Why did Timmy hit Sally? The Early History and Scope of Psychology.
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Transcript of Why did Timmy hit Sally? The Early History and Scope of Psychology.
What does that mean?
Psychology is a SCIENCE – we rely on academic, structured methods in order to answer questions about human behaviors…
What does that mean?
BEHAVIORS are physical actions, generally things that we can observe, though they may be internal as well – things like standing up, laughing, dancing, yelling, fighting, digestion or neural activity
What does that mean?
MENTAL PROCESSES are the internal workings of our minds, like our thoughts, feelings, and dreams
You are driving along in your car on a wild, stormy night. You pass by a bus stop, and you see three people waiting for the bus:
1. An old lady who looks as if she is about to die.2. An old friend who once saved your life.3. The perfect man (or) woman you have been dreaming about.
Which one would you choose to offer a ride to, knowing that there could only be one passenger in your car?
Socrates, and his student Plato (Greek Philosophers)
Human behavior and knowledge is pre-disposed and genetically built-in (Nature).
IE. If you are intelligent, you were born with a smart brain. If you are athletic, you were born with strong muscles and balance. If you are violent, depressed, or forgetful, you were born with a brain disorder.
Aristotle (Greek Philosopher)Human behavior and knowledge is
not preexisting; it grows from the experiences stored in our memories (Nurture).
IE. You are violent because you watched it on television. You are smart because you studied. You are kind because you were loved.
John Locke (British Philosopher)Tabula rasa (Empiricism) –
literally means “blank slate”The theory that the mind is at birth a
"blank slate" without rules for processing data, and that data is added and rules for processing it form solely by our sensory experiences.
Rene Descartes (French Philosopher)
Early dissections led to the early understanding of mind/body connections (biological psychology).
Francis Bacon (English Scientist)
Stressed the scientific principles of observation and experimentation when evaluating human behavior
Edward Titchener (Structuralism) Structuralism was the first school of
psychology Broke down mental processes into the most
basic components (structures) of conscious experience.
What did you see? Hear? Taste? Smell? Feel? (Introspection)
Based on this, how did you behave?
IE. If you were shown an apple, and asked to explain what you saw, you would describe the color, the shape, the smell, the texture, etc…. all of the things that combine to make it an apple for you. If those experiences combined to create a tasty sensation, you’d eat it. Someone else, shown the same apple, might describe the apple in similar, or very different terms, and either eat it or not
William James (Functionalism)
Focused less on the how of sensation and perception, but rather on the why. Emphasized the process of how thoughts formed, changed, and how they adapted.
Wilhelm WundtGerman professor who established the first psychology laboratory at the University of Leipzig, Germany.
Evolutionary PsychologyAttempts to explain
psychological traits—such as memory, perception, or language—as adaptations, that is, as the functional products of natural selection
IE. Certain food aversions (toward bitter tastes, or certain colored foods) may help a species survive. The universality of facial expressions allows foreign cultures to communicate basic emotions (smile, peaceful meeting…scowl, war)
Humanistic Perspective
Humanists believe that we choose most of our behaviors and these choices are guided by physiological, emotional, or spiritual needs. Humanists stress free will and individual choices that lead us to fulfilling our greatest potential.Abraham Maslow and Carl Rogers
Some examples of needs are:We buy food because we’re hungry.We buy guns to feel safe.We read the singles ads for love
and friendship.We fight to earn respect.We earn degrees to be educated.
Psychoanalytic PerspectivePsychoanalysts believe that
the unconscious mind (including unresolved conflicts, childhood trauma, repressed memories) controls much or our thought and action. Sigmund Freud
IE. Adam chews on his pencils because his mother didn’t breast feed him long enough or show him enough love as a child. The chewing on the pencil top unconsciously represents the bonding between child and mother.
Diane’s boyfriends always seem to look a lot like her father, who abandoned her when she was a child. The boyfriends unconsciously represent her need to find her father.
Biopsychology (Neuroscience)Biopsychologists
explain human behavior in terms of biological processes, including the functions of the brain, hormones, genetics, and the physical functions of the body.
IE. Chuck is always hungry due to a problem with his hypothalamus. Kathy can’t sit still or pay attention due to an excess or loss of acetylcholine. James can’t remember events for more than 10 seconds at a time due to a damaged hippocampus. Susan is an alcoholic because her mother and grandmother were.
Behavioral Perspective Behavioral psychologists
explain human thought and behavior by looking strictly at observable behaviors and what reaction organisms get in response to specific stimulus.Ivan Pavlov, John Watson, B.F.
Skinner
Why does Regina get such good grades?For every A, Regina gets $100For every A, Regina doesn’t have to wash
the dishes for a monthFor every grade less than an A, Regina loses
phone privileges for a monthRegina knows that an A average will get her
into a better college, and that going to a better college is associated with a higher salary
Cognitive Perspective
Cognitive psychologists explain human behavior in terms of how we mentally process and interpret our environment. Cognitive psychologists study internal, brain-based activities, such as memory processes, problem solving, perception, and language.
IE. Why can’t Jennifer remember anything
prior to her sixth birthday? Why can Steve speak fluently at the age
of four, yet George cannot? If I put Carl and Howard in a maze, why
is it that Carl can find his way out and Howard cannot?
Given that they are of the same age and go to the same school, why is it that Kim feels safe and secure walking through the halls, and Missy feels scared and insecure?
IE. For Christmas, Steve gets a “Reviewing for the AP Psychology Exam” book. He goes into a deep depression for a week. Why?Steve interprets his parent’s motives for giving him
the book as saying he isn’t smart enough to pass the test on his own. He’s dumb and can’t pass the test on his own. His parents don’t like him and are secretly mocking his efforts. He’s a failure who will never amount to anything.
Social-Cultural Perspective
Sociocultural psychologists emphasize the influence of groups, culture, and the environment on the way that we think and act.
IE. At school, Gary dresses in a preppy manner, speaks intelligently, and shows respect for his peers and teachers. Later that night, at a concert with friends, Gary is wearing eyeliner and ripped jeans, cursing, smoking, drinking, and spitting at passer-bys.
IE. Stephanie went on a killing spree based on the violent movies she watched and the books she read, and was able to be so accurate because of the hours she had spent playing first-person shooter games on her gaming system.
Fields in PsychologyApplied v. Basic Psychology
Applied refers to practical and interactive psychology.
Basic refers mainly to the research fields of psychology.
Clinical/TherapyAsses and treat mental, physical,
behavioral or emotional disorders. Also may include rehabilitative services.
Counseling Help people
cope with life challenges, including career, marriage, and stress counseling.
ExperimentalConduct
research on learning, memory, sensation, perception, cognition, motivation, etc.
Developmental
Study mental and physical growth from prenatal through childhood, adolescence, adulthood, and into old age.
Social Study how people
influence each others attitudes, prejudices, norms, interpersonal attractions, etc.
Industrial/Organizational
Practical issues of selecting and training a workforce.
Productivity, job stress, motivation, automation.
Forensic Psychology
Provide advice to legislators, judges, correctional officers, lawyers and the police
Is called upon, for example, to serve as an expert witness, diagnose and treat incarcerated and probationed offenders; and screen and evaluate personnel in the law enforcement and judicial systems
Sports Psychology
Issues and techniques of sport-specific psychological assessment and mental skills training for performance enhancement. Involved with goal-setting, visualization and performance planning, self-confidence, overtraining and burnout counseling, team building, and sportsmanship.