PSY 110 Chapter 1

Chapter 1: The Evolution of Psychology : 

Chapter 1: The Evolution of Psychology PSY 110: General Psychology

What is Psychology? : 

What is Psychology? Derived from the Greek “Psyche” = Soul or breath “Logos” = The study of a subject No, psychology is not the study of breath! Psychology is the study of the mind

What is Psychology? : 

What is Psychology? Psychology is the science that studies behavior as well as the physiological and cognitive processes that underlie it, and it is the profession that applies the accumulated knowledge of this science to practical problems

Goal of Psychology : 

Goal of Psychology Develop an understanding of behavior, cognition, and emotion Most psychologists are primarily interested in human psychology

Why Should Students Take PSY 110? : 

Why Should Students Take PSY 110? It is required! Psychology is practical Example: Is it good to have high self-esteem? Psychology aids in the development of critical thinking skills Example: Focuses on the acquisition of knowledge through the scientific method Psychologists study a diverse array of topics Examples: Fear, work, sleep, personality, relationships, and brain functioning

From Speculation to Science:How Psychology Developed : 

From Speculation to Science:How Psychology Developed Prior to 1879 Physiology and philosophy scholars studied questions about the mind Wilhelm 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 Wundt published over 500 articles & books totaling approximately 54,000 pages At 50 pages a day, it would take about 3 years to read all of his writings! He founded the first psychology journal in 1881 He is generally regarded as the founder of modern psychology

Wilhelm Wundt’s International Influence : 

Wilhelm Wundt’s International Influence Leipzig was the place to study psychology Graduates of Wundt’s program set up new labs across Europe and North America G. Stanley Hall (1846-1924) Established the first psychology laboratory in the U.S. in 1883 24 new psychology laboratories were established in North America between 1883 and 1893

Slide 8: 

Early Research Laboratories in North America

Structuralism : 

Structuralism Edward Titchener (1867-1927) was one of Wundt’s students Structuralism believed the task of psychology was to analyze consciousness into its basic elements and investigate how these elements are related Example: Sensation of taste is made up of salty, bitter, sour, and sweet Technique: Systematic introspection Self-report by trained individuals concerning their conscious experience of stimuli

Functionalism : 

Functionalism William James (1842-1910) was an American M.D. who was fascinated by psychology James disagreed with the view of structuralism Functionalism was based on the belief that psychology should investigate the function or purpose of consciousness, rather than its structure Example: What is the goal or purpose of specific emotional states?

Functionalism : 

Functionalism Functionalism was greatly influenced by Charles Darwin’s (1809-1882) concept of natural selection Natural selection: Heritable characteristics that provide a survival or reproductive advantage are more likely than alternative characteristics to be passed on to subsequent generations and thus come to be ‘selected’ over time Psychological traits – in addition to physical traits – are subject to natural selection Darwin’s (1859) theory of evolution with its emphasis on the role of natural selection has had a longstanding influence on psychology

Sigmund Freud (1856-1939) : 

Sigmund Freud (1856-1939) Austrian physician Developed psychoanalytic theory as an attempt to understand mental disorders Psychoanalytic theory attempts to explain personality, motivation, and mental disorders by focusing on unconscious determinants of behavior Popularized the idea of the unconscious The Freudian unconscious contains thoughts, memories, and desires that are well below the surface of conscious awareness but that nonetheless exert great influence on behavior

Freud’s Ideas:Controversy and Influence : 

Freud’s Ideas:Controversy and Influence Behavior is influenced by the unconscious Unconscious conflict related to sexuality plays a central role in behavior Focus on early childhood experiences Controversial notions caused debate and resistance Significant influence on the field of psychology

John B. Watson (1878-1958) : 

John B. Watson (1878-1958) Watson advocated that psychologists should abandon the study of consciousness and focus on observable behavior Behaviorism is a theoretical orientation based on the premise that scientific psychology should study only observable behavior Behavior refers to any overt (observable) response or activity by an organism His rejection of introspection was based on the fact that science is built upon observation…and it is very difficult to “observe” most mental processes Adopted an extreme view on the classic “nature vs. nurture” debate in favor of the role played by the environment and experience

B. F. Skinner (1904-1990) : 

B. F. Skinner (1904-1990) Skinner was a behaviorist and his work became extremely influential beginning in the 1950s He did not deny the existence of internal mental events…but he said that we could not study them Further, Skinner believed that we did not need to study mental events because we can describe behavior without resorting to mental events Fundamental principle of behavior: Organisms tend to repeat responses that lead to positive outcomes, and they tend not to repeat responses that lead to neutral or negative outcomes Developed his techniques working primarily with rats and pigeons

The 1950s: Opposition to Psychoanalytic Theory and Behaviorism : 

The 1950s: Opposition to Psychoanalytic Theory and Behaviorism Charges that both were de-humanizing Diverse opposition groups got together to form a loose alliance A new school of thought emerged – Humanism Led by Abraham Maslow (1908-1970) and Carl Rogers (1902-1987) Humanism is a theoretical orientation that emphasizes the unique qualities of humans, especially their freedom and their potential for personal growth

Putting the Psyche Back in Psychology:The Return of Cognition : 

Putting the Psyche Back in Psychology:The Return of Cognition Cognition refers to the mental processes involved in acquiring knowledge Basic premise of Cognitive Psychology is that human behavior cannot be fully understood without examining how people acquire, store, and process information 1950s and 1960s – Jean Piaget, Noam Chomsky, and Herbert Simon Application of scientific methods to studying internal mental events Cognitive psychology: the new dominant perspective?

Biological Psychology:The Biological Basis of Behavior : 

Biological Psychology:The Biological Basis of Behavior Basic premise of Biological Psychology is that an organism’s functioning can be explained in terms of bodily structures and biochemical processes that underlie behavior James Olds (1956) Electrical stimulation of the brain evokes emotional responses in animals Roger Sperry (1981) Left and right brain specialization

Cultural Psychology:Recognizing Human Variation : 

Cultural Psychology:Recognizing Human Variation Ethnocentrism refers to viewing one’s own group as superior and as the standard for judging Historically: middle- and upper-class White males studying middle- and upper-class White males (“Even the Rat was White”) 1980s – increased interest in how cultural factors influence behavior Growing global interdependence Increased cultural diversity

Evolutionary Psychology:Human Adaptations : 

Evolutionary Psychology:Human Adaptations Central premise: natural selection occurs for behavioral, as well as physical, characteristics Developed in the 1980s David Buss, Martin Daly, Margo Wilson, Leda Cosmides, & John Tooby Studied natural selection of mating preferences, jealousy, aggression, sexual behavior, language, decision making, personality, and development Thought provoking perspective gaining in influence, but not without criticism

Positive Psychology : 

Positive Psychology Positive psychology uses theory and research to better understand the positive, adaptive, creative, and fulfilling aspects of human existence Positive subjective experiences Positive individual traits Positive institutions and communities Humanist concerns revisited

Slide 22: 

Where Do Psychologists Work?

Slide 23: 

APPLIED AREAS

Slide 24: 

RESEARCH AREAS

Studying Psychology:Seven Organizing Themes : 

Studying Psychology:Seven Organizing Themes Theme 1: Psychology is empirical Empiricism is the premise that knowledge should be acquired through observation Theme 2: Psychology is theoretically diverse A theory is a system of interrelated ideas used to explain a set of observations Theme 3: Psychology evolves in a sociohistorical context Theme 4: Behavior is determined by multiple causes Theme 5: Behavior is shaped by cultural heritage Theme 6: Heredity and environment jointly influence behavior Theme 7: People’s experience of the world is highly subjective