Introducing Psychology What is it that fascinates psychologists about ordinary behavior? What exactly do they study?

Introducing Psychology I. Why Study Psychology? II. Overview of Psychology III. A Brief History of Psychology IV. Psychology as a Profession

I. Why Study Psychology? Insight Psychology can provide useful insight into behavior. Of course, few people are more obnoxious than a novice psychologist. The more you study psychology, the more respect you will gain for the complexity and diversity of human and animal behavior.

I. Why Study Psychology? Practical Information You will learn concrete and detailed ways to carry out a number of useful procedures, i.e. shaping, mnemonic devices, and life development.

II. Overview of Psychology

Defining Psychology Psychology is the scientific study of behavior and mental processes. Psychology is trying to understand why people do the things they do. Behavior has causes; it is governed by laws and rules. Thus, the study of behavior must be systematic.

The flaw in all their reasoning is that speculating on the WHOLE from a few FACTS can lead to VERY LARGE errors in judgment.

The Scientific Basis of Psychology Psychologists rely on the scientific method: Identify a specific problem or question Formulate a hypothesis Collect data through observation and experiment Analyze the data Draw a conclusion

Goals of Psychology Describe The first task for any scientist or psychologist is to gather information about the behavior being studied and present what is known.

Goals of Psychology Explain Psychologists also seek to explain why people behave as they do. Theories are formed from a large number of experimental studies. Theories allow us to describe and explain observed behavior.

Goals of Psychology Predict Psychologists want to predict what humans will do, think, and feel in various situations. By studying descriptive and theoretical accounts of past behaviors, psychologists can predict subsequent behaviors.

Goals of Psychology Control Some psychologists seek to influence or control behavior in helpful ways.

What problems may occur when a researcher accepts one theoretical view?

III. The Establishment of Psychology

Structuralism 1879 – The first psychology lab was set up in Germany by Wilhelm Wundt. He attempted to map out the basic structure of thought process. He used introspection, a method of self-observation in which one looks within and reports their thought process.

Functionalism 1890 – American psychologist William James theorized all activities of the mind – thinking, feeling, learning, and remembering – serve only to help us survive as a species.

Five Major Approaches in Use in Psychology

1. Biological Psychology Some psychologists today focus on the physiological basis of behavior. It’s the belief that everything you do or feel involves some correlation in the brain.

2. Psychoanalysis Founded by Sigmund Freud, he was interest in the unconscious mind. He believed that behavior occurred without us knowing why. He believed that our conscious experiences are only the tip of the iceberg, that beneath the surface are primitive biological urges that are in conflict with the requirements of society and morality.

2. Psychoanalysis Free association – a technique in which a patient said everything that came to mind, no matter how absurd or irrelevant it seemed. Dream Analysis – dreams are the expression of the most primitive unconscious urges.

2. Psychoanalysis Both he believed revealed the operation of unconscious processes. He used his case studies to develop a comprehensive theory of personality.

3. Behaviorism Belief that the environment shapes you into what you are. The key idea is that all animals adjust their behavior to meet the demands of their environment.

3. Behaviorism Behaviorists stress investigating observable behavior. They believe that all behavior, even instinctive behavior, is a result of conditioning. American B.F. Skinner, influenced both the public and scientists with his techniques of conditioning behavior by rewards and punishments.

4. Cognitive Processes Emphasizes the importance of thought processes in learning behavior. We perceive and interpret our world, think about problems, constantly assess our knowledge of ourselves and others, and use language to communicate with one another.

5. Humanism Focuses on the uniqueness of individuals through choices. Belief that the human mind is able to influence and change the world in which it functions. Proposed by Abraham Maslow to counter the psychoanalytic and behavioral approaches which he felt was dehumanizing.

IV. Psychology as a Profession

What is a Psychologist? Psychologists are people who have been trained to observe and analyze behavior patterns, to develop theories on behavior, and to apply what they know to influence behavior. Just as there are many different branches of medicine, there are also many different fields of psychology.

Psychiatry Psychiatry is a specialty of medicine. They study how to treat people with disturbed behavior and can prescribe medicine.

Clinical and Counseling Psychology Specialists in this field are also referred to as psychotherapists. They help people deal with personal and everyday problems. Some help with emotional and learning problems. They account for about one-half of all psychologists.

Personality, Social, and Developmental Psychology Usually involved in research. Some may create personality tests. Others study groups and may be interested in public opinion.

Other Fields Educational Psychology – Related to teaching children and young adults. Community Psychology – May help design, run or evaluate a mental health clinic. Industrial/Organizational Psychology – Study and develop methods to boost production, improve working conditions, and job placement. Experimental Psychology – Do everything from testing how electrical stimulation of the brain affects behavior to studying how disturbed people think.

Psychology ties together all that has been discovered about human behavior and feelings in order to look at the total human being.