1. Essentials of Understanding Psychology
9th Edition
By Robert Feldman
PowerPoints by Kimberly Foreman
Revised for 9th Ed by Cathleen Hunt
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2. Chapter 1: Introduction to Psychology
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3. Module 1: Psychologists at Work
What is the science of psychology?
What are the major specialties in the field of psychology?
Where do psychologists work?
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4. Psychology Scientific study of behavior and mental processes.
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5. Subfields of Psychology
Subfields are Psychology’s “Family Tree”
How to identify a subfield?
Look at the basic questions about behavior that they address.
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6. Major Subfields of Psychology
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7. The Subfields of Psychology
What are the biological foundations of behavior?
Behavioral Neuroscience
Examines how the brain and the nervous system determine behavior.
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8. The Subfields of Psychology
How Do People
Sense
Perceive
Learn About
Think About
…the World?
Experimental Psychology
Includes the subspecialty Cognitive Psychology
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9. The Subfields of Psychology
What Are the Sources of Change and Stability in Behavior Across the Life Span?
Developmental Psychology
Studies how people grow and change from conception through death.
Personality Psychology
Focuses on the consistency in people’s behavior over time and the traits that differ from person to person.
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10. The Subfields of Psychology
How Do Psychological Factors Affect Physical and Mental Health?
Health Psychology
Explores the relationship between psychological factors and physical ailments or disease.
Clinical Psychology
Deals with the study, diagnosis, and treatment of psychological disorders.
Counseling Psychology
Focuses primarily on educational, social, and career-adjustment problems.
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11. The Subfields of Psychology
How Do Our Social Networks Affect Behavior?
Social Psychology
Study of how people’s thoughts, feelings, and actions are affected by others.
Cross-Cultural Psychology
Investigates the similarities and differences in psychological functioning in and across various cultures and ethnic groups.
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12. Newer Subfields of Psychology
Expanding Psychology’s Frontiers
Evolutionary Psychology
Considers how behavior is influenced by our genetic inheritance from our ancestors.
Behavioral Genetics
Seeks to understand how we inherit certain behavioral traits and how the environment influences the display of those traits.
Clinical Neuropsychology
Unites neuroscience and clinical psychology.
Focuses on origin of psychological disorders in biofactors.
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13. Where do Psychologists work?
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14. Psychologists: A Portrait
~300,000 psychologists work in the United States.
In the United States women outnumber men in the field.
Today ~¾ of doctorates are given to women.
Vast majority of psychologists in the United States are white.
6% are members of racial minority groups.
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15. The Education of a Psychologist
Ph.D.
Doctor of philosophy
Psy.D.
Doctor of psychology
M.A. or M.S.
Master’s degree
B.A. or B.S.
Bachelor’s degree
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16. Careers for Psychology Majors
Most psychology majors take a job in this field after graduation.
Most common areas of employment:
Social Services
Education
Federal, state, and local government
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17. Careers for Psychology Majors
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18. MODULE 2: A Science Evolves
The Past, the Present, and the Future
What are the origins of psychology?
What are the major approaches in contemporary psychology?
What are psychology’s key issues and controversies?
What is the future of psychology likely to hold?
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19. Major Milestones in Psychology
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20. The Roots of Psychology
Functionalism
William James
Concentrated on what the mind does and how behavior functions
Stream of consciousness
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21. The Roots of Psychology
Gestalt Psychology
Hermann Ebbinghaus & Max Wertheimer
Emphasized how perception is organized
“The whole is different from the sum of its parts”
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22. Women in Psychology: Founding Mothers
Margaret Floy Washburn (1871–1939)
First woman to receive a doctorate in psychology
Animal Behavior
Leta Stetter Hollingworth (1886–1939)
One of first to focus on child development and women’s issues
Mary Calkins (1863–1930)
First female president of APA
Studied memory
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23. Women in Psychology: Founding Mothers
Karen Horney (1885–1952)
Focused on the social and cultural factors behind personality
June Etta Downey (1875–1932)
First woman to head a psychology department at a state university
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24. Women in Psychology: Founding Mothers
Anna Freud (1895–1982)
Notable contributions to the treatment of abnormal behavior
Mamie Phipps Clark (1917–1983)
Pioneered work on how children of color grew to recognize racial differences
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25. Today’s Perspectives
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26. The Neuroscience Perspective
“Blood, Sweat, and Fears”
Neuroscience Perspective
Considers how people and nonhumans function biologically.
Includes study of heredity, evolution, and behavioral neuroscience.
