1. Psychology Chapter 1: Introducing Psychology

2. Why Study Psychology?
Psychology can provide insight into behavior and give one the chance to acquire practical information
1. Psychology – the scientific study of behavior and mental processes that are tested through scientific research
2. Psychologists differ in how much importance they place on specific types of behavior
They do agree that the study of behavior must be systematic
Goals of Psychology
Description – 1st goal is to describe or gather information about the behavior begin studied and to present what is known
Explanation – they seek to explain why. Hypothesis – an educated guess about some phenomenon. Theory – a complex explanation based on findings from a large number of experimental studies. Theories change as more information is gathered.
Prediction – 3rd goal is to predict, form the knowledge gathered, what things will do, think or feel in various situations. By studying past behaviors, future behavior can be predicted.
Influence – Basic Science – research as compared to Applied Science – discovering ways to use scientific findings to accomplish practical goals.

3. Why Study Psychology cont.
Dr. Zimbardo Video #2
The Scientific Basis of Psychology
Psychologists rely on the Scientific Method – a general approach to gathering information and answering questions so that errors and biases are minimized
Identify a problem or question
Formulate a hypothesis
Collect data though observation and experimentation
Analyze the data
Section 1 Review

4. A Brief History of Psychology
Origins of Psychology
5th and 6th century BC – the Greeks
began to study human behavior and decided that people’s lives were influenced more by their minds than by gods
Mid-1500’s – Nicholaus Copernicus
Earth was not the center of the universe, during the Renaissance period, experimentation through observation
17th Century – Rene Descartes
Others popularized dualism – the mind and body are separate and distinct
Descartes said there was a link, he assumed that the mind and body influence one another to create a person’s experiences

5. A Brief History of Psychology cont.
Historical Approaches
Structuralism
Established modern psychology as a separate formal field of study
Wilhelm Wundt started this
Structuralism – the study of the basic elements of human experience
Introspection – a method of self-observation in which participants report their thoughts and feelings
Functionalism
William James – the fathers of psychology in America
Functionalism – the study of how animals and people adapt to their environments
Inheritable Traits
Sir Francis Galton
Study of seeing if genetics/hereditary factors played a role in abilities, character and behavior
Debate is still ongoing regarding genetics versus environment
Gestalt Psychology
A group of German psychologists disagreed with the principles of structuralism and behaviorism
Believed that the whole pattern or Gestalt, was important

6. A Brief History of Psychology cont.
Contemporary Approaches
Psychoanalytic Psychology
Sigmund Freud
Interested in the unconscious mind, beneath the surface are primitive biological urges that are in conflict with the requirements of society and morality
Believed that unconscious motivations and conflicts were responsible for most human behavior
Had a method for indirectly studying unconscious processes
Free Association – a patient says everything that comes to mind, no matter how absurd or irrelevant it may seem, without attempting to produce logical or meaningful statements
No editing or censoring their thoughts
Psychoanalysis – the study of how unconscious motives and conflicts determine human behavior

7. A Brief History of Psychology cont.
Behavioral Psychology
Ivan Pavlov
Dog experiment with salivation/Classical Conditioning
John B. Watson
Believed that psychologists should only deal with observable facts of behavior; all behavior is a result of conditioning and occurs because a stimuli is present
B.F. Skinner
Introduced the concept of reinforcement/Operant Conditioning
Reinforcement – a response to a behavior that increase the likelihood the behavior will be repeated
Wrote Walden 2
Humanistic Psychology
Abraham Maslow, Carl Rogers, Rollo May
Human nature is evolving and self-directed
Environment and outside forces are just the background to our own growth, they don’t influence us
Each person is unique and has a self-concept and potential to develop fully

8. A Brief History of Psychology cont.
Cognitive Psychology
Jean Piaget
Focuses on how we process, store and use information and how this information influences our thinking, language, problem solving, and creativity
Behavior is influenced by a variety of mental processes like perception, memories and expectations
Biological Psychology
Emphasizes the impact of biology on our behavior
Study how the brain, CNS, hormones and genetics influence our behavior
Use PET and CAT scans as tools
Sociocultural Psychology
The study of the influence of cultural and ethnic similarities and differences on behavior and social functioning
Our knowledge, ways of thinking, feeling and behaving are dependent on the culture we belong to
Section 2 Review

9. Psychology as a Profession
What is a Psychologist
Psychologist – people who have been trained to observe, analyze and evaluate behavior
Usually have a doctorate in Pyschology
Psychiatrist differs in that it is a specialty of medicine. They are medical students who do their residency in a psych ward or psych hospital
Clinical Psychologist – help people deal with their personal problems
Work in mental hospitals, private offices, prisons and clinics
½ of psychologists specialize in clinical psychology
Counseling Psychologist – usually work in schools or industrial firms
Help people adjust to the challenges of life
Most states require a doctorate to be a clinical and counseling psychologist

10. Psychology as a Profession cont.
Other types of Psychologists
School psychologists – help students with emotional and learning problems
Social Psychologists – study groups and how they influence behavior
Developmental Psychologists – study physical, emotional, cognitive and social changes that occur throughout life
They study children, the elderly and the process of dying for example
Educational Psychologists – deal with topics related to teaching children and young adults, such as memory, intelligence, teaching methods, and develop new instructional devices.
Experimental Psychologists – perform research to understand how humans (and animals) operate physically and psychologically
Section 3 Review
Chapter 1 Study Guide
Chapter 1 Test