1. Psychology: Historical Development and Perspectives
Mr. Senger

2. Learning Objectives
1.1 Define psychology as a field of study, and identify psychology’s four primary goals as a science.
1.2 Describe how psychology developed as a science.
1.3 Describe the perspectives used to understand psychology today.
1.4 Explain how psychology developed as a scientific discipline.
1.5 Describe the important subfields of psychology.
1.6 Discuss the value of research with human and nonhuman animals.
1.7 Describe the role psychology plays in improving both society and people’s lives.
Slide 2 is list of textbook LO numbers and statements

3. Discovering psychology
Video: Discovering Psychology:

4. Crash course

5. What Is Psychology? Standard 1: SS.912.P.1
Psychology: the scientific study of behavior and mental processes
Behavior: outward or overt actions and reactions
Mental processes: internal, covert activity of our minds
“Psychology” has its roots in the Greek words of “psyche,” or mind, and “- ology,” or a field of study.”
Prevents possible biases from leading to faulty observations.
Precise and careful measurement

6. Goals of Psychology Description -What is happening?
observing a behavior and noting everything about it
Explanation- Why is it happening?
Theory: general explanation of a set of observations or facts
Prediction- When will it happen again?
Control-How can it be changed?
Involves changing or modifying an undesirable behavior to a desirable one

7. Scientific Method
The science of psychology is based on objective, verifiable evidence obtained using the scientific method.

8. What is Real Psychology and what is Pseudo-psychology?
Pseudo-psychology is the phony or unscientific psychology which pretends to be the real thing.

9. Why are we tempted to believe it?
Confirmation bias
Barnum effect
Hindsight bias

10. Prescientific Psychology
Socrates ( BCE)
Plato ( BCE)
Socrates and his student Plato believed:
the mind was separate from the body
it continued to exist after death
ideas were innate.

11. PRESCIENTIFIC PSYCHOLOGY
In the 17th C. the French philosopher Rene Descartes argued that human sensations and behaviors were based on activity in the nervous system.
Descartes, like Plato, believed in soul (mind) body separation

12. Prescientific psychology
John Locke ( )
the mind is a tabula rasa or blank sheet at birth and experience writes on it.

13. How ideas are formed? Nature vs nurture
Some ideas are inborn
The mind is a blank slate
Socrates
Aristotle
Plato
Locke
Nature
Nurture

15. Structuralism
Wilhelm Wundt (Voont) was the first to declare himself a psychologist.
Considered “founder” or “father” of Psychology
First Psychology laboratory in 1879
Attempted to apply scientific principles to the study of the human mind

16. Structuralism: Measuring Consciousness
Believed that consciousness could be broken down into thoughts, experiences, emotions, and other basic elements
Developed the technique of objective introspection: the process of objectively examining and measuring one’s thoughts and mental activities
Observations need to be clear and precise, but unbiased

17. Structuralism Edward Titchener
Wundt’s student; brought structuralism to America
Believed that objective introspection could be used on thoughts as well as on physical sensations
Margaret Floy Washburn
Titchener’s student; first woman to earn a P h.D in psychology
Published a book on animal behavior, The Animal Mind (Washburn, 1908).
Structuralism died out in the early nineteen hundreds.

19. Functionalism Proposed by William James
How the mind allows people to function in the real world
E.g. how they work, play, and adapt to their surroundings
Influenced by Darwin’s ideas on natural selection
the passing of traits to offspring
Believed that thoughts were a stream of consciousness and cannot be static.

20. Margaret Floy Washburn
Women in Psychology
Mary Calkins
First woman to complete the requirements for a Ph.D. in psychology
Studied under William James
Harvard refused to award diploma
Studied memory
1st woman president of the APA in 1905
Margaret Floy Washburn
First woman to receive a Ph.D. in psychology in the U.S.
2nd woman to serve as APA President
Notable work in animal behavior

22. Functionalism
African American and Hispanic contribution to early psychology
Francis Cecil Sumner: chair of the psychology department at Howard University
Kenneth and Mamie Clark: showed the negative effects of school segregation on African American children
Jorge Sanchez: intelligence testing and cultural biases
Influenced the modern fields of:
Educational psychology
Industrial/organizational psychology
Evolutionary psychology

23. Francis Cecil Sumner
First African-American to receive a Ph.D. in psychology
Notable work in refuting racism
Showed eugenics as a faulty science

24. Kenneth Clark/ Mamie Philips Clark
Educational psychologists
Studied institutionalized racism and effect on self- perception
The Doll Test
Video:
Studies were cited in “Brown v Board of Education”
The Court weighed carefully considerations involving adherence to legal precedent, social-science findings on the negative effects of segregation, and the marked inferiority of the schools that African Americans were forced to attend.

