5. Psychology is a social science, but has its foundations in the natural sciences. The social sciences include history, anthropology, economics, political science, and sociology, deal with the structure of human society and the nature and interactions of the individuals who makeup society. Psychology is a social science, but has its foundations in the natural sciences. The social sciences include history, anthropology, economics, political science, and sociology, deal with the structure of human society and the nature and interactions of the individuals who makeup society.

7. What Psychologists Do Clinical Psychologists Clinical Psychologists Counseling Psychologists Counseling Psychologists School Psychologists School Psychologists Educational Psychologists Educational Psychologists Developmental Psychologists Developmental Psychologists Personality Psychologists Personality Psychologists Social Psychologists Social Psychologists Experimental Psychologists Experimental Psychologists

10. Industrial/ Organizational Psychologists Industrial/ Organizational Psychologists Environmental Psychologists Environmental Psychologists Consumer Psychologists Consumer Psychologists Forensic Psychologists Forensic Psychologists Health Psychologists Health Psychologists

11. A History of Psychology II. Roots from ancient Greece: II. Roots from ancient Greece: A. Socrates, “know thy self”. We can learn much more about ourselves by carefully examining our thought and feelings. This is called Introspection, “looking within.” A. Socrates, “know thy self”. We can learn much more about ourselves by carefully examining our thought and feelings. This is called Introspection, “looking within.” B. Plato, student of Socrates. B. Plato, student of Socrates. C. Aristotle, student of Plato. Aristotle, creator of Associationism, how experiences remind us of similar experiences in the past. C. Aristotle, student of Plato. Aristotle, creator of Associationism, how experiences remind us of similar experiences in the past. 1. Aristotle’s piece, Peri Psyches, “about the mind”, argues that human behavior is subject to certain rules and laws. People are motivated to seek pleasure and to avoid pain.

12. III. The Middle Ages III. The Middle Ages – A. Europeans believed that “problems” such as agitation and confusion were signs of possession by demons. Possession was punishment for sins or the result of deals made with the devil. – B. “Tests” were used to determine whether a person was possessed. The Water- Float test was based on the principle that pure metals sink to the bottom during the smelting process whereas impure metals float to the top. Guilty= not sinking, NOT Guilty= Pure, innocent.

13. IV. The Birth of Modern Science IV. The Birth of Modern Science 1500s- 1700s scientific and intellectual advances – People of the 1500s- 1700s witnessed great scientific and intellectual advances. Scientific approach led to the birth of modern psychology in the 1800s – The Scientific approach led to the birth of modern psychology in the 1800s. 1879= the beginning of psychology as a modern laboratory science 1. 1879= the beginning of psychology as a modern laboratory science.

15. VI. William James & Functionalism – A. Refutes Wundt & Structuralism: The Conscience CANNOT be broken down. – B. Functionalism & Structuralism differ. 1. Functionalism= includes behavioral observation in the lab as well as introspection. 2. Structuralism= relied of introspection. – C. Principles of Psychology, 1890, 1 st modern psychology textbook. – D. Functionalism= how mental processes help organisms adapt to their environment. 1. Adaptive behavior patterns are learned & maintained because they are successful.

16. VII. John B. Watson & Behaviorism A.Although Watson agreed with the functionalist focus on the importance of learning, he believed that it was unscientific to study a construct like consciousness of animals. He saw consciousness as a private event that is known only to the individual. Watson asserted that if psychology was to be a natural science, it must be limited to observable, measurable, events- BEHAVIOR! B.Watson is the founder of the school of Behaviorism. Watson defined psychology as the scientific study of observable behavior.

19. IX. The Gestalt School – A. German psychologists Max Wertheimer, Kirt Koffka, & Wolfgang Kohler were fascinated by the ways in which context influences peoples interpretation of information. – B. Psychology of Gestalt: meaning “shape/ form” in German, is based on the idea that perceptions are more than the sums of their parts. – C. Gestalt psychology: rejects the structural idea that experience can be broken down into individual parts or elements. – D. Gestalt psychologists: reject behaviorist notion that psychologists should concentrate only on observable behavior. – E. Gestalt believed learning is active and purposeful. They disagree with the behaviorist view that learning is mechanical.

23. X. Sigmund Freud & the School of Psychoanalysis – A. Sigmund Freud, Viennese physician, founder of psychoanalysis emphasizes the importance of unconscious motives and internal conflicts in determining human behavior. – B. Freud gained his understanding of human behavior through consultations with patients. Conscious processes, are more important than conscious experience in governing people’s behavior and feeling – C. Psychodynamic thinking assumed that most of what exists in an individuals mind is unconscious and consists of conflicting impulses, urges, and wishes. Human behavior is aimed at satisfying desires..

24. XI. Seven Main Contemporary Perspectives of Modern Psychology Many current psychologists in the behaviorist tradition have modified the theories of Watson and Skinner, many psychoanalysts do not use the methods Freud did. Historical traditions of psychology find expression in contemporary perspectives on psychology: Biological evolutionary cognitive Humanistic Psychoanalytic Learning, and Sociocultural perspectives. Each perspective emphasizes different topics of investigation and has different approaches.

25. A. Biological Perspective 1. Emphasizes on the influence of biology on our behavior. 2. Has roots in associationism: our mental processes are made possible by the nervous system, specifically the brain.

26. B. Evolutionary Perspective 1. Adaptive organisms survive and transmit their genes to future generations. 2. Focus on the evolution of behavior and mental processes. 3. Has roots of Darwinism 4. Inherited tendencies influence people to act certain ways.

27. C. Cognitive Perspective 1. Emphasis on the role that thoughts play in determining our behavior. 2. Perceptions and thoughts influence behavior 3. Roots in Socrates’ “know thyself”= introspection. 4. Also has roots in structuralism, functionalism, and Gestalt School. 5. Influenced by computer science

28. D. Humanistic Perspective 1. People make free conscious choices based on their unique experiences. 2. Stresses the human capacity for self- fulfillment & importance of consciousness and self-awareness. 3. Consciousness=shapes human personality.

29. E. Psychoanalytic Perspective 1. Stresses the influence of unconscious forces on human behavior. 2. Roots in Freud and Psychoanalysis

30. F. Learning Perspective 1. Emphasizes on the effects of experience on behavior. 2. Personal experience and reinforcement guide individual development. 3. Roots in Watson/ Behaviorism/ Skinner 4. Behavior is learned either form direct experience or by observing others.

31. G. Sociocultural Perspective 1. Sociocultural, biological, & psychological factors create individual differences. 2. Studies the influences of ethnicity, gender, culture, and socioeconomic status on behavior and mental processes.