INTRODUCTION TO PSYCHOLOGY

◦Personality◦A solid core of traits reflecting the unique essence of a particular human being◦That core of thoughts and feelings inside you that tells you how to conduct yourself.

◦Your personality is more than just an “attitude.” It is what causes you to act and react the way you do.

What you’ve done so far…

◦The Color Code Test◦Red – Power◦Blue – Intimacy◦White – Peace◦Yellow - Fun

◦Reds and Blues spend their lifetimes trying to control others. ◦Whites and Yellows spend their lifetimes refusing to be controlled.

◦This year 85% of employees who lose their jobs can attribute it personality conflict.

Strengths & Weaknesses For each color

◦Red◦Leader, focused,

responsible, committed◦Blue◦Loyal to people,

sincere, honest, moral◦White◦Tolerant, patient,

cooperative, good listener

◦Yellow◦Positive, friendly,

optimistic, open

◦Red ◦Arrogant, bad listener,

tactless, critical of others

◦Blue◦ Judgmental,

unforgiving, suspicious, irrational

◦White◦Timid, lazy, dependent,

directionless◦Yellow◦Uncommitted,

inconsistent, self-centered, rebellious

What do I do with my color?

◦Using your color, write your first name in the COLOR you were matched with

◦Decorate your name

◦Cut it out

◦Tape it neatly on the back of my door

You have siblings?Your Birth Order can often show

about you!

◦Oldest/Only◦Treated like an adult, given more responsibility, an

example, independent.

◦Middle◦Peacemaker, work hard for attention, calm and even-

tempered, good/average student.

◦Youngest◦ Spoilt, strives for attention, matures quickly, easy-going

about school, irresponsible

Chapter One: Introduction, History, and Research Methods

◦What is psychology?◦The science of behavior and mental processes.◦Science – because psychologist use scientific research in their studies to understand more. They collect data and analyze it.

◦Behavior & mental processes – the scope of what psychologists study is so vast. ◦All observable behaviors can be studied as well as mental processes including thoughts, feelings and dreams.

Psychology’s founding fathers:Wilhelm Wundt

◦The “Father” of psychology

◦1879 – first lab devoted to psychological experiments.

Psychology’s founding fathers:

◦1892 – G. Stanley Hall founds the American Psychological Association (APA).◦1905 – Mary Whiton Calkins becomes first woman President of APA.◦1905 – Alfred Binet develops the first intelligence test.

Can any one psychological

perspective answer all of psychology’s

questions?

Psychological Perspectives

◦Psychological perspectives, schools of thought, and psychological approaches are all synonyms for ways psychologists classify collections of ideas.

◦Ex: Look at this real life possibility: Do you help the person who spilled their bags of groceries? Why do some people help when others don’t?

◦Each perspective has an explanation.◦And there are six different ones…

#1: The Cognitive Perspective

◦Popular since the 1960’s.◦School of thought that focuses on how we take in, process, store and retrieve information.◦Focuses on how people think!

◦People involved: James and Piaget

◦Ex: Helping the person with the groceries is a function of how we think about or interpret a situation.◦We may choose to help the shopper because we think it will make us look good to others; or won’t because we think helping might make us look silly.

Psychology's founding fathers:William James

◦1st American psychologist.

◦1st psych textbook author – 1890.

◦Functionalism:◦Goal of psychology

was to study the functions of consciousness, the ways consciousness helps people adapt to their environment.

Psychology’s founding fathers:Jean Piaget

◦Worked on how children develop their thinking abilities.

◦Developmental and cognitive psychologist.

#2: Biological Perspective◦School of thought to focuses on the physical structures and substances underlying a particular behavior, thought, or emotion.◦People involved:

◦Ex: Could remind us that levels of a naturally occurring “feel good” chemical in our brain that could affect helping behavior.◦Those lacking in this element could feel depressed and not help the person with their groceries.

#3: Socio-cultural Perspective◦School of thought that focuses on how thinking or behavior changes in different settings or situations.◦People involved:

◦Ex: Helping is more likely to occur if you’re with a couple of friends and 50 feet from your front door; and less likely if you’re in a crowded, big-city movie theatre lobby where few faces are familiar.

