Chapter 1 Introduction to Psychology PDF

Chapter 1 Introduction to Psychology Chapter Outline What is Psychology? History of Psychology Contemporary Psychology Careers in Psychology Chapter Outline What is Psychology? History of Psychology Contemporary Psychology Careers in Psychology What is Psychology? The scientifi...

Chapter 1 Introduction to Psychology Chapter Outline What is Psychology? History of Psychology Contemporary Psychology Careers in Psychology Chapter Outline What is Psychology? History of Psychology Contemporary Psychology Careers in Psychology What is Psychology? The scientific study of the mind (thought and emotion) and behaviour Concerned with empirically examining the mind and behaviour Also considering biology and the environment What is Psychology? The scientific study of the mind (thought and emotion) and behaviour Concerned with empirically examining the mind and behaviour Also considering biology and the environment Why study psychology? When studying mental processes and behaviour there are four goals: 1. Description: How do babies learn to talk? 2. Explanation: Why do we get hungry? 3. Prediction: When will we offer help to a stranger? 4. Control: Reducing stress or increasing self-care What is Psychology Levels of Analysis The Brain: neuronal (brain cell) activity, brain structures, and genes The Individual: emotions, thoughts, ideas, consciousness, personality, and motivation The Group: friends, family members, and the larger population (culture) Mostly we are using all levels interactively  FOMO Chapter Outline What is Psychology? History of Psychology – Wundt & James – Freud – Gestalt – Behaviorism – Humanism – Cognition Contemporary Psychology Careers in Psychology Wundt & James Wilhelm Wundt (1832-1920; German Vater of Psychology) – Introspection: objective self-reflection/inspection of one’s thoughts – Volunteerism: free will – Reaction times (RTs) – Titchner’s structuralism William James (1842-1910; North American Father of Psychology) – Functionalism: function of mental activities/behaviour Sigmund Freud (1856-1939) Neurologist interested in hysteria (emotional disturbances without a physical cause) Psychological and physical problems can stem from the unconscious mind – Dream analysis, slip of the tongue, free association Psychoanalytic theory focuses on a person’s unconscious and early childhood experiences – Lifespan, personality, and therapy Gestalt Wertheimer (1880-1943), Koffka (1886-1941), and Köhler (1887-1967) credited with introducing America to Gestalt principles Gestalt = “whole” – A song is a combination of various notes played by various instruments, but we perceive a song as a whole entity, all of the elements in combination Behaviorism Ivan Pavlov (1849-1936) studied conditioned reflexes via saliva in dogs – classical conditioning John Watson (1878-1958) shifted focus from internal to external explanations for behaviour - behaviorism B. F. Skinner (1904-1990) consequence (+/-) is the driving force of behaviour – instrumental (Thorndike’s term) or operant conditioning Humanism Emphasis on the potential for good Abraham Malsow (1908-1970) believed our behaviours are impacted by our motivations to survive (low-level) and later by other higher-level factors (e.g., esteem) – hierarchy of needs Carl Rogers (1902-1987) developed client- centred therapy focused on unconditional positive regard, genuineness, and empathy Cognition Shift back to interest in the mind Ulric Neisser (1928-2012) credited as the father of cognitive psychology and coined the term cognitive psychology Noam Chomsky (1928-) a linguist who believed the sole focus on behaviour was short-sighted Multicultural and Cross-Cultural Culture permeates everything we do – yet it is an understudied topic Francis Summer (1895-1954) first African American in US to receive a PhD, his work challenged intelligence testing George I. Sanchez (1906-1972) identified barriers (e.g., language) posed to Mexican American children Mamie (1917-1983) and Kenneth Clark’s (1914-2005) research on doll preferences challenged segregated education Women and Feminism Margaret Floy Washburn (1871-1939) first women awarded a doctoral degree in psychology (1894), focusing on animal behaviour Mary Whiton Calkins (1863-1930) earned a PhD from Harvard but was never awarded it! Her work focused on memory Mary Cover Jones (1897-1987) demonstrated fear conditioning and fear removal in humans Martha Bernal (1931-2001) first Latina person to earn a PhD, her research was with Mexican American children Chapter Outline What is Psychology? History of Psychology Contemporary Psychology Careers in Psychology Contemporary Psychology Biopsychology (Neuroscience) & Evolutionary Psychology How biology (nervous system) influences immediate behaviour – Sleep, drug use/abuse, neural plasticity How biology (more broadly) influence immediate and lasting behaviours – Darwin’s natural selection (the variations that are advantageous to survival are called adaptive variations) – Caveat: today’s behaviours are a product of yesterday’s environment Contemporary Psychology Sensation and Perception Interdisciplinary subject Our perception of sensory stimuli impacts our experiences Cognitive Psychology Focuses on mental processes Very broad in scope  cognitive sciences – Problem solving, language, development, and even therapy Contemporary Psychology Developmental Psychology Processes related changes across the lifespan Jean Piaget’s object permanence Personality Psychology Thoughts and behaviours that make us unique The Big Five (OCEAN or CANOE) personality traits – Stable over one’s lifespan Contemporary Psychology Social Psychology How we interact with and relate to each other Milgram, Zimbardo, Asch Industrial-Organizational Psychology Applied branch of psychology Using theory in workplaces – Personnel management, organizational structure, and hiring decisions Contemporary Psychology Health Psychology Biopsychosocial model – health is impacted by an interaction of multiple variables – Public policy, education, and interventions Sports & Exercise Psychology Psychological aspects of sports performance – Anxiety, managing physical and emotional well-being Contemporary Psychology Clinical Psychology Diagnosis and treatment of psychological disorders/adjustment Most widely known and popularized through media Forensic Psychology Within the context of the justice system – Competency to stand trial, eye-witness testimonies, and children’s testimonies Contemporary Psychology Both historical and social forces determine the focus of scientific inquiry We must always be mindful of passing trends and scientific objectivity There are limits to the answers psychology as a field can provide. Chapter Outline What is Psychology? History of Psychology Contemporary Psychology Careers in Psychology Careers in Psychology Becoming a Psychologist 4-yr degree program Degree requirements vary PhD can teach at the university level Branches of Psychology Academic – professors (teaching and doing research) Clinical and Counselling - therapists Applied – schools, marketing, research institutions, etc.  Careers in Psychology Other Applied social School/Educational Industrial/Organizational Clinical Experimental Developmental Clinical- Counselling Neuropsychology