The Evolution of Psychology: From Phrenology to Contemporary Approaches

1. Section 2 A Brief History of Psychology

2. Marmaduke Sampson • Studied “why crime occurs” • Believed behavior was the result of the shape of the head • Phrenology- the practice of examining bumps on a person’s skull to determine that person’s intellect and character traits • Inspired scientists to consider the brain instead of the heart as responsible for human behavior

3. The Origins of Psychology • 5th and 6th Centuries • Greeks studied human behavior and decided people were rational and not dominated by gods • Greeks set the stage for the development of sciences

4. The Origins of Psychology • 1500 and 1600s • Copernicus- published idea that the earth was not the center of the universe, the sun was. • Galileo Galilei- used a telescope to confirm the predictions of Copernicus • Descartes- proposed a link between the body and mind

5. Historical Approaches • Structuralism • Wilhelm Wundt- is acknowledged for establishing modern psychology as a separate field of scientific study • Structuralist- a psychologist who studied the basic elements that make up conscious mental experiences • Introspection- a method of self-observation in which participants report their thoughts and feelings

6. Functionalism • William James- An American who believed that the function of the mind was the more important thing to study rather than the structurs • Functionalist- a psychologist who studied the function instead of the structure of consciousness

7. Inheritable Traits • Sir Francis Galton • Wanted to understand how heredity influences a person’s abilities, character, and behavior. • His study focused on genius being a hereditary trait • Did not consider that distinguished families may also have exceptional environments and socioeconomic advantages

8. Inheritable Traits • Scientists recognized flaws in Galton’s research • They came up with the theory that “a person’s heredity and environment interact to influence intelligence”

9. Gestalt Psychology • German Psychologists • Max Wertheimer • Wolfgang Kohler • Kurt Koffka • Disagreed with the principles of structuralism and behaviorism • Believed perception was more than a sum of its parts • Studied how sensations are assembled into perceptual experiences

10. Contemporary Approaches • Psychoanalytic • Behavioral • Humanistic • Cognitive • Biological • Sociocultural

11. Psychoanalytic Psychology • Sigmund Freud • Interested in the unconscious mind • Used the technique of free association, which is still used today • Believed that dreams are expressions of the most primitive unconscious urges • His view on the unconscious is a powerful influence and controversy

12. Psychoanalytic Psychology • Psychoanalyst- a psychologist who studies how unconscious motives and conflicts determine human behavior, feelings, and thoughts. • Case study- is an analysis of the thoughts, feelings, beliefs, experiences, behaviors, or problems of an individual

13. Behavioral Psychology • Ivan Pavlov- Russian Scientist • Salivating dog experiment • Pavlov rang a tuning fork each time he gave a dog some meat powder. • The dog would normally salivate when the power reached his mouth • He repeated the experiment, the dog would salivate when it heard the ring • The dog was conditioned to associate sound with food

14. Behavioral Psychology • Behaviorist- a psychologist who analyzes how organisms learn or modify their behavior based on their response to events in the environment • John Watson • Believed psychology should only concern itself with the observable facts of behavior • B.F. Skinner • Introduced the concept of reinforcement • Is a response to a behavior that increases the likelihood for the behavior to be repeated

15. Humanistic Psychology • Humanist- a psychologist who believes that each person has freedom in directing his or her future and achieving personal growth • Abraham Maslow, Carl Rogers, and Rollo May are humanistic psychologists • Believed human nature as evolving and self-directed

16. Cognitive Psychology • Jean Piaget • Noam Chomsky • Leon Festinger • Cognitivist- a psychologist who studies how we process, store, retrieve, and use information and how thought processes influence our behavior • Believe that behavior is more than a simple response to a stimulus

17. Biological Psychology • Known today as behavioral neuroscience • Psychobiologist- a psychologist who studies how physical and chemical changes in our bodies influence our behavior • Have found that genetic factors influence our behaviors • Discovered a link between chemicals in the brain and human behavior

18. Sociocultural Psychology • Sociocultural psychologists study: • the influence of cultural and ethnic similarities and differences on behavior and social functioning • The impact and integration of millions of immigrants entering the U.S. every year • Attitudes, values, beliefts, and social norms and roles of the various racial and ethnic groups