INTRODUCTION TO PSYCHOLOGY

Professor: Ms. Christine Margaret B. Ferrer

Transcribed by: Jherrylyne Mae Cruz (BSPSY 1-5)
MIDTERMS WEEK: TBA
COURSE INTRODUCTION SUBMISSION OF MIDTERMS PAPER: One
week before the midterms
CHRISTMAS VACATION: TBA
CLASS GUIDELINES
FINALS WEEK: TBA
- Be scholarly.
SUBMISSION OF FINALS PAPER: One
- Be respectful.
week before the finals
- Be professional.
- Be polite and understanding.
- Be punctual. CONSULTATION
Log in to your MS Teams/Zoom account at
least five minutes prior to start of the class. Consultation Schedule: Monday to Friday
- Check the technicals. (8:00AM to 5:00PM)
Internet connectivity, audio, video cameras, Contact Number: 09957756696 / 09298999148
microphone/headphone prior to start of the Email: cmbferrer@plm.edu.ph
class.
- Microphone/Video
Should be on mute except during recitation.
- Use appropriate language
Show respect to your classmates, professor
and yourself.
- Respect everyone’s privacy
Sharing of pictures and videos of classmates
and professors is not allowed.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS

The course requires passing 60% of the average

from the following:
 Attendance (5%)
 Class Participation (20%)
 Quizzes (15%)
 Midterms (20%)
 Finals (20%)
 Term Papers (20%)

TERM PAPERS
 Students are required to submit two
papers for the semester
 One to be submitted before the
midterms, one to be submitted before
the finals.
 Critique Paper on any topic covered
under the midterm period for the
midterm paper; dinals period for the
finals paper.
Course Introduction|1

NATURE OF PSYCHOLOGY
WHAT IS PSYCHOLOGY?
- scientific study of behavior and mental
processes.
- describe, predict, and explain human
behavior and mental processes, as well as
helping to change and improve the lives
of people and the world in which they
live.
Additional notes
 Psychology is a study that evolves as
human beings answer to philosophical
questions using the methods of natural
sciences.
(ie of philosophical questions: Why are
we here? What’s the purpose of us
being here? Why do we behave the
way we behave?)
 Psychology was born using the method
of natural sciences.
 The best way to learn psychology is to
practice critical thinking.
 Human beings are complex beings.
They are multidimensional beings.
 There’s a reason when you behave a
specific way when you are with other
people.
 Psychology is a scientific method to
analyze and understand the disciplines.
 Psychology is not common sense.
HISTORY OF PSYCHOLOGY
5000 BCE – Trephining was used to allow the
escape of evil spirits
 Trephining – drilling a hole in the skull.
 Modernly known as burr holes.
 Before, mentally-ill patients are not
treated as a human being.
430 BCE – Hippocrates argues for
temperaments of personality
 Hippocrates – Father of Medicine
 Before, they believe that the personality
traits and human behaviors are based
on the four fluids of the body (choleric,
melancholic, sanguine and phlegmatic)
 Choleric – yellow bile from the liver
 Melancholic – black bile from the
kidneys
 Sanguine – red blood from the heart
 Phlegmatic – white phlegm from the
lungs.
 Galen, a great physician and
philosopher, expanded on the
Hippocratic temperament of
personality.
1. Both diseases and personality
differences could be explained
by the imbalances of the
humors of the body.
2. Kapag may personality
disorder nanggagaling siya sa
imbalances on the four fluids.
Psychology came from the Greek
word psyche meaning “mind, soul, or
spirit” and logos meaning “study”.
Psychology = Study of the mind, soul
and spirit.
 According to Galen
 People who are yellow bile
dominated or those who are
choleric temperament are those
who are passionate, ambitious,
and bold. Generally extroverted.
 Melancholic are those who are
reserved, anxious and unhappy.
 Sanguine are people who are
joyful, eager, and optimistic.
 Phlegmatic are the ones who are
calm, reliable and thoughtful.
 Do we still consider this as a very
accurate depiction of our differences
and personality? No. Over time, there
Nature of Psychology|2
 are a lot of personality theories that
emerged.  World war I – they needed a way to
1637 – Rene Descartes describes animal spirit drop soldiers
 He believes that animal spirits were  Measure the abilities of the soldier
responsible for nerve and muscle  Army Alpha – to determine the ones
function. who can read English; test with words
 Animal spirit works as the same  Army Beta – for those who have limited
mechanism as nerve impulse. literacy; test with pictures, symbols,
1690 – John Locke introduces the idea of pattern, mazes etc.
tabula rasa 1920 – Gestalt Psychology
 Tabula rasa- blank slate
 We are born without the knowledge of
anything and that everything comes
from experiences.
1807 – Franz Josef Gall proposes phrenology
 Phrenology – distance and bumps on
our skull
 The distance and bumps on our skulls
reveal a person’s personality traits,
character and mental ability.
1879 – Wilhelm Wundt inaugurates first
psychology laboratory in Leipzing, Germany
 Wilhelm Wundt – father of psychology;
founder of the experimental psychology
 Started the scientific inquiry on human
behavior.
1890 – Principles of Psychology published by
William James
 William James – Father of functionalism
1895 – Funtionalist model formulated
1900 – Sigmund Freud develops the
psychodynamic perspective
 Significant milestone in the field of
Psychology
 Psychodynamic Perspective rests on the
notion that we have different dynamics
of the mind.
1904 – Ivan Pavlov wins noble prize for work on
digestion that led to fundamental principles of
learning
1905 – Mary Calkins works on memory
 First woman president of American
Psychological Association and the
American Philosophical Association
1915 – Strong emphasis on intelligence testing

Nature of Psychology|3