PSYCHOLOGY CHAPTER 1 INTRO TO PSYCH

Why study Psychology? Psychology helps us to understand why we do what we do by providing a framework – Insight into the “whys” by analyzing settings and motives into our actions – Practical information about human behavior

OVERVIEW OF PSYCHOLOGY What is it? – Scientific study of behavior and mental processes Human and animal Observable and unobservable Scientific Basis – Use scientific method to reach conclusions about specific problems or questions

SCIENTIFIC METHOD Hypothesis – Educated guess based on some evidence of what they expect to find What they expect to find stated in a way that can be proven or disproved – Survey, questionnaire-tool in which results can be analyzed

GOALS OF PSYCHOLOGY Description – Gather info about behavior being studied Exploration – Seek to explain behavior Use hypothesis and test it Theory -complex explanation based on findings from many studies – Theories change as new data is added

GOALS OF PSYCHOLOGY Prediction – Based on knowledge from exploration, psychologists predict what animals/humans might do “Your past predicts your future” Control – Basic science/research to study behavior – Applied science-new ways to use what we already know Not all basic science can or should be applied…too broad, too general

HISTORY OF PSYCHOLOGY Began in ancient Greece-5 th and 6 th centuries BC – People’s behavior dominated not by the gods, but by their own decisions-their minds…people were rational!!! – Did not use scientific studies as we know them- just basic observation of people

HISTORY OF PSYCHOLOGY Middle Ages-Catholic Church was THE major influence on Europeans – Taught that the earth was the center of the universe and the sun revolved around it – 1500’s-Nicolaus Copernicus, through observation, stated the opposite-the sun is the center – Galileo used telescope to confirm predictions about stars’ and placement/movement based on Copernicus’s observations Experimentation through observation

HISTORY OF PSYCHOLOGY 17 th century philosophers defined dualism – Mind and body are separate and distinct Descartes said no-the mind controls the body’s movements, actions – Mind and body influence each other 18 th century biologists found that cells are the building blocks of life – Chemists created Periodic Table – Physicists furthered understanding of atomic forces and…psychology was formed

PSYCHOLOGY AS A DISCIPLINE Structuralism 1879-Wilhelm Wundt started Laboratory of Psych. to study the human mind Introspection=self- observation – People reported their thoughts, Wundt tried to map out thought process Functionalism 1890-William James wrote Principals of Psychology Thinking, feeling, learning, remembering help us survive Focused on function of conscious =mind and goals of behavior

STUDY OF UNCONSCIOUS PROCESSES Sigmund Freud – Psychoanalysis- unconscious motivations and conflicts are responsible for behavior Urges are in conflict with the mores of society and morality Used free association-whatever came to patient’s mind to reveal the workings of the mind Psychoanalyst job=interpret association into something meaningful Dream analysis-dreams are expressions of our most primitive unconscious urges and should be analyzed the same way as free association

INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES 19 th century-Sir Francis Galton – How does heredity influence ability, character and behavior? – Found greatness runs in families Decided it was an inherited trait – Did not look at environment or socio-economic causes Created was we know today as personality and intelligence tests

STUDY OF OBSERVABLE BEHAVIOR Behaviorism Ivan Pavlov – Tone, then meat powder=salivate – Dogs began salivating at sound of tone even if no food existed=conditioned reflex Response (salivation) by a stimulus (tone)other than one first produced (food) – Therefore…behavior is product of prior experience John Watson-psychology should be on observable behavior B.F. Skinner-made Watson’s behaviorist theory popular with Walden Two – Utopia= communities where people were rewarded for displaying good behavior in every facet of life – Reinforcement – controlled reward and punishment…where is this technique used today? Humanism Human nature is active and creative rather than passive (reacting to external stimuli) – Abraham Maslow, Carl Rogers and Rollo May – Human mind can change and influence the world We perceive and interpret our world, making decisions based on circumstances

PSYCHOLOGY AS A PROFESSION A psychologist is trained to – observe and analyze behavior patterns – Develop theories on behavior – Apply knowledge to influence behavior A psychologist is not – A psychiatrist-specializes in medicine-is a doctor Rarely involved in research Can prescribe medicine Focus is helping patients with emotional difficulties