Welcome to Human Behavior PSYCHOLOGY SOCIOLOGY

Definitions Psychology Is the science of behavior and mental processesSociology Is the science of human society and social behavior

PSYCHOLOGY Two Major Organizations APA American Psychological Association APS Association for Psychological Science

American Psychological Association Founded in 1892 by G. Stanley Hall Today it is made up of 54 divisions Each division represents an area of special interest to contemporary psychologists

Areas of Special Interest in PSYCHOLOGY Developmental Studies the processes and changes involved in human mental and physical growth in specific time frames in life -Ex. Child PsychologistsPsychology These careers mirror demographic changes -Baby boom= lots of child psy. -Now older people= geriatric psy.

Areas of Special Interest in PSYCHOLOGY Physiological Psychology Investigates the extent to which behavior is caused by physical and chemical phenomena in the body They study the brain, the nervous system, and the body’s biochemistry Example: why coffee makes us nervous

Areas of Special Interest in PSYCHOLOGY Experimental Psychology Investigates such basic psychological processes as learning, memory, sensation, perception, cognition, motivation, and emotion BIG TOPICS FOR OUR CLASS!!!!!!! Careers: Mostly at the college level, few make a career out of it

Areas of Special Interest in PSYCHOLOGY Personality Psychology Investigates the differences among people in such traits as anxiety, sociability, self-esteem, the need for achievement, and aggressiveness Is shyness a personality trait or simply the response to an unfamiliar social situation? Introvert v. Extrovert

Areas of Special Interest in PSYCHOLOGY Clinical and Counseling Psychology  About ½ of all psychologists specialize in this division  Patients or “clients”  Interested primarily in the diagnosis, causes, and treatments of psychological disorders

Areas of Special Interest in PSYCHOLOGY Industrial Psychology Studies the nature of humans at work Ex-Does the physical appearance of a workplace impact productivity? Quality?

Areas of Special Interest in PSYCHOLOGY Consumer Psychology Focuses on the nature of the human consumer What makes people buy things? Work includes advertising firms and private companies Ex- Children and bright cereal boxes

Areas of Special Interest in PSYCHOLOGY Environmental Psychology Studies the impact of our environment on human behavior Work: Architects, Landscape Design, Urban Planners

Areas of Special Interest in PSYCHOLOGY Community Other Divisions of the APA: Consumer PSY Industrial Organizational TEACHING OF PSYCHOLOGY School AddictionsEducationalSocial

Where it all Began Logic and ideas of ancient Greeks Plato and Aristotle had theory of Associationism: -learn and understand by making associations between events they observe

17 th Century Rene Descartes-wrote that mind and body are separate and interact to make us who we are -Nativist View- emphasizes nature (genetics, heredity) accounts for who we are John Locke- who we are comes through our senses and associations between events -Empiricists Position- Locke believed each person was a blank slate shaped by experience

This is still the biggest debate in psychology: Nature vs. Nurture