The Evolution of Psychology

Chapter 1

What is Psychology?

The scientific study of mind and behavior.

Where does it come from? Intellectual “parents” were:

– philosophy– physiology

Questions about the mind and body were studied by scholars within their fields.

What’s Wundt Got to Do, Got to Do With It?

Wilhelm Wundt campaigned to make psychology an independent discipline that used scientific methods

– 1879 – established the first research laboratory for psychology at the University of Leipzig.

(Happy Birthday, Psychology!)

But that’s not all!

Graduates of Wundt’s program set up new labs across Europe and North America

G. Stanley Hall was extremely important to the development of psychology in America. – Established the first psychology laboratory in the

U.S. at Johns Hopkins University in 1883.– Established America’s first psych journal.– Established the APA and was its first president.

The Battle of the… “Schools”? Not all psychologists agreed on how the

mind worked.– Structuralism– Analyze consciousness into its basic elements,

then investigate how they are related (i.e. sensations, feelings, images, etc.)• E.B. Titchener• Introspection – careful, systematic observations of

one’s own conscious experience– Functionalism – Investigate function of consciousness and how it

helps people adapt to their environment• William James

Freud

Sigmund Freud developed a new approach to psychology out of his efforts to treat mental illness– Founded Psychoanalytic school of

thought• Emphasis on unconscious

processes influencing behavior

Freudian Controversies

Proposed that behavior is greatly influenced by how people cope with their sexual urges.

Controversial notions caused debate/resistance– Where does free will come in? – An era of sexual repression.– Where’s the science?

Had a significant influence on “pop” psychology

Ivan Pavlov (The Dog Guy)

Russian Physiologist Studied learning in animals (specifically, dogs) Emphasized the study of observable behaviors

Behaviorism: Redefining Psychology

John B. Watson – Founder of Behaviorism

• Psychology = scientific study of behavior• Behavior = overt or observable responses or

activities– Radical reorientation of psychology as a science of

observable behavior– Study of consciousness abandoned

– Nurture, not nature• “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…”

Despite all my rage, I am still just a rat in a cage…

B.F. Skinner– Environmental factors determine behavior– Responses that lead to positive outcomes are

repeated– Responses that lead to negative outcomes are

not repeated– Used principles on animals with success;

followers showed it also works with humans

The 1950’s: Humanism Stems from a belief that psychoanalysis

and behaviorism were de-humanizing A new school of thought emerged -

Humanism– Led by Abraham Maslow and Carl Rogers– Emphasis on the unique qualities of humans:

freedom and personal growth

The Return of Cognition

Cognition = mental processes involved in acquiring knowledge (thinking)– 1950’s and 60’s – Piaget (development),

Chomsky (language), and Simon (intelligence)• Application of scientific methods to studying internal

mental events

Biological Psychology:The Biological Basis of Behavior–Biological perspective - behavior

explained in terms of physiological processes (mind, body, & behavior)

Social-Cultural Psychology:Recognizing Human Variation

Historically: middle and upper class white males studying middle and upper class white males– 1980’s – increased interest in how

cultural factors influence behavior• Growing global interdependence• Increased cultural diversity

Evolutionary Psychology:Human Adaptations

Central premise: natural selection occurs for behavioral, as well as physical, characteristics

Very Darwinian in nature

Table 1.1 Overview of Six Contemporary Theoretical Perspectives in Psychology

POP Quiz Stewie is the youngest child of Peter and Lois Griffin,

and the brother of Chris and Meg. He has a close friendship with the family's anthropomorphic dog, Brian. He has a strong hatred for his mother Lois Griffin, as it is his lifelong goal to kill her, and is considered a sociopath. Based on this brief summary, explain Stewie’s behavior(s) and possible treatment based on the following perspectives:

1. Biological/Neuroscience

2. Evolutionary

3. Psychoanalytic

4. Behavioral

5. Humanistic

6. Cognitive

7. Socio-Cultural

Stewie according to…

Biological/Neuroscience School: They would attribute Stewie's behavior to something physically going wrong with his body. They would look at Stewie's brain for abnormalities, look at his blood chemistry and diet, and maybe put him on drugs to change his behavior.

Stewie according to…

Evolutionary School: People from this school think all behavior is simply a process of natural selection.  Way back in the caveman days, Stewie's great great great great great great great great great great great great grandfather also wanted to kill his mother.  For some reason this trait helped Stewie's ancestors to survive and they passed this trait all the way down to Stewie. 

Stewie according to…

Psychodynamic School: A person from the psychodynamic school might say that Stewie actually has sexual feelings for his mother (hidden in the unconscious) and to ignore those feelings, he does the opposite of his true desire (a defense mechanism called reaction formation- but that is for later on in the course) and tries to eradicate her.

Stewie according to…Behavioral School:  They would just focus on his behaviors that they were able to observe.  If Stewie was angry and shot a laser beam at his mother, the behavioral school would only focus on the laser shot and not his feelings.  They figure, if they can stop Stewie's behavior (in this case shooting his mother with a laser) then the problem is solved.  Who cares about his feelings?  They might do something like shock Stewie every time he tries to kill his mom.  Stewie would eventually associate the shocking behavior with the idea of killing his mom, and stop his assassination attempts. 

Stewie according to…

Humanistic School: These are the feel good hippie psychologists.  They believe that everyone has free will and by listening to others and trying to fulfill our potential then we can attempt to be the best we can be (which they called self-actualization).  They would listen to Stewie and hear out his problems.  They would tell him to focus on the healthy person they know he can be. 

Stewie according to…

Cognitive School:  They would say that Stewie wants to kill his mom because he has learned that that is the best way to think of the world around him. 

Stewie according to…

Social-Cultural School: This school simply says that our behaviors and thinking are a result of our culture.  In Stewie's case maybe his violent tendencies are a result of living in a family where the second smartest member is the talking family dog.

Psychology Today:A Thriving Science and Profession Psychology is the science that studies mind and

behavior, and the profession that applies this knowledge to practical problems.

Research: Seven major areas– developmental, social, experimental, physiological,

cognitive, personality, and psychometrics. Applied Psychology: Four major areas

– clinical, counseling, educational/school, and industrial/organizational.

Figure 1.7 Employment of psychologists by setting

Figure 1.8 Major research areas in contemporary psychology

Figure 1.9 Principal professional specialties in contemporary psychology

Seven Key Themes

1. Psychology is empirical– Acquired through observation

2. Psychology is theoretically diverse– No single theory can explain behavior

3. Psychology evolves in a sociohistorical context– Interconnections exist between psychology

and what happens in society

Seven Key Themes 4. Behavior is determined by multiple

causes 5. Behavior is shaped by cultural

heritage 6. Heredity and environment jointly

influence behavior– It’s not nature vs. nurture, it’s nature AND

nurture 7. People’s experience of the world is

highly subjective

Personal Application

Good study habits Improve reading Test-taking strategies Critical Thinking