25. Inez Beverly Prosser
First African-American woman to receive a Ph.D. in Psychology
Looked at the effect on segregation on the education of students.

26. Gestalt Psychology
Psychological perspective that emphasized our tendency to integrate pieces of information into meaningful wholes.
The whole is different from the sum of its parts.
What does this mean?
We all have different perspectives

28. What do you see?

29. What do you see?

30. What do you see?

31. Psychology Today Psychology today arises from 6 main perspectives:
Biological
Cognitive
Psychodynamic
Behavioral
Sociocultural
Evolutionary

33. Biological Perspective:
Looks at how our brain, genetics, chemicals (hormones and neurotransmitters) influence our personality, preferences, behavior patterns, and abilities.
Influence of Darwin
Some traits are passed down through evolution
According to biological view, our behavior is a result of heredity, the nervous system and the endocrine system and environmental impacts such as disease.

35. Psychoanalysis Founder of the psychoanalytic perspective.
Sigmund Freud
Founder of the psychoanalytic perspective.
Our behavior and feelings are powerfully affected by unconscious motives which are trying to surface
Our behavior and feelings as adults (including psychological problems) are rooted in our childhood experiences (0-12 years).
Influence on “pop culture”
Freudian slips
Anal-retentive

36. psychoanalysis
Personality is made up of three parts (i.e. tripartite): the id, ego and super-ego.
Behavior is motivated by two instinctual drives:
Eros (the sex drive & life instinct)
Thanatos (the aggressive drive & death instinct).
Both these drives come from the “id”.

37. Psychodynamic Perspective
Psychodynamic perspective: modern version of psychoanalysis
‘Psychodynamic’ refers to both Freud’s theories and those of his followers (e.g. Jung, Adler, Erickson etc.)
More focused on the development of a sense of self and discovery of motivation behind a person’s behavior rather than sexual motivation
Also focuses on some conscious

39. Behavioral Perspective
The theory that Psychology should only study observable behaviors, not mental processes.
Behaviorists argued the mind is like a black box and hard to see thoughts or unconscious.
Popular in the 1950’s
Focus: How we learn through rewards, punishments, and observation
Behavior is explained by previous learning

40. Ivan Pavlov (1849-1936) Russian Physiologist
Studied learning in animals-reflex could be conditioned (learned)
Emphasized the study of observable behaviors
Classical Conditioning
Video =NzBDScsHL44

41. John B. Watson (1878-1958) Founder of behaviorism
Studied only observable and objectively described acts
Emphasized objective and scientific methodology
Little Albert experiment
Video

42. B.F. Skinner (1904-1990) American psychologist
Focused on learning through rewards and observation
Developed the theory of operant conditioning – of how voluntary behavior is learned
Behavioral responses followed by pleasurable consequences get strengthened or reinforced
Video:

44. Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hTEyJROf3Mk
Behaviorism has influenced the development of cognitive psychology

45. Humanistic perspective:
Often called the “third force” in psychology, its a reaction to both psychoanalytic theory and behaviorism
Holds the view that people have:
free will
freedom to choose their own destiny
strive for self-actualization
Focus on people’s ability to direct their own lives
Early founders:
Abraham Maslow
Carl Rogers

46. Abraham Maslow

47. Carl rogers Agreed with Maslow
Belived that for a person to "grow", they need:
an environment that provides them with genuineness (openness and self- disclosure)
acceptance (being seen with unconditional positive regard)
and empathy (being listened to and understood).
Without these, relationships and healthy personalities will not develop as they should, much like a tree will not grow without sunlight and water.
A viewpoint which emphasizes human ability, growth, potential and free will.

49. cognitive Perspective:
Cognitive Perspective focuses on:
Memory
Intelligence
Perception
Thought processes
Problem solving
Language
Learning
Includes the relatively new field of cognitive neuroscience which uses tools like MRI, fMRI, and PET for imaging the structure and activity of the living brain

51. Sociocultural perspective:
Focuses on the relationship between social behavior and culture.
Cultural Relativity= behavior should be judged by the practices and values of a particular culture.
Cross-cultural research: contrasts and comparisons of a behavior or issue are studied in at least two or more cultures.

