1. Part 1: A brief look at the roots of Psychology

2. A quote… “Psychology has a long past, but a short history.” -Hermann Ebbinghaus What do you think this statement means?

3. Ancient roots Buddha, Confucius, ancient Hebrews, etc. Ancient Greece Socrates/Plato: relied on logic to determine that the mind is separate from the body Aristotle: human behavior governed by patterns and rules; i.e. seeking pleasure, avoiding pain; used observation and data Hippocrates: strange behavior caused by brain abnormalities, not the gods; four “humors” or fluids determined personality

4. 1600s Rene DeCartes, France “I think, therefore I am.” People used their inborn knowledge to reason Theorized about brain fluids causing movement by flowing through nerves to our muscles Francis Bacon, Great Britain Focused on experiments and common sense over superstition; responsible for the scientific method John Locke “Tabula rasa:” blank slate

5. Birth of Modern Psychological Science Bacon and Locke’s insights lead to modern empiricism- that knowledge comes from experience and science relies on observation, experimentation, evidence. Important note: the first people who did psychology came from different fields of study (“Magellans of the mind”)! December, 1879: 1st psychology lab established in Germany at University of Leipzig by Wilhelm Wundt The 1 st ever psychology experiment on reaction time and perception: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SW6nm69Z_IE

6. The first two perspectives/theories Edward Titchener (Wundt’s student) Founded structuralism (1892): used self-reflective introspection used to discover the elements of the mind. William James Created functionalism: how do our thoughts and behaviors help us adapt to our environments? Wrote the first psychology textbook (1890) Admitted the first female Psychology Ph.D at Harvard (Mary Calkins)

7. Other early landmarks Hermann Ebbinghaus: first experiments on memory (1885) 1 st Psychology Ph.D awarded (1886) 1 st American Professor of Psychology (1888) APA (American Psychological Association) founded in 1892 Edward Thorndike: first experiments on animal learning (1898) Sigmund Freud (1856-1939): Psychoanalysis Alfred Binet: first intelligence test (1905) John B. Watson (1878-1958): Behaviorism In order to be a reputable science, psychology should limit itself to observable, measurable behaviors (1913) Gestalt Psychology (Wertheimer, Koffka, etc) (1920s): "The whole is greater than the sum of the parts;” learning comes from insight, not only from repetition and rewards For more details, watch this video: http://www.learner.org/series/discoveringpsychology/history/history _flash.html http://www.learner.org/series/discoveringpsychology/history/history _flash.html

8. Part 2: The Six Modern Theoretical Approaches to Psychology

9. 1. Psychoanalytic approach Sigmund Freud (1856-1939) Human beings are driven by unconscious fears, sexual and violent desires, conflicts The psyche is a “tea kettle” Id, ego, superego Early childhood experiences and relationships with parents are important An essentially negative and deterministic view: the die is cast by age 5

10. 2. Behaviorist approach John Watson (1878- 1958) B.F. Skinner (1904-1990) Emphasis on observable behaviors People are controlled by outside forces, influenced mainly by environment, rewards and punishments Skinner quote: “Give me a child and I‘ll shape him into anything.”

11. 3. Humanistic approach The late 1950s and 1960s A reaction against behaviorism and psychoanalysis. People are inherently good. Each individual has great freedom to direct his/her own future and achieve personal growth. Your personal choices and decisions make you who you are! We invent and reinvent ourselves throughout life.

12. 4. Cognitive approach Cognition=Thinking The mind is like a computer: we receive input, manipulate it, store and retrieve it. Our own way of thinking shapes who we are. Our world grows more sophisticated as we grow up, experience new things, and change. Problems can come from flawed patterns of thinking.

13. 5. Biological approach How do the following impact an individual’s mental processes and behavior: Brain function Nervous system Glands and hormones General physical health Genes

14. 6. Sociocultural approach How do the following forces impact a person’s behavior and mental processes? Ethnicity, gender, culture, language, socioeconomic status, nationality, religion, and region Does your language shape the way you think? Check these out: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/29/ magazine/29language- t.html?_r=1&ref=magazinehttp://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/29/ magazine/29language- t.html?_r=1&ref=magazine http://www.ecst.csuchico.edu/~atma n/Misc/eskimo-snow-words.htmlhttp://www.ecst.csuchico.edu/~atma n/Misc/eskimo-snow-words.html

15. Final thoughts There are many approaches, therefore there are many possible answers. Think of each of the six perspectives as a “lens” onto each individual. Human beings have free will; as a result, human behavior does not follow set laws, like physics. However, there are still patterns and tendencies that can be discovered using the scientific method. For Monday: think of a favorite celebrity or well-known individual (or a few) who you pay attention to whose behavior in recent times has been interesting, problematic, or positive in any way you find compelling.