Introduction to Psychology

Introduction to Psychology

• Psychology is the scientific study of behavior and mental processes.
• A key aspect of psychology is the scientific method.
• Pseudopsychologies are observations about human behavior without scientific support.

What is Psychology?

• Psychology is about critical thinking, the ability to analyze information and draw rational conclusions.
• Critical thinkers are flexible, tolerate ambiguity, and identify biases.
• They are skeptical, basing claims on objective evidence.
• Critical thinkers avoid oversimplification, recognizing the complexity of human behavior.
• Critical thinkers are logical and inferential.

Critical Thinking

• Critical thinkers separate facts from opinions, and consider evidence quality.
• They use empirical evidence, obtained from experiments, observation, or measurement.
• They avoid "argument by anecdote" (personal stories as evidence.)
• They avoid oversimplification, and consider the complexity of the subject matter.

The Beginnings of Psychology

• Psychology has existed since the beginning of time in a general sense.
• Psychology as a formal discipline began in 1879 with Wilhelm Wundt's psychology laboratory in Germany.
• Wilhelm Wundt trained some of the first scientific psychologists
• Wundt wrote the important book "Principles of Physiological Psychology"
• Early psychologists were primarily interested in visual and auditory sensations, and feelings
• Edward Titchener was a student of Wundt in Germany.

Structuralism

• Titchener developed structuralism, an approach to psychology.
• Structuralism aimed to identify basic building blocks of human experience (sensation, perception, emotion).
• The method used was introspection (looking inward).

Functionalism

• Introspection limitations gave rise to functionalism (studying how the mind adapts).
• William James is considered crucial in developing and explaining functionalism.
• Functionalism broadened the scope of psychology, considering observable behaviors and emotions.
• Functionalism also influenced modern psychological testing and the modern education and industry methods.

Sources of Empirical Information

• Psychology textbooks are a source of empirical information.
• Scientific journals/periodicals, such as non-scientific sources like newspapers, television, websites or Wikipedia, can also provide information.
• Anecdotes, opinions of non-experts, should also not be used as evidence or factual information.

This quiz explores the foundational concepts of psychology including the scientific study of behavior and mental processes as well as the importance of critical thinking within the field. Participants will evaluate the distinction between empirical evidence and pseudopsychologies. Test your knowledge about critical thinking's role in analyzing human behavior.