1. Introduction to Psychology
Chapter 1 Continued
Introduction to Psychology
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2. A Science Evolves: The Past, the Present, and Future
Learning Outcomes
Explain the roots of psychology
Discuss today’s perspectives on psychology
Apply psychology to your life
Summarize psychology’s key issues and controversies
Module 2 page 12
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Key Terms Module 2
Structuralism
Introspection
Functionalism
Gestalt Psychology
Neuroscience Perspective
Psychodynamic Perspective
Behavioral Perspective
Cognitive Perspective
Humanistic Perspective
Free Will
Determinism
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4. What was Psychology years ago…
Seven thousand years ago people assumed that psychological problems were caused by evil spirits that possessed the person. Healers would chip a hole in a patient’s skull to allow the spirit to escape. (Egyptian, Indian, Incan)
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5. What was Psychology years ago…
Franz Josef Gall, 18 century physician , that a trained observer could discern intelligence, moral character and other personally characteristics from the shape and number of bumps on a person's skull. His theory gave rise to the field of phrenology.
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6. The Roots of Psychology
Wilhelm Wundt began the first psychology laboratory in 1879 in Leipzig, Germany
Structuralism – which focuses on uncovering the fundamental mental components of consciousness, thinking and other kinds of mental states and activities.
Functionalism - early approach that
concentrated on what the mind does - the functions
of mental activity – and the role of behavior in
allowing people to adapt to their environments.
Gestalt (geh shtallt) psychology –
an approach to psychology that focuses on the
organization of perception and thinking in a ‘whole’ sense
rather than on the individual elements of perception.
The formal beginning of psychology as a scientific discipline is generally considered to be in the late nineteenth century, when, in Leipzig, Germany, Wilhelm Wundt established the first experimental laboratory devoted to psychological phenomena.
Structuralism: Wundt’s approach, which focuses on uncovering the fundamental mental components of consciousness, thinking, and other kinds of mental states and activities.
The perspective that replaced structuralism is known as functionalism.
Functionalism: An early approach to psychology that concentrated on what the mind does—the functions of mental activity—and the role of behavior in allowing people to adapt to their environments.
Gestalt (geh SHTALLT) psychology is an approach to psychology that focuses on the organization of perception and thinking in a “whole” sense rather than on the individual elements of perception.

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Women In Psychology
Margaret Floyd Washburn (1871 – 1939) – the first woman to receive a doctorate in psychology.
Leta Stetter Hollingworth (1886 – 1939) – one of the first psychologists to focus on child development and on women’s issues.
Mary Calkins (1863 – 1930) – the first female president of the American Psychological Association.
Karen Horney (horn-eye) (1885 – 1952) – focused on the social and cultural factors behind personality
June Etta Downey (1875 – 1932) – the first woman to head a psychology department at a state university.
Anna Freud (1895 – 1982) – the daughter of Sigmund Freud; made notable contributions to the treatment of abnormal behavior.
Mamie Phipps Clark (1917 – 1983) – worked with racial differences and diversity.
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Recap
1. The science of psychology began in 1879, when Wilhelm Wundt set up the first scientific laboratory in Leipzig, Germany.
2. Structuralism is the school of thought concerned with analyzing sensations and personal experience into basic elements.
3. Introspection is the process used by structuralists, which involves the person looking inward and examining his or her own thoughts, feelings, or sensations.
4. Functionalism is the school of thought that analyzes the role behavior plays in allowing people to adapt to their environments.
5. Gestalt psychology is an approach to psychology that focuses on the organization of perception and thinking in whole units instead of individual parts of that perception.
6. Women made a significant contribution to the development of psychology as a science, despite the fact that they faced prejudices and discriminatory practices.
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Today’s Perspectives
Today, the field of psychology includes five major perspectives that emphasize different aspects of behavior and mental processes.
Neuroscience - views behavior from the perspective of the brain, the nervous system, and other biological functions. It considers how people and nonhumans function biologically: how individual nerve cells are joined together,
how genes influence behavior, and how the
functioning of the body affects cognitive
processes like thinking and emotions. This
perspective considers the study of heredity
and evolution.
Neuroscience perspective The approach that views behavior from the perspective of the brain, the nervous system, and other biological functions.
Psychodynamic perspective The approach based on the view that behavior is motivated by unconscious inner forces over which the individual has little control.
Behavioral perspective The approach that suggests that observable, measurable behavior should be the focus of study.
Cognitive perspective The approach that focuses on how people think, understand, and know about the world.
Humanistic perspective The approach that suggests that all individuals naturally strive to grow, develop, and be in control of their lives and behavior.
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Today’s Perspectives
Psychodynamic - is based on the view that
behavior is motivated by unconscious inner forces over which
the individual has little control. They view dreams and slips
of the tongue as indications of what a person is truly feeling.
Sigmund Freud, a physician from Vienna, Austria, developed the psychodynamic view in the early 1900s. Although many of the original Freudian principles have been criticized, his views played a huge role in understanding the unconscious determinants of behavior in psychology and in related fields.
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Today’s Perspectives
Behavioral - suggests that observable, measurable behavior should be the focus of study. Many psychologists rejected the neuroscience and psychodynamic approaches that looked inside the organism to determine the causes of its behavior. Instead, they felt psychology should focus on behaviors that can be observed and measured.
John B. Watson was the first major American psychologist to advocate a behavioral approach. He believed he could understand behavior by studying and modifying the environment in which people operate. This perspective was also pioneered by B. F. Skinner, a psychologist who focused on which environmental influences reinforce behavior. The behavioral perspective influenced learning processes and made contributions in treating mental disorders, curbing aggression, resolving sexual problems, and ending addiction.