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27. The Behavioral Perspective
“Observing the Outer Person”
Behavioral Perspective
John B. Watson
B. F. Skinner
Focuses on observable behavior that can be measured objectively
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28. The Cognitive Perspective
“Identifying the Roots of Understanding”
Cognitive Perspective
Focuses on how people think, understand, and know about the world
Information processing
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29. The Humanistic Perspective:
“The Unique Qualities of the Human Species”
Humanistic Perspective
Carl Rogers
Abraham Maslow
Emphasis is on “free will” not “determinism”
Individuals naturally strive to grow, develop, and be in control of their lives and behavior.
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30. Key Issues and 5 Major Perspectives
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31. Psychology’s Future
Psychology will become increasingly specialized and new perspectives will evolve.
Neuroscientific approaches will likely influence other branches of psychology.
Influence on issues of public interest will grow.
Issues of diversity will become more important to psychologists providing services and doing research.
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32. MODULE 3: Research in Psychology
What is the scientific method?
What role do theories and hypotheses play in psychological research?
What research methods do psychologists use?
How do psychologists establish cause-and-effect relationships using experiments?
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33. The Scientific Method
Approach used by psychologists to systematically acquire knowledge and understanding about behavior and other phenomena of interest.
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34. Scientific Method Four main steps 1. Identifying questions of interest
2. Formulating an explanation
3. Carrying out research designed to support or refute the explanation
4. Communicating the findings
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35. The Scientific Method
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36. Hypotheses: Crafting Testable Predictions
Hypothesis
Prediction stated in a way that allows it to be tested.
Stems from theories.
Operational Definition
Translation of a hypothesis into specific, testable procedures that can be measured and observed.
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37. Psychological Research
Systematic inquiry aimed at the discovery of new knowledge.
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38. Descriptive Research Archival Research Existing data, such as:
census documents
college records
newspaper clippings
… are examined to test a hypothesis.
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39. Descriptive Research Survey Research
A sample of people chosen to represent a larger group of interest —population —is asked a series of questions about their behavior, thoughts, or attitudes.
Survey researchers strive for random sampling.
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40. Descriptive Research The Case Study
An in-depth, intensive investigation of a single individual or a small group.
Often includes psychological testing
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41. Descriptive Research Correlational Studies
Two sets of variables are examined to determine whether they are associated, or “correlated.”
Variables
Behaviors, events, or other characteristics that can change, or vary, in some way
Correlation coefficient
Positive
Negative
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42. TV Viewing and Aggression
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43. Experimental Research
Investigating relationship between two or more variables by:
1. changing one variable in a controlled situation
2. observing the effects of that change on other aspects of the situation
Experimental manipulation
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44. Experimental Research
Experimental Groups and Control Groups
Treatment
Manipulation implemented by the experimenter
Experimental group
Receives a treatment
Control group
Receives no treatment
Rules out other reasons for change
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45. Experimental Research
Independent and Dependent Variables
Independent (IV)
The condition that is manipulated by an experimenter
Dependent (DV)
The variable that is measured and is expected to change as a result of experimenter’s manipulation of the independent variable
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46. Experimental Research
Random Assignment of Participants
To make the experiment a valid test of the hypothesis
Random Assignment to Condition
Participants are assigned to different experimental groups or “conditions” on the basis of chance
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47. Experiment Example
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48. Experimental Research
Significant Outcome
Using statistical analysis, researchers can determine whether a numeric difference is a real difference or is due merely to chance
Replication
Repeating experiment
Meta-analysis
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49. Research Method: Advantages & Shortcomings
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50. MODULE 4: Research Challenges
Exploring the Process
What major issues confront psychologists conducting research?
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51. Ethics of Research Protecting Participants APA Ethical Guidelines:
Protect from physical and mental harm
Participants’ right to privacy regarding behavior
Assurance that participation is voluntary
Informing participants about procedures
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52. The Ethics of Research Informed Consent
Participants sign a document affirming that they know:
the basic outlines of the study
what their participation will involve
the risks the experiment may hold
that their participation is purely voluntary
they may terminate the study at any time
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53. Should Animals Be Used in Research?
Procedures that subject animals to distress are permitted only when an alternative procedure is unavailable and when the research is justified by its prospective value
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54. Threats to Experimental Validity
Attempt to Avoid Experimental Bias
Experimental Bias
Factors that distort the way the independent variable affects the dependent variable in an experiment
Experimenter expectations
Participant expectations
Placebo
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55. Thinking Critically about Research
What is valid research?
What was the purpose of the research?
How well was the study conducted?
Are the results presented fairly?
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