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Unit 1

a c he s Modules 1 - 3

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AP
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Psycholo
 Psychology’s Psychology’s
Prescientific Psychology: Philosophy continued...Roots
Psychology is often lumped in with other soft sciences (e.g.

Roots
sociology, anthropology, political science, etc.) and by many is
not considered a hard science (e.g. physics, geology,
chemistry, biology, etc.).
● Francis Bacon believed the human mind had 2 accounts:
physical composition and behavior of individuals
● John Locke believed, at birth, the mind was a blank slate
(tabula rasa) in which experiences write on it. This
leads to empiricism: what we know comes from
experience, observation, experimentation

Prescientific Psychology: Philosophy

● Early philosophers began to look at the workings of the
mind to understand reality.
● Socrates and his student Plato believed that the mind is
separate from the body and continues after the body
dies. They also believed that knowledge is innate (born
with it). Physiology
● Aristotle (Plato’s student) believed that knowledge is not ● a science that
preexisting; it grows from experiences and is stored in deals with the
the mind ways living things
● Rene Descartes believed in dualism: the mind and (organs, tissues,
body are separate entities that interact to form the cells) function
human experience
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 Psychology’s Psychology’s
Roots
Roots +
Philosophy Psychology is the scientific study of behavior and the
mind. The study of psychology applies the following:
● scientific method

Physiology =
● observable behavior
● mind-body question
● nature/nurture question

PSYCHOLOGY In your own words, describe how philosophical and

physiological perspectives shaped the development of
psychological thought.

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 Psychology is born Psychology
Wilhelm Wundt (1832-1920)
is born
● known as founder of psychology
● established first lab in 1879 at the
University of Leipzig in Germany
● Reaction time experiment

🎬Click here to learn about Wundt’s experiment

In your own words, describe Wundt’s reaction time experiment.

G. Stanley Hall (1844-1924) Why do you think that so many laboratories opened up in the
● Brings Wundt’s ideas to America United States during this time period?
● First research lab at John Hopkins
● founded 1st American Ψ journal
● establishes American Psychological
Association (APA)

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 Early Schools of Early Schools of
thought
thought
Things are not black and white in Psychology. Through research
and experiments, many competing theories and schools of
thought have developed. Each school of thought, or perspective,
Your turn! Let’s practice the art of introspection by trying to
become more aware of our own perceptions. First, unwrap a
peppermint and place it on your tongue (no biting or chewing
explains behavior in a different way. allowed). Next, describe the “elemental sensations” that you
experience by writing down your responses below.
Structuralism
● studies how the structure of an experience can be
broken down into its component parts
● introduced by Edward Titchener (student of Wundt's)
● uses introspection--the careful, systematic self-
observation of one’s own conscious experience
○ required training to make the subject more
objective and more aware

Introspection can be used to explain an

experiences structure. A match is lit.
You would describe the smell, color,
hearing the strike.

But there is one problem with

introspection. Everyone’s experiences
can be described differently.

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 Early Schools of Early Schools of
thought
thought
What do you perceive as some of the shortcomings of this
method(introspection) of studying human thought and behavior?
Explain in detail.
Think about it…
Right now (seriously, as you are working on this assignment), if
you were presented with several food items, which would you
choose? Orange, granola bar, piece of gum, red beans and
rice. Explain your choice below. Be specific in your reason
why.

Functionalism
● looks at how the experience Let’s review! Structuralism versus Functionalism
allows organisms to “function If the statement describes structuralism, place an “s”. If the
better” in their environment. statement describes functionalism, place an “f”.
Studies the adaptation of living
1.______Concerned with the purpose of consciousness
persons to their environment
● William James uses the 2.______Trained observers to introspect about consciousness
3.______Assumed that consciousness could be broken down
influence of Charles Darwin's
into basic elements.
natural selection to explain
4.______Interested in the flow of consciousness
people’s adaptive behaviors.
○ 1st textbook: Principles of 5.______Focused on the adaptive value of consciousness
6.______Emphasized sensation and perception in vision,
Psychology
hearing, touch.
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 Women in Women in
Psychology
Psychology
Mary Calkins (1863-1930)
● Earned a Ph.D from Harvard but
Dorothea Dix (1802-1877)
● saw the mistreatment of
was offered a Ph.D. from Ratcliffe mentally ill in prisons
instead. She refused the degree ● pressured lawmakers to
● 1st female APA president construct and fund asylums for
mentally ill

Margaret Floy Washburn (1871-1939) 🎬Click here to learn more about Dorthea Dix
● 1st female psychology Ph.D.
● 2nd female APA president
● published by Wundt How do you think psychology might change in the future
● barred from joining the Organization as more women contribute their ideas to the field?
of Experimental Psychologists
because of her gender

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 Early Schools of Behaviorism
thought: John B. Watson (1878-1958)

Psychological Science
As the first ideas of psychology focused on introspection, that
idea was challenged in the 1920s by several American
● He thought that psychology should
be known as a the science of
behavior with the goal to observe
Matures
psychologists who redefined psychology as “the scientific study of
overt behaviors and to predict and
observable behavior.” They concluded what you cannot observe,
control such behaviors.
you cannot scientifically study as science is rooted in observation.
● Baby Albert experiment
Behaviorism becomes the next school of thought (perspective).

