Prologue: Psychology’s Roots

1. Prologue: Psychology’s Roots • Definition of Psychology • The science of behavior (what we do) and mental processes (sensations, perceptions, dreams, thoughts, beliefs, and feelings)

4. Prologue: Psychology’s Roots Prescientific Psychology • Is the mind connected to the body or distinct? • Are ideas inborn or is the mind a blank slate filled by experience?

5. Prologue: Psychology’s Roots

6. Prologue: Psychology’s Roots • Psychological Science Is Born • Empiricism • Knowledge comes from experience via the senses • Science flourishes through observation and experiment

7. Wundt is referred to as the “father of psychology” because in 1879 he started the first laboratory in psychology for studying humans. He broke into parts the elements of feelings and thought. Using a procedure called “introspection” he introduced scientific procedure to study feelings. Wilhelm Wundt

8. Wundt used technique of introspection The process of looking inside oneself and describing what one feels, thinks, remembers.

9. Prologue: Psychology’s Roots • Structuralism used introspection (looking in) to explore the elemental structure of the human mind

10. Other Pioneers • Edward Titchener (1867–1927) • Wundt’s student, professor at Cornell University • William James (1842–1910) • started psychology at Harvard in 1870s • opposed Wundt and Titchener’s approach • functionalism – influenced by Darwin to focus on how behaviors help us adapt to the environment • Sigmund Freud (1856–1939) • Austrian physician that focused on illness • psychoanalytic theory of mental disorders

11. E. B. Titchener (1867–1927)

12. James is considered to be one of the founders of American psychology. In 1890, he published Principles of Psychology. The book was 1400 pages long, two volumes in length and it took him 12 years to write. Unlike Wundt, he did not want to break behavior into parts; instead, he never wanted to lose sight of the individual as a whole. William James

13. Prologue: Psychology’s Roots • Functionalism focused on how behavioral processes function- how they enable organism to adapt, survive, and flourish

14. Other Pioneers • John B. Watson (1878–1958) • psychologists should study overt behavior “Father of Behaviorism” • B. F. Skinner (1904–1990) • American psychologist at Harvard • studied learning and effect of reinforcement • “Father of Operant Conditioning”

15. John B. Watson (1878–1958) B. F. Skinner (1904–1990)

18. Prologue: Psychology’s Roots • Psychological Science Develops • Wundt--German philosopher and physiologist • James--American philosopher • Pavlov--Russian physiologist • Freud--Austrian physician • Piaget--Swiss biologist

19. Prologue: Contemporary Psychology • Psychology’s Big Issues • Stability vs. Change • Do our individual traits persist as we age? • Do we become older versions of ourselves?

20. Prologue: Contemporary Psychology • Rationality vs. Irrationality • Rationality– reasonableness, good sense of equity and proportion • Irrationality– not reasonable in thinking or behaving, distorted perception of reality

21. Philosophical Developments BIG Another Question: Nature vs. Nurture • the relative contribution that genes and experience make to development of psychological traits and behaviors • Are abilities determined by our genes or our experiences? • What are the interactions between genetics and environment? • What effect does it have on behavior?

22. Prologue: Contemporary Psychology • John Locke empiricist; believed that knowledge is acquired solely through life experiences. Tabula Rasa: blank tablet Claimed each of us is born a blank slate on which are written the life experiences we acquire through our senses. (Plato believed just the opposite)

23. Prologue: Contemporary Psychology • Rene Descartes rationalist; insisted we should doubt everything that is not proved by our own reasoning. True knowledge comes through correct reasoning and it is inborn.

24. On the Origin of Species was published in 1859. His theory was that humans and animals had evolved and changed. His theory inspired scientists to study animals in order to understand human behavior. Charles Darwin

25. Prologue: Contemporary Psychology Charles Darwin • Natural selection • principle that those inherited trait variations contributing to survival will most likely be passed on to succeeding generations

26. Prologue: Contemporary Psychology • Psychology’s Perspectives

27. Approaches to Psychology Biological Behavioral Psychoanalytic Humanistic Cognitive Sociocultural

28. Early definitions of psychology • Before the 1920s: psychology was defined as the science of mental life. • From 1920s-1960s: Psychology was defined as the science of observable behavior. • After the 1960s: Defined as the scientific study of human and animal behavior and mental processes.

