Introduction to Psychology

• Common problems young people struggle with include anxiety, addictions, procrastination, and stress.

Psychology

• Psychology is the scientific study of human behavior and mental processes.
• Aims to understand how people perceive the world and their experiences.
• Emerged as a more scientific discipline in the early 20th century.
• Influenced by neuroscience, neuro-economics, evolutionary biology, and developmental psychology.

Origins of Psychology

• Philosophy explores nature through speculation, intuition, and generalization.
• As psychology evolved, it combined philosophical inquiry with scientific methods to study human behavior.
• Philosophy + Psychology = scientific methods for human behavior

Historical Figures

• Plato (387 BC) believed the brain controls mental processes.
• Aristotle (335 BC) thought the heart controlled mental processes.
• Descartes (17th century) introduced the idea of dualism, suggesting the mind and body are separate.
• Wilhelm Wundt, a German psychologist used research methods to investigate reaction time, and investigate sensation, perception, attention feelings, reaction and associations.
• Wilhelm investigated sensation, perception, attention feelings, reaction, and associations using "introspection".
• Wilhelm promoted systematic experimentation.
• Wilhelm published a book in 1874.
• Wilhelm opened the world's first psychology lab in 1879, marking the official start of psychology as a distinct discipline.

History of Psychology (Timeline)

• 1883 AD: The first psychology laboratory in America was established at Johns Hopkins University.
• 1886 AD: Sigmund Freud practiced therapy in Vienna.
• 1892 AD: The American Psychological Association (APA) was founded.

Areas of Psychology

• Clinical psychology integrates scientific theory to address maladjustment.
• Evolutionary psychology studies how human behavior is affected by evolution.
• Neuropsychology examines the structure and function of the brain to understand behaviors.
• Cognitive psychology focuses on internal processes such as memory and problem-solving.
• Forensic psychology deals with criminal investigation.
• Occupational psychology studies people's performance in the workplace.
• Developmental psychology explores how psychological systems change a person through their experiences.
• Health psychology investigates how behavior influences health and illness.
• Social psychology uses scientific methods to understand how people's feelings are influenced.

Schools of Thought in Psychology

• Structuralism uses introspection to analyze sensations, feelings, and perceptions.
• Functionalism explores how the mind works to fulfill its purpose in everyday life.
• Gestalt psychology studies the organization of sensory elements, figure-ground principles, similarity, and closure in perception.
• Psychoanalysis emphasizes the role of the unconscious in shaping personality and behavior.
• Behaviorism focuses on learning through conditioning and reinforcement, ignoring internal mental processes.
• Humanism emphasizes inherent goodness and the potential for growth in individuals.
• Cognitivism focuses on mental processes such as thinking, memory, perception, and problem-solving.