Psychology - Chapter 1

Chapter 1 PSYCHOLOGY
PRINCIPLES IN PRACTICE
Bellringer
ANSWER the following questions:
1. In your opinion, what is psychology?
2. Why is the study of psychology important?
3. What would you like to learn in this class?
1 HOLT, RINEHART AND WINSTON

PSYCHOLOGY
Chapter 1
WHAT IS PSYCHOLOGY
Section 1: Why Study Psychology?
Section 2: What Psychologists Do
Section 3: A History of Psychology
Section 4: Contemporary Perspectives

Chapter 1: Section 1
Why Study Psychology???

Main Objective:
 Identify the goals of psychology, and

explain how psychology is a science.

Behavior and Mental Processes:
 Psychology:
 The scientific study of behavior and mental
processes.
 Behavior:
 Any action that other people can observe or
measure:
 EX: Laughing, walking, heart rate.

 Cognitive activities:
 Private, unobservable mental process such as
sensation, perception, thought, and problem
solving.
 EX: Dreaming
How would psychologists measure this

behavior??

 Psychological constructs:
 Theoretical concepts that enable one to discuss
something that cannot be seen touched, or
measured directly.
Psychologists are interested

in studying people’s emotions or
feelings!!!

Chapter 1
PSYCHOLOGY
GOALS OF PSYCHOLOGY
 Observe
 Describe behavior
 Explain
 Predict
 Control

Chapter 1
PSYCHOLOGY
THE SCIENCE OF PSYCHOLOGY

Psychology is a social science but has its
foundation in the natural sciences (biology,
chemistry). It deals with the structure of human
society and interactions of individuals who make
up society.

How do psychologists find answers that they are

looking for??
 Research
 Conducting surveys and experiments
 Collecting and analyzing data
 Drawing conclusions
 Theories which they test

Research:
 2 widely used methods:
 Surveys & Experiments
Surveys: methods of collecting data that usually
involves asking questions of people in a particular
group.
****May use humans or animals****

Psychological Theories:
 Theory: a statement that attempts to explain
why things are the way they are and happen
the way they do.
 Principle: a rule or law

 EX: If you study, then you will get better
grades!!

Review
1. Give an example of a psychological

construct.
2. How do psychologists find answers that they
are looking for?
3. What is the difference between a theory and
a principle?

What Psychologists Do

Main Objective:
 Describe the work done by psychologists

according to their areas of specialization.


Chapter 1
PSYCHOLOGY
AREAS OF SPECIALIZATION
 Clinical – the largest group – treat psychological
problems.
 Counseling – treat adjustment problems.
 School – deal with students who have problems that
interfere with learning.
 Educational Psychologist – focus on course
planning and instructional methods.
 Help with developing SAT

Chapter 1
PSYCHOLOGY
AREAS OF SPECIALIZATION (continued)

 Developmental Psychologists- study changes that
occur throughout a persons’ life span. (physical,
emotional, cognitive, social)
 Personality Psychologist – identify characteristics or
traits. (aggression; anxiety; shyness)
 Social Psychologist – concerned with people’s
behavior in social situations. (group behavior)
 Experimental Psychologist – conduct research into
basic processes, such as the nervous system.
Experimental Psychologists (continued)
 Focus on basic research:

 Research that has no immediate application and is
done for its own sake.
 EX: Basic research into motivation has helped

clinical and counseling psychologists develop
ways of helping people control their eating habits.

Chapter 1
PSYCHOLOGY
(continued)
 Industrial and Organizational Psychologist – focus
on people in work and business (assist in hiring)
 Environmental Psychologist – focus on ways in
which people influence and are influenced by
physical environment (does crowding make people
irritable?)
 Consumer Psychologist – study the behavior of
shoppers to explain and predict behavior. (placement
of milk)
Chapter 1
PSYCHOLOGY
(continued)
 Forensic Psychologist – are concerned with

how psychological problems give rise to
criminal behavior.
 Health Psychologist – study the ways in
which behavior and mental processes are
related to physical health.
 (Correlation with stress and heart disease)

A History of Psychology

Main Objective:
 Explain the historical background of the

study of psychology.

Roots from Ancient Greece:

 Began in ancient Greece.
 Socrates:
 Believed can learn about
ourselves by examining
thoughts and feelings.
Introspection: “Looking within”

 Plato:
 Associationism:
A learned connection
between two ideas or events.
EX: thoughts can lead to dreams.

Chapter 1
Section 3: A History of Psychology
PSYCHOLOGY
PSYCHOLOGY DEVELOPED OVER TIME
 Revived during the scientific advances of the 1500s,

1600s and 1700s.
 1879: the year that many believe to be the beginning
of psychology.
 Considered a modern laboratory science by
Wilhelm Wundt

Wilhelm Wundt:
(“Vunt”)
 Structuralism:
 Maintains that conscious experience breaks down
into objective sensations and subjective feelings.
Objective: sight and taste
Subjective: emotional responses and mental
images.

William James:
 Functionalism:
 Emphasizes the purposes of behavior
and mental processes.
 Believe that adaptive behavior patterns are learned

and maintained because they are successful.
 EX: studying to make good grades

What are the main differences between structuralism and

functionalism??
 Structuralism: What are the elements of

psychological processes?
 Functionalists: What are the purposes of

behavior and mental processes?

John B. Watson
 Behaviorism:
 Defines psychology as the scientific
study of observable behavior.
EX: Watching violence on T.V. can lead to

violent behavior.

B.F. Skinner
(Burrhus Frederic)
 Believe animals AND humans
learn to behave in certain ways
because they have been reinforced
for doing so.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=41ZW0OGp4HE

The Gestalt School:
 Gestalt Psychology:
 Emphasizes the tendency to organize perceptions
into meaningful wholes.
Context influences perception!

