Psychology Definition, Goals, and History

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1 Introduction to Psychology History, Perspectives & Subfields Psychology Definition, Goals, and History PSYCHOLOGY: the study of and. 1. Psychology as a science formulate and test theories and hypothesis 2. Psychology studies behavior behavior is: includes outward activity as well as psychological functioning (brain activity) 3. Psychology studies mental processes mental processes include: mental processes must be from behavior as they usually cannot be directly Difference between Observable Behaviors and Inferences Observation: Inference: Examples: Examples: C O P E Goals of Psychology * most important goal

2 PRE-SCIENTIFIC PSYCHOLOGY Socrates ( B.C.) Ancient Greek philosopher Motto: Practice Introspection: Concluded the is separable from the body and continues after the body dies Believed knowledge is Aristotle ( B.C.) Ancient Greek philosopher Proponent of Empiricism: sight, sound, smell, taste, touch science should rely on observation and experimentation Introduced Associationism: Wrote Means About the Mind Human behavior subject to People are motivated to seek pleasure and avoid pain Believed knowledge grows from stored in our memories European Philosophes Rene Descartes ( ) Dissected animals and concluded that the fluid in the brain s cavities contained that flowed via _ to cause muscle movements, memory formation, etc. John Locke ( ) Tabula Rasa: SCIENTIFIC PSYCHOLOGY Wilhelm Wundt ( ) German physiologist & psychologist Considered to be the Founded the first psychology 1879 in Leipzig, Germany Founded the school of Structuralism: Study of the Breaks conscious experience down into 2 parts (observed and measured) (introspection) Wundt and followers experimented on vision, hearing, touch, memory, & reaction time Led by Wundt s student in the U.S.

3 William James ( ) Harvard University professor Published first in 1890 The Principles of Psychology Experience is a continuous stream of consciousness that cannot be broken down as structuralists taught Focused on relationship between and Founded school of Functionalism: Study of the Focuses on Influenced by Behaviors that are effective and help people adapt to and cope with their environment become habits (survive) Ineffective and maladaptive behaviors are eliminated (die out) GESTALT PSYCHOLOGY Founded in Germany in 1920s by Max Wertheimer ( ) Kurt Koffka ( ) Wolfgang Köhler ( ) Gestalt translates into Emphasized our tendency to integrate pieces of information into meaningful wholes. Focused on, thinking, and problem solving = key Learning is accomplished by, not by mechanical repetition light bulb moment Eureka! Archimedes

4 Introduction to Psychology History, Perspectives & Subfields Perspectives in Psychology Survey Directions: carefully read each statement below and write agree or disagree below. 1. We can get to the root of many of our problems by interpreting our dreams. 2. Cancer and other diseases that inflict humans are primarily the result of poor living habits. 3. Humans, by nature, are good. 4. Life is 10% what happens to us and 90% how we react to it. 5. A chemical imbalance in the brain is the primary cause of depression. 6. The media is mostly to blame for the high prevalence of eating disorders in the United States. 7. Much of our behavior operates outside of our conscious awareness. 8. Violent video games and music lyrics cause increased violent behavior in children. 9. People are free to make conscious choices based on their unique experiences. 10. Self-defeating thought is one of the primary causes of depression. 11. Our genetic make-up is more important than environmental influences in determining our behavior. 12. Socioeconomic status influences intelligence. 13. Hypnosis is an effective therapy method for treating a variety of psychological disorders. 14. Gender (our sense of being male or female) is a product of our environment and how we are raised. 15. We are all motivated to reach our full potential in life. 16. Activity in the brain is responsible for emotions, memories and sensory experiences. 17. Our desire to preserve and perpetuate life (pass on our genes) drives much of our behavior. 18. We work out, wear make-up, use deodorant, and/or dress nicely primarily to attract the opposite sex. 19. Homosexuality results from traumatic childhood experiences in life. 20. Extrinsic motivation is more influential than intrinsic motivation in determining behavior. 21. People tend to disown parts of themselves they think might meet with social disapproval or rejection in order to fit in.

