Lavoisier
John Locke
Rene’ Descartes

10. 1879 Modern Psychology is born
Wilhelm Wundt established the first psychology laboratory in Leipzig Germany

11. Historical Approaches to Psychology
An approach is a perspective or view that involves certain assumptions or beliefs about human behavior:
Structuralism
Functionalism
Inheritable Traits
Gestalt Psychology

12. Structuralism Wilhelm Wundt and Edward B. Titchener
Focused on breaking down mental processes into the most basic components.
Used a method known as introspection - the detailed mental examination of your own feelings, thoughts, and motives
What are the elements(structures) of psychological processes
Wundt
Titchener

13. Functionalism William James
Concerned with how mental processes help organisms adapt to their environment
What are the purposes (functions) of behavior and mental processes?
James
The Principles of Psychology – considered to be the first modern psychology textbook

14. Inheritable Traits Sir Francis Galton
Interested in how heredity (inherited traits) influences a person’s abilities, character, and behavior
Errors were identified in Galton's theories
Galton

15. Gestalt Max Wertheimer, Wolfgang Kohler, Kurt Koffka
Perception is more than the sum of its parts – it involved the “whole pattern” or Gestalt
Studies how sensations are assembled into perceptual experiences
What is this a picture of?
How do you know?

16. Contemporary Approaches to Psychology
Approach/Perspective
What is the main cause of behavior
Application Example: Alcoholism
Major Psychologist
Unconscious motivations influence our behavior.
Does excessive drinking indicate an unconscious problem or conflict? Does drinking reduce inhibitions allowing the unconscious to surface?
Sigmund Freud
Psychoanalytic
Behavioral
Events in the environment (rewards and punishments) influence our behavior
Is alcoholism learned? Can it be unlearned? Can new habits replace the alcoholic habits?
Ivan Pavlov
John B. Watson
B.F. Skinner
For what inadequacy do people try to compensate by drinking? Does alcohol give people a false sense of relief from inadequacy or lack of self-worth?
Abraham Maslow
Carl Rogers
Rollo May
Individual or self-directed choices influence our behavior.
Humanistic
What thought pattern precedes heavy drinking? Can the thoughts be analyzed and changed to curtail the drinking behavior?
How we process, store, and retrieve information influences our behavior.
Jean Piaget
Noam Chomsky
Leon Festinger
Cognitive
Biological factors (genes, hormones, nervous system, and brain) influence our behavior.
Is alcoholism a disease? What role does genetics play in the development of alcoholism? How does alcohol affect the brain?
Biological
Ethnicity, gender, culture, and socioeconomic status influence our behavior.
How does alcoholism differ between cultures? What unique pressures of a particular culture contribute to alcohol abuse?
Sociocultural

17. Quick Facts: Psychologists
Careers in Psychology
Quick Facts: Psychologists
2010 Median Pay
$68,640 per year $33.00 per hour
Number of Jobs, 2010
174,000
Job Outlook,
22% (Faster than average)
Employment Change,
37,700
U.S. Department of Labor predicts employment opportunities to increase
Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Edition, Psychologists, on the Internet at (visited January 10, 2013).

18. Psychologist Vs. Psychiatrist

19. Fields of Psychology Environmental Neuropsychologist / Psychobiologist
Forensic
Health
Experimental
Clinical
Counseling
Developmental
Educational
Community
Industrial/Organizational