Chapter 1 What is Psychology?

1. Chapter 1What is Psychology?

2. What is Psychology? • Psychology is a word deriving from Greek roots: • Psyche – “soul” or “mind” • Logos – “word” Psychology is the systematic study of behavior and experience.

3. Module 1.1 • The Goals of Psychologists

4. The Goals of Psychologists • Psychologists engage in the study of psychology in order to understand, explain and predict behavior. • What are the major philosophical issues that are relevant to this study?

5. The Major Philosophical Issues • Free Will Versus Determinism • Are the causes of behavior knowable, and is behavior predictable? • Free will is the belief that behavior is caused by an individual’s independent decision-making. • Determinism is the assumption that everything that happens has a cause or determinant in the observable world.

6. Which Perspective Holds that Behavioris Fully Predictable? • A determinist assumes that everything that happens has a cause that can be known. • A believer in free will assumes that even with complete information regarding causes and conditions, predictions regarding human behavior can never be fully accurate.

7. The Major Philosophical Issues • The Mind-Brain Problem • How is experience related to the organ system called the brain? • Dualism is the belief that the mind is separate from the brain but somehow controls the brain and through it also the rest of the body. • Monism is the view that conscious experience is generated by and therefore is inseparable from the brain.

8. Data from brain imaging research such as PET (positron emission tomography) suggests that brain activity and mental activity are two aspects of the same thing. Yet this question is far from resolved.

9. The Major Philosophical Issues • The Nature-Nurture Issue • How do differences in behavior relate to differences in heredity and environment? • Some scientists assume that the larger proportion of differences in potential and behavior are due to the influence of genes. • Some scientists assume that most differences are a result of aspects of the environment such as culture, expectations, and resources. • This issue shows up in virtually every field of psychology, and knowledge gained through research seldom provides a simple answer.

10. What Psychologists Do • Psychology is an academic, non-medical discipline that includes many branches and specialties. • The educational requirements can vary, but generally involve study beyond the bachelor’s degree. • A master’s degree, or a Ph.D./Psy.D. (doctor of psychology) are common terminal degrees in the discipline.

11. Figure 1.4 More than one third of psychologists work in academic institutions; the remainder find positions in a variety of settings. (Based on data of Chamberlin, 2000)

12. What Psychologists Do • There are many specialties in the broad science of psychology. Psychologists practice within their chosen specialty in 3 main areas: • Teaching and Research • Service Providers to Individuals • Service Providers to Organizations

13. What Psychologists Do • Teaching and Research • Most teaching psychologists work in colleges and universities. • Most psychologists who teach also engage in research and writing. • Some psychologists are employed in full-time research positions.

14. What Psychologists Do • Major categories of psychological research • Biological Psychology (or neuroscience) • A bio-psychologist tries to explain behavior in terms of biological factors, such as anatomy, electrical and chemical activities in the nervous system, and the effects of drugs, hormones, genetics and evolutionary pressures. Sample Question: How do drug abuse, brain damage, and exposures to environmental toxins change nervous system functioning (and by extension, behavior)?

15. What Psychologists Do • Major categories of psychological research • Learning and Motivation • A psychologist who studies and does research in this area is interested in how behavior depends on outcomes of past behaviors and on current motivations. Sample Question: Do frequent or consistent rewards for desired behaviors produce better learning than less frequent or less predictable rewards?

16. What Psychologists Do • Major categories of psychological research • Cognitive Psychology • A cognitive psychologist studies the processes of thinking and acquiring knowledge. Sample Question: What do “experts” in a field know or do that sets them apart from other people?

17. What Psychologists Do • Major categories of psychological research • Developmental Psychology • A developmental psychologist studies the behavioral capacities typical of different ages and how behavior changes with age. Sample Question: What do people do or know as adults that they do not know as children? Why did this change occur? Was the change due to biological changes, increased experience, or a combination of these?

18. What Psychologists Do • Major categories of psychological research • Social Psychology • A social psychologist studies how an individual influences and is influenced by other people Sample Question: To what degree to the demands and expectations of authority figures influence our behavior? How strong is the human tendency to conform?

19. Concept Check Which psychologist would ask if punishment is an effective means of eliminating undesirable behaviors? Learning And Motivation

20. Which psychologist would ask if people will obey an authority figure even when that leader is demanding behavior that might be classified as immoral or wrong? Social Psychologist

21. Which psychologist wants to know when language learning occurs most rapidly in children? Developmental Psychologist

22. Which psychologist would do research to determine how memories are stored in the brain? BiologicalPsychologist

23. Which psychologist would do research to determine how retention and recall of information in a college-level psychology course can be enhanced? Cognitive Psychologist

24. What Psychologists Do • Service Providers to Individuals • There are many types of psychotherapists, professionals with training in psychology who specialize in helping people with psychological problems, actually are trained in a variety of disciplines.

25. TABLE 1.1 Clinical Psychologists and Other Psychotherapists

26. What Psychologists Do • Service Providers to Individuals • Clinical psychologists have advanced degrees in psychology, with a specialty in understanding and helping people with mental and emotional problems. • They receive training in intellectual and psychological testing intended to aid in diagnosis and treatment.

