7/27/2019 Topic 1 System Cards

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/topic-1-system-cards 1/1

Topic 1: introduction to psychological science.

Seven themes of psychological science:

The relationship between mind, brain and behavior isthat the mind refers to the mental activity, the perceptions

we experience and a persons memories, thought andfeelings, and this mental activity is a result of our

 biological processes. It is these nerve cells and neuronsthat enable us to think and use our mind. While we are

using our minds we are behaving. It is our behaviour thatis what we choose to do which is connected back to our

 brains biology enabling us to do things and using our

minds to behave in certain ways

The mindbody problem is a fundamental psychologicalissue that considers whether mind and body are separate

and distinct of whether the mind is simply the sub!ectiveexperience of the physical brain. "sychologists largely

re!ect dualistic thinking #$escates% and believe instead thatthe mind is what the brain does and therefore the brain

and mind are inseperatble.

A new and profoundly significant biological revolution

is in progress, involving a deeper understanding of the

human mind and behaviour. There are & ma!ordevelopments:

1. brain imaging . The first is a growing understanding of brain chemistry. The brain works through the actions of

neurotransmitters that communicate through nerve cells.

We are often unaware of multiple influences on how we

think, feel or act. "eople are influenced by subtle factors

in their environments, even when they are largely unawareof those influences. 'ome factors influence thoughts,

feelings and behaviours at an unconscious level. (nexample is how people holding hot or cold coffees reacted

differently afterwards without reali)ing.

Scientific foundations of Psychology

"sychology developed from philosophy. John Stuart Mill

declared that psychology should leave the realm of

speculation and of philosophy and become a science ofobservation and of experiment

Wilhem Wunt established the first psychology laboratory

and institute

Edward itchner #student of Wunt*s% pioneered a school

of thought known as structuralism. It is an approach to psychology based on the idea that conscious experience

can be broken down into its basic components or elements

( critic of structuralism was William James. +e notedthat the mind consisted of an everchanging, continuous

series of thoughts. This stream of consciousness could not be fro)en in time, so the structuralists techni-ues were

artificial. +e argued that psychologists ought to examinethe functions served by the mind and developed

functionalism. 

!sychology is an empirical science. This means that ourresearch is based on experience as opposed to theoretical

knowledge. It is based on data gathered in the real world.nderstanding how science is conducted makes it possible

to tell which studies are credible.

"ature and nurture are ine#tricably entwined. /aturemeans things that are biologically innate and nurture

means things that are ac-uired through education,experience and culture. The naturenurture debate

#whether psychological characteristics are biologicallyinnate or ac-uired through nature% shows how inextricably

entwined they are. 0ental illnesses, for example, can be

caused for both biological and social reasons and it isimpossible for it to be solely !ust one.

This has provided researchers with many insights tomental activity and behaviour.

. the human genome. The enormous process in

understanding genetic processes* influence on life.'cientists have mapped the human genome #basic genetic

code% and have developed various techni-ues fordiscovering the links between genes and behaviour.

&. watching the working brain. The development of

methods for assessing the brain in action. 2esearches have been able to study the working brain as it performs vital

 psychological functions.

he mind is adaptive: the human mind has been shaped

 by evolution. That is, from the perspective of evolutionarytheory #empasi)es the inherited, adaptive value of behaviour and mental activity throughout the history of a

species%, the brain has evolved over millions of years tosolve problems related to survival and reproduction.

3xamples of this are 4harles $arwins theory of /atural'election. (nother is how an infant wont go over a visual

cliff, this is an adaptive mechanism that the infants have.

!sychological science crosses levels of analysis. 2esearchers have recently started to explain behaviour at

several levels of analysis. There are 5 broadly definedlevels of analysis that reflect the most common research

methods for studying the mind and behaviour.

1. the biological level of analysis deals with how the

 physical body contributes to mind and behaviour #brainsystems, neurochemistry, genetics%

. individual level of analysis focuses on individualdifferences in personality #individual differences,

 perception and cognition behaviour%

&. social level of analysis involves how group contextsaffect people*s ways of interacting and influencing each

other 

5. $ultural level of analysis deals with how differentcultures shape the thoughts, feelings, and actions of the

 people in themMargaret %lay Washburn was the first woman to beofficially granted a "h$ in psychology.

