the history and scope of psychology module 1 adapted from david myers’ exploring psychology: ninth...
TRANSCRIPT
The History and Scope of Psychology
Module 1
Adapted from David Myers’ Exploring Psychology: ninth Edition in Modules PowerPoint slides
Where does psychology come from?
• What do you expect to learn/what questions do you want answered?
• Curiosity
• Aristotle (384—322 B.C.E.) Greek naturalist and philosopher -- gave the history’s first fully integrated, systematic account of psychology
The birth of contemporary psychology
• Wundt, 1879, a philosopher and a physiologist, Germany, University of Leipzig, conducting experiments to study the “atoms of the mind” --- the birth of contemporary psychology
• How long is the history of psychology?
Wundt (1832-1920)
Origins of Psychological Science
• Wundt, a German philosopher and a physiologist
• Ivan Pavlov, a Russian physiologist
• Sigmund Freud, an Austrian physician
• William James, an American philosopher
Psychological Science is Born
• William James (1842-1910) o American philosopher, o founding father of American Psychology, o wrote an important 1890 psychology
textbook. • Mary Calkins, James’s student, became the
APA’s first female president.
James (1842-1910)Margaret Floy Washburn
Psychological Science develops
• Sigmund Freud (1856-1939) • an Austrian physician • the importance of the
unconscious mind and its effects on human behavior.
• Structuralists (Wundt, Titchener), functionalists (James), and Freud focused on inner sensations and feelings. Used introspection and retrospection.
• “the science of Mental life.”
Fre
ud
(1856
-1939)
Psychological Science DevelopsBehaviorists
• Watson and later Skinner emphasized the study of overt behavior as the subject matter of scientific psychology.
• Redefine psychology as “the scientific study of observable behavior.”
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Psychological Science Develops
Humanistic Psychology
Maslow and Rogers emphasized current environmental influences on our growth potential and our need for love and acceptance.
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Psychological Science Develops
In the 1960s, cognitive psychology recapture psychology’s initial interest
in mental processes.We define psychology today as the
scientific study of behavior (what we do) and mental processes (inner
thoughts and feelings).“the science of behavior and mental
process”
Contemporary Psychology
1. Psychology’s Biggest Question2. Psychology’s Three Main Levels of
Analysis3. Psychology’s Subfields4. CLOSE-UP: Tips for Studying
Psychology
Psychology’s Current Perspectives
Perspective Focus Sample QuestionsNeuroscience How the body and
brain enables emotions?
How are messages transmitted in the body? How is blood chemistry linked with moods and motives?
Evolutionary How the natural selection of traits promoted the survival of genes?
How does evolution influence behavior tendencies?
Behavior genetics
How much our genes and our environments influence our individual differences?
To what extent are psychological traits such as intelligence, personality, sexual orientation, and vulnerability to depression attributable to our genes? To our environment?
Psychology’s Current Perspectives
Perspective Focus Sample Questions
Psychodynamic
How behavior springs from unconscious drives and conflicts?
How can someone’s personality traits and disorders be explained in terms of sexual and aggressive drives or as disguised effects of unfulfilled wishes and childhood traumas?
Behavioral How we learn observable responses?
How do we learn to fear particular objects or situations? What is the most effective way to alter our behavior, say to lose weight or quit smoking?
Psychology’s Current Perspectives
Perspective Focus Sample QuestionsCognitive How we encode,
process, store and retrieve information?
How do we use information in remembering? Reasoning? Problem solving?
Social-cultural
How behavior and thinking vary across situations and cultures?
How are we — as Africans, Asians, Australians or North Americans – alike as members of human family? As products of different environmental contexts, how do we differ?
Let’s play: “What’s my perspective?” “Obsessive-compulsive disorder is a problem in the orbital cortex.” “No, it’s a
sign of unresolved childhood issues.”
“No, OCD is
an inherited conditio
n.”
“Compulsions start as habits and are
rewarded by the anxiety relief they
bring.”
“OCD comes from our natural instinct to control our environmen
t.” “OCD thinking and behavior is
a reaction to our fast-paced, out-of-control
lifestyles.” “No, OCD is a
matter of mental habits and errors
that can be corrected.”
Different perspectives on a single issue: Six Blind Men and an Elephant
The Big Issue in Psychology: N-N
To what extent are our traits already set in place at birth (our “Nature”)?
And to what extent do our traits develop in response to our environment/ experience (our “Nurture”)?
The Nature-Nurture Question:
vs.
Nature
Nurture
Plato: Characte
rs, intelligence, and
some Ideas inborn.Descart
es: Some
ideas are innate.
Charles Darwin: Some traits become part of our nature through natural selection: they help us survive long enough to
pass the traits to the next
generation.
Aristotle:All
knowledge comes
through the senses.
John Locke:The mind is a
blank slate (blank
chalkboard or screen)
“written on” by experience.
Nature Nurture
We have differences that are shaped by
our environme
n.
We share a common origin that
gives us an inborn
human nature in common.
+
“Nurture works on what Nature endows.”
The Roles of Nature and
Nurture:
Biology Plus Environment..are part of
psychology’s three “biopsychosocial” levels of analysis.
The deep level,
Biology: genes, brain,
neuro-transmitters,
survival, reflexes, sensation
The outer level, Environment:
social Influences,
culture, education,
relationships
In the middle, Psychology:
thoughts, emotions, moods, choices,
behaviors, traits,
motivations, knowledge, perceptions
The three levels as influences on some psychological
phenomenon
Example: Depression
Example: Intelligence
Example: Enjoying Soccer
Example: Shyness
Psychology’s Subfields
AppliedClinical Psychology
Counseling Psychology
Educational Psychology
Industrial-Organizational
Community Psychology
Clinical Psychology
Basic researchBiological
Developmental
Cognitive
Personality
Social
Positive Psychology
Psychology’s Subfields Research Examples
Type of researchBiological
Developmental
Cognitive
Personality
Social
Positive Psychology
Study how the stages of cognitive and emotional development vary in autism
Explore the structural problems in the brain that may be part of autism
Clarify the difficulties autistic children have with understanding sarcasmDecide whether traits like neuroticism need to be measured differently in autismFind how autistic children can learn social skills as procedures if not by intuitionExplore what motivates people and contributes to life satisfaction
AppliedClinical Psychology
Counseling Psychology
Educational Psychology
Industrial-Organizational
Community Psychology
Clinical Psychology
Psychology’s SubfieldsApplied
Help someone achieve career goals despite family conflict and self-doubt
Use exposure therapy to decrease phobic reactions in a traumatized client
Evaluate aptitudes and achievement to plan for a student with learning problemsFigure out how a factory can improve coordination of tasks, roles, and personalitiesHelp coordinate a city’s efforts to understand and prevent elder abuseUse exposure therapy to decrease phobic reactions in a traumatized client
An Application of Psychology:Improving your test performance
Scientific studies show us that:
• The retrieval practice effect/testing effect
Testing yourself boosts retention of material.
• Put it in your own words, make connections
Actively processing material helps master it.
• Spread studying over multiple days
Spaced rehearsal, interspaced with other subjects, is more efficient than cramming.
• If the concept looks familiar… not good enough
People tend to overestimate their mastery.
Applying this knowledge: Use SQ3R to master a textbook
SurveyScan/Skim what you are about to read, especially chapter outlines and section heads.
Question
Ask questions that the text might answer; write guesses.
Read
Look for the answer to your questions, reading a manageable amount at a time.
Rehearse
Recall what you’ve read in your own words. Test yourself with quizzes.
Review
Look over text and notes and quickly review the main ideas of the whole chapter.