5 22. Whether you think you are right or think you are wrong you re right. 23. Anti-depressants, such as Prozac or Zoloft, can fix depression. 24. Gender roles are determined by culture and ethnicity, not anatomy or genetics. 25. We have a tendency and/or ability to bury (forget) traumatic childhood experiences, such as abuse. 26. Most of learning in life comes from observing and mimicking others. 27. Intrinsic motivation is more influential than extrinsic motivation in determining behavior. 28. The saying, use it or lose it is true. 29. The most adaptive organisms survive and transmit their genes to future generations. 30. Members of an ethnic group are united by their common language, history and cultural heritage. Directions: complete the chart below to analyze your survey results and determine which psychological perspective(s) you agree or align with the most, based on this self-report measure. # 1,7,13,19,25 #2,8,14,20,26 #3,9,15,21,27 #4,10,16,22,28 #5,11,17,23,29 #6,12,18,24,30 A: A: A: A: D: A: D: A: D: D: D: D: Perspective: Psychodynamic Perspective: Behavioral Perspective: Humanistic- Existential Perspective: Cognitive Perspective: Biological- Evolutionary Perspective: Socio-cultural

6 AP Psychology Mrs. Tachick Introduction to Psychology History, Perspectives & Subfields CURRENT PSYCHOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVES PERSPECTIVE WHO BELIEFS METHODS EXAMPLE: cause of depression 1. Sigmund _ ( ) Carl Jung ( ) Alfred Adler ( ) Karen Horney ( ) Erik Erikson ( ) the mind, early _ experiences, interpersonal relationships & _ influence behavior, thoughts, feelings, personality psychoanalysts today focus on strengthening the : moderator/reality principle and conscious experience psychoanalysis free association hypnosis transference dream analysis catharsis ego analysis 2. Ivan ( ) John B. ( ) Mary Cover Jones ( ) B.F. ( ) Albert _ (1925-) 3. Gordon Allport ( ) Carl ( ) Abraham Maslow ( ) people learn to behave in certain ways through _,, and (environmental influences), rather than conscious choice focus on role of conscious choice today people can modify or even create their own environments emphasize the human capacity for and the importance of consciousness, self-awareness, and the freedom to choose subjective, personal experiences shape behavior and personality behavior modification and behavior therapy systematic desensitization flooding modeling aversive conditioning operant conditioning functional analysis client-centered therapy Gestalt therapy

7 CURRENT PSYCHOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVES PERSPECTIVE WHO BELIEFS METHODS EXAMPLE: cause of depression 4. Jean ( ) Benjamin Whorf ( ) Jerome Bruner (1915-) Aaron Beck (1921-) Noam Chomsky (1928-) Gordon Bower (1932-) Martin Seligman (1942-) Elizabeth Loftus (1944-) 5. Roger ( ) John Allan Hobson (1933-) V. S. Ramachandran (1951-) 6. Lev ( ) Solomon Asch ( ) Leon Festinger ( ) Stanley Milgram ( ) Philip Zimbardo (1933-) Bibb Latané (1937-) Sandra Lipsitz Bem (1944-) focus on the mind and use _ to understand human nature and explain behavior examine how we,, _, and information behavior influenced by thoughts, values, perceptions and choices electrical/chemical activity of the,, and influence mental processes and behavior body and brain create emotions, memories and sensory experiences behavior and personality have a basis adaptive organisms and their genes to future generations ethnicity, gender, culture, and socioeconomic status influence behavior and mental processes presence of _ (real or imagined) influences behavior social psychology cognitive therapy rational emotive behavior therapy drug therapy electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) psychosurgery CAT scan MRI and fmri PET scan electroencephalograph (EEG) biofeedback therapy gender and ethnicity studies social psychology studies Biopsychosocial Approach: an integrated approach that incorporates biological, psychological, AND social-cultural levels of analysis (perspectives) in studying human behavior and mental processes. Offers a more complete picture than individual perspectives do in isolation

8 AP Psychology Mrs. Tachick Introduction to Psychology History, Perspectives & Subfields Name Date _ Period Web Search: Subfields and Careers in Psychology Directions: Use the information available on the websites listed below to gather data to complete the table and answer the following questions regarding education, earnings, and job prospects of psychologists. You may also reference pp and from Unit 1, Modules 2&3 in the textbook for supplemental information on these topics if you can t find what you re looking for online. Go to (select some of the subfields in psychology ) and/or SUBFIELD WHAT TYPE OF WORK DO THEY DO? (please briefly describe in your own words) Biological Clinical Community Counseling Developmental Educational Experimental Forensic Health Human Factors/Engineering

9 SUBFIELD WHAT TYPE OF WORK DO THEY DO? (please briefly describe in your own words) Industrial-Organizational Personality Psychometrics School Social Sports Go to 1. Work Environment On average, 8% of workers in the United States are self-employed. What percentage of psychologists are self-employed? 2. Education What is a Psy.D.? 3. What type of degree is typically required to work and practice as a psychologist? 4. Pay How much money do psychologists earn, on average? 5. Job Outlook Is the employment growth rate for psychologists faster than average, average, or slower than average? Which psychological subfield has the highest projected growth rate (at 53%) between 2012 and 2022? 6. Similar Occupations What are two occupations related to psychology? Go to or 7. How does Psychiatry differ from Psychology? In other words, what is required to become a Psychiatrist and what can they do that Psychologists typically cannot? Go to 8. Which is the most popular subfield of Psychology?

