In the beginning… a few of the first psychologists Wilhelm Wundt (Europe) William James (US) Sigmund Freud (Europe) All working around

Wundt “Trained Introspection” – thinking aloud for researchers What might this help us understand? What would be the problem with this strategy?

William James A local hero of New England (brother of novelist Henry James; buried in Cambridge, MA in 1910; godson of Ralph Waldo Emerson) – James said… Trying to study the mind through introspection is “like seizing a spinning top to catch its motion, or trying to turn up the gas quickly enough to see how the darkness looks” – or like trying to open the fridge fast enough to see what it’s like before the light is on? Instead, James studied the function of behavior – why do people do what they do? Along with Darwin, James wanted to know, how is it adaptive? Group of psychologists known as “Functionalists”

Freud Freud – Vienna, Austria – lived until 1939 and spent time in the US A neurologist. Freud listened to his patients’ symptoms and decided they didn’t have physical causes. He argued they were caused by unconscious conflicts. Developed his work into theory of personality development (ever heard of someone being “anal retentive”?) and a method of psychotherapy …psychoanalysis

Speaking of Conflict These three people were all working about the same time. Science still works this way. It’s a dialogue among scientists that happens in scholarly journals. We’ll get a chance to see this in our 6 Step project.

What do psychologists do nowadays?

Kinds of Psychologists Basic Researchers: How does memory work? Applied Researchers: How do pilots process visual information under stressful conditions (like war)? Consulting Psychologists – athletes/coaches, business, schools And….

Practicing Psychologists or Psychotherapists All provide counseling Ph.D. or Psy.D. are psychologists Psychiatrists are MDs (medical doctors) MSW, LICSW, Ed.D., and others may also practice psychotherapy but are not trained in psychology

Why would science or scientific training or training in psychology be important in the treatment of mental health issues?

Empirical Studies use observation and measurement (the ‘scientific method’) to ask and answer questions Descriptive studies help us describe the world (x often happens when y happens) Experiments help us figure out cause and effect (does x cause y?) Do children become more active when they eat sugar? Does anxiety lower SAT scores?

Some types of descriptive studies: Observational – We observe behavior Naturalistic – in the real world Laboratory – in controlled conditions Case study – Very close observation and description of a single person or setting Tests and surveys: Can you think of any?

What makes an experiment an experiment? An “independent” and a “dependent” variable – a question about whether x causes y A “control” group (that doesn’t get any x!) and an “experimental” group (that gets x) “Random assignment” to the groups. What would happen if you let participants choose their groups?

Challenge Question We can have “naturalistic” and “laboratory” observational studies. Can we have “naturalistic” experiments?

“Trained Introspection” Exercise Directions: Find a partner. Take turns being “Wundt” and his “subject.”The “subject” should “think out loud” while trying to answer the following question. “Wundt” should try to figure out how problem solving works. The problem: A band needs to get through a tunnel. Drummer can make it in 1 minute, Bass in 2 minutes, Guitarist in 4 and Lead Singer in 5 minutes. The tunnel is narrow and no more than two persons moving at the speed of the slower one can go through at once. Can they all make it if they have a lighter that will last only 12 minutes and they are afraid of the dark?