Section 3 – A History of Psychology

A. Ancient Greece1. Socrates suggested much can be learned by

examining our thoughts and feelings.a. This is called introspection.2. Aristotle took a more scientific approach.a. Believed human behavior is subject to

certain rules and laws. *Believed people are motivated to seek

pleasure and avoid pain.b. Outlined his theories in Peri Psyches.

3. The Greeks believed many theories about

psychological problems:a. Many groups believed these

problems were the result of supernatural

forces.b. Believed that these were

punishment by the gods.

c. Hippocrates believed that these problems

were caused by abnormalities of the brain.

* It would be 2,000 years later that people

actually explored this theory.

B. The Middle Ages1. Many symptoms of mental illness

were believed to be the result of demonic

possession.a. People were given the “water

test”. * If they floated, they were

possessed and executed.

b. If you sank you were innocent but you died anyway because you drowned.

C. Modern Science1. 1500-1700 – Beliefs began to move away from

demons and the supernatural.a. Copernicus – developed the heliocentric theory.b. Isaac Newton – Laws of Gravity and Motionc. John Locke – Believed knowledge is learned from experience, not inborn.2. 1800’s – Birth of modern psychology.a. 1879 – Psychology begins to be a lab science. * Wilhelm Wundt – Established a lab at Leipzig, Germany.

D. Wilhelm Wundt 1. Founded structuralisma. Concerned with discovering the basic

elements of conscious experience.2. Believed conscious experience had 2 parts:a. Objective sensation – sight, taste, feel, smell, sound. Things you can consciously observe.b. Subjective sensation – Emotional responses and mental images.3. Structuralists believe the mind works by

combining these two elements.

E. William James1. Founded functionalisma. Studied how mental processes help

organisms to adapt to their environment.b. Applied findings to everyday situations.c. Combined introspection and behavioral observation in the lab.d. Concluded that adaptive behavior is learned and continued through repetition of what is successful.e. Through repetition these behaviors become habit.F. John B. Watson1. Believed scientifically observable behavior is the

basis of psychology - behaviorism

G. B. F. Skinner1. Introduced the concept of reinforcement to

behaviorism.2. People learn to behave in certain ways because

they have been reinforced to do so.H. Gestalt Psychology1. Studies how context influences a person’s

perception of information.2. 1920’s – Gestalt school of thought is founded by Max Wertheimer, Kurt Koffka, and

Wolfgang Kohler.a. Means “shape” or “form” in Germanb. Rejected structuralismc. Believed that learning is active, not

mechanical.

d. Demonstrated that much learning is achieved through insight, not

repetition. Ex. Problem solving.I. Sigmund Freud1. Founded the practice of psychoanalysis.a. Believed that unconscious motives and internal conflicts played a major part in

determining behavior.2. Conducted his research in his practice instead of

in a lab.a. Believed that unconscious processes are more important in governing behavior than conscious experience.

b. Unconscious is made up of impulses, urges,

and wishes; our behavior is aimed at

satisfying them.c. People want others to see

them as decent and fool themselves about

their real motives for their behavior.

d. By helping people understand their motives,

their behavior can be made more socially

acceptable.

IV. Contemporary PerspectivesA. The Biological Perspective1. Emphasizes the influence of biology on our behavior.2. Look for connections between brain events and behavior/mental processes.3. Use CAT and PET scans to show which parts of the brain are involved in mental processes.4. Also learned certain chemicals in the brain are connected to the storage of information.5. Study genes and their effect on character traits.

B. The Cognitive Perspective1. Examines the role of thought in influencing

behavior.a. Study mental processes to understand human nature.b. Study how people perceive information,

solve problems, and dream/daydream.2. Jean Piaget – demonstrated that a child’s view of the world becomes more sophisticated as the child matures.3. Believe people’s behavior is influenced by values, interpretations, and choices.

C. The Humanistic Perspective1. Stresses the importance of consciousness, self-awareness, and the capacity to make choices.a. A person’s experiences are the most

important aspect of psychology. * Self-awareness, experience, and choice help us to “invent ourselves”.D. The Psychoanalytic Perspective1. Stresses the influence of unconscious forces on human behavior.2. Concentrate on conscious choice and self

direction.a. Aggression is a common response to the frustration of life; we seek to vent these feelings on others.

* this frustration is sometimes partially vented through physical activity.

E. The Learning Perspective1. Emphasizes the effect of experience on behavior.a. Learning is the essential factor. * Behaviorists believe that it is learning

history that causes people to do things,

not conscious choice.2. The Social Learning Theory – People can change

their environments or create new ones. People

learn by observing others and that this type of

learning provides people with responses to life’s situations.a. Behavior is learned either from direct

experience or observing others.

F. The Sociocultural Perspective1. Addresses issues such as ethnicity, gender, culture, and socio-economic status.a. Believed to have a huge impact on human behavior and mental processes.b. Some ethnic issues include:*different groups*bilingualism*Ethnic differences in world view*Ethnic differneces in susceptibility to physical/psychological problems.*multicultural issues*predjudicec. Also examine gender

roles/stereotypes/norms.