PSYCHOLOGY Chapter 1. Why Study Psychology? Through the study of psychology, people can discover psychological principles that have the potential to.

PSYCHOLOGY

Chapter 1

Why Study Psychology?

Through the study of psychology, people can discover psychological principles that have the potential to enrich the lives of humans.

Gaining insight into behavior Psychology can provide useful insight into

behavior Example

You may not be shy all the time You may just be uncomfortable in certain

situations.

Acquiring Practical Information You may learn how you are shaping the

behavior of those around you You may learn how development in your

past impact your actions today You may learn why you have certain fears

or anxieties

Overview of Psychology Psychology is the scientific study of

behavior and mental processes Psychology covers everything people

Think Feel Do

The study of behavior is systematic

Goals of Psychology Describe Behavior Explain Behavior

Develop a hypothesis Develop a theory

Predict Behavior Influence Behavior

Basic science – short-term/long-term studies Applied science – using psychological principle to

solve more immediate problems

The scientific basis of Psychology Scientific Method – psychologists used this

to make sure they are collecting and analyzing data accurately

William Wundt set up the first psychological laboratory in Germany in 1879 Said psychology was two kinds of elements

Sensations Feelings

Wundt’s beliefs led to the theory of introspection or the SCIENTIFIC METHOD

A Brief History of Psychology

The Origins of Psychology Greeks

5th and 6th Centuries Decided people were not dominated by the gods,

but by their own minds – people were rational Tried to interpret the world through human

perceptions Set the stage for the sciences, including

psychology, by using observation

Copernicus – mid 1500s Earth was not the center of the universe, it

revolved around the sun

Galileo – 1500s & 1600s Used a telescope to confirm predictions about

star position and movement based on Copernicus’s works.

17th Century Philosophers gave us DUALISM The mind and body are separate and distinct Descartes disagreed

The mind controlled the body’s movements, sensations and perceptions

Mind and body work together to influence each other and create a person’s experiences

Modern science began to emerge by combining philosophers’ reflections, logic, and mathematics with the observations and inventiveness of practical people.

19th Century – biologists announced the discovery of cells as the modern building blocks of life

Chemists developed the periodic table of elements Physicists made great progress in our

understanding of atomic forces Natural scientists were studying complex

phenomena by reducing them to simpler parts Psychology was formed

Historical Approaches Structuralism (Wundt) – established his

Laboratory of Psychology Became known as the founder of modern

psychology Wundt was interested in the basic elements of

the human mind Introspection is self-observation where Wundt

tried to map out the basic structure of thought processes

Functionalism – William James – father of psychology in the U.S. Wrote the first Psychology textbook, The

Principles of Psychology, in 1890 Theorized that all activities of the mind serve one

major function To help us survive as a species

Focused on the functions or actions of the conscious mind and the goals or purposes of behaviors

Functionalists study how animals and people adapt to their environments

Inheritable Traits – Sir Francis Galton – mathematician and scientist – wanted to understand how heredity influenced a person’s abilities, character, and behavior Traced ancestry of famous people and found

that greatness runs in families – thus genius or eminence is hereditary

Invented tests to assess the abilities and characteristics of a wide range of people – these are the forerunners of today’s personality and intelligence tests

Faults found because it was discovered that heredity and environment impact how a person behaves

Gestalt Psychology German scientists: Wertheimer, Kohler, and

Kofka argued that perception is more than the sum of its parts – it involves a whole pattern – Gestalt in German

The studied how sensations are assembled into perceptual experiences

This is the forerunner for cognitive approaches to Psycholody

Contemporary Approaches Psychoanalytic Psychology – Freud – was

interested in the unconscious mind Biological urges conflict with society and

morality Used free association to delve into his patients

minds Psychoanalyst’s role was to be objective – just

sit and listen then interpret the associations

Behavioral Approach – Pavlov – behavior can be influenced by conditioned responses Pavlov’s Dogs Experiment Psychologists who wanted to investigate

observable behavior became known as Behaviorists

Watson said psychology should only concern itself with observable facts

Skinner came up with the concept of reinforcement

Humanistic Psychology – Maslow, Rogers, & May – each person is unique and has a self-concept and potential to develop fully

Cognitive Psychology – Piaget, Chomsky, & Fetinger – focuses on how we process, store, and use information; how this information influences our thinking, language, problem solving, and creativity They believe behavior is more than a simple

response to a stimulus.

Biological Psychology – emphasizes the impact of biology on our behavior Psychobiologists study how the brain, the nervous

system, hormones, and genetics influence our behavior PET scans CAT scans

Sociocultural Psychology – The newest approach, studies the influence of cultural and ethnic similarities and differences on behavior and social functioning Also study the impact of immigration and integration in

the U.S. society Look at gender and socioeconomic status

Psychology as a Profession

Psychologists are trained to observe, analyze, and evaluate behavior patterns to develop theories of behavior, and to apply what they have learned to influence behavior

What is a psychologist? Psychologists are people who have been

trained to observe, analyze, and evaluate behavior

Psychiatry is a specialty of medicine – where one learns to treat people with disturbed behavior

Clinical Psychologists help people deal with their personal problems Private offices Mental hospitals Prisons Clinics

Counseling Psychologists usually work in schools or industrial firms advising and assisting people with the problems of everyday life.

Developmental Psychologists study physical, emotional, cognitive, and social changes that occur throughout life Educational Psychologists Community Psychologists Industrial/Organizational Psychologists

Educational Psychologists deal with topics related to teaching children and young adults Intelligence Memory Problem solving Specialists

Evaluate teaching methods, devise tests Develop new instructional devises

Community Psychologists may work in a mental health or social welfare agency operated by the state or local government or by a private organization May help design, run, or evaluate mental

health clinic Industrial/Organizational Psychologists are

employed by business firms and government agencies They study and develop methods to

Boost production Improve working conditions Place applicants in jobs they are best suited for Reduce accidents

Environmental Psychologists work in business settings or within the government to study the effects of the environment on people.

Forensic Psychologists work in legal, court and correctional systems. They help police by developing personality profiles of

criminal offenders or help law enforcement understand problems like abuse

Health Psychologists study the interaction between physical and psychological health factors Stress Depression How stress and depression lead to physical ailments

Experimental Psychologists perform experiments to understand how humans and animals operate physically and psychologically

American Psychological Association (APA) founded in 1892 is a scientific and professional society of psychologists and educators