Chapter 1: The History of Psychology. Unit 1 Psychology’s History and Approaches Define psychology-science of behavior and mental processes Nature v.

Chapter 1: The History of Psychology

Unit 1 Psychology’s History and Approaches

Define psychology-science of behavior and mental processes

• Nature v. Nature• Wilhelm Wundt-father of Psych-est. psy as

independ. dicipline-first psych lab Germany• Structuralism-EdwardTitchener/introspection

(response to own sensations)• Functionalism-William James (wrote The Principles

of Psychology)• Mary Calkins-1st women president of APA 1905• Margaret Floy Washburn -first women Ph.D-2nd APA

president 1921

Unit 1- Eight Perspectives 1. Psychoanalytic-unconscious childhood experiences

(Frued)2. Behavioral-rewards (reinforcements) and punishments impact on behavior/learning/ Ivan Pavlov (Classical Cond.), John Watson (-classical conditioning, father of behaviorism), BF Skinner (operant conditioning)

3. Biological/biomedical-brain chemistry/body systems4. Evolutionary-reproduction/survival (Darwin)5. Humanistic-innate potential for growth-Maslow & Rogers6. Socio-cultural/Social Learning-imitation of models/one’s culture (Bandura)7. Bio/psycho/social-combination of perspectives8. Cognitive-problem solving. language; interpretation of situations

Unit 1 Psychology• Experimental psychology• Clinical psychology• Counseling psychology• Developmental psychology• Personality psychology• Industrial/Organizational psychology• Educational/school psychology• Social psychology• Psychometrics-tests to measure

psychological variables (intelligence, aptitude, and personality traits)

WundtFather of Psychology

Wilhelm Wundt’s International Influence

• G. Stanley Hall (1846-1924)Student of Wuntz:– Established first psych. laboratory in the

U.S. in 1883-John Hopkins U

For Wundt

Psychology became the scientific study of conscious experience

(things that we were aware of)

The Battle of the “Schools” in the U.S.: Structuralism vs. Functionalism

• Structuralism – Edward Titchener, an Englishman, came to US in 1892- taught at Cornell -earned degree in Wundt’s Germany lab – Analyze consciousness into basic

elements:1. Introspection – careful, systematic observations

of one’s own conscious experience-subjects exposed to auditory tones, optical illusions and stimuli that they and one needed to analyze his experience

Edward Titchener

The Battle of the “Schools” in the U.S.: Structuralism vs. Functionalism

• Functionalism – William James (Harvard Teacher)• . Structuralism went to the laboratory while

functionalists focused on how people adapt their behavior to real world demands

-Investigate function (what does it do) of consciousness rather than its structure

He wrote The Principles of Psychology (1890-study of the mind, sensation, memory and reason)

William James

Psychology’s RootsThinking About the Mind’s Function

– Mary Calkins (1st women

President of APA-1905-

Harvard denied her a degree)– Margaret Floy Washburn

(first women Ph.D-2nd APApresident 1921)

Psychological Science Develops

• Sigmund Freud

Sigmund Freud and the Concept of the Unconscious Mind

• Sigmund Freud (1856-1939): Austria-medical doctor who treated mental disorders such as irrational fears, anxieties and obsessions

• Founded Psychoanalytic school of thought• Emphasis on unconscious processes

influencing behavior, esp. Childhood experiences– Unconscious (thoughts, memories,

desires)= outside awareness

Freud’s Ideas:Controversy and Influence

• Behavior is influenced by the unconscious (as is motivation, mental disorders, personality)

• Unconscious conflict related to sexuality plays a central role in behavior

• Controversial notions (unscientific and unreliable)

• Significant influence on the field of psychology =First to do therapy-on women who had conversion disorders

Behaviorism: Redefining Psychology-Pure NURTURE (environment)

• John B. Watson (1878-1958): United States– Founder of Behaviorism

• Psychology = scientific study of behavior• Behavior = overt or observable responses

or activities– Radical reorientation of psychology as a

science of observable behavior

– Study of consciousness abandoned

Classical Conditioning

John B. Watson 1878-1958

Behaviorism- alters psychologies course

John Watson and the Nature-Nurture Debate

• Nurture, not nature– “give me a dozen healthy infants, well-

formed, and my own special 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…”

• Behaviorist school of thought emphasized the environment (nurture)

• Focus on stimulus-response relationships• S-R psychology

BF Skinner 1904-1990 operant conditioning-pigons /rats

•Environmental factors determine behavior•Responses that lead to positive outcomes are repeated•Responses that lead to negative outcomes are not repeated

BF Skinner 1904-1990Beyond Freedom and Dignity- free will an illusion. -showed he could have control over behavior by manipulating the outcome of responses..

The 1950’s: Opposition to Psychoanalytic Theory and Behaviorism

• A new school of thought emerged - Humanism– Led by Abraham Maslow (1908-1970) and

Carl Rogers (1902-1987)– Emphasis on the unique qualities of

humans: freedom of choice and personal growth

Abraham Maslow Carl Rogers

Putting the Psyche Back in Psychology:The Return of Cognition

• Cognition = refers to mental processes involved in acquiring knowledge (perception, problem solving, memory, language) and also how we think about our situations and problems

• 1950’s and 60’s – Piaget (children’s development)

• Chomsky (language acquisition)

Cognitive Perspective

Internal mental events effect behavior

Self talk

Peoples mental images effect how they behave. How one interprets a situation effects how one reacts.

Biological Psychology:The Biological Basis of Behavior

– Biological perspective - behavior explained in terms of physiological/biochemical processes-I flee a situation because certain chemicals are released that make me feel fear

• James Olds (1956)– Electrical stimulation of the brain evokes

emotional responses in animals• Roger Sperry (1981)

– Left and right brain specialization– Split brain studies cats and monkies

Cultural or socio-cultural Psychology:Recognizing Human Variation

• Ethnocentrism – viewing one’s own group as superior and as the standard for judging the worth of foreign ways

Evolutionary Psychology:Human Adaptations

• Natural selection occurs for behavioral, as well as physical, characteristics-We act the way we do to ensure reproductive success and future generations.

• Skills passed to future generations• EX: good spatial skills because I am a

women who gathers food-this skill was passed to me

Positive Psychology

• Martin Seligman’s• Humanist concerns revisited• Uses theory and research to better

understand the positive, creative, and fulfilling aspects of human existence– Positive subjective experiences– Positive individual traits– Positive institutions and communities

Figure 1.8 Major research areas in contemporary psychology

Figure 1.9 Principal professional specialties in contemporary psychology

Psychological Approaches/Perspectives

* Biological psychology

• Evolutionary psychology

• Psychodynamic psychology

• Behavioral psychology

• Cognitive psychology

• Humanistic psychology

• Social-cultural psychology

• Biopsychosocial

Psychological Approaches/Perspectives

Psychological Approaches/Perspectives

Table 1.1 Overview of Six Contemporary Theoretical Perspectives in Psychology