Psychology- Chapter 1

Who was Psyche? Explain her role in the realm of psychology.

What is the definition of psychology?

Historical explanation of behaviors:

Primitive man

Exorcisms

Ancient civilizations

Greeks

Hippocrates (Father of Medicine) 4 fluids control your behavior

  1. Black Bile-toxins in the liver and spleen; too much makes you mean
  2. Green/yellow bile (kidneys and stomach); too much makes you sick
  3. Blood “Bad”-makes the individual bad; blood-letting practiced
  4. Phlegm-snot, mucus; makes you tired

Behavior-is the result of physiological and cognitive processes

Physiological processes:

Cognitive processes:

Explain how cognitive processes and physiological processes can affect each other?

Insight-result of being aware of the inner nature of things

Four Goals of Psychology:

Describe: Acquire information about behavior studied; to understand and restate the facts; study can begin (facts)

Explain: Hypothesis- “educated guess”; test the hypothesis; formulate Theory from findings that have

been tested (Can change as new data is gathered)

Predict: Results of accumulated knowledge

  • What will the organism do? What the person will think or feel according to past experiences.
  • Past accounts help us predict future behaviors.

Influence Behavior- “helpful ways”

*studies with long term goals

*Basic science- research; practices; scientific studies; “discover theories”

*Applied science- solve immediate problems; everyday issues; principles-valid ideas about behavior

Counselors-inquiry; apply rather than discover

Explain the process of using Scientific Method.

Question-Hypothesis-Experiment-Results-Conclusion-Theory

*use of experimental and mathematical techniques to test and formulate scientific hypothesis.

*psychologist use experiments (data), surveys, and case studies

Who was Wilhelm Wundt?

“Father of Psychology”-believed that psychology is based on compounds (sensations and feelings); set up the first psychology lab.

Historical approaches of Psychology

Structuralist–studies the basic elements that make up conscious mental experiences;

*understand perceptions by breaking them down smaller elements

*Introspection-participant self-reports their thoughts and feelings in a controlled setting; “self-observation”

*psychology has a correlation between social studies and science

Social-explores influences on society

Natural science- biological explanation of behaviors

Dualism-idea that mind and body do not act together but separately

*often disputed; 17th century Rene Descartes said that links exist between the mind and the body’s movements; sensations and perceptions

Functionalism-focuses on functions and actions of the conscious mind (thinking, feeling, learning, and remembering activities of the mind) serves as a major function- to help us survive.

“We adapt to our environments”

Inheritable Traits- Behavior is determine by heredity traits

Genius runs in distinguished families- b/c good families marry good families

??-Is behavior determined by heredity or environment?

Gestalt Psychology - Studies how sensations are assembled into perceptional experiences

*see things as a whole ex. Chair

Ex. Flashing neon sign

Contemporary or Modern Approaches

Psychoanalyst- studies how unconscious motives and conflicts, determine human behavior, feelings, and thoughts

“behavior is the result of the unconscious”

  • Free association
  • Dream analysis
  • Case studies

Sigmund Freud

Behaviorist-analyzes how organisms learn of modify their behavior based on response to events in the environment

“behaviors are the result associations and they are conditioned or trained”

  • Rewards and punishments
  • Pavlov’s dog

Ivan Pavlov

-

Humanist- believes each person has freedom in directing his or her future and achieving personal growth

“behavior is one’s journey to self-actualization” reaching one’s potential

Abraham Maslow

Maslow Hierarchy of needs

V

Cognitivist-Studies how we process, store, retrieve information and how thought processes influence behavior

“ behavior is a product of reasoning”

  • Perception, memories, expectations
  • Piaget

Psychobiologist(neurobiologist) –Studies how physical and chemical changes in our body and influences our behaviors

“behavior is the result of our physiological makeup” nerves, brain, glands, hormones, heredity, chemicals

*impact of biology on behavior; PET, CT, MRI’s

Sociocultural Psychologiststudies how our knowledge and ways of thinking, feeling, and behaving are dependent on the culture to which they belong

“behavior is an influence of our culture and customs and how we adapt to changes”

  • Gender, socioeconomic, immigrants.

Professions in the Field of Psychology

Psychologist-train to observe, analyze, and evaluate behavior

  • Clinical-help people deal with personal problems

Hospitals, offices, administer and analyze personality test

  • Counseling- advise and assist people with everyday problems; help people adjust to challenges

Schools, offices, industrial firms

  • Research fields

Psychiatrist- specializes in medicine; med school then specializes in psychiatric medicines

  • Doctor can prescribe medicine
  • Operate on patients

Sub-fields

  1. School psychologist-deals with students emotional and learning problems
  1. Educational psychologist-intelligence testing, memory, problem-solving; problems related to teaching children or adults
  1. Sports psychologist – helps athletes sets goals; deals with issues of anxiety, competition, etc
  1. Social psychologist-social behavior and relationships; how groups influence individual behavior and attitudes
  1. Forensic psychologist- work in the legal system; assist law enforcement by developing personality profiles of criminals
  1. Experimental psychologist- perform research to understand how humans operate
  1. Developmental psychologist-studies physical, emotion, cognitive and social changes that occur through life
  2. Rehabilitation psychologist--assist those withdevelopmental delays or victims of accidents or violence
  1. Health psychologists- studies how stress or depression leads to physical ailments
  1. Psychobiologist-studies the effects of drugs on individuals, explains behavior in terms of biological factors (electoral or chemical)
  1. Environmental psychologist- studies relationships between people and the physical environment; effects of disasters, pollution, over population on behavior
  1. Industrial/Engineering psychologist- concerned with a person’s work place, environment; relationship between humans and machines-methods to boost production; improve working conditions