1. WHS AP Psychology Unit 1: Science of Psychology Essential Task 1: Describe, compare, and contrast how different approaches to psychology explain behavior: - psychoanalytic/psychodynamic, Gestalt, humanism and behaviorism - cognitive, biological, evolutionary, and social as more contemporary approaches

2. We are here The Science of Psychology Approaches to Psych Growth of Psych Research Methods Statistics DescriptiveCorrelationExperiment Case Study Survey Naturalistic Observation DescriptiveInferential Ethics Sampling Central Tendency Variance Careers

3. Essential Task 1: Approaches Definition of PsychologyPsychology Analyze the historical development of psychology Define and describe how each approach explains behavior –BiologicalBiological Evolutionary –BehaviorismBehaviorism –CognitiveCognitive Gestalt –Psychoanalytic/PsychodynamicPsychoanalytic/Psychodynamic –HumanismHumanism –SocialSocial Make comparisonscomparisons Highlight contrasting viewscontrasting views Outline

4. Approaches to Psychology Concept Map

5. What is Psychology? Psychology is the scientific study of behavior and mental processes Scientific? –Not just common sense or guesses –Psychology uses the scientific method –Scientific Method: careful observations and the experimental testing of hypothesis Behavior – what people do on the outside Mental Processes – Thinking - we call this cognition. Psychology includes the study of both humans and animals Outline

6. What is Psychology? Psychology is the scientific study of behavior and mental processes It is the study of WHY. Why do humans do the things they do? “Cause we crazy” Please delete this word from your everyday usage. It means nothing. Outline

7. Psychology’s Roots Prescientific Psychology Ancient Greeks (450-300 BCE) –Socrates: knowledge is innate –Plato:“” –Aristotle: used observations; knowledge not pre-existing (grows from experience)

8. Psychology’s Roots Prescientific Psychology Rene Descartes: early theories about nerves (way off) Francis Bacon: scientific approach; human desire to perceive patterns John Locke –Tabula Rasa (blank (slate) Led to Empiricism

9. Empiricism = the view that knowledge originates in experience and that science should, therefore, rely on observation and experimentation.

10. Psychology’s Roots Psychological Science is Born Wilhelm Wundt (1879) –University of Leipzig –Father of Modern Psychology –Started the first psych lab

11. Psychology’s Roots Thinking About the Mind’s Structure Edward Titchener –Structuralism Introspection –an early school of psychology that used introspection to explore the structural elements of the human mind.

12. Psychology’s Roots Thinking About the Mind’s Function William James –Functionalism –Mary Calkins –Margaret Floy Washburn Experimental psychology –Explore behavior & thinking through experiments

13. Psychological Science Develops Sigmund Freud: how unconscious thought processes; emotional response to childhood behavior affect behavior

14. Psychological Science Develops Behaviorism –John B. Watson –B.F. Skinner –“scientific study of observable behavior” –Science rooted in observation

15. Behaviorism = the view that psychology (1) should be an objective science that (2) studies behavior without reference to mental processes. Most research psychologists today agree with (1) but not with (2).

16. Psychological Science Develops Humanistic psychology –Carl Rogers –Abraham Maslow Cognitive Neuroscience current environmental influences can nurture or limit our growth potential; need for love and acceptance

17. Outline More concerned about moving up

18. Contemporary Psychology

19. Psychology’s Biggest Question Nature – Nurture Issue –Biology versus experience –Charles Darwin –Natural selection

20. Natural Selection = the principle that, among the range of inherited trait variations, those contributing to reproduction and survival will most likely be passed on to succeeding generations.

21. Psychology’s Three Main Levels of Analysis Levels of Analysis: differing complementary views for analyzing any given phenomenon. –Biological –Psychological –Social-cultural Biopsychosocial Approach

22. Psychology’s Three Main Levels of Analysis

23. What are approaches to psych? Biological Evolutionary Behaviorism Cognitive Psychodynamic Humanism Gestalt Social Approaches are lenses through which to explain human behavior Outline

24. Biological Psychology (neuroscience) This approach to explaining human behavior and mental processes focuses on biological mechanisms and structures. It looks to such things as the brain, neurotransmitters, hormones, drugs (both legal and illegal), and genetics. Outline

25. A Biological Approach looks for Biological Answers? Approaches are lenses through which to explain human behavior Outline Biological Biological crazy

26. Outline Here is a view of how massive cell loss changes the whole brain in advanced Alzheimer's disease. Biological Psychology is Observable

27. Evolutionary Psychology Explains human behavior by looking at what made us most likely to survive/reproduce –Language – How did communication make us more likely to survive? –Altruism – Why are we nice to each other if this is just about survival of the fittest? –Sexual attraction – Is there a reason certain aspects of a person are considered ‘attractive’ Why not sexy elbows? Outline

28. Why do we find blue eyes attractive? Outline

29. If only....

30. Behaviorism This approach only studies observable human BEHAVIOR. It focuses on how we: –LEARN (or are conditioned) –React to our environment Since you can not observe the mind, behaviorists see it as a BLACK BOX. Can’t see it? Don’t study it. Big names –Pavlov – Dogs –Watson – Little Albert –Skinner – Operant Conditioning Outline

31. This is odd behavior, right? Would you do it? Reward Avoid Punishment?

32. Cognitive Psychology School of psychology that studies mental processes –Thinking, feeling, remembering, making decisions/judgments and language Studies how we encode, process, store, and retrieve information. Studies behavior and makes inferences about the mental processes behind the behavior Thanks to new technologies like CAT scans, MRIs and fMRIs, we can open the black box. Outline

33. Gestalt Psychology Gestalt is a German word that means “the whole” This approach to psychology looks at how your perceptions of the word come together to form you whole perception. This perception is often greater than the sum of its parts.

34. Gestalt Psychology

35. Psychodynamic Psychology Personality theory that says behavior springs from unconscious drives and conflicts The Unconscious is a dynamic cauldron of primitive drives, forbidden desires and nameless fears. It drags us down. Psychoanalysis – patient lies on a couch and recounts dreams and conducts free association. Sigmund Freud Outline

36. Social Psychology (socio-cultural) Study of how people influence one another Topics include: –First impressions –Interpersonal attraction –Attitude formation –Prejudice –Behavior in a group –Obedience to Authority Some Applications include: –Support groups –Family Therapy –Sensitivity Training Outline

37. Conformity

38. Compare and Contrast Compare two approaches –For example, both the biological and behavioral approaches deal with things that are directly observable making them the most scientific of the approaches Contrast two approaches –While psychoanalysis focuses on how the unconscious causes problems for the individual, humanism focuses on how individuals can achieve their full potential. Outline

39. Psychology’s Subfields Applied Research –Industrial/organizational psychology –Human factors psychology –Counseling psychology –Clinical psychology –Psychiatry

40. Applied Research = scientific study that aims to solve practical problems.

41. Industrial-Organizational (I/O) Psychology = the application of psychological concepts and methods to optimizing human behavior in workplaces.

42. Human Factors Psychology = the study of how people and machines interact resulting in the design of machines and environments.

43. Counseling Psychology = a branch of psychology that assists people with problems in living (often related to school, work, and marriage) and in achieving greater well-being.

44. Clinical Psychology = a branch of psychology that studies, assesses, and treats people with psychological disorders.

45. Clinical Psychology = a branch of psychology that studies, assesses, and treats people with psychological disorders.

46. Psychiatry = a branch of medicine dealing with psychological disorders; practiced by physicians who often provide medical (for example, drug) treatments as well as psychological therapy.