CH 1 Evolution of Psychology

8/4/2019 CH 1 Evolution of Psychology

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Weiten, Ch.1

The Evolution ofPsychology

From Speculation to

Science: HowPsychology Developed

Psychology Today:

Vigorous & Diversified

Putting it inPerspective: 7

Themes


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Have you ever

wondered

Why do I like the people, food, or music that I like? Or, why do I not like certain things or have an irrational

fear of certain things (like _____(you fill in the blank)(you fill in the blank))?

Why do I get down or up when my favorite song

comes on the radio? Why did I cheat on my testmy boyfriendmy

girlfriend?

Why do I get so tired or maybe bored in a class?(of(of

course not in psychology though)course not in psychology though)


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OrHave you ever wondered??

Are first-born children more

driven to achieve? Does handwriting or the way I

position myself in bed offer

any clues to my personality?

Do my dreams really meananything?

Does hypnosis really work?

Why my family or my

relationships look so

dysfunctional at times and

what to do about it?


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What is

Psychology? Psyche meaning the

soul

Logos referring to

the study of a subject

The study of the mind.

Has a foundation inphilosophy &

physiology


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The American Crowbar Case


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The story ofPhineas

Gage:

NPR All

Things

Considered


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Phineas Gage A

song by Hank Green

Lyrics on the slides that follow


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Oh, Phineas Gage was 25 years old in1848.

And he liked his job, working at therailroad, but he had another fate.He was blasting rock when somethingdistracted him.

And he forgot to put the tamping sand in.He shoved the tamping rod into that littlehole onto the blasting powder.

And suddenly his entire left frontal lobehad been turned into clam chowder.

Oh this is the story of Phineas Gage,who was stabbed in the brain.

And once your frontal lobe has beendestroyed, you can never go homeagain.


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A little while later Phineas Gage wassitting on his bed.He told the doctor the tamping rod hadshot straight through his head.But the doctor could not believe whatPhineas said.For if that were the case he surelywould be dead.

But then Phineas had a coughing fit.And a teacup full of brains fell out of hishead.

And that was more than the doctorcould explain.

Oh this is the story of Phineas Gage,who was stabbed in the brain.

And once your frontal lobe has beendestroyed, you can never go homeagain.


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Well the doctor told the familyto prepare for Gage's death.'Cause the one you takebefore your head gets stabbed

is usually your last breath.And Phineas spent the nextfew months in bed.In and out of consciousness,with a swelling in his head.But mere months after the

accident, he walked right downhis stairs, as if having lost aquarter of his brain left him noworse for wear.

Oh this is the story of PhineasGage, who was stabbed in thebrain.And once your frontal lobe hasbeen destroyed, you can nevergo home again.


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But unfortunately for Phineas, our story won'tend there.The reason we still know his name is thestrangest part of this affair.

After his brain was scrambled his friends andfamily said,

"Oh, this is no longer Phineas. There's a newman here instead."

And thus we know that operating on the brainneedn't not cause death.

And that what makes a person who he is, is notthe heart but the head.

Oh this is the story of Phineas Gage, who wasstabbed in the brain.

And once your frontal lobe has been destroyed,you can never go home again.

Oh Phineas Gage was 37 years old when hefinally made his way.

Back to his home and family, for he could tellthe day of his death was fin'ly creeping up onhim.'Cause he forgot to put the tamping sand in.

And as common in these cases, of severe headtrauma, seizures took their toll and put an endto this drama.


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What is Psychology?What is Psychology?Two competing viewsTwo competing views

Two figures in the history of psychology hadTwo figures in the history of psychology had

different ideas on how to define itdifferent ideas on how to define it

William Wundtwhat goes onwhat goes oninside our mindsinside our minds

John Watson-not what is innot what is inour heads, butour heads, butwhat behaviorwhat behaviordo you displaydo you display

Observable behaviorObservable behavior youyoucannot observe thoughts butcannot observe thoughts butyou can observe how someoneyou can observe how someone

responds to situationsresponds to situations

Inner sensations or mentalInner sensations or mentalprocessesprocesses -- what feelingswhat feelingsor thoughts does someoneor thoughts does someonehave?have?


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Psychologys Big IssuesPsychologys Big Issues

Stability vs. Change

Rationality vs. Irrationality

Na

turev

s. Nurture


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Stability v. ChangeStability v. Change Do we change over time in

distinct and universal stagesor do we basically remain the

same drooling, slobbering,

simple beings of our

beginnings?

Do these things change?

Personality traits, sense of

humor, tastes, etc

Can a shy child become the

teenage class clown?

Do we become adults or are wealways just big kids?

Do our personalities change in

different situations?


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Rationality vs. IrrationalityRationality vs. Irrationality A

re we wise or not? Why do we do things that are

bad for us when we knowthey are bad?

We screw up, we makemistakes, and we losesight of good judgment

But, we often dont change

behavior, we dont seemrational


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Nature vs. NurtureNature vs. Nurture

Am I the way I ambecause I was born that

way or because of mysurroundings?

Biology (genes) vs.Experience

Can I ever be likethese people, or doesnature give me limitations?


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Example from MegamindNature vs. Nurture?


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Philosophy was foundation for Psychology

Dualism

Socrates

Mind andbody areseparate

Monism

Aristotle

Mind andbody areone

Hobbes: no mind/soul and that only

energy and matter exists and thateverything is shaped by brain machinery

Descartes: natural instincts in the physical world

However he believed that humans were different and

they have a mind to guide the body.


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Wave One: IntrospectionKickin it old school

Started with William Wundts firstpsychological laboratory and his

concept of introspection

(structuralism).

Then William James wrote ThePrinciples of Psychologyand

discussed functionalism.