10 AP Psychology Mrs. Tachick Introduction to Psychology History, Perspectives & Subfields Name Date Period Subfields Search and Rescue Directions: Record the information in the question as well as its correct answer in a complete sentence for each corresponding letter box below. Utilize the support stations for hints if you are stuck or for checking your work for accuracy. i.e. As a community psychologist I work with relief organizations to help survivors of natural disasters cope with their loss of homes, possessions, and/or deaths of loved ones. A: G: B: H: C: J: D: K: E: L: F: M:

12 Psychology History & Perspectives Name _ Check Your Understanding Psychological Perspectives PART I Directions: Read each scenario below and determine which of the current perspectives in psychology it represents: psychodynamic, behavioral, humanistic, cognitive, biological, or socio-cultural. Please write the NAME of the perspective in the space provided. 1. Psychologists from which perspective might believe the mental state associated with being in love can be reduced to a chemical reaction in the brain? 2. Dr. Meyer is studying the effects of ethnic bias (prejudice/stereotypes) on the academic performance of immigrant children. Most likely, he practices from which perspective? 3. A psychologist from what perspective might ask you to keep a dream journal to get to the root of your problems? 4. Five-year old Todd watched his father at his workbench, hammering together a birdhouse. Soon Todd was next to his father, hammer in hand, tapping the workbench. Todd s behavior is best described by which perspective? 5. In reviewing the contents of several psychology journals, a student noted a marked increase in the number of articles on memory and thinking over the past dozen years. He concluded that there has been increased interest in which psychological perspective? 6. Dr. Levy studies the influence of hormones in determining maternal behavior and sexual behavior in rats. Levy probably adheres to which perspective? 7. Kathy was a very successful real estate agent. At age 35 she decided to donate her wealth to charity and become a missionary in Haiti, where she has been living in relative contentment for the last 2 years. She now feels personally fulfilled and complete. Which psychological perspective best explains Kathy s behavior? 8. Research regarding rates of alcoholism in various countries shows higher rates for places like the U.S. and Britain, but lower rates for Italy and Spain. What perspective does this support?

13 PART II Directions: Respond to the prompt below to see if you can synthesize what you have learned. A famous television and movie actress is repeatedly in and out of rehabilitation centers for drug and alcohol abuse. She began her career as the lead in a popular children s show and spent a decade staring in both Hollywood movies and television dramas. Now, in her late-twenties, she is a regular feature in the celebrity magazines and tabloids for her bizarre public outbursts, illegal behavior and edgy lifestyle. Finally, as a result of a court-order, she has sought psychological counseling and assessment. She is finding it hard to decide on a permanent psychologist because she is receiving conflicting explanations for her lack of functioning. For each of the perspectives listed below, use your knowledge of their key assumptions to write 2-3 sentences regarding how the perspective might be utilized to explain the actress behavior. Cite key terms and create specific examples that would apply in your explanation. Exemplar: A socio-cultural psychologist might attempt to explain the actress erratic and self-destructive behaviors as a result of growing up in the fast-paced, fame-obsessed, over-glamourized culture of Hollywood. Because her success and popularity came at an early age, she likely lacked the capacities and emotional maturity to cope with the intense media scrutiny and paparazzi attention that accompanies stardom, pushing her to turn to drugs and alcohol as an escape. Or she may be escalating her scandalous behaviors in an attempt to keep her name in the media if her acting career has been damaged by her reputation. 1. A psychoanalyst: 4. A humanist: 2. A behaviorist: 5. A biological psychologist: 3. A cognitive psychologist:

AP Psychology. PSYCHOLOGY (Bernstein) Chapter 1: Introducing Psychology

AP Psychology. PSYCHOLOGY (Bernstein) Chapter 1: Introducing Psychology AP Psychology PSYCHOLOGY (Bernstein) Chapter 1: Introducing Psychology PSYCHOLOGY: the science that seeks to understand behavior and mental processes, and to apply that understanding in the service of