Chapter 1 Introduction to Psychology KEY POINTS CHAPTER

Chapter 1 Introduction to Psychology

KEY POINTS - CHAPTER 1 • What is psychology? • What are the primary perspectives that guide modern psychology? • What are the main career specialties?

Definition of Psychology n The scientific study of behavior and mental processes

Current Psychological Perspectives • • • Psychoanalytic/psychodynamic Behaviorism Humanistic Cognitive Neuroscience/Biopsychology Sociocultural

Psychoanalytic/ psychodynamic Emphasizes unconscious processes and early life experiences Freud

Behaviorism Studies objective, observable, environmental influences Skinner, Pavlov

Humanistic • Focuses on self-concept, free will, and human nature as positive • Carl Rogers • Abraham Maslow

Cognitive Emphasizes conscious thought, perception and information processing

Evolutionary Psychology Focuses on natural selection, adaptation, and evolution of behavior patterns

Neuroscience/Biopsychology Focuses on genetics and physiological processes in the brain and nervous system

Sociocultural Focuses on social interactions and cultural determinants

What do psychologists do? • Teach and conduct research in colleges and universities • Provide mental health services (direct service) • Conduct research or apply its findings in nonacademic settings • Combination of the above

Specialties in Psychology • Variety of perspectives • All add to our understanding of psychology • Diversity allows for a wide range of career options

Popular specialties in psychology Experimental psychologists - conduct lab studies of learning, motivation, emotion, sensation and perception, and cognition Educational and school psychologists - study the process of education; focus on the intellectual, social and emotional devt of children in the school environment

Popular Specialties • Clinical psychology - specialize in the evaluation, diagnosis and treatment of mental and behavioral disorders • Counseling psychology - overlaps with clinical, but work with less severe problems

Popular Specialties • Developmental - studies the course of human growth and development from conception to death • Cognitive - examines higher order mental processes: thought, memory, intelligence, creativity and language

Popular Specialties • Gender and/or cultural psychology - examines similarities and differences between men and women and between people of different cultures • Industrial/organizational - applies psy to the workplace: personnel selection and evaluation, job satisfaction, group motivation

Popular Specialties • Social - investigates the role of social forces and interpersonal behavior, including aggression, prejudice, love, attitudes