An Introduction to Psychology One Definition for Psychology The science of human behavior (what we do) and the mental and physical processes that underlie.

An Introduction to Psychology

One Definition for Psychology

The science of human behavior (what we do) and the mental and physical processes that underlie behavior (sensations, perceptions, dreams, thoughts, beliefs, feelings, etc.,)

Key Figures and Ideas in Early Modern Psychology

Wilhelm Wundt and Structuralism Wilhelm Wundt opened the first psychology laboratory at the University of Liepzig (c. 1879). The

Structuralist perspective which he introduced used introspection (looking in) to explore the elemental structure of the human mind.

Structuralism used introspection - American Edward Titchener

Functionalism and William James Principles of Psychology (1890) Functionalism focused on how behavioral processes function- how they enable organism to adapt, survive, and

flourish. William James taught the first class in psychology at Harvard University (1875). James also wrote Principles of Psychology (1890).

G. Stanley Hall founds APA in 1892 (1st US lab)

Mary Whiton Calkins paired associates techniques, first female president of APA (1905).

Margaret Floy Washburn Ph.D (1908).

Edward Thorndike animal learning experiments (1898)

More Key Figures and Ideas in Early Modern Psychology

Francis Galton studied how heredity influences a person’s abilities, character, and behavior (1870s).

Hermann Ebbinghaus memory research (1885).Alfred Binet and Intelligence testing (1905).Russian physiologist Ivan Pavlov. Classical conditioning

experiments (1906). John B. Watson “Father of Behaviorism” (1913)Austrian physician Sigmund Freud (1900) Personality,

psychoanalysis and dream theoryGestalt theorists emphasis on meaningful wholes and

perception. Max Wertheimer, Koffka and Kohler.

Practice

1. Conducted the first experiments on animal learning

2. Established the first psychology lab in America (at Johns Hopkins)

3. Established the first psychology laboratory

4. Published Principles of Psychology, the first widely used psychology textbook

5. Was the first female president of the American Psychological Association (APA)

6. Completed early research in the area of memory

More Practice

7. Emphasized the role of the unconscious

8. Pioneered experiments in the area of classical conditioning

9. Is widely considered the “father” of Behaviorism

10. Was the first woman to receive a PhD in psychology

11. His early readiness test for French children led to the development of the field of psychometrics

12. Founder of the Gestalt movement

Contemporary Psychological Perspectives

Perspectives and Early Proponents Behaviorism/Social Learning (early proponents

Watson/Skinner/Bandura) Psychodynamic (Freud/Jung/Adler) Humanistic (Maslow/Rogers) Cognitive (Piaget/Vygotsky) Biological

Neuroscientific Behavior Genetics Evolutionary

Social-cultural

What the textbook says…

Perspectives and Early Proponents Behaviorism/Social Learning (early

proponents Watson/Skinner/Bandura) Psychodynamic (Freud/Jung/Adler) Humanistic (Maslow/Rogers) Cognitive (Piaget) Biological

Neuroscientific Behavior Genetics Evolutionary

Social-cultural

Behaviorism/ Social Learning

Learning based upon the idea that all behaviors are acquired through conditioning.

Conditioning occurs through interaction with the environment. Behaviorists believe that our responses to environmental stimuli shapes our behaviors. Classical – a technique used in behavioral training in

which a naturally occurring stimulus is paired with a response.

Operant - a method of learning that occurs through rewards and punishments for behavior.

Give me a dozen healthy infants, well-formed, and my own specified world to bring them up in and I'll guarantee to take any one at random and train him to become any type of specialist I might select -- doctor, lawyer, artist, merchant-chief and, yes, even beggar-man and thief, regardless of his talents, penchants, tendencies, abilities, vocations, and race of his ancestors. John Watson (1930)

Psychodynamics

Includes all the theories in psychology that see human functioning based upon the interaction of drives and forces within the person, particularly unconscious, and between the different structures of the personality.

Our behavior and feelings are powerfully affected by unconscious motives.

Our behavior and feelings as adults (including psychological problems) are rooted in our childhood experiences.