Sigmund Freud:
 Psychoanalysis:
 Empathizes the importance of
unconscious motives and internal
conflict in determining human behavior.
EX: Verbal slips; dreams  reflects Freud’s

influence on popular culture.

Freud (continued)
 Consultations with patients

 Free association

Freud (continued)
 Psychodynamic thinking:
 Most of what exists in an individual’s mind
is unconscious and consists of conflicting
impulses, urges, and wishes.

Freudian
FreudianSlips!
Slips!Pretty
Prettyfunny!
funny!
 Freudian slip:
 is an error in speech, memory, or physical action
that is believed to be caused by the unconscious
mind.
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oiPzM98h7NA
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5PGeKNk1oWo
End of Chapter 1: Section 3

Bellringer
1. What are the main differences between

structuralism and functionalism?
2. Who is responsible for developing the ideas
of reinforcement?
3. In Ancient Greece, what did Socrates believe
in relation to psychology?

Contemporary Perspectives

Main Objective:
Describe the main contemporary

perspectives in psychology.

Chapter 1
Section 4: Contemporary Perspectives
PSYCHOLOGY
SEVEN MAIN CONTEMPORARY

PERSPECTIVES IN PSYCHOLOGY
1. Biological – nervous system, glands, hormones,
genetic factors.
 How does biology influence behavior?
 CAT & PET scans  show mental processes
 How do genes influence personality?

2. Evolutionary Perspective:
* Focuses on the evolution of behavior and
mental processes.
* Charles Darwin:
Darwin “Survival of the Fittest”

3. Cognitive Perspective:
*Study mental processes to understand
human nature.
*Cognitive psychologists believe that

people’s behavior is influenced by their
values, their perceptions, and their choices.

4. Humanistic Perspective:
Perspective
* Stresses the human capacity for self-fulfillment and
the importance of consciousness, self-awareness,
and the capacity to make choices.
* Believe that we are free to choose our own

behavior.
* View people as basically good and desiring to be
helpful to others.

Humanistic Perspective (continued)
 Self-actualization:
 The self-motivated striving to reach one’s
potential.
 Client-centered therapy:
 Most widely used humanistic
technique.

5. Psychoanalytic Perspective:
* Stresses the influence of unconscious
forces on human behavior.
EX: Sigmund Freud

6. Learning/Behavioral Perspective:
 Emphasis the effects of experience on behavior.
 Social-learning theory:
 Suggest that people can change their
environments or create new ones.
 Believe behavior is learned either from
direct experience or by observing other
people.

7. Sociocultural Perspective:
 Studies the influence of ethnicity, gender,

culture, and socioeconomic status on behavior
and mental processes.

Sociocultural Psychologists study the following topics:
 Ethnic groups:
 A group united by cultural heritage, race,
language, or common history.
 Gender:
 State of being male or being female; gender roles
 Prejudice

Out of the 7 psychological perspectives,

which one do you favor the most AND
explain why!

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Chapter 1 PSYCHOLOGY

1. In your opinion, what is psychology?

2. Why is the study of psychology important?

3. What would you like to learn in this class?

1 HOLT, RINEHART AND WINSTON

2 HOLT, RINEHART AND WINSTON

Why Study Psychology???

3 HOLT, RINEHART AND WINSTON

 Identify the goals of psychology, and

4 HOLT, RINEHART AND WINSTON

Behavior and Mental Processes:

5 HOLT, RINEHART AND WINSTON

How would psychologists measure this

6 HOLT, RINEHART AND WINSTON

Psychologists are interested

7 HOLT, RINEHART AND WINSTON

8 HOLT, RINEHART AND WINSTON

THE SCIENCE OF PSYCHOLOGY

9 HOLT, RINEHART AND WINSTON

How do psychologists find answers that they are

10 HOLT, RINEHART AND WINSTON

11 HOLT, RINEHART AND WINSTON

 Principle: a rule or law

12 HOLT, RINEHART AND WINSTON

1. Give an example of a psychological

13 HOLT, RINEHART AND WINSTON

14 HOLT, RINEHART AND WINSTON

 Describe the work done by psychologists

15 HOLT, RINEHART AND WINSTON

16 HOLT, RINEHART AND WINSTON

AREAS OF SPECIALIZATION (continued)

Experimental Psychologists (continued)

 Focus on basic research:

 EX: Basic research into motivation has helped

18 HOLT, RINEHART AND WINSTON

 Forensic Psychologist – are concerned with

20 HOLT, RINEHART AND WINSTON

21 HOLT, RINEHART AND WINSTON

 Explain the historical background of the

22 HOLT, RINEHART AND WINSTON

Roots from Ancient Greece:

23 HOLT, RINEHART AND WINSTON

24 HOLT, RINEHART AND WINSTON

PSYCHOLOGY DEVELOPED OVER TIME

 Revived during the scientific advances of the 1500s,

25 HOLT, RINEHART AND WINSTON

26 HOLT, RINEHART AND WINSTON

 Believe that adaptive behavior patterns are learned

27 HOLT, RINEHART AND WINSTON

What are the main differences between structuralism and

 Structuralism: What are the elements of

 Functionalists: What are the purposes of

28 HOLT, RINEHART AND WINSTON

EX: Watching violence on T.V. can lead to

29 HOLT, RINEHART AND WINSTON

30 HOLT, RINEHART AND WINSTON

The Gestalt School:

Context influences perception!

31 HOLT, RINEHART AND WINSTON

EX: Verbal slips; dreams  reflects Freud’s

32 HOLT, RINEHART AND WINSTON

 Consultations with patients

33 HOLT, RINEHART AND WINSTON