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Today’s Modern Psychology

David Myers (8th Edition)

PowerPoint SlidesMr. Mable

Tucker High School

2016

Student’s will be able to:

• Define Psychology

• Explain the specific jobs Psychologist do

• Name key psychologist in its history

• Describe where Psychology came from

• List the Major Modern Perspectives

• List the types of degrees needed in psych

• Explain how to be a better psych student

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Psychology Today

We define psychology today as the

scientific study of behavior

(what we do) and mental

processes (inner thoughts and

feelings).

The GOALS of Psychology

• Observe

• Describe

• Explain

• Predict

• Control

What do we mean by control?

• This means to change something for a better outcome.

• This is not an evil intent

• To make things better

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American Psychological Association (Founded 1892)

• Professional organization for Psychologists

• Over 150,000 members

• Sets ethical guidelines for research

• Lobbies for mental health and psychological issues

• Accredits colleges that have psychology programs

• Provides conferences, meetings and annual convention on psychological topics

• Encourages scientific research in psychology

• Headquarters in Washington D.C.

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Psychology’s Big Debate

Nature versus Nurture

Darwin stated that nature selects those that best enable the organism to survive and reproduce in a particular environment.

Darw

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• Biology versus Experience

• Am I the way I am because I was born that way or because of my surroundings?

Nature vs. Nurture

Can I ever be like these people, or does nature give me limitations?

Stability v. Change

• As the years pass, do we change or remain the same?

• Are we become adults or are we always just big kids?

• Personality traits, physical appearance, sense of humor, tastes, etc…

Continuity v. Discontinuity

• Does growth occur gradually or in stages?

CONTEMPORARYPERSPECTIVES

What is a perspective?

• A point of view• A philosophy about why things occur• A different way of looking at something• Normally cooperative not antagonistic

Most psychologists take an eclectic approach: a little bit of all the approaches depending on the patient and situation

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Biopsychosocial: Psychology’s Three Main Levels of Analysis

Perspectives in Psychologya.k.a Approaches or Theoretical Perspectives

• Biological or Neuroscientific• Psychoanalytic (Psychodynamic)• Behavioral/Learning• Cognitive• Sociocultural• Humanistic• Evolutionary

Biological Perspectives

• Emphasizes the influence of biology on our behavior

activity of brain cells, and behavior and mental processes Looks for the connections between events in the brain with behavior

BRAIN CELL

The Psychoanalytic Perspective

• Stresses the influence of unconscious forces on human behavior

The Learning Perspective

• Emphasizes the effects of experience on behavior.

Personal experience and reinforcement guide individual development

Social-Learning Behavior

• Suggests that people can change their environments or create new ones

• People can learn intentionally by observing others

Cognitive Perspective

• Emphasizes the role played by thoughts and perceptions in determining behavior

Studies mental processes to understand human nature

Socio-cultural Perspective• Addresses issues such as ethnicity,

gender, culture, and socioeconomic status

• Based on the idea that these facts have significant impact on human behavior and mental processes

Humanistic Perspective

• Stresses the human capacity for self-fulfillment and the importance of consciousness, self-awareness, and the capacity to make choices

• Considers people’s personal experiences to be the most important aspect of psychology

The Evolutionary Perspective

• Looks at how our behaviors ensures our survival.

• What genes are inherited that influence our species.

• Focuses on Darwinism.

• i.e. Facial Expressions: Surprise!

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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 the promotes the perpetuation of one’s 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?

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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?

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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?

The Subfields of Psychology

What do Psychologists do?26

Jobs Psychologists do

• Clinical • Counseling• School• Educational• Developmental• Industrial/

Organizational• Personality

• Social• Forensic• Environmental• Consumer• Health• Research/

Experimental

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Psychology’s Subfields: Applied

Data: APA 1997

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Psychology’s Subfields: Research

Data: APA 1997

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Psychology’s Subfields: Applied

Psychologist What she does

ClinicalStudies, assesses, and treats people with psychological disorders

CounselingHelps people cope with academic, vocational, and marital challenges.

EducationalStudies and helps individuals in school and educational settings

Industrial/Organizational

Studies and advises on behavior in the workplace.

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Psychology’s Subfields: Research

Psychologist What she does

BiologicalExplore the links between brain and mind.

DevelopmentalStudy changing abilities from womb to tomb.

CognitiveStudy how we perceive, think, and solve problems.

Personality Investigate our persistent traits.

SocialExplore how we view and affect one another.

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A clinical psychologist (Ph.D.) studies, assesses, and treats troubled people with

psychotherapy.

Psychiatrists on the other hand are medical professionals (M.D.) who use treatments

like drugs and psychotherapy to treat psychologically diseased patients.

Clinical Psychology vs. Psychiatry

NOT TO BE CONFUSEDWITH A PSYCHIATRIST!!

A PSYCHIATRIST is a medical doctor who specializes in the treatment of psychological problems and who can prescribe mediation for clients.

Psychologists Psychologists CANNOTCANNOT prescribe prescribe medication!medication!

VALIUM (A DRUG FOR TREATING ANXIET)

What Degree Do I Need?

College Degrees

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Bachelor of Arts / Science

• A BA or BS in Psychology on the undergraduate level is one of the fastest growing and popular majors

• A very diverse discipline that is a good background for any career.

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Master of Arts / Science

• To be a clinical psychologist or therapist you must obtain a Master’s.

• Requires Master’s thesis w/ research.

• The academic hood is shown to the right.

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Doctorate: PhD or Psy D

• PhD is more for teaching in college.

• PhD is a approximately 3-4 years of school and research w/ dissertation.

• PsyD is for clinical practice.

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Graduate Degrees

• You don’t go get a grad degree from anywhere because of the popularity or name recognition of the school.

• You look at the research being done and the facilities/program provided. Is the professor on the cutting edge of research on the topic you want to study???

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Other Profession Grad Degrees

• M.D. = Medical Doctor

• J.D. = Juris Doctorate (Law)

• M.S. = Master of Social Work

• M.T. = Master of Teaching

• MBA = Master of Business Admin

• MFA = Master of Fine Arts

• MTh = Master of Theology

• Pharm D = Doctor of Pharmacology39

Degree Summary

• To work in the field of psychology you will probably need to obtain at least a master’s degree.

• You will need several years of schooling and training, as well as a profession license from the state.

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How to be the best AP Psychology student that you

can be…

the following slide give some study tips

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Survey: What you are about to read, including chapter outlines and section heads.

Question: Ask questions. Make notes. Read: Make sure you read outlines, sections

and chapters in entirety. Review: Margin definitions. Study learning

outcomes. Reflect: On what you learn. Test yourself with

quizzes.

Close-upYour Study of Psychology

Survey, Question, Read, Review and Reflect (SQ3R)

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Distribute your time. Listen actively in class. Overlearn. Be a smart test-taker.

Close-upAdditional Study Hints