Chapter 1Chapter 1The Evolution of Psychology

The Development of Psychology: From

Speculation to Science0Prior to 1879

0 Physiology and philosophy scholars studying questions about the mind

0Wilhelm Wundt (1832-1920) - University of Leipzig, Germany - Campaigned to make psychology an independent discipline

- Established the first laboratory for the study of psychology in 1879

0Psychology was born

Wilhelm Wundt’s International Influence

0 Leipzig, the place to study psychology0 Graduates of Wundt’s program set up new labs

across Europe and North America

0 G.Stanley Hall (1846-1924), Johns Hopkins University 0 Established the first psychology laboratory in

the U.S. in 1883

0 Between 1883 and 1893, 23 new laboratories in North America

The Battle of the “Schools” in the U.S.: Structuralism vs.

Functionalism0 Structuralism – led by Edward Titchener

• Focused on analyzing consciousness into basic elements• Introspection – careful, systematic observations of one’s own

conscious experience

Functionalism – led by William James• Focused on investigating the function or purpose of consciousness• Led to investigation of mental testing, developmental patterns, and

sex differences

Early Discrimination0 In 1970 20% of students graduating with psychology PhDs

were women

0 In 2005 it had increased to 70%

0 Female psychologists earn less than male psychologists

0 Inez Prosser: First African American woman to receive PhD in psych

0 George Sanchez: conducted work on cultural bias of intelligence tests

The 1950’s: Opposition to Psychoanalytic Theory and

Behaviorism 0 Charges that both were de-humanizing

0 Diverse opposition groups got together to form a loose alliance

0 A new school of thought emerged - Humanism0 Led by Abraham Maslow (1908-1970)

and Carl Rogers (1902-1987)0 Emphasis on the unique qualities of

humans: freedom and personal growth

Sigmund Freud and the Concept of the

Unconscious Mind0 Sigmund Freud (1856-1939): Austria

0 Founded Psychoanalytic school of thought

0 Emphasis on unconscious processes influencing behavior

0 Unconscious = outside awareness

Freud’s Ideas: Controversy and

Influence0 Behavior is influenced by the unconscious

0 Unconscious conflict related to sexuality plays a central role in behavior

0 Controversial notions caused debate/resistance

0 Significant influence on the field of psychology

Behaviorism: Redefining Psychology

0 John B. Watson (1878-1958): United States0 Founder of Behaviorism 0 Behaviorist manifesto published in

1913

0 Psychology = scientific study of behavior

0 Behavior = overt or observable responses or activities0 Radical reorientation of psychology as

a science of observable behavior0 Study of consciousness abandoned

John Watson and the Nature-Nurture Debate 0 Nurture, not nature

0 “give me a dozen healthy infants, well-formed, and my own special world to bring them up in and I’ll guarantee to take any one at random and train him to become any type of specialist I might select – doctor, lawyer, artist, merchant-chief, and yes, even beggar-man and thief…”

0 Behaviorist school of thought emphasized the environment (nurture)

0 Focus on stimulus-response relationships

0 S-R psychology

Behaviorism Revisited: B.F. Skinner

0B.F. Skinner (1904-1990): United States 0 Environmental factors determine

behavior0 Responses that lead to positive

outcomes are repeated0 Responses that lead to negative

outcomes are not repeated0 Beyond Freedom and Dignity0 More controversy regarding free

will

Todays Todays Approaches…Approaches…

Biological Approach

0 Focuses on the belief that behavior is governed by physiological responses like changes in brain chemistry, brain structure, nervous system, etc.

0 In other words: behavior is our personality, learning, motivation, emotions etc. So genetics plus our environment influence these behaviors

“We are only starting to know just how much our brain, genes, hormones…determine our behavior.”

Cognitive Approach

0 Focuses on mental processes (how we encode, process, store, and retrieve information).

0 Believe that behavior is partially governed by the ways we think and interpret the world.

“How I think, determines my behavior”

Behavioral Approach0 the importance of the external

environment in shaping behavior. A behavior’s frequency is largely a result of rewards and punishments.

0 the study of learning.

0 experimental testing that is observable.

“My observable behaviors are reinforced or punished and this is what determines mybehavior.”

Psychoanalytic Approach

0 your early childhood plays a huge role in shaping your personality.

0 childhood traumas and experiences create unconscious drives and conflicts that impact individual personalities.

“My past, my unconscious, determines my behavior”

Humanistic Approach0 Focuses on an individual’s free

will and potential for growth.

0 Believes that behavior is determined by each person’s capacity to choose how to think and act which is dictated by their perceptions of the world.

“I choose how I behave”

Cross-cultural Approach0 Focuses on how behaviors and

mental processes vary amongst the different cultures of the world

0 This is a more recent approach that came about as people in different places came into contact with each other more often (globalism)

0 Used to understand and predict behaviors

“My culture and social environment determines my behavior “

Evolutionary Approach

0believe that people change or perpetuate (continue) behavior in order improve their chance to survive (and therefore reproduce)

0Based on Charles Darwin’s theory of “survival of the fittest” (Natural Selection)

“Our behaviors are the result of ourinnate need to reproduce”

Psychologist versus Psychiatrist

0 Psychologist- 4 to 5 years of post grad education- clinical psych: specialized in a clinical subarea- counseling: similar to clinical, however

work with different problems such as marriage, family or career setting- DO NOT PRESCRIBE DRUGS

0 Psychiatrist- can diagnose physical and neurological causes of abnormal behavior- CAN PRESCRIBE DRUGS

Special Areas of Interest

0 Developmental: infancy, childhood, adolescence, adulthood and old age

0 Social: social interactions, prejudices, conformity, group behavior etc.

0 Experimental: research about sensation, perception, learning, human performance, motivation and emotion on animals and humans

0 Physiological: biological, how does genetics influence behavior

0 Cognitive: how we process, store, and retrieve info and how it influences behavior

0 Personality: describe and understand individuals consistency in behavior

0 Psychometrics: construct, administer and interpret psychological tests