Week 1Week 1Introduction to Introduction to PsychologyPsychology

Chapter 1 OverviewChapter 1 Overview

Exploring psychology’s rootsExploring psychology’s roots Schools of thought in psychologySchools of thought in psychology Descriptive research methodsDescriptive research methods The experimental methodThe experimental method Ethics in psychological researchEthics in psychological research Thinking about theories and Thinking about theories and researchresearch

Psychologists at workPsychologists at work

What process do scientists use What process do scientists use to answer questions about to answer questions about behavior and mental processes?behavior and mental processes? Psychology: Psychology: The scientific study The scientific study of behavior and mental processesof behavior and mental processes– Instead of relying on common sense, Instead of relying on common sense, psychologists use the psychologists use the scientific scientific methodmethod

Psychologists propose and test Psychologists propose and test theories to explain behavior and theories to explain behavior and mental processes mental processes – Theory:Theory: A general set of principles A general set of principles that explains how separate facts are that explains how separate facts are relatedrelated

What are the goals of What are the goals of psychology?psychology?

DescriptionDescription– Identifying and classifying Identifying and classifying behaviors and mental processesbehaviors and mental processes

ExplanationExplanation– Proposing reasons for behaviors and Proposing reasons for behaviors and mental processesmental processes

PredictionPrediction– Offering hypotheses about how a Offering hypotheses about how a condition or set of conditions will condition or set of conditions will affect behavior and mental processesaffect behavior and mental processes

InfluenceInfluence– Using research results to solve Using research results to solve practical problemspractical problems

What are the goals of What are the goals of psychology?psychology?

Two types of research are done to Two types of research are done to accomplish psychologists’ four accomplish psychologists’ four goalsgoals– Basic researchBasic research

Research that seeks new knowledge to Research that seeks new knowledge to advance general scientific understandingadvance general scientific understanding

– Applied researchApplied research Research conducted to solve practical Research conducted to solve practical problems and improve the quality of lifeproblems and improve the quality of life

Exploring Exploring Psychology’s RootsPsychology’s Roots Psychology’s roots can be Psychology’s roots can be traced to the beginning of traced to the beginning of recorded historyrecorded history

But psychology as a formal But psychology as a formal academic discipline began in academic discipline began in the 1800sthe 1800s

What did Wundt and What did Wundt and Titchener contribute to Titchener contribute to psychology?psychology? Wilhelm Wundt (1832-1920)Wilhelm Wundt (1832-1920)

– The “father” of psychologyThe “father” of psychology– Used Used introspectionintrospection to analyze basic to analyze basic elements of conscious mental experienceelements of conscious mental experience

Edward Bradford Titchener Edward Bradford Titchener (1867-(1867-1927)1927)– Wundt’s studentWundt’s student– Established a psychological laboratory in Established a psychological laboratory in the USAthe USA

StructuralismStructuralism – Wundt and Titchener’s school of thoughtWundt and Titchener’s school of thought– Structuralism was criticized because of Structuralism was criticized because of its methodsits methods

– But structuralists established psychology But structuralists established psychology as a scienceas a science

Why is functionalism Why is functionalism important in the history important in the history of psychology?of psychology? FunctionalismFunctionalism

– Focused on how humans and animals use Focused on how humans and animals use mental processes in adapting to their mental processes in adapting to their environmentsenvironments

– Broadened the scope of psychology to Broadened the scope of psychology to include behavior as well as mental include behavior as well as mental processesprocesses

William James (1842-1910)William James (1842-1910)– Functionalism’s most famous proponentFunctionalism’s most famous proponent– Believed that the “stream of conscious-Believed that the “stream of conscious-ness” functions to help humans adaptness” functions to help humans adaptto their environmentto their environment

Who were some of the individuals Who were some of the individuals who overcame discrimination to who overcame discrimination to make important contributions to make important contributions to the field of psychology?the field of psychology? Christine Ladd-Franklin Christine Ladd-Franklin

– Completed PhD in the mid 1880’s at John Hopkins Completed PhD in the mid 1880’s at John Hopkins but did not receive her degree until 1926but did not receive her degree until 1926

– Formulated a well-regarded theory of color Formulated a well-regarded theory of color visionvision

Mary Whiton Calkins Mary Whiton Calkins – Completed the requirements for a doctorate at Completed the requirements for a doctorate at HarvardHarvard

but Harvard refused to grant the degree to a but Harvard refused to grant the degree to a womanwoman

– Established a psychology laboratory at Established a psychology laboratory at Wellesley CollegeWellesley College

– Developed the paired associates testDeveloped the paired associates test

Who were some of the individuals Who were some of the individuals who overcame discrimination to who overcame discrimination to make important contributions to make important contributions to the field of psychology?the field of psychology?

