1. Heads up! Before we begin …
Chapter 1
Heads up! Before we begin …
You will be learning A LOT of new terms and words in this class.
At the beginning of each chapter is a list of Key Terms. You will be expected to KNOW these terms for the chapter test.
As we proceed in class - make notes of new terms that we discuss AND their definitions & examples!
Plain & simple – You will have to memorize these terms …. AND the people that we will learn about.

2. Chapter 1 WHAT IS PSYCHOLOGY
HOLT Psychology
4/23/2017
Chapter 1 WHAT IS PSYCHOLOGY
Section 1: Why Study Psychology?
Section 2: What Psychologists Do
Section 3: A History of Psychology
Section 4: Contemporary Perspectives
Chapter 1

3. Section Reading Questions
HOLT Psychology
Chapter 1
4/23/2017
Section Reading Questions
What are the goals of psychology, and how is psychology a science?
What do psychologists do, and what are their areas of specialization?
3. How has the study of psychology developed over time?
4. What are the seven main contemporary perspectives in psychology?
How has the study of psychology developed over time?
Chapter 1

4. Section 1: Why study psychology?
HOLT Psychology
Chapter 1
4/23/2017
Section 1: Why study psychology?
Why did you take this class?
What is psychology? Do you know?
“…the scientific study of behavior and mental processes.”
How? Observe and measure.
COGNITION (another word you will see is cognitive)
thought processes
emotions
>Another definition of psychology would be: the science of mental life
>How do psychologists study behavior and mental processes? They OBSERVE and MEASURE.
>Psychologists seek to understand and explain thought, emotion, and behavior.
Let’s look at behavior. What are some examples? > waking up this morning, getting out of bed, laughing (these activities are OBSERVABLE by other people) What about your heartbeat? Or brain activity? Are these activities observable? How?
>What about mental processes? MENTAL PROCESSES and here is where you have a new word – you will also see this written as COGNITION and COGNITIVE ACTIVITIES ….. It has to do with thought processes – things like perception, remembering, problem solving, decision making … Thoughts! Dreams!
But these activities can’t be observed! How do we know that these activities are going on? Can we measure thoughts or dreams or memories? Brain waves measure brain activity … but thoughts - dreams – memories are private mental processes.
>Psychologists are also interested in studying people’s EMOTIONS -- … can affect both behavior AND mental processes. You had emotions about coming into this class … first day … maybe you didn’t know me …. -- you probably felt a little anxious or nervous. Your heart rate probably went up … which causes your blood pressure to rise. These behaviors can be measured and therefore observed, right? But your thoughts? No – only when you tell someone can those PRIVATE MENTAL PROCESSES be observed.
Chapter 1

5. Question: What are the goals of psychology?
Chapter 1
Section 1: Why Study Psychology?
Question: What are the goals of psychology?
Psychologists have the same goals as scientists.
Observe
Describe behavior
Explain
Predict
Control

6. Question: How is psychology a science?
Chapter 1
Section 1: Why Study Psychology?
Question: How is psychology a science?
Psychology is a social science.
History, anthropology, economics, political science, sociology
…all deal with the structure of human society and the nature of the individuals
But is this REAL science like biology or chemistry?
…. answer questions by applying the steps involved in scientific research
… conducting experiments, collecting and analyzing data, drawing conclusions
Research
Surveys and experiments

7. Section 2: What do psychologists do?
Chapter 1
Section 2: What do psychologists do?
Psychologists accept that something is true ONLY if the evidence shows it is so.
Some are interested in RESEARCH – investigating and forming theories – and finally testing those theories
Others apply knowledge through THERAPY to help people.
And finally there are those who TEACH in classrooms and workshops.

8. Question: What are their areas of specialization?
Chapter 1
Section 2: What Psychologists Do
Question: What are their areas of specialization?
AREAS OF SPECIALIZATION
Clinical – the largest group – treat psychological problems
Counseling – treat adjustment problems
School – deal with students who have problems that interfere with learning
Educational Psychologist – focus on course planning and instructional methods

9. Question: What are their areas of specialization?
Chapter 1
Section 2: What Psychologists Do
Question: What are their areas of specialization?
AREAS OF SPECIALIZATION (continued)
Personality Psychologist – identify characteristics or traits
Social Psychologist – concerned with people’s behavior in social situations
Experimental Psychologist – conduct research into basic processes

10. Question: What are their areas of specialization?
Chapter 1
Section 2: What Psychologists Do
Question: What are their areas of specialization?
AREAS OF SPECIALIZATION (continued)
Industrial and Organizational Psychologist – focus on people in work and business
Environmental Psychologist – focus on ways in which people influence and are influenced by physical environment
Consumer Psychologist – study the behavior of shoppers to explain and predict behavior