Ivan Pavlov (1849-1936) sets the stage for behaviorism

🎬 Click to watch Pavlov’s experiment

BF Skinner (1904-1990)
● Skinner revisits behaviorism in
the 1950s
● studied how consequences
(rewards/punishments) shaped
behavior

🎬 Click to watch Skinner’s experiment

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 Early Schools of Psychoanaly
thought: Sigmund Freud
sis
● based on the unconscious mind; Freud believed that many

Psychological Science
Another school of thought (perspective) develops during the
behaviors are a result of thoughts and desires that
manifest at a level below one’s conscious awareness (i.e.,
the unconscious).
Matures
1920s--psychoanalytic, developed by Sigmund Freud (1856-1939)
● believed behaviors are also based on childhood
experiences
● structuralism, functionalism, behaviorism all study the
conscious mind.
● treats mental disorders through therapy by bringing
repressed memories to the conscious mind
● dream interpretation

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 Early Schools of Humanistic and
thought: Gestalt

Psychological Science
Humanistic Psychology
● optimistic view of human nature--people are not pawns

Matures
of neither their animal heritage nor their environmental
circumstances
● People have free will--the ability to direct our own lives
● focuses on potential for personal growth

Carl Rogers (1902-1987)

● people are basically good
● each of us is primed for growth

Gestalt Psychology
● Max Wertheimer (1880-
1943)
Abraham Maslow (1908-1970) ● “the whole is greater than
● hierarchy of needs the sum of its parts”
● physiological needs must be ● In order to explain
meet first before moving up to perceptual experiences,
other needs he thought that we need to
look at more than just the
parts, including both the
basic elements and the
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 Modern approaches Modern
Biopsychosocial approach
● incorporates 3 levels of analysis to offer a more complex Positive Psychology
approaches
● focus more research on human flourishing, not just
picture of any given behavior or mental process
● Biological, psychological, and sociocultural are understanding and treating troubles
● believe happiness is a by product of a pleasant, engaged,
complementary viewpoints that work together to describe
behavior and meaningful life.
● uses scientific method to explore building a “good life”
that engages our skills and a “meaningful life” that points
beyond ourselves.

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 Domains of psychology
The question arises of “what kinds of jobs are available in the
field of psychology?”
● Basic research: conducting research that builds
psychology’s knowledge base
● Applied research: tackling practical problems
BASIC RESEARCH SUBFIELDS
● Biological psychologist: explore the links between body
and mind
● Cognitive psychologist: study human thinking;
experiment with how we perceive, think, and solve
problems
● Developmental psychologist: conduct research on age-
related behavioral changes
● Educational psychologist: study relationship between
learning and physical and social environments and develop
strategies for enhancing the learning process
● Experimental psychologist: investigate basic behavioral
processes in humans and other animals--motivation,
learning, perception,and language.
● Psychometric psychologist: study the math related
methods used to acquire psychological knowledge
● Social psychologist: study our interactions with others
● Personality psychologist: investigating our persistent
traits
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subfields
APPLIED RESEARCH SUBFIELDS
● Industrial-organizational psychologist: study the
relationship between people and their working
environments
HELPING PROFESSIONS
● Clinical psychologist: promote psychological health in
individuals, groups, and organizations. May specialize in
a specific psychological disorder; offer therapy.
● Counseling psychologist: help people adjust to life
transitions or make lifestyle changes
● Psychologist (PhD) vs.Psychiatrist (M.D.):
○ a clinical and counseling psychologists administer
and interpret tests and provide counseling and
therapy
○ psychiatrists will also provide therapy but are
medical doctors who can prescribe drugs and treat
physical causes of psychological disorders
Which of psychology’s subfields were you aware of before
taking this course? which ones seem most interesting to you?
Explain your answer.
 Credits:

Michael Cone, AP Psychology teacher, questions and

information

Angela Zorn, US History teacher, interactive notebook

Many other AP Psychology teachers who contribute activities

to the shared google drive.

Myers, D. G. (2014). Myers' psychology for AP®. New York, Slides: SlidesMania
NY: Worth.
Images: Freepik
MYERS, D. G. (2020). PSYCHOLOGY. New York, NY: Fonts used: Patrick Hand Ariel and
WORTH PUB.
Amatic SC

THAN
Weiten, W. (2013). Psychology: Themes and variations.
Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.

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