Margaret Floy WashburnMargaret Floy Washburn – Received PhD from Cornell UniversityReceived PhD from Cornell University– Wrote influential books including Wrote influential books including The The Animal MindAnimal Mind (1908) and (1908) and Movement and Mental Movement and Mental ImageryImagery (1916) (1916)

Francis Cecil SumnerFrancis Cecil Sumner – First African American to earn a PhD in First African American to earn a PhD in psychology, in 1920psychology, in 1920

– Chaired psychology department at Howard Chaired psychology department at Howard UniversityUniversity

Who were some of the individuals Who were some of the individuals who overcame discrimination to who overcame discrimination to make important contributions to make important contributions to the field of psychology?the field of psychology? Albert Sidney Beckham Albert Sidney Beckham

– Established first psychological laboratory Established first psychological laboratory at a Black institution of higher learning at a Black institution of higher learning – Howard University– Howard University

– Conducted important studies on Conducted important studies on intelligence and how it related to intelligence and how it related to occupational fieldsoccupational fields

Kenneth ClarkKenneth Clark– Received national recognition for writings Received national recognition for writings on the harmful effects of racial on the harmful effects of racial segregationsegregation

– His writings affected Supreme Court His writings affected Supreme Court rulings declaring national segregation rulings declaring national segregation unconstitutionalunconstitutional

Who were some of the individuals Who were some of the individuals who overcame discrimination to who overcame discrimination to make important contributions to make important contributions to the field of psychology?the field of psychology? Jorge SanchezJorge Sanchez

– An Hispanic American psychologistAn Hispanic American psychologist– Studied bias in intelligence testing Studied bias in intelligence testing during the 1930sduring the 1930s

– Pointed out that cultural and language Pointed out that cultural and language differences work against Hispanic students differences work against Hispanic students when they take IQ testswhen they take IQ tests

Schools of Thought in Schools of Thought in PsychologyPsychology The major schools of thought in The major schools of thought in psychology today includepsychology today include– BehaviorismBehaviorism– Psychoanalytic psychologyPsychoanalytic psychology– Humanistic psychologyHumanistic psychology– Cognitive psychologyCognitive psychology– Evolutionary psychologyEvolutionary psychology– Biological psychologyBiological psychology– The sociocultural approachThe sociocultural approach

How do behaviorists How do behaviorists explain behavior and explain behavior and mental processes?mental processes? BehavioristsBehaviorists view view observable, measurable observable, measurable behavior as the only behavior as the only appropriate subject matter appropriate subject matter for psychologyfor psychology

BehaviorismBehaviorism also emphasizes also emphasizes the environment as the key the environment as the key determinant of behaviordeterminant of behavior

What do psychoanalytic What do psychoanalytic psychologists believe about psychologists believe about the role of the unconscious?the role of the unconscious?

Sigmund Freud’s theory of Sigmund Freud’s theory of personality and his personality and his therapy for psychological therapy for psychological disorders is called disorders is called PsychoanalysisPsychoanalysis

According to this theory, According to this theory, an individual’s thoughts, an individual’s thoughts, feelings, and behavior feelings, and behavior are determined primarily are determined primarily by the unconsciousby the unconscious

According to Maslow and According to Maslow and Rogers, what motivates Rogers, what motivates behavior and mental processes?behavior and mental processes? Humanistic psychologyHumanistic psychology

– Focuses on the uniqueness of human Focuses on the uniqueness of human beings and their capacity for choice, beings and their capacity for choice, growth, and psychological healthgrowth, and psychological health

Abraham Maslow’s theory of Abraham Maslow’s theory of motivationmotivation– The need for self-actualization is the The need for self-actualization is the highest need in the hierarchy of needshighest need in the hierarchy of needs

Carl Rogers developed Carl Rogers developed client-client-centered therapycentered therapy – An approach in which the client An approach in which the client directs a discussion on his or her own directs a discussion on his or her own view of the problemview of the problem

What is the focus of What is the focus of cognitive psychology?cognitive psychology?

Cognitive psychologyCognitive psychology focuses focuses on mental processes such as on mental processes such as memory, problem solving, memory, problem solving, decision making, perception, decision making, perception, and languageand language

Information-processing theoryInformation-processing theory– An approach within cognitive An approach within cognitive psychology that uses the computer psychology that uses the computer as a model for human thinkingas a model for human thinking

What is the main idea What is the main idea behind evolutionary behind evolutionary psychology?psychology? Evolutionary psychologyEvolutionary psychology focuses on how human focuses on how human behaviors necessary for behaviors necessary for survival have adapted in the survival have adapted in the face of environmental face of environmental pressures over the course of pressures over the course of evolutionevolution

How do biological How do biological psychologists explain psychologists explain individual differences in individual differences in behavior and mental processes?behavior and mental processes? Biological psychologistsBiological psychologists look for connections between look for connections between specific behaviors (such as specific behaviors (such as aggression) and specific aggression) and specific biological factors (such as biological factors (such as hormones) to help explain hormones) to help explain individual differencesindividual differences

What kinds of variables What kinds of variables interest psychologists who interest psychologists who take a sociocultural approach?take a sociocultural approach?

The The sociocultural approach sociocultural approach focuses on how factors such as focuses on how factors such as cultural values affect behaviorcultural values affect behavior– Proponents of this approach Proponents of this approach believe that these factors are as believe that these factors are as important as evolutionary and important as evolutionary and physiological factors in affecting physiological factors in affecting behavior and mental processesbehavior and mental processes