In reality these ideas do not havemuch impact on how psychologists

think today.


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Wilhelm Wundt (1832-1920) German professor, mounted campaign

to make psychology an independent

discipline (rather than a portion ofphilosophy/physiology)

1879 psychologys date of birth,

Wundt succeeded in establishing the

first formal laboratory for research in

psychology at U. ofLeipzig.

Declared it should be a science. Used

empirical methods

Focus forWundt consciousness

(awareness of immediate experience)

Wundt had a tremendous following in

North America


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Structuralism vs. Functionalism

Structuralism the task of psychology is to analyzeconsciousness into its basic elements &

investigate how these elements related. (EdwardTitchener) Dependent on introspection careful, systematic self-

observation of ones own conscious experience.

Favored lab experiments

Functiona

lism psychology should investigate thefunction or purpose of consciousness, ratherthan its structure. (William James) Influenced by Charles Darwins natural selection

heritable characteristics that provide a survival orreproductive advantage are more likely thanalternative characteristics to be passed on tosubsequent generations and thus come to beselected over time.

Favored how people adapt to real world situations

Generally thought that functionalism won out andthen spawned the more modern AppliedPsychology & Behaviorism


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BehaviorismJohn B. Watson (1878-1958)

A theoretical orientation based on thepremise that scientific psychologyshould study only observablebehavior.

Proposed abandoning the study of

consciousness altogetherInstead focus on observed behaviors (any

overt/observable response or activity byan organism.

Watson also shined a light on nature versusnurture

Behaviorists look for stimulus anydetectable input from the environment.

Behavior approach is often referred to as

(S-R) Stimulus-Response


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Sigmund Freud (1856-1939) Austrian physician & one of the most controversial

intellectual figures of modern times.

Developed psychoanalysis as an approach to delve into the

mind of those with irrational fears, obsessions, and anxieties. Freud: unconscious contains thoughts,

memories, and desires that are well belowthe surface of conscious awareness butthat nonetheless exert great influence onbehavior.

Noted that seemingly meaningless slips of

the tongue would provide insight into

someones true feelings

Psychoanalytic theory attempts to explain

personality, motivation, and mental

disorders by focusing on unconsciousdeterminants of behavior.

Very controversial for his observations on

the importance of sexuality towards

human behavior

Freud focused on personality, motivation,

and abnormal behavior and those

concepts were later incorporated intomainstream psychology.


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B.F. Skinner (1904-1990)

Championed a return to the Watson strictfocus on observable behaviors

Organisms tend to repeat responses thatlead to positive outcomes, and they tendnot to repeat responses that lead toneutral or negative outcomes.

Working with lab rats & pigeons, heconducted experiments to show how hecould control behaviors of the animals.

Trained pigeons to play Ping-Pong! Wrote Beyond Freedom and Dignity(1971)

asserted that all behavior is fully governedby external stimuli.

People are controlled by their environment,not by themselves.

Free Will is an Illusion Skinner is often thought to be the most or

one of the most influential contributors topsychology


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Humanism 1950s opposition to

behaviorism andpsychoanalytic theory

Humanism theoreticalorientation thatemphasizes the unique

qualities of humans,especially their freedomand their potential forpersonal growth.

More optimistic view of

human nature. Carl Rogers (1902-1987)

& Abraham Maslow(1908-1970) prominenthumanists in psychology


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Growth of Psychology World War I created a huge

demand for mental testing of

military recruits. Became a profession as well as a

science afterWorld War II

1950s and 60s saw advances instudy of cognition led to renewal ofinterest in mental processes.

1980s saw a growth in culturalfactors influencing behavior. Trendsparked by growing globalinterdependence and culturaldiversity.

1990s witnessed emergence ofnew theoretical perspective calledevolutionary psychology. Patternsof behavior are the product ofevolutionary forces & naturalselection favors behaviors thatenhance reproductive success.


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Psychology Today:

Vigorous & Diversified

Psychology the science that studiesbehavior and the physiological andcognitive processes that underlie it, and it

is the profession that applies theaccumulated knowledge of this science topractical problems.

Contemporary psychology is multifacetedand spread throughout mainstream societythat has seen rapid growth


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Applied Psychologys

4 specialties:

Clinical psychology (non-medicalapproach)

Counseling psychology

Educational & school psychology

Industrial & organizational psychology

Psychiatrists are physicians whospecialize in the diagnosis andtreatment of mental disorders


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Weitens 7 Themes

Each theme appears throughout the text in a

number of variations

Learning both behavior and scientific discipline

that investigates it.7 Themes are in 2 sets

Statements high-lighting crucial aspects of

psychology as a way of thinking and field of study.

Broad generalizations about psychologys subjectmatter: behavior and the cognitive & physiological

processes that underlie it.


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Theme 1: Psychology is Empirical Psychologists base their conclusions on

observation through research rather thanreasoning or common sense.

Empiricism knowledge should be

acquired through observation Must be tested

Healthy dose of skepticism


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Theme 2: Psychology is

Theoretically Diverse

There are many competing schools of

thought in the field

Diversity has fueled progress and is also a

strength rather than a weakness Theory is a system of interrelated ideas used

to explain a set of observations.


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Theme 3: Psychology Evolves in

a Socio-historical Context

Psychology evolves in a socio-historical context,as trends, issues, and values in society excerptinfluence

Social trends, war, technology, and global

interdependence are all examples


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Themes Related to Psychologys

Subject Matter

Theme 4: Behavior is Determined by MultipleCauses

Theme 5: Behavior is Shaped by Cultural

Heritage Theme 6: Heredity & Environment Jointly

Influence Behavior

Theme 7: Peoples Experience of the World isHighly Subjective

CH 1 Evolution of Psychology

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