Ms. Tripolone

HISTORY AND PERSPECTIVES OF

PSYCHOLOGY

WHAT IS PSYCHOLOG

Y?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vo4pMVb0R6M

CRASH COURSE: INTRODUCTION TO PSYCHOLOGY

Psychology (vocab) – the scientific study of mental processes and behavior

Seeks to answer questions about all of us

How and why we think, feel, and act as we do

Behavior – almost any activity

Mental – anything the mind is capable of

Goal – to understand human behavior

PSYCHOLOGY

WHAT IS PSYCHOLOGY USED

FOR?

CounselingChild rearing Study of human interactions and personalities Layout of storesColors used to draw attention CommercialsHuman developmentIntelligence Testing ETC.

PSYCHOLOGY

WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU KNOW ABOUT THE HUMAN

MIND AND BEHAVIOR? ON THE NEXT SLIDE READ THE

STATEMENTS AND WRITE WHETHER YOU THINK IT IS

TRUE OR FALSE.

1. It is a myth that most people use only about 10% of their brains.2. During your most vivid dreams, your body may be paralyzed.3. Psychological stress can cause physical illness.4. The color red exists only as a sensation in the brain. There is no

red in the world outside the brain.5. Bipolar (manic-depressive) disorder is caused by a conflict in the

unconscious mind. 6. The newborn child’s mind is essentially a “blank slate” on which

everything he or she will know is “written” by experience. 7. Everything that happens to us leaves a permanent record in

memory.8. You were born with all the brain cells that you will ever have.9. Intelligence is a nearly pure genetic trait that is fixed at the same

level throughout a person’s life. 10. Polygraph (lie detector) devices are remarkably accurate in

detecting physical responses that, in the eye of a trained examiner, reliably indicate when a suspect is lying.

MYTHS: TRUE OR FALSE

1. True – We use all parts of our brain every day2. True – During REM our voluntary muscles are paralyzed 3. True – The link between mind and body can make you sick4. True – All colors are created in the brain5. False – Evidence shows that there is a strong biochemical

component in bipolar6. False – Newborns have a large amount of built in abilities and

protective reflexes7. False – No evidence shows that all events of our lives are in

memories8. False – Some parts create new brain cells throughout life9. False – Intelligence is the result of both heredity and

environment 10. False – even the most expert polygrapher can incorrectly

classify a truth-teller as a liar or fail to identify a liar

MYTHS ANSWERED

Early history Early philosophers try to answer the questions of the mindSocratesPlatoAristotle

One of the earliest debates that continues today nature vs. nurture

HISTORY OF PSYCHOLOGY

Other early influencesRene Descartes – first real concept of nerves

Francis Bacon – a founder of modern science

John Locke – Born as a “blank slate”

Charles Darwin – study of evolution and natural selection

HISTORY OF PSYCHOLOGY

John Locke

Empiricism – the view that knowledge originates in experience and that science should, therefore rely on observation and experimentation

Use of objective vs. subjective science

HISTORY OF PSYCHOLOGY

Wilhelm Wundt Considered the father of

psychology Started the first laboratory

to study human behavior William James

Founder of American psychology

Studied how humans adapt and react to their environment

Focused on individual development

HISTORY OF PSYCHOLOGY

Wilhelm Wundt

Sigmund Freud Developed the idea of

psychoanalysis Developed the first

comprehensive theory of personality

Believes personality is based of unconscious desires

John B. Watson Developed the idea of

behaviorism Studied the impact of

learning on human behavior

HISTORY OF PSYCHOLOGY

John B Watson

Structuralism – use of introspection to explore structural elements of the mind (unreliable because it depended on a person with intrapersonal intelligence)

Functionalism – how our mental and behavioral processes function – how they enable us to adapt, survive, and flourish

Experimental Psychology – explore behavior and thinking with experiments

EARLY THEORIES OF PSYCHOLOGY

Behaviorism – we are the product of learned associations and they study behavior without the reference to mental processes

Humanistic – people are essentially good and of the potential for personal individual growth

Cognitive Neuroscience – the study of brain activity linked with mental activity; how we perceive process and retain information

THEORIES OF PSYCHOLOGY

Biological Psychology – focuses on physical responses and reactions in the body

Evolutionary Psychology – studying behavior based on natural selection

Cognitive Psychology – the study of mental activities associated with thinking, knowing, remembering, and communicating

THEORIES OF PSYCHOLOGY

Psychoanalytical – Freud’s theory that claims people are cesspools of desire driven by sex and aggression hidden in the unconscious since childhood

Psychodynamic Psychology – modern idea that focuses on unconscious desires

Social-cultural – the study of how culture impacts behavior and thinking

THEORIES OF PSYCHOLOGY

THEORIES OF PSYCHOLOGY

Experimental Psychologist – conduct research and gather information

Applied Psychologist use the information provided from the experimental psychologist

RESEARCHING PSYCHOLOGY

Biological Psychologists – study links between brain and mindDevelopmental Psychologist – study womb-tomb Cognitive Psychologist – study how we perceive, think and

solve problemsEducational Psychologist – study influences on teaching and

learning Social Psychologist – explore how we view and affect one

another

TYPES OF PSYCHOLOGIST

Industrial-organization Psychologist – helps organizations and companies in the workplace select, train, and manage employees

Human Factors Psychologist – focuses on the interaction between people, machines, and physical environment

Counseling Psychologist – help people cope with problems

Clinical Psychologist – assess and treats mental, emotional, and behavior disorders

Psychiatrist – medical doctors licensed to practice medicine and prescribe drugs

TYPES OF PSYCHOLOGIST