Introduction to Psychology

1. Introduction to Psychology AP Psychology Myers, Prologue “I have made a ceaseless effort not to ridicule, not to bewail, not to scorn human actions, but to understand them.” Benedict Spinoza A Political Treatise (1677)

2. On a scrap sheet of paper… Write down 5 adjectives for each: On the back, write the names of as many past or current psychologists as you can.

3. What is Psychology? • The scientific study of behavior and mental processes • Scientific – set of questions, observations, hypotheses, studies, findings, and analyses • Behavior – external actions that are observable • Mental processes – internal processes (dreams, emotions, thoughts, beliefs, etc)

4. Psychologists are interested in… What is intelligence? What motivates us to do certain things and not others? How does the brain really function? How do we think? Why do we act in certain ways? Are we products of nature or nurture? Where do thoughts come from? How do we learn? What are emotions?

5. Roots of Psychology

6. Roots of Psychology

7. The Birth of Psychology “Man can alter his life by altering his thinking.” William James Founder of Functionalism

8. Structuralism • Wilhelm Wundt – Father of Psychology • 1879, Germany • First psychological experiment - measured the lag between hearing a sound, consciously registering the sound, and pushing a key  measuring “atoms of the mind” • Founded STRUCTURALISM with Titchener (grad student)

9. Structuralism • Early school of psychology that used introspection to explore the elemental structure of the human mind • “atoms of the mind” study • Introspection – “looking inward,” based on self-reflection and self-reporting • “How do you experience smelling a rose?” • “How do you feel when hearing a metronome?”

10. Downfall of Structuralism • Studying the mind’s structure… • Required smart, verbal people • Unreliable - answers vary from person to person and people may not know why they feel what they feel. • Not credible - self-reporting is subjective

11. Functionalism • William James – Father of American Psychology • Turn of 20th century • Wrote Principles of Psychology • “Psychology is the science of mental life.” • Founded FUNCTIONALISM

12. Functionalism • a school of psychology that focused on how mental and behavioral processes function and enable the organism to adapt, survive, and flourish • Studied evolved functions of the brain and body • “How does the nose smell?” • “How does the brain think?” • Claimed that all behaviors and mental processes have evolved due to adaptation so that they all serve a FUNCTION • Structuralism vs. Functionalism

13. Contemporary Psychology “To know Psychology is no guarantee that we shall manage our minds rightly.” William Glover Know your own mind

14. Contemporary Psychological Perspectives • Different perspectives can complement each other, individually each one has limits.

15. Current Psychological Perspectives

16. Biopsychosocial Approach • integrated view of the mind and behaviors that incorporates various levels of analysis and perspectives, and offers a more complete picture, includes biological, psychological, and socio-cultural influences • Any human phenomenon can be assessed using the biopsychosocial approach.

17. Biopsychosocial Approach

18. You Be the Psychologist • In small groups, pick a famous person… • Actor • Politician • Athlete • Etc • Analyze their behavior using a biopsychosocial approach. • Biological sources • Psychological sources • Socio-cultural sources

19. Psychological Research Basic Research Applied Research • pure science that aims to increase the scientific knowledge base • Biological psychologists – explores links between mind and brain • Developmental psychologists – studies changing abilities from birth to death • Cognitive psychologists – experiments with how we perceive, think, and solve problems • Personality psychologists – investigates our persistent traits • Social psychologists – explores how we view and affect one another • scientific study that aims to solve problems • Research on the brain to help treat Alzheimer’s disease • Research on how to best solve problems with cognitive strategies • Clinical drug tests

20. Psychologists vs. Psychiatrists Psychologists Psychiatrists PsyD or PhD in Psychology 5-7 yrs 2 yr internship May “counsel” patients CANNOT prescribe medication MD in Medicine 7+ yrs – medical school and residency, plus additional training May “counsel” patients CAN prescribe medication

21. DSM-5 • Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders • Published by the American Psychiatric Association (APA) • Provides the common language and standard criteria for the classification of mental disorders • Used by clinicians, psychologists, psychiatrists, researchers, insurance companies, pharmaceutical companies, the legal system, and policy makers • 5 Axes – analyze the entire health of an individual (physical and mental) • Most current version – DSM-5 (May 18, 2013)  very controversial

22. “Insane” The term “insane” is NOT a psychological term, but a legal term. Calling a sufferer of a mental disorder “crazy” or “insane” is offensive. We often use these terms when we feel uncomfortable or unfamiliar with a person’s behaviors or thoughts.

23. Ethics - Animals • Why do we experiment with animals? • Can be similar to humans • Can perform actions that cannot be performed on humans • Problems • Results from animal testing cannot be FULLY generalized to humans because we are not exactly alike • At what point is an action unethical? • Starvation? • Social/emotion deprivation? • Termination?

24. Ethics - Humans • American Psychological Association (APA) provides a set of guidelines for ethical psychological studies. • The American Psychological Association commits to its vision through a mission based upon the following values: • Continual pursuit of excellence • Knowledge and its application based upon methods of science • Outstanding service to its members and to society • Social justice, diversity, and inclusion • Ethical action in all that we do

25. APA Ethics Code • 5 General Principles that guide research – aspirations • Beneficence and Nonmaleficence • Fidelity and Responsibility • Integrity • Justice • First 4 guide behaviors with other psychologists and warn against personal biases and values • Respect for People’s Rights and Dignity • Concerns individuals’ rights to privacy, confidentiality, self-determination

26. To Sum Up • Informed Consent • No informed consent is needed in public places. • Informed consent is needed where there is an expectation of privacy. • Informed consent must describe the nature of the experiment, their right to withdraw, and how they can obtain their results. • Deception • Researcher considers a cost-benefit analysis – if the scientific outcomes outweigh the costs then deception can be considered. • Deception cannot be considered if it is expected to cause severe emotional or physical distress. • In all cases, minimize harm. • Debriefing • Psychologists must always debrief their research participants as soon as possible after the study. • Video One and Two