CHAPTER 1: WHAT IS PSYCHOLOGY AND WHAT ARE ITS ROOTS?

What is Psychology?1. Psychology derives its

roots from ancient Greek culture. It literally means “the study of the mind.”

2. According to modern day psychologists, the science of behavior and mental processes is called psychology.

Greeks and Philosophy/Psychology 1. The Greek philosophers Socrates, Aristotle, and

Plato are credited with the inception of psychology.2. These philosophers developed two practical theories

concerning psychology:a) Emotions can distort behavior.b) And, our perceptions are merely interpretation of the external world.

3. The Greeks also developed some bizarre notions regarding psychology:a) Emotions flow from the heart, liver, and spleen.

b) Mental disorders can be caused by excessive bile.

History of Psych 4. When the medieval Roman

Catholic Church ruled over Europe, they began to preach that the mind was an “unsolvable mystery.” It operates completely outside the natural laws that govern this world.

5. In the 17th century, French philosopher Rene Decartes asserted that emotional activity comes from your central nervous system, and this system is triggered by brain waves.

Background http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BaKLr

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Early Perspectives Structuralism—looks to discover

the basic structures of the mind and how they influence behavior.

• This idea was pursued by Wilhelm Wundt, and he built the first experimental psych lab.

• Wundt used the practice of introspection to study the elements of the conscious mind.

Introspection – the process of reporting on one’s own inner conscious experience

Introspection Through introspection, subjects

were given an experience and were required to report on his/her thoughts about it.

Most experiences analyzed were perceptual or sensory. This experiment is sensory.

Early Perspectives Functionalism—took

structuralism further in order to determine how consciousness could help us deal with problems of everyday life.

• John Dewey and William James pursued functionalism as a means to see how adaptive behavior can lead to mental disorders.

Structuralism and Functionalism http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SW6n

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5 Major Psychological Perspectives1) Biological

-inherit some behaviors from your parents

-measure function of nervous and endocrine (hormone) system

-strong roots in medicine and biological science

5 Major Psychological Perspectives

2. Psychodynamic• Humans are largely

motivated by our unconscious needs, desires, memories and conflicts

• A big supporter of this viewpoint is Sigmund Freud

5 Major Psychological Perspectives

3) Cognitive -our actions are influenced by the

way we process information

5 Major Psychological Perspectives4) Behavioral • Measures people’s actions in terms of

direct observation• They do not look to examine the inner

reasons for actions• Most strongly influenced by B.F. Skinner

5 Major Psychological Perspectives5) Humanistic• Actions are influenced by self- worth and

our need for growth and fulfillment• Emphasizes the positive side of human

behavior• Led by Abraham Maslow and Carl Rogers

Practice! Sort the cards into the following

categories:1) Perspective/Picture 2) View of Human Nature 3) What determines behavior4) Focus of Study

Perspective View of Human Nature

What determines behavior Focus of Study

Perspective View of Human Nature

What determines behavior Focus of Study

Perspective View of Human Nature

What determines behavior Focus of Study

Perspective View of Human Nature

What determines behavior Focus of Study

More Practice Each table should choose a

celebrity or someone that you all know.

Pick three different psychological perspectives that would explain that person’s behavior.

How do Psychologist do their work? Psychologists use a process called

the scientific method in order to develop their knowledge of mental disorders and behaviors.

Types of Research Experimental:

Research where the relationship between two or more variables are being tested

The experimenter deliberately manipulates one condition (independent variable) to measure a change

Scientific Experiment An exercise physiologist

counsels his clients to exercise in the morning rather than at night to facilitate weight loss. Design an experiment to test whether this is the correct advice.

Scientific Experiment Do you need to define any terms

for the experiment?

Scientific Experiment What is your independent

variable?

Scientific Experiment What is your independent

variable? Whether the client exercises in the

am or pm

Scientific Experiment What is your dependent

variable?

Scientific Experiment What is your dependent

variable? weight loss

Scientific Experiment How will you select and assign

your subjects to a group?

Scientific Experiment How will you select and assign

your subjects to a group? Gender Age Current weight Body fat composition

Scientific Experiment What treatment will the

experimental group be given?

Scientific Experiment What treatment will the

experimental group be given? exercise in the am

Scientific Experiment What treatment will the control

group be given?

Scientific Experiment What treatment will the control

group be given? Workout anytime throughout the

day

Scientific Experiment What controls will you use in

your experiment?

Scientific Experiment What controls will you use in

your experiment? The group of people in the

experiment Weighing participants at the same

time everyday

Scientific Experiment Is there anything you should

control but aren’t sure how?

Scientific Experiment Is there anything you should

control but aren’t sure how? Diet of participants What workouts they are doing How much sleep participants get

Your turn Get into groups of 3-4 to design

your own experiment

Types of Research Correlation Studies

Examiner studies relationship between multiple variables without specifically manipulating variable

They assess if there is a “correlation” between variables

Ex: The more TV you watch decreases your life span

Problems?

Types of ResearchSurveys:

Used within correlation studies

People are asked their attitudes, thoughts, beliefs, and are supposed to reflect the larger population

Ex: Voting surveys Problems?

Types of Research Naturalistic

Observation: Form of correlation

research Involves behavioral

assessment of people or animals in their home surroundings

EX: Jane Goodall – Chimpanzee culture

Problems?

Types of Research Case Studies:

An intensive investigation of an individual or small group

Often include psychological testing EX: Mass homicide/Terrorism Problems?