27. What Psychologists Do • Service Providers to Individuals • Psychiatrists are trained as medical doctors. • In addition to learning the principles of psychology, they are educated in how to use prescription drugs to treat psychological distress.

28. What Psychologists Do • Service Providers to Individuals • Psychiatric nurses receive standard nursing education plus additional training in the care of emotionally troubled individuals. • They usually work in medical clinics and hospitals.

29. What Psychologists Do • Service Providers to Individuals • Psychiatric and clinical social workers combine training in traditional social work with specialized knowledge of how to treat emotionally disturbed people and advocate for their well being within the larger community.

30. What Psychologists Do • Service Providers to Individuals • Psychoanalysts are psychotherapists who use mental health treatment strategies that are based on the theories and methods pioneered by Sigmund Freud. • Freud believed that an unconscious component of the human mind affects our functioning in day-to-day life.

31. What Psychologists Do • Service Providers to Individuals • Counseling psychologists have an advanced degree in psychology and help people with educational, vocational, marriage, health, and other important life decisions. They receive training in therapy and some types of psychological testing.

32. Concept Check Which psychotherapist would help a middle-aged woman trying to transition from work as a homemaker to resuming her college education? Counseling Psychologist

33. Which psychotherapist would prescribe a mood stabilizer to a patient who shows signs of bipolar affective (emotional) disorder? Psychiatrist

34. Which psychotherapist might provide ongoing counseling and support for residents of a halfway house for recovering addicts? Clinical Social Worker

35. Which psychotherapist might be part of the staff of a hospital emergency room, and manage the intake of a patient admitted with acute suicidal thoughts and feelings? Psychiatric Nurse

36. Which psychotherapist might be employed in an inpatient facility for developmentally delayed children and adolescents, doing assessment and psychotherapy? Clinical Psychologist

37. Which psychotherapist would try to help a patient discover his or her hidden motivations for an apparently distressing and unacceptable behavior or thought? Psychoanalyst

38. What Psychologists Do • Service Providers to Organizations • Industrial/Organizational Psychologists study people’s behavior in the workplace using a combination of social, cognitive, and motivational psychology principles, and often employing psychological tests. Sample Question: Workers in two separate departments at an aerospace engineering firm have started to withhold information from each other and this has been detrimental to morale and productivity. How can this behavior be stopped without terminating or reassigning any employees?

39. What Psychologists Do • Service Providers to Organizations • An ergonomist, or human factors specialist, attempts to facilitate the use of machinery and appliances so that the average user can operate them as efficiently and as safely as possible. Sample Question: How can the design of a clerical workstation in an office be improved to minimize the possibility of repetitive stress related injuries occurring to the employee who occupies it?

40. What Psychologists Do • Service Providers to Organizations • A school psychologist specializes in the psychological condition of the students, usually at the kindergarten through secondary school levels. • School psychologists draw upon a combination of developmental, learning and motivational principles, and often use educational and psychological tests to assist with educational planning for individual students. Sample Question: Does a fourth grade student whose grades have been declining over the past two years have an identifiable learning disability, or is there an issue related to the student’s emotional well-being affecting his performance?

41. Concept Check Which psychologist would consult in the design of an airplane cockpit to maximize crew efficiency and safety? Ergonomist

42. Which psychologist would evaluate a student for possible placement in a school’s program for gifted children? School Psychologist

43. Which psychologist would work with supervisors at a software development company to improve communication between departments and levels of management? Industrial-Organizational Psychologist

44. Majoring in Psychology • Should you major in psychology? • Although psychology is a popular major, very few jobs are listed specifically for people with bachelor’s degrees. • Examples of jobs that are closely related to psychology are: • Personnel or human resources specialist • Halfway or transitional home staff or supervisor • Community or social services outreach worker

45. Majoring in Psychology • Should you major in psychology? • Psychology will be useful in careers that are not closely related to psychology, and in your life apart from work as well. • It can help you to more effectively evaluate evidence presented to you in a variety of situations • It can help you to improve your learning and retention • It can help you to be aware of the power of social influence and cultural context • It is also an excellent major for those who are contemplating further professional education in areas such as business, law, or divinity.

46. Majoring in Psychology • Should you major in psychology? • What about becoming a real psychologist? • You will probably need a doctorate (Ph.D./Psy.D.). • You will be in school for up to eight more years. It is hard to anticipate how the job market will change in the time it takes to complete your degree. • You should have an interest in working in health care or educational settings or a willingness to work in a private practice or consulting role.

47. Majoring in Psychology • Should you major in psychology? • Why take this class or consider majoring in the field? • Psychology is a field that offers the exciting possibilities for improving the quality of life in many aspects and levels of human existence. • Psychologists use information from the areas of psychology presented here to help people understand themselves and make better use of their skills and qualities. • It is currently attracting talented persons from an increasing diverse variety of backgrounds.

48. Majoring in Psychology • Should you major in psychology? • Whether or not you choose to do more advanced work, we hope that you will find a long-lasting benefit from your investment of time and energy in this Introduction to Psychology course.

49. Module 1.2 • Psychology Then and Now

50. The Early Era and Roots of Psychology • In all cultures, and for thousands of years, people have wondered about the nature of human thought, action and experience. • The great writers of every civilization are widely read because they provide us with such compelling descriptions and make profound observations of human behavior.