Introduction to Psychology

Introduction to Psychology

• Psychology is derived from two Greek words:
  • Psyche: meaning "soul," "spirit," or "mind"
  • Logos: meaning "science," "knowledge," or "study"
• Psychology is defined as an academic and applied discipline that studies human behavior and mental/cognitive processes. This is also known as the science of behavior and mind.

Learning Outcomes

• Students will be able to define psychology.
• Students will be able to describe the history of psychology.
• Students will be able to describe areas, fields, and careers in psychology.
• Students will be able to discuss goals in psychology.
• Students will be able to discuss enduring issues in psychology.

History of Psychology

• Psychology was initially part of philosophy and biology.
• In 1879, Wilhelm Wundt (father of psychology) established the first psychology lab at the University of Leipzig, Germany. This marked the "birth" of psychology as a science.
• Introspection was a technique used in early psychology, involving individuals examining and reporting their inner thoughts and feelings.

Views of Psychology

• Early & modern views include structuralism, functionalism, Gestalt psychology, behaviorism, psychodynamic/psychoanalytic perspective, humanistic psychology, cognitive perspective, neuroscience/biopsychology perspective, evolutionary perspective, and sociocultural perspective.

Structuralism

• Founded by Wilhelm Wundt and Edward Titchener.
• Focused on identifying the basic elements of consciousness (sensations, perceptions).
• Used introspection as a method of investigation.

Functionalism

• Founded by William James.
• Focused on how the mind functions to help us adapt and survive.
• Focused on the "function" rather than the "structure" of consciousness.

Gestalt Psychology

• Founded by Max Wertheimer.
• Stressed that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
• Showed people organize their conscious experiences into meaningful units

Behaviorism

• Emphasized scientific study of observable behaviors, not mental processes.
• Key figures include J.B. Watson and B.F. Skinner
• Behavior is determined by stimuli and responses and interactions with the environment.

Psychodynamic/Psychoanalytic Perspective

• Founded by Sigmund Freud.
• Believes unconscious forces influence behavior.
• Early childhood experiences shape unconscious motivations.

Humanistic Psychology

• Developed by Abraham Maslow and Carl Rogers.
• Focuses on human experience, human problems, potentials, and ideals.
• Stresses the importance of conscious experiences for human well-being.

Cognitive Perspective

• Emphasizes internal mental processes like memory, thought, and perception.
• Key figures include Jean Piaget and Noam Chomsky.

Neuroscience/Biological Perspective

• Focuses on genetics and biological processes in the brain and nervous system to explain behavior.

Evolutionary Perspective

• Studies how natural selection, adaptation, and evolution influence mental processes, and behavior.

Sociocultural Perspective

• Examines social and cultural influences on behavior.

The Biopsychosocial Model:

• This model combines biological, psychological, and social factors to understand health, illness, and human behavior.

Fields in Psychology (Research/Academic)

• Abnormal psychology
• Biological psychology
• Cognitive psychology
• Developmental psychology
• Personality psychology
• Social psychology

Abnormal Psychology

• Study of abnormal behavior and mental disorders.
• Applies knowledge in clinical psychology to treating patients.

Biological Psychology

• Study of biological bases of behavior and mental states.

Cognitive Psychology

• Approach that emphasizes internal mental processes.
• Investigates perceptions, learning, problem-solving, memory, language and emotion.

Developmental Psychology

• Study of progressive psychological changes in human beings across their lifespan.

Personality Psychology

• Study of enduring psychological characteristics of an individual.

Social Psychology

• Study of human social behavior.
• Examines how social interactions effect human beings.

Fields & Careers in Psychology (Applied)

• Clinical psychology
• Counseling psychology
• Industrial/Organizational psychology
• Educational / School psychology
• Forensic/Legal psychology
• Health psychology

Clinical Psychology

• Applies psychological research, theories and treatments to help individuals or groups address psychological issues and distress.

Counseling Psychology

• Focuses on providing guidance and support to individuals navigating everyday life challenges such as emotional, vocational, social or educational.

Industrial/Organizational Psychology

• Concerns application of psychology techniques to workplace issues.
• Include leadership, personnel psychology, training and development, organizational behavior as topics.

Educational / School Psychology

• Study of how human learn as well as applying psychology principles to diagnose and treat learning and behavioral issues impacting students.

Forensic / Legal Psychology

• Apply psychological principles in legal contexts.

Health Psychology

• Focuses on how psychological factors contribute to health, illness, and health care.
• Applies psychological knowledge to health care in clinical settings.

Psychology's Goals

• Description (what),
• Explanation (why),
• Prediction (when), and
• Change (how).

Enduring Issues in Psychology

• Nature vs. nurture (heredity vs. environment)
• Person vs. situation
• Stability vs. change
• Diversity vs. universality
• Mind vs. body

Nature vs. Nurture

• Debate on the relative contributions of heredity (genetics) to an individual's behaviors and environmental factors.

Person vs. Situation

• Looks at the impact of internal traits and external situations in determining human behavior.

Stability vs. Change

• Debate on whether individuals are fundamentally the same throughout their life, or if they change significantly over time.

Diversity vs. Universality

• Compares individual differences in human behavior and mental processes with underlying common human characteristics.

Mind-Body Relationship

• Investigates the connection between the mind (thoughts, feelings) and the body (physical states).

This quiz covers the foundational concepts of psychology, including its definition, history, and various fields. Students will engage with the origins of psychological study and its evolution into a scientific discipline. Prepare to explore key figures and career paths in psychology.