Psychology Introduction

Goals of Psychology

• Description: understanding human behavior and mental processes
• Explanation: identifying underlying causes and mechanisms of behavior
• Control: influencing or changing behavior through interventions
• Application: applying psychological knowledge to real-world problems

Types of Research

• Basic research: seeks knowledge for its own sake
• Applied research: aims to solve specific, practical problems

Levels of Analysis

• Biological level: examines the role of genetics, brain, and nervous system
• Psychological level: focuses on mental processes, such as cognition and emotion
• Environmental and social level: considers the impact of social and environmental factors

Perspectives on Behavior

Mind-Body Dualism

• The mind is a spiritual entity separate from the physical body
• Descartes: the mind and body interact through the pineal gland

Monism

• The mind and body are one, and the mind is not a separate entity

British Empiricism

• All ideas and knowledge are gained through the senses

Psychophysics

• The study of how psychologically experienced sensations depend on physical stimuli

Darwin's Theory of Evolution

• The mind is a product of biological continuity between humans and other species

Structuralism

• The analysis of the mind in terms of its basic elements
• Wundt and Titchener: used introspection to study the mind

Functionalism

• Psychology should study the functions of consciousness rather than its elements
• William James: emphasized the importance of functionalism

Psychodynamic Perspective

• Seeks to understand behavior by exploring the inner workings of the personality
• Sigmund Freud: emphasized the role of unconscious processes
• Psychoanalysis: the analysis of internal and primarily unconscious psychological forces
• Defence mechanisms: psychological techniques to cope with anxiety and traumatic events
• Repression: a primary defence mechanism that protects us by keeping unacceptable impulses, feelings, and memories in the unconscious

Behavioral Perspective

• Focuses on the role of the external environment in governing behavior
• John Locke: the human mind is a tabula rasa upon which experiences are written
• Ivan Pavlov: learning occurs through association of events
• Edward Thorndike: learning occurs through consequences of actions
• Law of effect: responses followed by satisfying consequences become more likely to recur
• Behaviorism (J.B. Watson): emphasizes environmental control of behavior through learning
• B.F. Skinner: social engineering and radical behaviorism
• Cognitive behaviorism: learning experiences and environment influence thoughts, which in turn influence behavior

Humanistic Perspective

• Emphasizes free will, personal growth, and finding meaning in life
• Abraham Maslow: self-actualization
• Positive psychology movement: emphasizes human strengths, fulfillment, and optimal living

Cognitive Perspective

• Examines the nature of the mind and how mental processes influence behavior
• B.F. Skinner: language is acquired through basic principles of learning
• Noam Chomsky: humans are biologically pre-programmed to acquire language
• Cognitive neuroscience: uses brain-imaging techniques to examine brain activity during cognitive tasks

Sociocultural Perspective

• Examines how social environment and cultural learning influence behavior, thoughts, and feelings
• Cross-cultural psychology: explores how culture is transmitted and examines psychological similarities and differences among diverse cultures