1. What’s it All About? Goals of Psychology Describe, Explain, Predict,
and Control some behaviors

2. Wilhelm Wundt (1832-1920) The “father of psychology”
Opened the first psychology lab in 1879

3. E.B. Titchener (1867-1927) Student of Wundt- brought psych to US
Analyzed the parts of consciousness
Founder of structuralism
Studied the basic elements of thoughts and sensations.
Objective sensations (sight, taste)
Subjective sensations (emotions, mental images)

4. The Many Faces of Psychology
William James: Functionalism
Interested in the functions of consciousness
How mental processes help organisms adapt to their environment
Believed that conscious memories were in a fluid stream of consciousness
Adaptive behavior : learned and maintained based on successful experiences
-Example: When Shaq practices free throws, his stats increase; thus Shaq practices more and becomes the leading free-throw shooter in the NBA
.On the converse, less adaptive behaviors lead to negative consequences and are avoided
-Example: A child touches a hot pan and burns his hand. He feels pain and does not repeat the same action

5. The Many Faces of Psychology
Ivan Pavlov and John B. Watson: Behaviorism
Pavlov
Nobel Prize in 1905 for his work “classical conditioning”
Watson:
Scientific study of human behavior
Believed that consciousness could only be explained by an individual, thus psychology must only study observable behavior
Both were interested in behavior and its precise measurement rather than “consciousness” of Wundt and James

6. BF. Skinner Added to Behaviorism
Believed that when an animal is reinforced or rewarded it is more likely to perform the same action again in the future
Tested his theories on rats and pigeons
Taught animals to climb ladders, push toys and even shoot baskets Believed that humans respond to reinforcement in the same way
Believed that humans respond to reinforcement in the same way

7. What do you see?

8. Gestalt Max Wertheimer: Gestalt Psychology Interested in perception
How do we make sense out of the world around us
“The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.”
Why do we see things the way we do?
Believes that learning is active & meaningful

9. The Many Faces of Psychology
Sigmund Freud: The Psychoanalytic School
Established “psychoanalysis” in Austria
Roots of psych problems were motives of the “unconscious”
Believed that dreams and slips of the tongue show unconscious desires
First to study patients through individual meetings; not just lab study
Behavior is driven by unconscious desires—in order for people to see themselves as good people, they try to rationalize these desires

10. Developmental Psychologists
studies human mental and physical growth from conception to death
• child psychologists
• adolescent psychologists
• life-span psychologists

11. More Types of Psychology
Physiological Psych
investigates the
biological basis of
human behavior
Personality Psych
Personality psychologists study the differences among individuals.

12. Experimental or Academic Psych
Conducts research on basic
psychological processes, such as:
perception
cognition
motivation
emotion
learning
memory
sensation

13. Clinical and Counseling Psychology
Clinical psychologists are interested primarily in the diagnosis, cause, and treatment of psychological disorders.
Counseling psychologists are concerned primarily with “normal” problems of adjustments in life.
Often found in schools: Educational Psych

14. Social Psychology
Social psychologists study how people influence one another.

15. Industrial & Organizational Psychology
Psych in workplace
selecting and training personnel
improving productivity & working conditions

16. Psychological Perspectives
Schools of thought
To view behavior from a particular perspective
Not conflicting, but complementary views

17. Cognitive Perspective
Focus: On how people think and process information
Behavior is explained by how a person interprets the situation

18. Biological Perspective
Focus: How our biological structures and substances underlie a given behavior, thought, or emotion
Behavior is explained by brain chemistry, genetics, glands, etc.

19. Social-Cultural Perspective
Focus: How thinking and behavior change depending on the setting or situation
Behavior is explained by the influence of other people present

20. Behavioral Perspective
Focus: How we learn through rewards, punishments, and observation
Behavior is explained by previous learning

21. Humanistic Perspective
Focus: How healthy people strive to reach their full potential
Behavior is explained as being motivated by satisfying needs (safety, hunger, thirst, etc.), with the goal of reaching one’s full potential once basic needs are met.

22. Psychodynamic Perspective
Focus: How behavior is affected by unconscious drives and conflicts
Behavior is explained through unconscious motivation and unresolved inner conflicts from one’s childhood.