#4: Behavioral Perspective◦School of thought that focuses on how we learn observable responses.◦Believe people learn certain responses through rewards, punishments, and observation.

◦People involved: Pavlov and Watson

◦Ex: a person who helps has previously observed someone being rewarded for helpful behavior.◦Like y’all and bonus cards?

Psychology’s Founding Fathers:Ivan Pavlov

◦1906 – Pavlov’s dogs◦He studied animal learning and fueled a move in psych toward interest in observable behavior and away from the self-examination of inner ideas and experiences.

Psychology’s founding fathers:John B. Watson◦Launched behaviorism◦Dominant perspective of

the 20th century.

◦Behaviorist perspective:◦Studied only observable

and objectively describable acts.

◦Don’t waste time studying unconscious…can’t see it!

◦Made science more objective and scientific.

◦Today behaviorism focuses on learning through rewards and observation.

#5: Humanistic Perspective◦School of thought that focuses on the study of conscious experience, the individual’s freedom to choose, and capacity for personal growth.◦Healthy people strive to reach their full potential.

◦People involved: Maslow and Rogers

◦Ex: A person who has met their safety/physiological needs (hunger, thirst, shelter) would be able to reach out socially and help another person in need.

More on Humanistic…◦Humanistic psychology

(1960), 3rd force.◦Abraham Maslow and

Carl Rogers◦Emphasized conscious

experience as the proper focus for psychology.

◦Humans have free will and will strive for full potential by making smart decisions.

◦Rejected that humans are controlled by rewards and reinforcements.

◦Maslow’s Hierarchy

#6: Psychodynamic Perspective

◦Contemporary name; formerly known as psychoanalytic perspective.

◦School of thought that focuses on how behavior springs from unconscious drives and conflicts.

◦People included: Freud

◦Ex: Helpful behavior results from an unfulfilled childhood wish to have one’s mother accept one’s offer to help.

Psychology’s Founding Fathers:Sigmund Freud◦Stereotypic therapist, with a pen and pencil listening to a patient on the couch.

◦1900, introduced first complete theory of personality… psychoanalysis.

◦Publishes The Interpretation of Dreams.

Freud’s Psychoanalytic Perspective

◦Focused on abnormal behavior, which Freud attributed to unconscious drives and conflicts, often stemming from childhood.

◦Relied on personal observation and reflection instead of controlled laboratory experimentation as its means of discovery.

Problems with Psychoanalysis◦Claimed to be scientific, but relied on self-reported reflections…not scientific methods.◦Died in 1939, many theories have since been disproved and some out of date.◦But some of his ideas are still with us:◦Freudian slip◦Anal-retentive

◦Psychodynamic Theory◦Our unconscious thoughts, inner conflicts, and

childhood experiences significantly affect our personality and behaviors.

New Areas of Psychology!

◦Behavior Genetics:◦Focuses on how much our genes and our

environment influence our individual differences and behavior.

◦Combo of biology and behaviorism.

◦A psychologist interested in behavior genetics might ask two questions: Is there a helpfulness trait? If so, is it triggered into action by growing up in a family that promotes and values helping those in need?◦Yes? – and you have the trait and a family that

promotes it, you will be helpful.◦Thus, helping behavior is a product of learning and

an inherited genetic trait.

New Areas of Psychology!

◦Evolutionary Psych:◦Study behaviors that helped our ancestors survive

long enough to reproduce successfully.

◦Positive Psych:◦Focus: to study and promote original human

functioning.◦Martin Seligman◦Promotes building positive qualities of people, not

repairing the worst things.

Careers in Psychology:

◦Basic research:◦Pure science or research◦Research for the sake of finding new information and

expanding the knowledge base of psychology.

◦Clinical Psychologies:◦Diagnose and treat patients with psychological

problems.◦Largest number of professional psychologists.

Careers in Psychology◦ Applied Research:

◦ Research designed to solve specific practical problems.◦ Marriage counselors, education counselors, organizational counselors,

etc.