Introductory Psychology

The History and Scope of

Psychology Note by Bekalu
Temesgen

@ADUPORTAL on telegram
A. What is Psychology?

• Psychology is the scientific study of mind and behavior

o Psychology is more than common sense
o Why is psychology scientific?
▪ because it is based on empiricism
▪ the notion that all knowledge can be acquired through
observation, not on reasoning, tradition or common sense

• Psychology is the scientific study of mind and behavior

o mind
▪ the contents of subjective experience
▪ sensations, thoughts, and emotions
o behavior
▪ observable actions
▪ thought and feelings
▪ activities of cells

B. Roots of Modern Psychology

• in the late 1800's both physiologists and philosophers were investigating the
mind
o philosophy - "why"
o physiology - "how"
• philosophy - ideas of about the acquisition of knowledge
• physiology - progress in understanding the nervous system, senses, etc
o both came together to create the idea of applying the methods of science
to the study of human behavior

C. The First Schools: Psychology Emerges as a Science

• Wilhelm Wundt
o established psychology as an independent science
o first psychology lab, in Germany (1879)
o defined psychology as the study of conscious experience
o typical questions
▪ how are sensations turned into mental awareness of the outside
world?
▪ what are the basic elements of thought?
• Psychology comes to America
o Wundt's students start labs across USA (1880 - 1900)
▪ Harvard, Yale, Columbia, Cornell, Stanford
▪ UW-Madison Psychology department formed 1888

• Structuralism
o Edward Titchner
o analyze consciousness into basic elements and study how they are
related
o introspection - systematic self-observation of one's own conscious
experiences

• Functionalism
o William James (1842 - 1910)
o investigate the function, or purpose of consciousness, rather than its
structure
▪ e.g., bricks and mortar of a house versus its usefulness
o Functionalist activities
▪ leaned toward applied work and more natural settings
▪ development in children
▪ educational practices
▪ usefulness of memory techniques

• Structuralism vs Functionalism
o Structuralism - What? Analyze consciousness into basic elements
o Functionalism - Why? Investigate the function, or purpose of
consciousness
 • Gestalt Psychology
o Max Wertheimer (1880 - 1943)
o phi phenomenon
o reaction against structuralism
o elementary thought particles don't capture experience
o "the whole is different than the sum of its parts"

• Behaviorism
o John Watson (1878 - 1958)
▪ attack on introspection
▪ psychology, as a science, should focus on observable behavior
▪ mental processed cannot be studied directly, so don't try!
▪ often referred to as Stimulus-Response psychology
o B.F. Skinner (1904 - 1990)
▪ like Watson, all behavior can be explained by stimulus-response
pairing
▪ emphasized the importance of reinforcement and punishment
o Psychology (1920's - 1960's)
▪ Behaviorism: Psychology is the science of observable behavior
▪ John Watson: Behavior without reference to thought
▪ the rat and SR psychology
▪ BF Skinner: Behaviorism based on consequences
▪ the pigeon and the Skinner box

D. Freud and the Humanists: The Influence of the Clinic

• Freud and Psychoanalysis

o The Unconscious
▪ thoughts, memories, and desires exist below conscious awareness
and exert an influence on our behavior
o Psychoanalytic theory
▪ personality, mental disorders and motivation explained in terms of
unconscious determinants of behavior
▪ unconscious expressed in dreams and "slips of the tongue"
▪ emphasis on the role of childhood experienced in shaping adult
behavior
 • The Humanistic response
o rejects pessimistic view of Freud
o potential for self-awareness, responsibility and growth
o Carl Rogers' client-centered therapy
o Abraham Maslow's hierarchy of needs and self actualization

E. Understanding the Focus of Modern Psychology

• The cognitive revolution (1960's)

o Noam Chomsky and Language
o Advent of computers (late 1950's) provides a new model for thinking
about the mind
o a return to the study of learning, memory, perception, language,
development and problem solving

• Developments in biology
o physiological recording devices - single cell recording, EEG, CT, PET,
MRI
o understanding neurotransmitters

• Recognizing Culture
o before - searched for universal principles
o now - cross-cultural factors important
o culture - shared values, customs, and beliefs

F. What Psychologists Do Today

• Research Psychologists
o conduct experiments or collect observations designed to uncover the
basic principles of behavior and mind
o Bio psychologists
▪ investigate the biological basis of behavior
o Personality Psychologists
▪ study the differences between individuals
o Cognitive Psychologists
▪ conduct research on memory, language, problem-solving
 o Experimental Psychologists
▪ conduct research on sensation, perception, and basic learning
o Developmental Psychologists
▪ study human mental and physical growth from conception to
death
o Social Psychologists
▪ study how people influence one another

• Applied Psychologists
o try to extend the principles of scientific psychology to the practical,
everyday problems of the world
o School Psychologists
▪ assist in children's educational, intellectual and social
development
▪ designing programs for special need children
▪ testing
▪ teaching
o Industrial/Organizational
▪ use psychological principles to improve work environment
▪ predicting job performance, assessing leadership, factors
contributing to job satisfaction
o Human Factors/Engineering
▪ design and engineering of new products
▪ how best to design new keyboard or telephone touch pad
▪ best place to put knobs on stove
o Environmental
▪ the relationship between the physical environment and
psychological processes
▪ functioning of workers in different environments
▪ people's sense of personal space
o Forensic Psychologists
▪ interface between psychology and the law
▪ assisting victims of crime
▪ profiling criminals
▪ selecting jurors for trials

• Clinical Psychologists
o specialize in the diagnosis and treatment of psychological disorders
▪ clinical psychologists versus counseling psychologists
 ▪ clinical psychologists versus psychiatrists

• What holds it all together?

o the desire to describe, predict, understand, and control behavior