P S Y C H O L O G Y T h i r d E d i t i o n by Drew Westen PowerPoint  Presentation C h a p t e r 1 P S Y C H O L O G Y The Study of Mental Processes & Behavior John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Lecture Outline n Boundaries of Psychology  Biology versus culture n Perspectives in Psychology  Psychodynamic  Behaviorist  Cognitive  Evolutionary © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Psychology n Psychology is defined as the scientific investigation of mental processes and behavior n Psychological processes reflect the influence of:  biological processes of the cells within the nervous system  the context of cultural beliefs and values © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Biopsychology n Biopsychology seeks to understand the mind through understanding the biological activity of the brain n Localization of function is the notion that discrete brain regions control discrete aspects of mental functioning  Lesions of neural pathways alter behavior in animal studies  Humans with focal brain damage show evidence of impairment of language Broca noted that damage to the left front hemisphere impairs the ability to speak language © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Localization of Function Damage to Broca’s area produces difficulty in speaking Damage to Wernicke’s area results in difficulty in language comprehension © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Cultural Influences and Psychology n Culture refers to the influence of membership in a larger group such as a tribe or nation  A society is not simply the summation of the individuals that make up the society  Rather, culture impacts psychological functioning of individuals within the society © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Philosophical Issues of Psychology n Free will versus determinism? n Nature versus nurture? n Rationalism versus empiricism? n Reason versus emotion? n Continuity versus discontinuity with other animals? n Individualism versus relationality? n Conscious versus unconscious? n Mental versus physical © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Early Psychological Science n Wilhelm Wundt: Proponent of structuralism  Established the first psychological laboratory  Wundt used the method of introspection to examine mental processes Observers were trained to provide verbal reports of their psychological processes Wundt sought to define the structure of consciousness n William James: Proponent of functionalism  Functionalism argued that consciousness is functional and serves a purpose © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Perspectives in Psychology n Any psychological issue can be approached using a number of perspectives n We can be biased in our perspectives  Face  Vase © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Psychodynamic Perspective n The psychodynamic view posits that conscious and unconscious forces interact to control our thoughts and behaviors  Behavior is an interplay between thoughts, feelings, and wishes  Some mental events are unconscious  Mental processes can conflict, resulting in anxiety © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Psychodynamic Perspective n Metaphor for the Psychodynamic view:  Awareness is like an iceberg: the portion above water is the conscious, the larger bulk below the water is the unconscious n Methods: Seek to understand the meanings of the mental life of a client  Speech and dream analyses n Data: Case studies in which a therapist seeks understanding of the thoughts, feelings, and actions of the client © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Behaviorist Perspective n Behaviorist view is that learning plays a role in acquiring and maintaining behaviors  Conditioning in which stimuli are associated Restaurant is paired with bad news that leads to anxiety Pairing of novel flavor with illness leads to taste aversion  Conditioning in which behaviors have consequences: Positive consequences are reinforcing Negative consequences are punishing © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Behaviorist Perspective n Metaphor: Humans and other animals are mechanistic; we show reflexive responses that can be elicited by external stimuli n Methods: Experimental method  What are the relations between stimuli and behaviors? n Data: Quantitative empirical data analyses that can be replicated  Rats running in a maze for food © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Behaviorist Perspective: Animal Experiments of Learning n In this study, a rat is placed at one end of a T-maze n The reward (food pellets) is placed in the left arm n Over trials, the rat runs rapidly to the left arm to obtain the food pellets © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Cognitive Perspective n The Cognitive view focuses on how people process, store, and retrieve information n Metaphor: The mind is like a computer  Identify inputs, outputs, and speculate on the mental programs that govern thought n Methods: Experimental Method  Recall of previous material  Reaction time n Data: Memory and decision-making © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Evolutionary Perspective n Evolutionary view: Human behaviors evolved because they helped our ancestors survive and reproduce  Animals and humans share common behaviors  Behaviors are biological determined Impulse to eat Sexual impulses Aggressive behavior in males Caring for ones offspring n Sociobiology:  Natural selection operates on psychological functions as well as physical functions © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Evolutionary Perspective n Metaphor: “We are all runners in a race, competing for resources…” n Methods: Deductive, some experimental n Data: Often start with a known behavior in a species and attempt to explain it on the basis of evolutionary principles © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Contributions of the Psychological Perspectives n Psychodynamic  Focus on unconscious process and on conflict n Behavioral  Focus on learning  Behaviors can be modified by consequences n Cognitive  Focus on thought and memory n Evolutionary  Focus on why we feel, think, or behave © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Certainty of Genetic Relatedness and Grandparent Investment © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Major Subdisciplines of Psychology n Biopsychology n Developmental n Social n Clinical n Industrial/Organizational n Educational n Experimental n Health © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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