1. Psychology: History and Approaches
Psychology - The study of mental processes and behavior
Goals of Psychology
Description – observe, gather, and present information about a behavior
Explanation – explain why a behavior occurs.
Hypothesis – a researcher’s prediction or educated guess as to why something is occurring
Theory – a complex explanation, usually the result of extensive studies and/or experiments
Prediction – predict what humans or individuals will think, feel, and/or do in a variety of situations. Based on a study past behaviors we can predict future behaviors.
Influence – develop a method or methods to influence or ultimately control an unwanted behavior

2. Intro. Psychology Notes:
Terms:
Physiological: physical / biological
Basic science: Pursuit of knowledge for its own sake
Applied science: pursuit of knowledge in order to apply it to serve a purpose
Cognitive: Mental. Having to do with functions of the mind
Reinforcement: Skinner, controlled reward and punishment to modify behavior

3. Early Perspectives in Psychology
Structuralism: mapping of structure of thought processes
Wilhelm Wundt mid 1800’s, father of experimental psychology
First scientific lab to study psychology by examining thought processes
Introspection: self-observation and reflection
Functionalism: Examine the function of mental (cognitive) activities in terms of how it serves the organism in adapting to its environment.
William James
Idea that most mind activities serve one function, survival of species.
Gestalt School: theory based on the idea that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Deals with organization and perception. (think about how you recognize someone. Chances are you identify people using more than one small physical characteristic)
Psychoanalysis: Freud, looking into the unconscious mind
Free association: method pioneered by Freud to delve into the unconscious mind

4. “Give me a dozen healthy infants… and my own specified world to bring them up in and I’ll guarantee to take any one and train him or her to become any type of specialist I might want to select…” - John Watson
Behaviorist – psychology should concern itself only with the observable facts of behavior (conduct).
Watson believed all behavior, even things that appear to be instinctual is a result of conditioning and is caused by a response to a stimulus.
Shaping – systematic way of rewarding and punishing to modify and control behavior
Questions
1) How does this quote reflect the idea of shaping?
2) Do you agree or disagree with this theory? Explain.
3) What, if any are the limits of shaping?
4) If John Watson is correct, is there such a thing as free will?

5. Contemporary Approaches to Psychology

6. Contemporary Approaches to Psychology
Approach (big names)
What Influences our Behavior
Psychoanalytic Psychology (Freud)
Unconscious motivations influence our behavior
Behavioral Psychology (Pavlov, Watson, Skinner)
Events in the environment (rewards and punishments) influence our behavior
Humanistic Psychology (Maslow)
Individual or self-directed choices influence our behavior
Cognitive Psychology (Piaget)
How we process, store, and retrieve information influences our behavior
Biological Psychology
Biological factors influence our behavior
Sociocultural Psychology
Ethnicity, gender, culture, and socioeconomic status influence our behavior

7. Do this:
Most psychologists tend to follow one approach, but they often borrow from other theories
Which makes the most sense to you? Explain.

8. Sample Research Questions
Sample Research Questions. Under which approach would you find the following questions?
How have negative childhood experiences affected the way I handle stressful situations?
Can good study habits be learned?
Do I believe I can prepare for and pass the test?
How does caffeine affect memory?
Do genes affect your intelligence and personality?
How do people of different genders and ethnicities interact with one another?