Roots, History, Approaches
Dec 13, 2015
RootsEarly questions:
Connection between mind & body?Ideas – innate or experiential?“Psych” – mind; “ology” – study (Aristotle)
RootsEmpiricism
Francis Bacon/John LockeTabula RasaKnowledge – from experienceScience – rely on experimentation and
observation
DevelopmentStructuralism
- Wilhelm Wundt – 1st psychology laboratory- Used introspection- Focus on basic elements of human mind- Describe experiences- Edward Titchener - expanded
Functionalism- William James – 1st psych lab outside of Europe- Used observation of human & animal behavior- How consciousness helps people adapt to environment
Wundt Titchener James
Psychoanalysis-Sigmund Freud- Used case studies -Behavior from mental processes-Many occur from unconscious level
Gestalt-Max Wertheimer; Wolfgang Kohler-Used observation-Organization of mental processes-“Whole is greater that the sum of its parts”
Behaviorism-John B. Watson; B.F. Skinner- Used observation of stimuli/responses- Learning most important determinant of behavior
KohlerWatson
Cognitive – how person processes, perceives & how that relates to observable behaviors
Behavioral – how person was rewarded/punished, study person’s history; LEARNING & how relates to behaviors
Humanistic – how people perceive the world and how their choices reflect their perceptions; individual experiences
Biological – based on hormones, genes, & nervous system, especially brain
Psychodynamic/psychoanalytical – constant and mostly unconscious conflict causes mental processes & behaviors
Sociocultural – multicultural; varying behaviors across cultures and situations
Evolutionary – genes that are adaptive pass on via natural selection
DiscussionWhich of the approaches most represents
psychology as a science? Why?Which of the approaches least represents
psychology as a science? Why?Should psychology be considered a science?
TaskWork in small groups of 3-4. Create a
scenario that shows a behavior & explain how ONE of the approaches would explain that behavior.
DO NOT put your names on it. Make sure you can explain why it is that
approach.You have 7 minutes to complete this task.
• Are abilities determined by our genes or our experiences?
• What are the interactions between genetics and environment?
• What effect does it have on behavior?
Stability versus changeAre traits consistent across the lifespan and different situations?
Rationality versus irrationalityHow are decisions made?
Nature and nurtureWhat are the relative contributions of biology and experience?
- Pure science or research-Research for the sake of finding new information and expanding the knowledge base of psychology
Biological psychologistsDevelopmental psychologistsCognitive psychologistsPersonality psychologistsSocial psychologists
Basic Research
- Research designed to solve specific practical problems
Applied Research
Industrial/organizational psychologistsCounseling/clinical psychologistsSchool psychologistsSports psychologists
Clinical Psychologist-Diagnose and treat psychological problems
ReviewWhere do most psychologists work?Which type of psychologist would most want
to be? Why?Which type of psychologist would you not
want to be? Why?
Think about . . . HomeworkWhat methods
psychology needs to use to be considered a science
Tools that different specialities of psychology would utilize
Complete approaches chart
Read pg 19-30 & 37-40; complete vocab