Psychology: A journey through perspectives. What is psychology?

Psychology:

A journey through perspectives

What is psychology?

What is psychology?

Psychology Defined

• The science of behavior and mental processes– Behavior - observable actions of a person

– Mental processes - thoughts, feelings, sensations, perceptions, memories, dreams, motives and other subjective experiences

– Science• An objective way to answer questions• Based on observable facts / data and

well described methods

Psychology vs. Psychobabble• Valid psychological claims provide

evidence in the form of scientific research

• “Pop” psychology is often focused on WANTS– influence of the media

Characteristics of pseudoscience

1. associates itself with true science

2. relies on/accepts anecdotal evidence

3. can’t be disproved

4. reduces complexity to simplicity (esp. to consumers)

The Limits of Common Sense• Common sense and intuition often tell

us about psychology

• can be inconsistent and based on hindsight

7 Guidelines for any claim:

1. Define terms.2. Support with evidence.3. Analyze assumptions and biases.4. Avoid emotional reasoning.5. Don’t oversimplify.6. Consider other interpretations.7. Tolerate uncertainty.

Great Questions of Psychology

• Nature vs. Nurture• Monism vs. Dualism: the mind/body

problem• Commonalities vs. Individual

Differences

• MEANING…

Ancient Greece

• Plato: – Nativism = humans enter

the world with knowledge present

– Rationalism = reasoning and logic give access to this knowledge

Aristotle: Empiricism = senses are sources of knowledge

Renaissance

• Rene Descartes– First modern rationalist– Used reasoning to prove he

existed!– Mind/body problem

Renaissance

• John Locke– Sided with Aristotle: tabula

rasa

• Immanuel Kant– Nature AND Nurture?

Advent of Science

• Studies of Nervous System

• Darwin’s evolutionary theory

Psychology as Science

• Willhelm Wundt- 1st experimental psychology laboratory in Leipzig, Germany, 1879

• Different approaches emerged based on– Object of study– Goals– Methods

Different Schools Emerge

• Titchener: Structuralism– analytic introspection to understand

What?– e.g. there are 4 basic tastes

• James: Functionalism– to understand how behavior is affected,

and Why?– e.g. why might we spit out something

that is bitter?– applied research

Schools (Perspectives) of Psychology

• Psychoanalysis (or Psychodynamic perspective)– Originated with Sigmund Freud– concerned with unconscious conflicts

• Behaviorism (or Learning perspective)– John Watson (1913)– B. F. Skinner – ‘Baby in a Box’ (1945)

Other schools

• Humanist/Existentialist approach– Abraham Maslow, Carl Rogers, Viktor

Frankl– person-centered, free will

• Cognitive approach– how the mind processes information– e.g. memory, thinking, reasoning

Other schools

• Biological approach– brain, nervous system functions– genes and heredity

• Sociocultural approach– group dynamics– social and cultural impacts on

behavior

The Profession of Psychology

• American Psychological Association has 53 divisions in 2006– areas of training and specialization

(e.g., developmental, clinical)– applied (i.e., teaching in

psychology, psychology and the law)

Areas of Specialization

• Clinical– abnormal behavior and psychological

disorders– psychologist vs. psychiatrist

• Counseling– dealing with normal life situations – provide guidance

• Health psychology– psychological factors in physical health

Areas of Specialization

• Developmental – psychological change over the life span– social, cognitive, personality

• School– counseling and guidance in school

settings

• Educational– learning and teaching

Areas of Specialization

• Physiological– brain and behavior– often uses animals as research model

• Cognitive – experimental methods– human memory, perception, etc.

Areas of Specialization

• Social– social influences on cognition and

emotion-importance of situation– attitudes and beliefs

• Personality– individual differences

• Industrial/organizational– people and work– job satisfaction– training and selection

Professional Work Settings

• Colleges and universities (33%)

• Clinical settings (32%)

• Government (18%) • Business (12%)• Elementary and

secondary schools (5%)

PrivatePractice

Government

Universities &Colleges

Business& Industry

Schools

Employment Settings of Psychologists