PSYC1001 LECTURE 1 NOTES.pdf

PSYC1001 INTRODUCTION TO PSYCHOLOGY Lecture 1: Introduction and Main Theoretical Currents in Psychology Course Information Essential Text: Psychology (12th Edition). By David Myers. Worth Publishers, 2015. Psychology. Openstax Houston, Tx. By Spielman, R. M. (2017). Downloa...

PSYC1001 INTRODUCTION TO PSYCHOLOGY Lecture 1: Introduction and Main Theoretical Currents in Psychology Course Information Essential Text: Psychology (12th Edition). By David Myers. Worth Publishers, 2015. Psychology. Openstax Houston, Tx. By Spielman, R. M. (2017). Download. Download for free at https://openstax.org/details/books/psychology. A brief summary of the lecture notes would be posted on myelearning after each session. Students are required to attend lectures and read. Seminar/Workshop: Begin the 3rd week of teaching. Students must attend 75% of seminar sessions. Registration will be open on myelearning. Course Evaluation: Seminar attendance and participation will count for five percent (5%) of your final mark in this course. Course work Examination will count for twenty percent (20%) of the final marks and will constitute one online multiple-choice quiz. Guidelines on how to take the exam will be available on myelearning. Final Examination will count for seventy-five percent (75%) of the final mark and will constitute multiple choice, short answers, and essay questions. INTRODUCTION TO PSYCHOLOGY What is Psychology? Psychology is the science study of human behavior and mental processing. Behavior - observable actions of a person or animal Mind - thoughts, feelings, sensations, perceptions, memories, dreams, motives and other subjective experiences Science refers to an objective way to answer questions that is based on observable facts / data and well described methods What is Psychology? Psychology is a set of questions about mental functioning, tracing back to philosophy. Aristotle asked about memory, personality, emotions, etc. Psychology is a set of theories and procedures for asking and answering questions based on the scientific method that has evolved over centuries, but first established in physics. Therefore, psychology is a product of history as philosophy asked many of the basic questions and physiology used similar scientific methods to ask and answer questions. The primary goals of psychology are to: Describe behaviour – what is the nature of this behaviour? Understand and explain behaviour – why does it occur? Predict behaviour – can we forecast when and under what circumstances it will occur? Control behaviour – what factors influence this behaviour? There are several schools of thought have helped to shape the field of psychology, including: Structuralism First theoretical school of thought in psychology. In 1897, Wilhelm Wundt established the 1st “psychology” laboratory in Germany. He is viewed as the founder of psychology. He attempted to uncover the structure of consciousness by breaking down mental processes into their most basic components, through introspection. Wundt’s approach became known as structuralism. Functionalism William James argued that consciousness cannot be broken down into elements. He was concerned with the conscious experience and functions of mental processes. This view emphasizes the functions of the mind and behaviour in adapting to the environment. His views gave rise to functionalism. Behaviourism Behaviourists held the view that only overt behaviour can be scientifically studied. They advocated the use of experimental procedures in psychology. This perspective was supported by B.F Skinner, Ivan Pavlov, John B. Watson. Psychoanalysis This view of psychology focuses on the unconscious aspects of the mind and psychosexual development (suggest that personality is mostly established by the age of five. Early experiences play a large role in personality development and continue to influence behavior later in life.) Sigmund Freud argued for the role of the unconscious in human behaviour and mental disorders. Humanistic Psychology Humanistic psychologists argued that humans are not helplessly or controlled by unconscious or environmental forces. They believe that human beings have free will, goals, aspirations and motivations and the ability to self-actualization. Human beings can become whatever them want to become. This perspective was influenced by Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow. Gestalt Psychology Focused on studying mental processes and behaviours as “wholes” rather than separating them into discrete functions or parts. They held the view that “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts”. Gestalt psychology was founded by Max Wertheimer Cognitive Psychology Cognitive psychologist saw behaviour as a plan and not specifically tied to environmental stimuli. They believe that behaviour is generated by a set of metal processes. The focus is on the importance of how the mind processes and retains information. This perspective was influenced by Jean Piaget. The Profession of Psychology The American Psychology Association recognizes 56 distinct divisions, each representing a specialized field within psychology. Some of these include: Clinical psychology Health psychology Counselling psychology Developmental psychology School / Educational psychology Cognitive psychology Psychological Perspectives Perspective is a way of viewing a phenomenon. Psychology has multiple perspectives: ✓ Neuroscience: functioning of the brain and other systems and how they affect behaviour ✓ Evolutionary: principles of natural selection applied to psychological phenomena ✓ Behavioural Genetics: genes and environment influence individual differences ✓ Psychodynamic: unconscious forces that influences behaviour ✓ Behavioural: observable or learnt behaviours ✓ Cognitive: how knowledge is acquired, organized, remembered and used to guide behaviour ✓ Socio-cultural: how our thinking varies across cultures and situations. Some of the Professions of Psychology Psychobiology Experimental Social psychology Personality psychology Industrial and organizational psychology Community psychology Engineering psychology Environmental psychology Forensic psychology Sports psychology End of Lecture 1