Mod 1 – The History and Scope of Psychology

Inner sensations- mental processes Psychology What does it mean? Inner sensations- mental processes Observable behavior

Psychology: A Definition The scientific study of behavior and mental processes.

Break it down… Science Behavior Mental Processes

Prescientific Psychology Socrates (469-399 B.C.) and Plato (428-348 B.C.) http://www.law.umkc.edu http://www.law.umkc.edu Socrates Plato Socrates and his student Plato believed the mind was separate from the body, the mind continued to exist after death, and ideas were innate.

Prescientific Psychology Aristotle (384-322 B.C.) http://faculty.washington.edu “The soul is not separable from the body, and the same holds good of particular parts of the soul.” Aristotle, De Anima, 350 B.C. Aristotle suggested that the soul is not separable from the body and that knowledge (ideas) grow from experience.

Prescientific Psychology Rene Descartes (1596-1650) http://www.spacerad.com http://ocw.mit.edu Descartes like Plato believed the immaterial mind and physical body were separate but communicated in the brain at pineal gland. Animal spirits moved from the brain to act on the muscles and experiences lead the nerves to open up “pores” in the brain to form memories. Descartes was right about the nerves connecting the inside and the outside worlds but had no notion of how these nerves functioned. Descartes, like Plato, believed in soul (mind)-body separation, but wondered how the immaterial mind and physical body communicated.

Prescientific Psychology Francis Bacon (1561-1626) http://www.iep.utm.edu Bacon is one of the founders of modern science, particularly the experimental method.

Prescientific Psychology John Locke (1632-1704) biografieonline.it/img/bio/John_Locke.jpg Locke held that the mind was a tabula rasa, or blank sheet, at birth, and experiences wrote on it.

Prescientific Psychology How are ideas formed? Some ideas are inborn The mind is a blank slate Socrates Aristotle Plato Locke

Psychological Science is Born Structuralism Titchner (1867-1927) Wundt (1832-1920) OBJECTIVE 3| Explain how early psychologists sought to understand the mind’s structure and functions, and identify some of the leading psychologists who worked in these areas. Structuralism: Wundt and his student Titchner focused on the elements of mind, and studied it by using introspection (self-reflection). Wundt established the first laboratory of psychology in 1879 at Leipzig, Germany, and wrote the first textbook of psychology. Wundt and Titchener studied the elements (atoms) of the mind by conducting experiments at Leipzig, Germany, in 1879.

Psychological Science is Born Functionalism James (1842-1910) Mary Calkins Functionalism: James suggested that it would be more fruitful to consider the evolved functions of our thoughts and feelings than simply studying the elements of mind. Based on the theory of evolution, he suggested that the function of these thoughts and feelings was adaptive. James admitted the first woman student Mary Calkins to Harvard and tutored her. Despite his efforts she was not able to attain her PhD from Harvard. Influenced by Darwin, William James established the school of functionalism, which opposed structuralism.

Psychology: A Definition The scientific study of mental processes.

Psychological Science is Born The Unconscious Mind Freud (1856-1939) Sigmund Freud and his followers emphasized the importance of the unconscious mind and its effects on human behavior.

Psychological Science Develops Behaviorism Skinner (1904-1990) Watson (1878-1958) OBJECTIVE 4| Describe the evolution of psychology as defined from 1920s to through today. Ivan Pavlov a Russian Physiologist, James Watson and Skinner were all instrumental in developing the science of psychology and emphasized behavior instead of mind or mental thoughts. From 1920 to 1960, psychology in the US was heavily oriented towards behaviorism. Watson (1913) and later Skinner emphasized the study of overt behavior as the subject matter of scientific psychology.

Psychology: A Definition The scientific study of behavior.

Psychological Science Develops Humanistic Psychology Maslow (1908-1970) http://facultyweb.cortland.edu Rogers (1902-1987) http://www.carlrogers.dk Maslow and Rogers emphasized current environmental influences on our growth potential and our need for love and acceptance.

Psychology: A Definition The scientific study of behavior and mental processes.

Break it down… Science Behavior Mental Processes

Based on your PsychSim… Is there a definitive start to psychology? If so, what is the event? How did prescientific psychology differ from modern psychology? Are there some similar issues? Explain. Why do you think different “schools” of psychology exist?

Psychology’s Big Issues Nature v. Nurture Stability v. Change Continuity v. Discontinuity

Stability v. Change As the years pass, do we change or remain the same? Do we become adults or are we always just big kids? Personality traits, physical appearance, sense of humor, tastes – Do they change

Continuity v. Discontinuity Do developmental changes happen gradually or can changes happen overnight?

Nature v. Nurture Biology versus Experience Am I the way I am because I was born that way or because of my surroundings? Can I ever be like these people, or does nature give me limitations?

Figure 1 Biopsychosocial approach Myers: Psychology, Eighth Edition Copyright © 2007 by Worth Publishers

Psychology’s Perspectives The Big Seven

7 Perspectives Neuroscience/Biological – “brain/body” Behavioral – “learn” Cognitive – “think” Psychoanalytic – “unconscious” Humanistic – “positive” Social-Cultural – “society/others” Evolutionary – “inherit/adapt”

Neuroscience/Biological Perspective Focus on how the physical body and brain creates our emotions, memories and sensory experiences. If you could not remember the names of your parents and went to a psychologist who adheres to the neuroscience perspective, what might they say?