6th century psychology was profoundly influenced by one

of its most famous thinkers, Sigmund %reud. 7reuddeduced that much of human behaviour is determined by

mental processes operating below the level of consciousawareness, at the level of unconsciousness. 7rom this he

developed the therapeutic method of psychoanalysis,

which is a method that attempts to bring the contents of

the unconscious into conscious awareness so that the

conflicts are revealed. 3g, analy)ing dreams.

7unctionalism: is an approach concerned with the adaptive

 purpose, or functions of mind and behaviour.

(nother school of thought that arose in opposition to

structuralism was the 8estalt school, founded by Ma#

Wortheimer. (ccording to &estalt heory the whole of

 personal experience is different from simply the sum of itsconstituent elements. +e says that the perception of

ob!ects in sub!ective and are dependant on context. Two people can look at an ob!ect and see two different things.

Woman made pioneering contributions to psychology.

Mary Whiton $alkins was an important pioneer of psychological science, despite having been denied the

doctorate she earned in psychology.

John ' Watson challenged psychology*s focus on

conscious and unconscious mental processes as inherentlyunscientific and developed 'ehaviourism, which is the

approach that emphasi)es the role of environmental forcesin producing behaviour. The intellectual issue most central

to Watson was the naturenurture -uestion.

&eorge A Miller launched the cognitive revolution byestablishing the center of cognitive science. $ognitive

 psychology is concerned with the higherorder mentalfunctions such as intelligence, thinking, language, memory

and decision making.0any psychologists came to appreciate that peoples

 behaviours were affected by the presence of others. 7loyd(llport began to examine how people were affected by

social worlds. "eople sought to understand the atrocities

committed in WW. these topics are the province of

Social psychology, which is the study of group dynamics

in relation to psychological processes

In the 196s a humanistic approach to the treatment of

 psychological disorders emphasi)ed how people can come

to know and accept themselves in order to reach theiruni-ue potentials.

Throughout psychology*s history, the methods developed

to treat psychological disorders mirrored advances in psychological science. 7or instance, behaviourism*s rise

led to a group of therapies designed to modify behaviour.This is used to train those with intellectual impairments

and treating patients who are especially anxious or fearful.

The cognitive revolution in scientific thinking ledtherapists to recogni)e the important role of thought

 processes in mental disorders. The biological revolutionhas helped immensely with drug therapy.

 How we can apply psychological science

"sychological knowledge is used in many professions,

since many types of researchers study the mind, brain and behaviour. 7or instance, physicians need to know much

more than anatomy; they need to know how to relate totheir patients and how their patient*s behaviours are linked

to health. "sychology is e-ually useful for anyone whosecareer involved understanding people

<y nature, humans are intuitive psychological scientists,

developing hypotheses about and trying to predicts others* behaviour. 7or example,e people choose marriage partners

they expect will best meet their emotional, sexual andsupport needs.

"sychological scientists need critical thinking #a

systematic way of evaluating information to reachreasonable conclusions%. This is important because it

enables people to consider alternative explanations,looking for holes in evidence and using logic and

reasoning to see whether information makes sense

3thics is central to psychology and all psychologistsadhere to a code of ethical behaviour.

This includes being respectful to all people, treating them

with dignity ad protecting them from potential harm.3thics are so important because psychologists deal with

 people.

"sychology is relevant to every persons* life because its

insights are critical in almost every sphere of our lives and

its content = in explaining how humans think, feel and behave = its universal. It can help us be better parents,

understand how siblings affect our development and workmore effectively in groups.

'chools of thought:

Structuralism ( 3dward Titchner, Wilhem Wundt

%unctionalism (  >ohn $ewey, William >ames

'ehaviourism ( <.7 'kinner, >ohn < Watson

&estalt = Wolfgang ?ohler, 0ax Wertheimer 

Social Wolfgang ?ohler, 8eorge 0iller, 3dward

Toleman, ?urt @ewin