29. Freud developed the first comprehensive theory of human development and behavior, especially how the personality develops. He believed that childhood memories and thoughts influenced the behavior of people when they became adults. Sigmund Freud

30. Psychodynamic Perspective • View of behavior based on experience treating patients • Psychoanalytic approach (Sigmund Freud) • both a method of treatment and a theory of the mind • behavior reflects combinations of conscious and unconscious influences • drives and urges within the unconscious component of mind influence thought and behavior • early childhood experiences shape unconscious motivations

31. Biological Perspective • Study the physiological mechanisms in the brain and nervous system that organize and control behavior • Focus may be at various levels • individual neurons • areas of the brain • specific functions like eating, emotion, or learning • Interest in behavior distinguishes biological psychology from many other biological sciences

32. Evolutionary Perspective • Influenced by Darwin and the emphasis on innate, adaptive behavior patterns • Application of principles of evolution to explain behavior and psychological processes

33. Behavioral Perspective • View of behavior based on experience or learning • Classical conditioning-- Pavlov • Operant conditioning-- Skinner

34. Watson studied the impact of learning on people. This led to the school of behaviorism. He believed that careful and structured parenting could eliminate psychological problems. Watson later wrote a book applying scientific methods to raising children. John B. Watson

35. People such as B. F. Skinner (pictured to the left) and John B. Watson are called behaviorists. This approach emphasizes that behavior is primarily the result of learning and not due to a person’s thoughts and unconscious processes. The Behavioral Approach

36. Humanistic Perspective • Developed by Abraham Maslow & Carl Rogers • behavior reflects innate ‘actualization’ • focus on conscious forces and self perception • more positive view of basic forces than Freud’s

37. Carl Rogers is the best known of the humanists. This approach emphasizes that people have free will, self-concepts and are basically good. Humanists believe that every person can fulfill his or her potential. The Humanistic Approach

38. Carl Rogers (1902–1987) Abraham Maslow (1908–1970)

39. Cognitive Perspective • How is knowledge acquired, organized, remembered, and used to guide behavior? • Influences include • Piaget – studied intellectual development • Chomsky – studied language • Cybernetics – science of information processing

40. This approach looks at the impact that society, culture, ethnicity, race, and religion have on personality. The Sociocultural Approach Cognitive Psychoanalytic

41. Cross-Cultural Perspective • The study of psychological differences among people living in different cultural groups • How are people’s thoughts, feelings and behavior influenced by their culture? • What are the common elements across culture? Are these innate?

44. Prologue: Contemporary Psychology • Psychology’s Perspectives • A lot depends on your viewpoint

45. Prologue: Contemporary Psychology • Psychology’s Subfields • Basic Research-- laboratory • Biological psychologists explore the links between brain and mind • Developmental psychologists study changing abilities from womb to tomb • Cognitive psychologists study how we perceive, think, and solve problems

46. Prologue: Contemporary Psychology • Psychology’s Subfields • Basic Research • Personality psychologists investigate our persistent traits • Social psychologists explore how we view and affect one another

47. Prologue: Contemporary Psychology • Psychology’s Subfields • Applied Research—face to face • Industrial/organizational psychologists study and advise on behavior in the workplace • Clinical psychologists study, assess, and treat people with psychological disorders

48. Prologue: Contemporary Psychology • Psychiatry • A branch of medicine dealing with psychological disorders • Practiced by physicians who sometimes use medical (for example, drug) treatments as well as psychotherapy

49. Review

50. Psychology should study how behavior and mental processes allow organisms to adapt to their environments School/Approach Evolutionary perspective Founder Charles Darwin