Methods and Approaches The Nuts and Bolts What

Methods and Approaches The Nuts and Bolts

What is Psychology? - comprised of two words: “psyche” (mind), and “ology” (field of study). Considered a science based on empiricism objective, verifiable evidence obtained using the scientific method.

Empirical Approach ● Uses a set of standards to conduct a study which emphasizes careful observation and scientifically based research. Why is it important to use the empirical approach?

“Real Psychology vs. Pseudopsychology” Pseudopsychology is, to quote Sheldon Cooper, “hocum. ” It is phony and unscientific. (Think palm-reading and tarot cards. )

Negative Effects of Pseudopsychology ● People believe it. (confirmation bias - only paying attention to the events and evidence which confirms our desired beliefs. ● It can produce a lot of fraud thereby diminishing public support of the legitimate science.

● Psychiatry is a specialty in the medical field, not a part of psychology. ● Psychiatrists hold MDs and have a specialized training in the treatment of mental and behavioral problems. ● Psychology is a much broader field which has many different specialities. Psychology vs. Psychiatry

Psychological Subfields ● Basic research - research to create a knowledge base (biological, developmental, cognitive, personality, and social) ● Applied research - apply research gained to tackle problems (ex: industrial/organizational psychologists) ● Counseling psychologists - assists people with problems in living and achieving well-being ● Clinical psychologists - studies, assesses, and treats people with disorders ● Psychiatry - branch of medicine, can prescribe medicinal treatments as well as therapy

The Story of Psychology In the beginning…… ● Socrates and Plato - mind is separate from the body and continues after the body dies and decays. Knowledge is innate. ● Aristotle - Plato’s student who negated his mentor’s claim. Knowledge was not innate, but born of experiences stored in memory. ● Rene’ Descartes - Back to basics. Mind is “entirely distinct from the body. ” Descartes, ever the scientist, dissected the brain’s of animals and concluded the fluid found within contained their spirits. ● Francis Bacon - founder of modern science. He saw patterns in random events. ● John Locke - tabula rasa (blank slate) ● All these helped form modern empiricism - what we know comes from experience, and observation and experimentation enable scientific knowledge.

Milestones in Psychology ● First psychology lab established - 1879 - Leipzig, Germany; Wilhelm Wundt (G. Stanley Hall established first formal U. S. laboratory) ● Wundt is considered the father of psychology. He founded structuralism: a. devoted to uncovering the basic structures that make up mind and thought - looking for the elements of conscious experience. b. relies on introspection, or the process of reporting one’s own conscious mental experieinces

Critics - Everyone is a Critic ● People quickly began to refute structuralism. ● William James - believed you must look at the function and not just the structure of behavior and thought.

Functionalism ● Functionalism - a theory that emphasized the functions of consciousness and the ways consciousness helps people adapt to their environment. ● James though that psychology should explain how people adapted - or failed to adapt - to everyday life.

James’ Functionalism ● Structuralism was boring and inaccurate because it was only done in a lab. ● James wanted to see how people functioned in everyday life. Believed that mental processes were not static stream of consciousness. ● Investigate mental testing, patterns of development, effectiveness of education, and behavioral differences in sexes.

Women in the Field ● Mary Whiton Calkins - studied under James; was refused a Ph. D from Harvard; first APA woman president ● Margaret Floy Washburn - 1 st Ph. D; author of “The Animal Mind” ● Leta Hollingworth - pioneered work in adolescent development, mental retardation, and gifted children

Psychology Today Psychology today arises from several perspectives: Biological ● ● ● ● ● Evolutionary Psychoanalysis Behavioral Gestalt Humanistic Developmental Cognitive Sociocultural Trait views

Biological/Evolutionary Biological: ● Looks at how our physical make up and the operation of our brains influence our personality, preferences, behavior patterns, and abilities ● Our behavior is a result of heredity, the nervous system, and the endocrine systems, as well as environmental impacts such as disease. Evolutionary: ● Focuses on Charles Darwin ● Survival of the fittest (to be discussed later on) ● All species of organisms arise and develop through the natural selection of small, inherited variations that increase the individual’s ability to compete, survive, and reproduce.

Evolutionary, cont. Natural selection is the idea that characteristics of a species evolve in the direction of characteristics that give the fittest organisms a competitive advantage.

Psychoanalysis ● Founded by Sigmund Freud and his acolytes. ● Mental disorders were a result of conflicts within the unconscious. ● Behavior comes from unconscious drives, conflicts, and experiences.

Behaviorism ● Focused on what was observable. ● John Watson argued that a true and objective science should only deal with what could be seen. (Little Albert) ● B. F. Skinner - didn’t deny existence to internal mental events, but felt they couldn’t be studied. Environmental factors mold behavior. ● Believed that organisms tend to repeat responses that lead to positive outcomes. ● Ivan Pavlov - became well-known for his behavioral studies.

Gestalt/Humanism ● Led by Max Wertheimer ● Focused not on how we feel, but on how we experience the world ● Instead of looking at individual parts, it examined the whole ● Looked at perception (recognizing a person’s face) ● 1950’s - behaviorism and psychoanalysis were influential ● Some viewed them as dehumanizing ● Humanism formed as a result emphasized unique qualities of humans, especially freedom and potential for human growth

Humanistic Psychology ● ● ● Takes optimistic view of human nature Led by Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow Rogers - self-concept Maslow - hierarchy of needs Driven to personal growth Emphasizes human ability, growth, potential, and free will

Developmental View ● Emphasizes changes that occur across our lifespan ● Question of nature vs. nurture Heredity or Environment? ? ? ? ?

Cognitive/Sociocultural ● Our actions are a direct result of the way we process information from our environment ● Cognitions are thoughts, expectations, perceptions, memories, and states of consciousness ● Emphasizes the importance of social interaction, social learning, and cultural perspective

Trait View ● Views behavior and personality as the products of enduring psychological characteristics ● Behavior results from each person’s unique combination of traits.