1. Psychology * Defined as: the scientific study of mind and behavior
Psychology comes from 2 Greek words:
Psyche = the soul (spirit, or mind as distinguished from the body)**
Logos = study of a subject

2. Founder of Psychology William Wundt:
1879 opened first psychology research laboratory
Psychology focus:
Consciousness
Awareness of immediate experiences

3. The Battle of the “Schools” Begins
Old School:
Structuralism: Edward Titchener
Analyze consciousness of the basic elements (like scientists study matter)
Introspection – Careful, self-observations of one’s own conscious experience
Two intellectual schools of thought regarding the science of psychology fought it out in the academic arena, with the fight led by Edward Titchener in the STRUCTURALISM corner and William James in the FUNCTIONALISM corner.
The structuralists believed that psychology should be about analyzing consciousness into its basic elements, just as physicists were studying how matter was made up of basic particles. To do this, Titchener and his followers relied on introspection, a process by which a person makes careful, systematic self-observations of one’s own conscious experience.
The functionalists thought this missed the point. James and his followers thought psychology should be about investigating the function or purpose of consciousness, rather than its structure.

4. The Battle of the “Schools” Begins
New School
Functionalism: William James
Thought “Structuralists missed the point!”
Investigate function/purpose of consciousness NOT structure!
Led to investigation of mental testing, developmental patterns, and sex differences
Two intellectual schools of thought regarding the science of psychology fought it out in the academic arena, with the fight led by Edward Titchener in the STRUCTURALISM corner and William James in the FUNCTIONALISM corner.
The structuralists believed that psychology should be about analyzing consciousness into its basic elements, just as physicists were studying how matter was made up of basic particles. To do this, Titchener and his followers relied on introspection, a process by which a person makes careful, systematic self-observations of one’s own conscious experience.
The functionalists thought this missed the point. James and his followers thought psychology should be about investigating the function or purpose of consciousness, rather than its structure.

5. Perspectives

6. Psychoanalysis: Freud
Sigmund Freud, M.D. : Significant influence !!
Psychodynamic Theory: explain personality, motivation, and mental disorders through unconscious thoughts, feelings, behavior
Psychoanalysis, psychodynamic, psychoanalytic theory all associated with Freud
Behavior is influenced by:
Unconscious
Sexuality
Video

7. Behaviorism: Watson, Pavlov, Skinner
John B. Watson: founded behaviorism
Names associated: Pavlov, Skinner
Key Concepts:
Focus on observable behavior
Behavior is predictable
Control behavior by controlling environment
Baby is a Blank Slate
Experiences shape behavior
Nature vs. Nuture
Watson Video

8. Humanistic Psychology: Rogers, Maslow
Key Concepts:
Self-Actualization
Free Will
Self Concept
Self Esteem
To be cont. (ch.7)

9. Cognitive Psychology
Cognition defined: the mental processes involved in acquiring knowledge
Mental Processes uses the information processing theory to focus on how you:
Think
Perceive
Remember
Judge
Piaget video

10. Information Processing
Still Cognitive Psychology
Computer metaphor
Encoding
Storage
Retrieval

11. Biological Psychology
Interaction between biology and behavior:
Brain
Nervous system
Hormones
Genetics
Chemicals, nutrition
Exercise, stress

12. Sociocultural/Cross-Cultural Psychology
Humans influenced by:
Social situations
Culture
Key Concepts:
Conformity
Social Norms
Individualism: its all about me
Collectivism: its all about the group

13. Evolutionary Psychology *
Key Concepts:
Fitness for Survival
Reproduction
Natural selection
Adaptation

14. Practitioners Psychiatrists – M.D., can prescribe drugs
Psychologists – Ph.D. or Psy.D.
Many subfields of psychology Video

15. Levels of Explanation in Psychology
Psychologists understand behavior at different levels
Lower-level: biological factors
Middle-level: interpersonal
Higher-level: cultural factors
This means that behavior has multiple, interactive causes
Higher:
Cultural and Social
Middle:
Interpersonal
Personality
Lower:
Biological

16. Levels of Explanation: Depression
Social and Cultural
(e.g., gender roles, unemployment)
Interpersonal
(e.g., individual thought processes, marital conflict
Biological
(e.g., genes, hormones and neurotransmitters

17. Try it: Choose an emotion or behavior.
Social and Cultural
How would you explain it at this level?
Interpersonal
Biological
How would you
explain it at
this level?

18. There is no single explanation for most mental processes or behaviors.
Why did _____ do _____?
There is no single explanation for most mental processes or behaviors.
Levels of explanation
Provide a focus for research
Provide a direction for application
Provide a framework for critical thinking

19. Goals of Psychology Four Goals: Describe Explain Predict
Control/Influence Behavior/Mental Process
If:
Pattern
Explainable
Open-minded
Analytical

20. What Makes Psychology A Science?
Scientific Method
the set of assumptions, rules, and procedures that scientists use to conduct empirical research
Empirical research *
collecting, organizing, and drawing conclusions from data
Data
information collected through formal observation or measurement.