Chapter 1 - Intro to Psych PDF

CHAPTER 1: INTRO TO PSYCH Agenda for today: What is psychology? A brief history of psychology The cognitive revolution Overview of the different fields in psychology  BEFORE WE START!!! You should be able to recognize (conceptually) and apply (to specific examples)...

CHAPTER 1: INTRO TO PSYCH Agenda for today: What is psychology? A brief history of psychology The cognitive revolution Overview of the different fields in psychology  BEFORE WE START!!! You should be able to recognize (conceptually) and apply (to specific examples) the following outcomes: How these “schools of thought” approached psychology: structuralism, functionalism, psychoanalytic theory, Gestalt psychology, behaviorism, and humanism What is the “cognitive revolution” in psychology What these current approaches to contemporary psychology emphasize: biopsychology, evolutionary psychology, cognitive psychology, developmental psychology, personality psychology, social psychology, industrial-organizational (I/O) psychology, health psychology, sports and exercise psychology, clinical psychology, counseling psychology, and forensic psychology  Why do we dream? What do babies actually perceive and think? What’s the line between a normal mood swing and a psychological disorder? How do memories form? What is psychology? Made of two Greek words: “psyche” and “logos” - psyche: soul - logos: discursive knowledge The scientific study of the soul The scientific study of the The scientific study of behavior soul and mental processes “Psychology has a long past, but only a short history” (Hermann Ebbinghaus, 1908) The scientific study of behavior and mental processes Things that can be observed and measured: performance on a test, Things that cannot be directly reaction time, recall on a memory test observed but can be inferred through testing: attitudes, thoughts, feelings, consciousness  A brief history of psychology School of Structuralism Functionalism Psychoanalytic Behaviorism Gestalt Humanism thought theory psychology The focus understanding focused on how focuses on the focuses on Focuses on emphasizes the the conscious mental activities role of the observing and humans as a potential for experience helped an unconscious in controlling whole rather good that is through organism adapt affecting behavior. than individual innate to all introspection. to its conscious parts. humans. environment. behavior. Notable figures Wilhelm Wundt William James Sigmund Freud Ivan Pavlov, Wertheimer, Abraham James Watson, Kohler, Koffka Maslow, Carl B. F. Skinner Rogers Structuralism Wundt is considered one of the founders of psychology. He was interested in consciousness and in deciphering the parts that make up our conscious experience and believed that introspection can be used to study it. - Introspection: Process by which someone examines their own conscious experience in an attempt to break it into its component parts. Example of structuralism: Looking at an object and registering multiple sensations such as the object’s shape, color, and texture. Wundt created the first laboratory for psychological research and used it to study reaction time. Functionalism William James was influenced by the theory of natural selection and evolution proposed by Charles Darwin. His theory of functionalism emphasized how mental activities contributed to basic environmental survival. For example: Fear can alert us to danger and trigger the fight or flight response to escape harmful situations. Psychoanalytic Theory (Freudian Psychology) Freud believed that many of the problems his patients experienced were due to unresolved issues stored deep down inside the unconscious mind. He also believed that the unconscious mind can be accessed via dream analysis. Freud also studied the role of early childhood experiences on behavior and personality. Example of Psychoanalytic theory: Jad’s mother left his family when he was a child. Ever since then, he has had a very difficult time trusting people because he is afraid they will abandon him. Behaviorism Behaviorists like Pavlov, Watson, and Skinner believed that observable behavior alone should be the main area of interest to psychology. Example of Behaviorism: Treating yourself to a fancy dinner after scoring an A on a final exam. Pavlov Watson Skinner Gestalt Psychology Based on 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. Example of Gestalt Psychology: Completing a puzzle by looking at the relationship between the different pieces to see the big picture more quickly and efficiently Humanism This field of thought suggests that people are in control of their lives. It also stresses the idea that people, by nature, tend to move towards higher levels of maturity and maximum potential. Example of Humanism: setting learning goals at the beginning of the term and designing plans to reach these goals. The cognitive revolution After the 1960s, psychologists began to move away from strict behaviorism Many psychologists became interested in understanding cognitions Cognitions: A term used to describe all the mental processes involved in acquiring, storing, and using knowledge Noam Chomsky was very influential in beginning the cognitive revolution. He believed psychology needed to incorporate mental functioning into its focus in order to fully understand human behavior. Branches of Psychology Branch of Description Example Psychology Biopsychology Biological psychologists study how the structure and function of the A researcher studying how the nervous system generate behavior. neurotransmitter dopamine is linked to schizophrenia Health Psychology Branch that focuses on how individual health is directly related or affected A scientist examining an intervention by biological, psychological, and sociocultural influences. to prevent obesity in children Sports and Exercise A branch that focuses on psychological aspects regarding sports and A researcher helping athletes Psychology physical performance. improve their performance and increase their motivation Clinical Psychology A branch that focuses on diagnosis and treatment of psychological Therapist treating a patient with disorders and problematic patterns of behavior. depression Counseling A branch that focuses on helping people change something in their lives, or Therapist helping a person deal with Psychology simply explore their thoughts and feelings in more depth. anxiety after cancer diagnoses Cognitive Psychology A branch of psychology that focuses on cognition and thoughts and their A researcher in a lab studying the relationship to our experiences and our actions. process of problem-solving Branches of Psychology Branch of Description Example Psychology Developmental A branch that studies the physical and mental attributes of aging and A researcher studying changes in Psychology maturation physical development across the lifespan Social Psychology A branch that looks at how individuals interact and relate with others and A researcher examining how a how such interactions can affect behavior. person behaves in a group vs. alone Evolutionary A branch that views human cognition and behavior in a broadly Darwinian A researcher examining why humans Psychology context of adaptation to evolving physical and social environments and new tend to opt for foods with greater intellectual challenges caloric intake Forensic Psychology A branch of psychology dealing with all aspects of the criminal justice A researcher assessing the system. psychological well-being of children in custody disputes Industrial/Organizati A branch that applies psychological theories, principles and research to A researcher collecting data on onal Psychology industrial and organizational settings. employee job satisfaction levels Personality A branch that focuses on behaviors and thought patterns that are unique to A researcher studying traits like Psychology each individual. aggression