1. A Brief History of Psychology
Using Alternative approaches and views to get to the heart of psychology

2. Psychology
Scientific study of behavior that is tested through scientific research

3. Goals of Psychology

4. Goals of Psychology
Description
Explanation
Prediction
Influence

5. Applied or Basic Science
Basic Science is research for the sake of research. Includes the first three goals (description, explanation, and prediction)
Applied Science uses psychological research to solve immediate problems in the real world. This is the last goal influence!

6. Phrenology
The practice of examining bumps on a person’s skull to determine that person’s intellect and character traits – discredited as non-scientific.

7. Greek thought
Believed that the heart was more important than the mind. – but began the thought that people were not dominated by gods but were rational.

8. Dualism
Seventeenth century philosophers concept that the mind and body are separate and distinct. – Rene Descartes disagreed – said a link existed between the mind and the body.

9. Historical Approaches
Structuralism
Functionalism
Inheritable Traits
Gestalt Psychology

10. Structuralism Wilhelm Wundt (1832-1920)
Structuralist study the basic elements that make up conscious mental experiences.
Attempted to map thought processes from observed behavior

11. Structuralism

12. Functionalism
William James ( ) – father of psychology in the U.S.
Study the function of consciousness.
Believed all we think and do is to help us survive.

13. Functionalism

14. Inheritable Traits Sir Francis Galton (1822-1911) – personality tests
Studied how heredity affects behavior.
Believed the richest were the most intelligent – what did he forget?

15. Gestalt Psychology
Group of German psychologists who felt that perception is more than the sum of its parts
Studied how sensation is assembled into perceptual experiences.

16. Gestalt Psychology

17. Gestalt Psychology

18. Gestalt Psychology

19. Contemporary Approaches
Psychoanalytic Psychology
Behavioral Psychology
Humanistic Psychology
Cognitive Psychology
Biological Psychology
Sociocultural Psychology

20. Psychoanalytic Sigmund Freud (1856-1939)
Unconscious determinants of behavior
Used free association, and dream analysis to discover unconscious determinants

21. Psychoanalytic theory

22. Behavioral Ivan Pavlov (1849-1936)
Events in the environment (rewards and punishments) influence our behavior.
Pavlov’s dog

23. Behavioral

24. Behavioral (Continued)
John B. Watson ( )
Concerned with observable behavior only
Even instincts is result of conditioning by environment

25. Behavioral (Continued)
B.F. Skinner ( )
Introduced the concept of reinforcement
Wanted to apply lab concepts to the world
Wrote “Walden Two”

26. Behavioral

27. Humanistic Abraham Maslow, Carl Rogers (1960’s)
Individual or self-directed choices influence our behavior, not outside reinforcement. (Self-actualization)

28. Humanistic

29. Cognitive Jean Piaget (1950’s)
Behavior is more than a response to a stimulus, it is influenced by a variety of mental processes, including perceptions, memories, and expectations.

30. Biological Psychobiologists (1990’s)
study how the brian, nervous system, hormones, and genetics influence our behavior
Do genes affect your intelligence and your personality?

31. Sociocultural Leonard Doob (1990’s)
Ethnicity, gender, culture and socioeconomic status influence our behavior
How do people of different genders and ethnicities interact with one another?