Prologue: Psychology s Roots. Definition of Psychology

Transcription

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)

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3 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?

4 Prologue: Psychology s Roots

5 Prologue: Psychology s Roots Psychological Science Is Born *Empiricism Knowledge comes from experience via the senses Science flourishes through observation and experiment

6 Wilhelm Wundt 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.

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

8 Other Pioneers Edward Titchener ( ) Wundt s student, professor at Cornell University William James ( ) 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 ( ) Austrian physician that focused on illness psychoanalytic theory of mental disorders

9 William James 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.

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

11 Other Pioneers John B. Watson ( ) psychologists should study overt behavior Father of Behaviorism B. F. Skinner ( ) American psychologist at Harvard studied learning and effect of reinforcement Father of Operant Conditioning

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

15 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?

16 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

17 Philosophical Developments 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?

18 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)

19 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.

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

21 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

22 Prologue: Contemporary Psychology Psychology s Perspectives

23 *Approaches to Psychology Biological Behavioral Psychoanalytic Humanistic Cognitive Sociocultural

24 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

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

26 John B. Watson 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.

27 The Behavioral Approach 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.

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

29 Sigmund Freud 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.

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 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

32 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

33 The Humanistic Approach 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.

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

35 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?

36 Prologue: *Contemporary Psychology Now if we think of both Aristotle and Locke (what we know is acquired through experience) and all of the approaches, which of them would they agree on? Behavioral Approach

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39 Prologue: Contemporary Psychology Psychology s Perspectives A lot depends on your viewpoint

40 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

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

42 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

43 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