Introduction to Psychology Overview

Introduction to Psychology

• Psychology is the scientific study of the mind and behavior.
• The word "psychology" comes from the Greek words "psyche" (life) and "logos" (explanation).
• Psychologists rely on scientific methods.
• "Everyday scientists" use research methods to answer questions about behavior.
• Intuition is not always accurate in collecting and interpreting data.
• Hindsight bias is the tendency to think we could have predicted something that has already happened.
• Psychology relies on empirical methods (collecting and organizing data, drawing conclusions).
• Scientific methods use assumptions, rules, and procedures.

Levels of Explanation in Psychology

• Lower: Biological processes (e.g., genetics, neurotransmitters).
• Middle: Interpersonal processes (e.g., interactions, therapy).
• Higher: Cultural and social processes (e.g., culture, time period).

Challenges of Studying Psychology

• Individual differences exist in physical and psychological dimensions.
• Behavior is often influenced by multiple factors.
• Many behaviors occur outside conscious awareness.

Schools of Psychology

• Structuralism: Uses introspection to identify basic elements of psychological experience.
  • Key contributor: Wilhelm Wundt.
• Functionalism: Seeks to understand why animals and humans have developed particular psychological aspects.
  • Key contributor: William James.
• Psychodynamic: Focuses on unconscious thoughts, feelings, and early childhood experiences.
  • Key contributors: Sigmund Freud, Carl Jung, Alfred Adler, Erik Erikson.
• Behaviorism: Focuses on observable behavior and how environmental factors affect it.
  • Key contributors: John Watson, B.F. Skinner.
• Cognitive: Studies mental processes like perception, thinking, memory, and judgment.
• Socio-cultural: Examines how social situations and cultures influence behavior.

Key Debates in Psychology

• Nature vs. Nurture: Debate on the relative importance of genetics (nature) and environment (nurture) in development.
• Free Will vs. Determinism: Free will - the ability to make independent choices. Determinism - behavior is influenced by internal or external factors.

Other Important Topics

• Consciousness vs. Unconscious Processing: Conscious - being aware of thoughts and actions; Unconscious - mental processes outside awareness.
• Psychology Fields: Specific areas including biopsychology, clinical psychology, cognitive psychology, developmental psychology, etc.
• Ethical Research: Moral principles and ethical codes that govern research, including avoiding harm and protecting participants.
• Specific Psychological Theories: Including operant and classical conditioning.