Behavior Genetics How much our genes and our environments influence our individual differences?

Evolutionary Perspective Focuses on Darwinism. We behave the way we do because we inherited those behaviors. Thus, those behaviors must have helped ensure our ancestors survival. How could this behavior ensured Homer’s ancestors survival?

Psychodynamic/Psychoanalytic Perspective Fathered by Sigmund Freud. Our behavior comes from unconscious drives. Usually stemming from our childhood. What might a psychoanalyst say is the reason someone always needs to be chewing gum?

Behavioral Perspective Focuses on our OBSERVABLE behaviors. Only cares about the behaviors that impair our living, and attempts to change them. If you bit your fingernails when you were nervous, a behaviorist would not focus on calming you down, but rather focus on how to stop you from biting your nails.

Cognitive Perspective Focuses on how we think (or encode information) How do we see the world? How did we learn to act to sad or happy events? Cognitive Therapist attempt to change the way you think. Meet girl Get Rejected by girl Or get back on the horse Did you learn to be depressed

Social-Cultural Perspective Focus on how your culture effects your behavior. Even in the same high school, behaviors can change in accordance to the various subcultures.

Humanistic Perspective Focuses on positive growth Attempt to seek self-actualization Therapists use active listening and unconditional positive regard. Mr. Rogers would have made a great Humanistic Therapist!!!

Psychology’s Current Perspectives Focus Sample Questions Neuroscience How the body and brain enables emotions? How are messages transmitted in the body? How is blood chemistry linked with moods and motives? Evolutionary How the natural selection of traits the promotes the perpetuation of one’s genes? How does evolution influence behavior tendencies? Behavior genetics How much our genes and our environments influence our individual differences? To what extent are psychological traits such as intelligence, personality, sexual orientation, and vulnerability to depression attributable to our genes? To our environment? Although debates arise among the psychologists working from differing perspectives, each point of view addresses important questions.

Psychology’s Current Perspectives Focus Sample Questions Psychodynamic How behavior springs from unconscious drives and conflicts? How can someone’s personality traits and disorders be explained in terms of sexual and aggressive drives or as disguised effects of unfulfilled wishes and childhood traumas? Behavioral How we learn observable responses? How do we learn to fear particular objects or situations? What is the most effective way to alter our behavior, say to lose weight or quit smoking?

Psychology’s Current Perspectives Focus Sample Questions Psychodynamic How behavior springs from unconscious drives and conflicts? How can someone’s personality traits and disorders be explained in terms of sexual and aggressive drives or as disguised effects of unfulfilled wishes and childhood traumas? Behavioral How we learn observable responses? How do we learn to fear particular objects or situations? What is the most effective way to alter our behavior, say to lose weight or quit smoking?

Psychology’s Current Perspectives Fear Neuroscience How are messages transmitted in the body? How is blood chemistry linked with moods and motives? Evolutionary How does evolution influence behavior tendencies? Behavior genetics To what extent are psychological traits such as intelligence, personality, sexual orientation, and vulnerability to depression attributable to our genes? To our environment? Although debates arise among the psychologists working from differing perspectives, each point of view addresses important questions.

Psychology’s Current Perspectives Focus Fear Cognitive How do we use information in remembering? Reasoning? Problem solving? Social-cultural How are we — as Africans, Asians, Australians or North Americans – alike as members of human family? As products of different environmental contexts, how do we differ?

Psychology’s Current Perspectives Focus Fear Psychodynamic How can someone’s personality traits and disorders be explained in terms of sexual and aggressive drives or as disguised effects of unfulfilled wishes and childhood traumas? Behavioral How do we learn to fear particular objects or situations? What is the most effective way to alter our behavior, say to lose weight or quit smoking?

Psychology’s Subfields: Research Psychologist What she does Biological Explore the links between brain and mind. Developmental Study changing abilities from womb to tomb. Cognitive Study how we perceive, think, and solve problems. Personality Investigate our persistent traits. Social Explore how we view and affect one another. OBJECTIVE 7| Identify some of the psychology’s subfields, and explain the difference between clinical psychology and psychiatry.

Psychology’s Subfields: Research Data: APA 1997

Psychology’s Subfields: Applied Psychologist What she does Clinical Studies, assesses, and treats people with psychological disorders Counseling Helps people cope with academic, vocational, and marital challenges. Educational Studies and helps individuals in school and educational settings Industrial/ Organizational Studies and advises on behavior in the workplace.

Psychology’s Subfields: Applied Data: APA 1997

Clinical Psychology vs. Psychiatry A clinical psychologist (Ph.D.) studies, assesses, and treats troubled people with psychotherapy. Psychiatrists on the other hand are medical professionals (M.D.) who use treatments like drugs and psychotherapy to treat psychologically diseased patients.

Table 1 Myers: Psychology, Eighth Edition Copyright © 2007 by Worth Publishers

Psychology’s Subfields