11. Question: What are their areas of specialization?
Chapter 1
Section 2: What Psychologists Do
Question: What are their areas of specialization?
AREAS OF SPECIALIZATION (continued)
Forensic Psychologist – are concerned with how psychological problems give rise to criminal behavior
Health Psychologist – study the ways in which behavior and mental processes are related to physical health

12. Psychology Today: Psychology as a Profession
Chapter 1
Section 3: A History of Psychology
Psychology Today: Psychology as a Profession

13. Psychology Today: Where are psychologists employed?
Chapter 1
Section 3: A History of Psychology
Psychology Today: Where are psychologists employed?

14. Question: How has the study of psychology developed over time?
Chapter 1
Section 3: A History of Psychology
Question: How has the study of psychology developed over time?
Psychology is as old as human history.

15. Roots from Ancient Greece
Chapter 1
Roots from Ancient Greece
…really began with ancient philosphy.
Socrates ( BCE)
“Know thyself.”
Learn about yourself through self-examination ~ introspection
Aristotle ( BCE)
Human behavior is subject to certain rules and laws.

16. The ancient Greeks theorized about various psychological problems.
Chapter 1
The ancient Greeks theorized about various psychological problems.
…believed that the gods punished people by causing them confusion and madness.
Hippocrates ( BCE)
…caused by abnormalities in the brain

17. Chapter 1
The Middle Ages
…believed that agitation and confusion were signs of possession by demons
…punishment for sins or deals made with the devil
Tests were used to determine if a person was possessed.

18. The birth of modern science
Chapter 1
The birth of modern science
In the mid 16th century, Copernicus looked to the skies and Versalius wrote about the workings of the human body – est. the basis for modern science.
…leading to the birth of modern psychology in the 1800s.
…ideas about human behavior and mental processes should be supported by EVIDENCE.

19. Wilhelm Wundt and the School of Structuralism
Chapter 1
Wilhelm Wundt and the School of Structuralism
1879~first formal psychological laboratory in the world (Leipzig)
…founded structuralism
the study of the elements of consciousness
what was it? What was it made of? What was its structure??

20. William James and the School of Functionalism
HOLT Psychology
Chapter 1
4/23/2017
William James and the School of Functionalism
… how mental processes help organisms adapt to their environment – what were their functions??
The Principles of Psychology (1890) considered by many as the first modern psychology textbook
… how mental processes help organisms adapt to their environment – what were their functions??
Chapter 1

21. John B. Watson and the School of Behaviorism
Chapter 1
John B. Watson and the School of Behaviorism
…believed that it is unscientific to study consciousness
claimed that psychology was not concerned with the mind or with human consciousness
…study should be limited to observable, measurable events – BEHAVIOR
humans could be studied objectively, like rats and apes
Defined psychology as the scientific study of observable behavior.

22. B.F. Skinner and Reinforcement
Chapter 1
B.F. Skinner and Reinforcement
…when an animal is reinforced (rewarded), for performing an action, it is more likely to perform that action again in the future
…people learn the same way animals do
People learn to behave in certain ways because they have been reinforced for doing so.

23. Chapter 1
The Gestalt School
…context influences people’s interpretation of information
…much learning, especially problem solving, is accomplished by insight, not by mechanical repetition

24. Sigmund Freud and the School of Psychoanalysis
Chapter 1
Sigmund Freud and the School of Psychoanalysis
…emphasizes the importance of unconscious motives and internal conflicts in determining human behavior
…most of what fills an individual’s mind is unconscious and consists of conflicting impulses, urges, and wishes
People’s behavior is aimed at satisfying these impulses – even though some may be socially inappropriate or unacceptable
People often fool themselves about the real motives for their behavior.

25. Chapter 1
Section 4: Contemporary Perspectives
Question: What are the seven main contemporary perspectives in psychology?
Each perspective emphasizes different topics of investigation and has different approaches.

26. Chapter 1
Section 4: Contemporary Perspectives
Question: What are the seven main contemporary perspectives in psychology?
Biological – nervous system, glands, hormones, genetic factors
Evolutionary – physical traits, social behavior
Cognitive – interpretation of mental images, thinking, language
Humanistic – self-concept
Psychoanalytic – environmental influences, learning, observational learning
Learning – effects of experience on behavior
Sociocultural – ethnicity, gender, culture, socioeconomic status

27. Chapter 1

28. Chapter 1
Section 4: Contemporary Perspectives
Main topic