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Today’s Perspectives
Cognitive - focuses on how people think, understand, and know about the world. The emphasis is on how people comprehend and represent the outside world within themselves, and how our ways of thinking about the world influence our behavior. Cognitive psychologists compare human thinking to the workings of a computer, which takes in information and transforms, stores, and retrieves it. In their view, thinking is information processing.
Humanistic - suggests that all individuals naturally strive to grow, develop, and be in control of their lives and behavior. It rejects the view that behavior is determined by automatically unfolding biological forces, unconscious processes, or the environment.
Humanistic psychologists, such as Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow, maintain that each of us has the capacity to seek and reach fulfillment. The humanistic perspective emphasizes free will and the ability to make decisions about one’s own behavior and life. This perspective also stresses the role of psychology in enriching people’s lives and helping them achieve self-fulfillment.
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Recap
1. The neuroscience perspective views behavior from the perspective of the brain, the nervous system, and other biological functions.
2. The psychodynamic perspective is based on the view that behavior is motivated by unconscious inner forces over which the individual has little control.
3. The behavioral perspective suggests that observable, measurable behavior should be the focus of study.
4. The cognitive perspective focuses on how people think, understand, and know about the world.
5. The humanistic perspective suggests that all individuals naturally strive to grow, develop, and be in control of their lives and behavior.
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14. Psychology and Your Life
Psychology helps solve practical problems
Terrorism
Aggression
Eyewitness accounts of crimes
Driving while using a cell phone
Obesity
See the Psychology Matters website of the American Psychological Association ( for more topics
There are many topics and questions that psychologists address on a daily basis. These can include broad areas such as “what causes terrorism?” and can also be as specific as “does using a cell phone really impair people’s driving ability?”
If you choose to further your study in psychology, it is important to note that it is a diverse area of study.
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15. Psychology’s Key Issues & Controversies
Nature (heredity) vs. nurture (environment)
Psychologists argue as to how much genes influence behavior and how much the environment influences behavior. Psychologists agree that a combination of both influence behavior, but they argue about how much of our behavior is caused by heredity and how much is caused by environmental influences.
The field of psychology is more unified than a first glimpse might suggest. No matter what topical areas a psychologist specializes in, he or she will rely primarily on one of the five major perspectives.
Psychology is a unified science because psychologists of all perspectives agree that the issues must be addressed if the field is going to advance.
Consider opposing viewpoints on each issue as the opposing ends of a continuum, with the positions of individual psychologists typically falling somewhere between them.
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16. Psychology’s Key Issues & Controversies
Conscious vs. unconscious causes of behavior
How much of our behavior is produced by forces of which we are fully aware, and how much is due to mental processes that are not accessible to the conscious mind? For example, clinical psychologists adopting a psychodynamic perspective argue that psychological disorders are brought about by unconscious factors, whereas psychologists employing the cognitive perspective suggest that psychological disorders largely are the result of faulty thinking processes.
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17. Psychology’s Key Issues & Controversies
Observable behavior vs. internal mental processes
Psychologists disagree whether or not psychology should concentrate solely on behavior that can be seen by outside observers, or should it focus on unseen thinking processes? Behavioral psychologists think that the only legitimate source of information is behavior that can be observed directly. Cognitive psychologists argue that what goes on inside a person’s mind is critical to understanding behavior, and so we must concern ourselves with mental processes.
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18. Psychology’s Key Issues & Controversies
Free will (choices) vs. determinism (behavior is produced by
factors beyond one’s control)
How much of our behavior is due to choices made freely by an individual, and how
much is produced by factors beyond that individual’s voluntary control? Some
psychologists argue that people make intentional choices and that those who display
so-called abnormal behavior should be considered responsible for their actions. Other
psychologists disagree, and contend that
such individuals are the victims of forces
beyond their control. The position
psychologists take on this issue has important
implications for the way they treat
psychological disorders, especially in deciding
whether treatment should be forced on
people who don’t want it.
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19. Psychology’s Key Issues & Controversies
Individual differences vs. universal principles
Psychologists disagree about how much of our behavior is a consequence of our
unique and special qualities, and how much reflects the culture and society in
which we live. How much of our behavior is universally human? Psychologists
who rely on the neuroscience perspective tend to look for universal principles of
behavior, such as how the nervous system operates or the way certain hormones
automatically prime us for sexual activity.
In contrast, psychologists who employ
the humanistic perspective focus more on
the uniqueness of every individual. They
consider every person’s behavior a
reflection of distinct and special individual
qualities.
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Recap
1. Psychologists disagree about the origins of key issues and solutions surrounding these issues; however, all psychologists agree that researchers must continue to search for solutions to advance individual life and society.
2. Psychologists from all disciplines are researching several key issues today:
Nature versus Nurture
Conscious versus Unconscious Causes of Behavior
Observable Behavior versus Internal Mental Processes
Free Will versus Determinism
Individual Differences versus Universal Principles
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Homework
Critical Thinking Exercise 1:
1. Psychologists study behavior in the workplace. Some people strive to achieve and promote up the corporate ladder quickly. Other people are content to show up, work their hours, and receive fair wages. Do you believe drive and ambition are genetically inherited or learned?  
2. If a person is born with a high intelligence quotient (IQ), will this person automatically succeed? Why or why not?
If a person is struggling to find a job, is it society’s responsibility to provide food and shelter for this person? Why or why not?
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