goals: history of psychology – students will 1. explain the historical background of the field of...
TRANSCRIPT
Intro to Psychology – Day 3
Goals: History of Psychology – Students will1. Explain the historical background of the
field of psychology.2. Describe the six main contemporary
perspectives in psychology.
Instructor will distribute A Brief History of Psychology written by BSU Professor Landrum.
Read the hand-out. Highlight the important points that the
instructor discusses in class.◦ You are responsible for these portions of the
reading.
A Brief History of Psychology
A general set of assumptions about the nature of certain phenomena.◦ In psychology, each perspective has a different
set of assumptions about the nature of human behavior and mental processes. Human behavior is complex and a variety of
perspectives gives a richer and fuller view of behavior that could be seen in one perspective alone.
The book discusses several perspectives, the following slides contains a new perspective added since the books publication.
What is a theoretical perspective?
Biological◦ Nervous system, glands and hormones, genetic
factors◦ Biological processes influence behavior and
mental processes Evolutionary
◦ Physical traits, social behavior◦ Adaptive organisms survive and transmit their
genes to future generations
Major Contemporary Perspectives
Humanistic◦ Self-concept◦ People make free and conscious choices based on
their unique experiences Psychoanalytic
◦ Unconscious processes, early childhood experiences◦ Unconscious motives influence behavior
Learning◦ Environmental influences, learning, observational
learning◦ Personal experience and reinforcement guide
individual development
Major Contemporary Perspectives
Sociocultural◦ Ethnicity, gender, culture, socioeconomic status◦ Sociocultural, biological, and psychological factors
create individual differences Cognitive
◦ Interpretation of mental images, thinking, language
◦ Perceptions and thoughts influence behavior
Major Contemporary Perspectives
We will break into seven groups. Each group will be assigned a perspective. Each group will choose a chapter from the
table of contents in the text book and the group will explain how their perspective would interest biologically oriented psychologists.
The group will share with the class and the class will determine which perspective to which you are referring.
Guided Practice