All behavior has a cause (usually unconscious), even slips of the tongue. Therefore all behavior is determined.

Personality is made up of three parts (i.e. tripartite). The id, ego and super-ego.

Behavior is motivated by two instinctual drives: Eros (the sex drive & life instinct) and Thanatos (the aggressive drive & death instinct). Both these drives come from the “id”.

Parts of the unconscious mind (the id and superego) are in constant conflict with the conscious part of the mind (the ego).

Personality is shaped as the drives are modified by different conflicts at different times in childhood (during psychosexual development).

Humanistic

Developed as a rebellion against what some psychologists saw as limitations of the behaviorist and psychodynamic psychology.

The humanistic approach is thus often called the “third force” in psychology after psychoanalysis and behaviorism.

Emphasizes the personal worth of the individual, the centrality of human values, and the creative, active nature of human beings.

The approach is optimistic and focuses on noble human capacity to overcome hardship, pain and despair.

Cognitive

A nomothetic approach to discover human cognitive processes, but have also adopted idiographic techniques through using case studies.

Internal processes including perception, attention, language, memory and thinking.

Biological

A way of looking at psychological topics by studying the physical basis for animal and human behavior; studying the immune system, nervous system and genetics. Neuroscience: to look for the causes of abnormal behavior primarily

inside the individual. Behavior genetics: examines the role of genetics in animal (including

human) behavior. Evolutionary: the study of how evolution explains physiological processes;

evolution, including natural selection, and apply them to psychological phenomena.

Social-Cultural/Cross-cultural

Belief that one’s mind is shaped by the environment that they are raised in.

Sociocultural theory grew from the work of psychologist Lev Vygotsky, who believed that parents, caregivers, peers and the culture at large were responsible for the development of higher order functions. Ex. In India between the ages of 6-14 a

child is already working and making a living while in America your lucky if kids start working at 16. The example shows that two different cultures create two different types of people.

Contemporary Major Fields

Basic/Pure Research vs. Applied ResearchClinical/Counseling School and Educational Industrial/OrganizationalDevelopmental PersonalitySocial

School/Educational Psychology

Diagnosis and treatment of children's and adolescents' behavioral and learning problems. Crisis intervention Assessments

Educational Psychology - the study of how people learn, including topics such as student outcomes, the instructional process, individual differences in learning, gifted learners and learning disabilities.

Industrial/Organizational Psychology

Focuses on increasing workplace productivity and related issues such as the physical and mental well being of employees.

Industrial organizational psychologists perform a wide variety of tasks, including studying worker attitudes and behavior, evaluating companies, and conducting leadership training.

Consumer Psychology

The use of psychology to influence consumer behavior.Specific techniques include test marketing (olestra), market

niche, brand loyalty, packaging and aisle layout, product placement, sex sells and various propaganda techniques, e.g. bandwagon, testimonial and plain folks. Absolut Vodka and distinguishing the indistinguishable Wow! Chips, Olestra and “loose stools” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wa3t_OpW35E

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8uFCghpKsVc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XtuGXO6d4l8

Consumer Psychology

Slightly better than “anal leakage” (proposed originally by the FDA)

Environmental Psychology

Environmental psychology explores how physical spaces influence the way we feel, think, and interact with the world and vice versa.

Specialists in the field investigate everything from architecture to wildlife conservation, climate change and outdoor recreation in an effort to better understand how both natural and built environments influence human behavior.

SAD and natural light studies Personal space (proxemics) Noise: Stress and neurological effectsOdors and behavior

Other Subfields in Psychology

Forensic PsychologySports/Performance PsychologyCommunity PsychologyEcoPsychologyPositive PsychologyPeace Psychology

http://www.apa.org/about/division.html?imw=Y

Positive Psychology

Study of the strengths and virtues that enable individuals and communities to thrive.

The field is founded on the belief that people want to lead meaningful and fulfilling lives, to cultivate what is best within themselves, and to enhance their experiences of love, work, and play.

Martin Seligman (Director of the Positive Psychology @ University of Pennsylvania.