Introduction to Psychology Foundations PDF

Introduction to Psychology Psychological Foundations What is Psychology? Psychology is the scientific study of mind and behavior The Earliest Schools of Psychology Historically School of Description Important Psychology...

Introduction to Psychology Psychological Foundations What is Psychology? Psychology is the scientific study of mind and behavior The Earliest Schools of Psychology Historically School of Description Important Psychology People Focused on understanding the Wilhelm Structuralism conscious experience Wundt through introspection Emphasized how mental activities William Functionalism helped an organism James adapt to its environment The History of Psychology: Freud and Psychoanalytic Theory Late 1800s, early 1900s Focus on the unconscious and on childhood experiences Theory of personality Interaction between id, ego, superego Theory of development Oral, anal, phallic, latency, genital stages Today, controversial but still influential The History of Psychology: Gestalt Theory Early 1900s Examined perception Explores the idea that although a sensory experience can be broken down into individual parts, how those parts relate to each other as a whole is often what the individual responds to in perception The “invisible” triangle you see here is an example of gestalt perception. The History of Psychology: Behaviorism Early to mid-1900s Focuses on observing and controlling behavior Conditioning Reinforcement and punishment Modified versions of the operant conditioning chamber, or Skinner box, are still widely used in research settings today The History of Psychology: Humanism 1950s Focuses on the potential for good that is innate to all humans Emphasizes the whole person and views people as able to take the lead in their own therapy Abraham Maslow and Carl Rogers The History of Psychology: Cognitive Psychology Mid-1900s Accepts the use of the scientific method and generally rejects introspection as a valid method of investigation Acknowledges the existence of internal mental states, unlike behaviorist psychology Major areas of research include perception, memory, categorization, knowledge representation, numerical cognition, language, and thinking  Early Schools of Psychology: Still Active and Advanced Beyond Early Ideas Historically School of Psychology Description Earliest Period Important People Focuses on the role of the unconscious and Psychodynamic Very late 19th to Early Sigmund Freud, Erik childhood experiences Psychology 20th Century Erikson in affecting conscious behavior. Focuses on observing and controlling behavior through what is Ivan Pavlov, John B. Behaviorism Early 20th Century observable. Puts an Watson, B. F. Skinner emphasis on learning and conditioning. Focuses not just on Ulric Neisser, Noam behavior, but on on Cognitive Psychology 1920s Chomsky, Jean Piaget, mental processes and Lev Vygotsky internal mental states. Emphasizes the potential for good that is innate to all humans Abraham Maslow, Carl Humanistic Psychology and rejects that 1950s Rogers psychology should focus on problems and disorders. The Five Psychological Domains The Biological Domain Biopsychology: Explores how our biology influences behavior. The fields of behavioral neuroscience, cognitive neuroscience, and neuropsychology are all subfields of biological psychology. Evolutionary psychology: Explores how human behavior evolved. Sensation and perception: Research is interdisciplinary, but there is a focus on the physiological aspects of sensory systems, as well as in the psychological experience of sensory information. The Cognitive Domain Focuses on thoughts, and their relationship to experiences and actions Studies language, cognition, memory, intelligence, and more The Developmental Domain Includes behavioral psychology and learning/conditioning Classical and operant conditioning Developmental Psychology is the scientific study of development across a lifespan Stages and milestones of development The Social and Personality Psychology Domain Social psychology is the scientific study of how people’s thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are influenced by the actual, imagined, or implied presence of others Personality psychology is the study of patterns of thoughts and behaviors that make each individual unique A personality trait is a consistent pattern of thought and behavior Five Factor Model of Personality The Mental and Physical Health Domain Abnormal psychology focuses on abnormal thoughts and behaviors Clinical psychology focuses on the diagnosis and treatment of psychological disorders and other problematic patterns of behavior Health psychology focuses on how health is affected by the interaction of biological, psychological, and sociocultural factors Other Sub-fields in Psychology Industrial-Organizational psychology applies psychological theories, principles, and research findings in industrial and organizational settings. Forensic psychology applies the science and practice of psychology to the justice system. Sport and exercise psychology focuses on the interactions between mental and emotional factors and physical performance in sports, exercise, and other activities Why Study Psychology? Learn critical thinking and communication skills Develop an understanding of the complex factors that shape human behavior Useful in all fields of work Opens doors to a variety of career paths How would psychology be helpful in each of these careers? Table 1. Top Occupations Employing Graduates with a BA in Psychology (Fogg, Harrington, Harrington, & Shatkin, 2012) Ranking Occupation Mid- and top-level management (executive, 1 administrator) 2 Sales 3 Social work 4 Other management positions 5 Human resources (personnel, training) 6 Other administrative positions 7 Insurance, real estate, business 8 Marketing and sales 9 Healthcare (nurse, pharmacist, therapist) 10 Finance (accountant, auditor) Quick Review What is psychology? Summarize the history of psychology Describe the early schools of psychology What are the approaches, fields, and subfields of contemporary psychology? What major concepts are part of each field? Why is studying psychology valuable? What possible career paths are there in psychology?