53. Biopsychosocial:
Holistic approach: explains how genetics, behaviors, and environmental aspects interact to explain an individual.
Systematically considers:
Biological
Psychological
Social factors and their complex interactions in understanding health, illness, and health care delivery.

54. Positive Psychology Martin Seligman, founder of positive psychology
shifts focus away from the negative and focuses on strengths, well-being, and the pursuit of happiness.
scientific study of the strengths that enable individuals and communities to thrive.
Belief that people want to:
lead meaningful and fulfilling lives
to cultivate what is best within themselves
to enhance their experiences of love, work, and play. 54

55. Eclectic perspective No one perspective has all the answers
some are more scientific (behavioral and cognitive
some based more on human behavior
Bits and pieces of several perspectives are used to best fit a particular situation.

57. Psychological Professionals
Psychologist
Undergoes intense academic training, has a doctorate degree, chooses a specialization from the different subfields as shown in figure (b) below:

58. Professionals in Psychology
Reading: Prentice Hall Psycholgy: Chapter 16
Module 37, Pgs

59. Psychological Professionals. Standard 20: SS. 912. P
Psychological Professionals Standard 20: SS.912.P.20 Vocational Applications
Psychiatrist
Medical doctor who has specialized in the diagnosis and treatment of psychological disorders
Psychiatric Social Worker
Has a Master’s degree, is trained, and focuses on environmental conditions that can have an impact on mental disorders, such as poverty, overcrowding, stress, and drug abuse

60. Psychological Professionals
Clinical Psychologists
Diagnose and treat patients with psychological problems
Largest number of professional psychologists
Neuropsychologists
Also called biological psychologists or biopsychologists.
Explore how the brain works
Most often work in university/college settings

61. Psychological Professionals
Social Psychologist
Explore how behaviors, feelings, and beliefs are influenced by others
Study conformity, attitudes, leadership, prejudice, group behavior, etc.
Work in the business setting, government, and universities

62. Psychological Professionals
Developmental Psychologist
Study the growth or development that takes place from the womb to death
Work in senior centers, hospitals, day-cares or universities
Cognitive Psychologist
Study thought processes including intelligence, problem solving, attention, decision making, language, etc.
Work in educational settings and the business world

63. Psychological Professionals
Experimental Psychologist
Also called research psychologist
Specialize in doing research in any of the other subfields
Work at universities, for the government, or in a business setting

64. Research Basic research – for the sake of gaining scientific knowledge
Example: how many “things” a person can hold in memory at any one time
Applied research – aimed at answering real-world, practical problems
Example: use information from the basic researcher’s memory study to develop a new study method for students.

65. Psychological Professionals
Forensic Psychologist
Apply law and psychology to legal issues
Work in correctional settings, law enforcement, and academic sett
Sports Psychologists
Explore psychological issues in improving athletic performance
Work for sports teams or in private practice

66. Psychological Professionals
Educational Psychologists
Study how humans learn and how to improve the learning process
Work in school systems, the government, or at universities
Human Factors Psychologists
Study how people and machines interact at home and in the workplace
Try to minimize frustration and increase safety and production
Work in the business world or for the government

67. Psychological Professionals
Industrial/Organizational (I/O) Psychologist
Try to apply Psychology to help business and organizations operate.
Work for the government, business or in academic settings
Schools Psychologists
Use psychology to improve the development of children in the school system.
Are involved in assessments (testing)
Work for school systems, the government or universities

68. Psychological Professionals
Consumer Psychologists
Study why people buy certain products and not others
Work in the business or academic world
Rehabilitation Psychologists
Help those who have been involved in an accident or have been ill
Work in medical rehabilitation centers

69. Psychological Professionals
Health Psychologists
Find ways to prevent disease and promote good health
Work for health agencies, hospitals, rehabilitation centers, and universities
Social Worker
Only have an undergraduate or masters degree in psychology or social work
Work to improve the lives of others
Work for the government, schools, and residential facilities
APA LIST OF CAREERS IN PSYCHOLOGY

70. Role of Psychology in Society
Psychologists can aim to improve the daily lives of people in the following ways:
research into tough social issues and work on strategies to minimize racial prejudice and violence
research on human factors psychology and contribute to engineering improvements
understand developmental issues during childhood, strengthen school curriculum, and guide parents’ approach to raising children
help people work through difficult personal issues and overcome the challenges of psychological disorders

71. Applying Psychology in real life
Eye Witness Testimony
Discovering Psychology 24: Applying Psychology in Life (Annenberg Learner)
Video: