psychology: a journey through perspectives. what is psychology?
TRANSCRIPT
Psychology:
A journey through perspectives
What is psychology?
What is psychology?
Psychology Defined
• The science of behavior and mental processes– Behavior - observable actions of a person
– Mental processes - thoughts, feelings, sensations, perceptions, memories, dreams, motives and other subjective experiences
– Science• An objective way to answer questions• Based on observable facts / data and
well described methods
Psychology vs. Psychobabble• Valid psychological claims provide
evidence in the form of scientific research
• “Pop” psychology is often focused on WANTS– influence of the media
Characteristics of pseudoscience
1. associates itself with true science
2. relies on/accepts anecdotal evidence
3. can’t be disproved
4. reduces complexity to simplicity (esp. to consumers)
The Limits of Common Sense• Common sense and intuition often tell
us about psychology
• can be inconsistent and based on hindsight
7 Guidelines for any claim:
1. Define terms.2. Support with evidence.3. Analyze assumptions and biases.4. Avoid emotional reasoning.5. Don’t oversimplify.6. Consider other interpretations.7. Tolerate uncertainty.
Great Questions of Psychology
• Nature vs. Nurture• Monism vs. Dualism: the mind/body
problem• Commonalities vs. Individual
Differences
• MEANING…
Ancient Greece
• Plato: – Nativism = humans enter
the world with knowledge present
– Rationalism = reasoning and logic give access to this knowledge
Aristotle: Empiricism = senses are sources of knowledge
Renaissance
• Rene Descartes– First modern rationalist– Used reasoning to prove he
existed!– Mind/body problem
Renaissance
• John Locke– Sided with Aristotle: tabula
rasa
• Immanuel Kant– Nature AND Nurture?
Advent of Science
• Studies of Nervous System
• Darwin’s evolutionary theory
Psychology as Science
• Willhelm Wundt- 1st experimental psychology laboratory in Leipzig, Germany, 1879
• Different approaches emerged based on– Object of study– Goals– Methods
Different Schools Emerge
• Titchener: Structuralism– analytic introspection to understand
What?– e.g. there are 4 basic tastes
• James: Functionalism– to understand how behavior is affected,
and Why?– e.g. why might we spit out something
that is bitter?– applied research
Schools (Perspectives) of Psychology
• Psychoanalysis (or Psychodynamic perspective)– Originated with Sigmund Freud– concerned with unconscious conflicts
• Behaviorism (or Learning perspective)– John Watson (1913)– B. F. Skinner – ‘Baby in a Box’ (1945)
Other schools
• Humanist/Existentialist approach– Abraham Maslow, Carl Rogers, Viktor
Frankl– person-centered, free will
• Cognitive approach– how the mind processes information– e.g. memory, thinking, reasoning
Other schools
• Biological approach– brain, nervous system functions– genes and heredity
• Sociocultural approach– group dynamics– social and cultural impacts on
behavior
The Profession of Psychology
• American Psychological Association has 53 divisions in 2006– areas of training and specialization
(e.g., developmental, clinical)– applied (i.e., teaching in
psychology, psychology and the law)
Areas of Specialization
• Clinical– abnormal behavior and psychological
disorders– psychologist vs. psychiatrist
• Counseling– dealing with normal life situations – provide guidance
• Health psychology– psychological factors in physical health
Areas of Specialization
• Developmental – psychological change over the life span– social, cognitive, personality
• School– counseling and guidance in school
settings
• Educational– learning and teaching
Areas of Specialization
• Physiological– brain and behavior– often uses animals as research model
• Cognitive – experimental methods– human memory, perception, etc.
Areas of Specialization
• Social– social influences on cognition and
emotion-importance of situation– attitudes and beliefs
• Personality– individual differences
• Industrial/organizational– people and work– job satisfaction– training and selection
Professional Work Settings
• Colleges and universities (33%)
• Clinical settings (32%)
• Government (18%) • Business (12%)• Elementary and
secondary schools (5%)
PrivatePractice
Government
Universities &Colleges
Business& Industry
Schools
Employment Settings of Psychologists