1. AP Psychology: History & Approaches(2-4%)

2. Where do you stand?
How much is Psychology a real science like Physics, Chemistry or Biology?
How much of Psychology’s facts can be trusted if every human is different?

3. What is psychology? Definition
Definition
From the Greek terms psyche meaning mind or soul
and logos meaning study of
= the study of the mind

4. Origin of Psychology
Philosophers like Hippocrates, Socrates, Descartes, and Locke
Late 1800s, psychology emerged as its own discipline
Biologists like Charles Darwin and physiologists like Weber and Fechner show how physical events are related to sensation and perception
Birth date = 1879
Wundt established 1st research lab in Germany

5. I “Wundt”er Vat is going on in his head?
Studied consciousness
Wanted to describe basic elements
how they are organized and how they relate
Used introspection
Began psychology’s transformation from philosophy of mental processes to science of mental processes
I “Wundt”er Vat is going on in his head?

6. Titchener & Structuralism
Student of Wundt
Studied consciousness as well as images and other aspects that are harder to quantify
Added “clearness” as element of sensation
Called approach “structuralism” = trying to define the structure of consciousness

7. Functionalism
Focus = understanding how mental processes function to allow humans to live and adapt
William James – American psychologist at Harvard (late 1870s)
first lab to show demos to students
rejected Wundt & Titchener’s work
G. Stanley Hall – first research lab at Johns Hopkins

8. Behaviorism
John B. Watson – observable behavior of animals and humans = only appropriate subject matter for psych (early 1900s)
Should base psychology only on what can be seen in behavior (he had disdain for introspection!)
Thought all human behavior was learned
B.F. Skinner = rewards & punishments shape, maintain & change behavior

9. Gestalt Wertheimer, Koffka & Kohler Gestalt = whole
“The whole is greater than the sum of it’s parts”.
Emphasis = if you break consciousness into small elements = you destroy the whole

10. Psychoanalysis Sigmund Freud – (late 1800s early 1900s)
All behavior= based in conflicts at an unconscious level
Developed psychotherapy (dream analysis)
Emphasized importance of childhood
Based on medical cases not on lab experiments

11. The often forgotten Eclectic approach
Means exactly that – taking techniques and ideas from a variety of approaches.

12. Approaches (see “hand”out)
Evolutionary
Behavioral
Biological
Cognitive
Humanistic
Psychoanalytic/Psychodynamic
Sociocultural
Even Big Bird Can Hurt People Sometimes
Gestalt
Eclectic

13. “I can make you afraid, very afraid.”
Bumper Sticker
On the provided paper, develop a bumper sticker that would exemplify the essence of your assigned psychological approach. Your bumper sticker should include a combination of quotes (real or made up!), phrases, drawings, symbols and/or logos
You may include a name of a noted psychologist that may represent the perspective
“I can make you afraid, very afraid.”
J B Watson