Section 1

Why Study Psychology?

Psychologists Point of View

They study complex behavior Physiological- having to do with an organisms physical processes Cognitive- having to do with an organisms thinking and understanding

What is Psychology?
Is the scientific study of behavior that is tested

through scientific research

the study can involve both animal and human

behaviors Some believe our thoughts, feelings, and fantasies are important, but not always observable the study of behavior must be systematic

Use of Systematic Method

Usually asks and answers questions about why

people think, act, and feel as they do reduces the chances of coming to false conclusions Blind man and elephant story

The Goals of Psychology

Description

Explanation
Prediction Influence

Description
Describe or gather information about the behavior

being studied and present what is known

Explanation
Are not content with the facts They seek to explain why people or animals

behave Hypothesis- an assumption or prediction about behavior that is tested through scientific research Theory- a set of assumptions used to explain phenomena and offered for scientific study

Prediction
Use knowledge and predict what organisms think

and feel in various situations By studying past behaviors, psychologists can predict future behaviors

Influence
Psychologists seek to influence behavior in

helpful ways Basic Science- the pursuit of knowledge about natural phenomena for its own sake Applied Science- discovering ways to use scientific findings to accomplish practical goals

Scientific Method
1)

2)
3) 4) 5) 6)

Question Hypothesis Experiment Results Conclusions Theory

Wilhelm Wundt
Set up the first psychology lab in Leipzig,

Germany Two types of element: sensations and feelings Believes an individual observes, analyzes, and reports his or her mental experiences

Section 2
A Brief History of Psychology

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 persons skull to determine that persons intellect and character traits Inspired scientists to consider the brain instead of the heart as responsible for human behavior

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

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

Historical Approaches
Structuralism
Wilhelm Wundt- is acknowledged for establishing

modern psychology as a separate field of 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

Functionalism
William James- taught the first class in

Psychology at Harvard University

Wrote the first textbook The Principles of

Psychology
Functionalist- a psychologist who studied the

function instead of the structure of consciousness

Inheritable Traits
Sir Francis Galton
Wanted to understand how heredity influences a

persons 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

Inheritable Traits
Scientists recognized flaws in Galtons research

They came up with the theory that a persons

heredity and environment interact to influence intelligence

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

Contemporary Approaches
Psychoanalytic

Behavioral
Humanistic Cognitive Biological Sociocultural

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Section 3
Psychology as a Profession

What is a Psychologist?
Psychologists- is a scientist who studies the mind

and behavior of humans and animals Psychiatry- is a branch of medicine that deals with mental, emotional, or behavioral disorders These two professions are usually confused

Subfields of Psychology
Clinical psychologist- is a psychologist who

diagnoses and treats people with emotional disturbances

Counseling psychologist- is a psychologist who

usually helps people deal with problems of everyday life

School psychologist

Subfields of Psychology
Developmental psychologist- a psychologist who

studies the emotional, cognitive, biological, personal, and social changes that occur as an individual matures
Educational psychologist- a psychologist who is

concerned with helping students learn

Subfields of Psychology
Community psychologist- a psychologist who may

work in a mental health or social welfare agency

Industrial or organizational psychologist- a

psychologist who uses psychological concepts to make the workplace a more satisfying environment for employees and managers

Subfields of Psychology
Environmental psychologists- work in a business

or with the government to study the effects of the environment on people

Psychobiologists- study the effect of drugs or try

to explain behavior in terms of biological factors

Subfields of Psychology
Forensic psychologists- work in legal, court,

and correctional systems

Health psychologists- study the interaction

between physical and psychological health factors Experimental psychologists- is a psychologist who studies sensation, perception, learning, motivation, and/or emotion in carefully controlled laboratory conditions