IB Psychology Instructor: Ms Lindström

Introduction Common definition: Psychology is the scientific study of behaviour and mental processes (mind) and how these are affeced by internal processes and the environment. Psychology literally means ”study of the mind” derived from Greek roots

What do you know about psychology? What is psychology to you? Discuss with the person who sits next to you for two minutes

Pseudopsychologies Pseudopsychologies are unreliable approaches that do not use the scientific method Examples of such include: Astrology: system that tries to relate personality to the movement of the stars Palmistry: palm reading

History of Psychology Psycholgy delevloped from three main areas of study: Philosophy Biology Physics

Philosophy Greek philosophers: Plato, Socrates, Aristotle Empirism– argued that humans should only measure data that is objectively observable, such as behaviour Positivism– argued that the methods and principles of science should be applied to human behaviour

Biology Evolution – Darwin, genetics Physiology– discoveries, mostly from the medical profession

Physics Scientific methods

How Did Psychology Develop? The date 1879 Wilhelm Wundt – founding father first formal laboratory for psychological research at the University of Leipzig Americans’ founding father – William James (1875) Began teaching psychology at Harvard Published The Principles of Psychology (took 12 years to write)

How it started: Structuralism Functionalism Psychoanalysis Behaviourism Cognitive psychology The Humanistic approach The biological approach

Structuralism vs. Functionalism Structuralism -Pioneerd by Wundt -The object of psychological investigation should be the conscious mind (structure of the human mind) Functionalism -replaced structuralism and pioneerd by William James -Influenced by Darwin -Functional approach, to survive and adapt

Psychodynamic psychology psychoanalysis (therapy) Sigmund Freud – major impact on psychology around 1900 A method of therapy. Freud argued that the proper object of psychological investigation should be the unconscious mind, and that our behaviour is determined by processes of which we are not aware.

Behavioursim (Learning perspective) Dominated experimental psychology until the 1950s John Watson – critical of ”minds” OrPQEhttp:// OrPQE Approached that psychology should only investigate observable behaviour if it wanted to be an objective science

Cognitive Psychology Aims to investigate the mind by using computer information processing ideas to arrive at testable models of how the brain works, and then applying scientific methods to confirm these models. Has enjoyed much success and is still very dominant. Therapy: CBT Studies: memory, language, problem solving, decision making, perception, attention Task: problem solving + experiment + eye- witness testimonies (videos)

The Humanistic Approach A less scientific view of the human mind by arguing that psychology should focus on each individual’s conscious experience and aims in life. Example: Maslow’s hierarchy of needs

The Biological Approach Has used evolutionary, physiological and genetic explanations for human behaviour Studies for example: IQ, phantoms in the brain, neurotransmitters, hormones, brain damage,disorders… Has brought in the alternative approach of treating psychological disorders, by using psychopharmacological drugs (pills)

Lobotomy

Psychological theory in practice: Pr. Carol Dweck from Stanford University people’s mindset in explaining success (fixed or growth mindset) showed this by an experiment 2007: telling some students that one can develop one’s IQ though work and the other group just a lecture on memory. The first group’s math grades went up and other didn’t. What do you believe? Is IQ fixed or changeable?

More approaches Today there are so many more fields/perspectives/ level of analyses within psychology, such as: Social psychology Cultural psychology Abnormal psychology Forensic psychology Sport psychology Developmental psychology Work and organizational psychology Criminal psychology Neuropsychology Neuroeconomics