Psychology An Introduction Psychology Defined The scientific study

Psychology: An Introduction

Psychology Defined: The scientific study of mental processes and behavior in both animals & humans.

Psychology uses a scientific approach • Psychological theories are general frameworks for the scientific study of human & animal behavior

Psychological Theories • Theories are used to develop testable assumptions or ideas about human behavior • Theories in psychology can become confusing because human behavior is difficult to explain

Psychological Theories • There are many possible causes for a particular behavior • Often, psychological theories contradict each other

Areas of Specialization in Psychology • Experimental • Research • Clinical • Pharmacology • Teaching • Consumer Behavior • Psychotherapy • Military • Industrial

Types of Psychologists • Research psychologists: those who study the origin, cause, or results of certain behaviors • Applied psychologists: those who make direct use of the research findings of research psychologists by dealing directly with patients

Historical Psychologists & Their Theories

Wilhelm Wundt (pronounced Voont) “The work which I here present to the public is an attempt to mark out a new domain of science. ”

Wundt’s Accomplishments • Started the first laboratory for studying humans • Known as the “Father of Psychology”

Wundt’s Theories • Wundt sought to understand the basics that go into making up our thoughts & feelings • Wundt tried to train people to accurately describe the sensations that they experienced when touching certain objects • Wundt found that human sensation and experiences were too complex to be generally classified

Wundt’s Theories • Developed the process known as introspection • Introspection means looking within yourself and explaining what is there • Wundt demonstrated that some aspects of human behavior and thought processes can be observed scientifically

Sigmund Freud “A man like me cannot live… without a dominating passion…It is psychology. ”

Freud’s Accomplishments • Austrian Physician • Developed one of the first comprehensive theories of personality • Developed psychoanalysis which examines the base human desires and impulses to determine the cause for psychological problems

Freud’s Theories • Problems that appear in adolescence or adulthood can be traced to things that happened in the first five or six years of life • His primary theory is based on how unconscious conflicts affect personality

Freud’s Theories • People are influenced by their early childhood experiences • Freud had many other theories which will be discussed later in this course

William James “Psychology is the science of mental life. ”

James’ Accomplisments • Philosopher and Harvard professor • One of the founders of American psychology

James’ Theories • Interested in how humans adapt to their environment • He preferred to examine human experiences in their entirety rather than breaking them down

James’ Theories • Tried to understand thinking as a “stream of ideas” • Kept the needs of the individual in mind while studying human thinking processes

John B. Watson “No one today knows enough to raise a child. ”

Watson’s Accomplishments • Studied the impact of learning on human emotion • He is associated with behaviorism due to his concentration on human learning

Watson’s Theories • He believed associations with either positive or negative experiences shape our emotions and behavior • He believed psychological problems could be prevented through good parenting

Six Main Psychological Approaches • Neurobiological • Behavioral • Humanistic • Psychoanalytic • Cognitive • Sociocultural

Neurobiological Approach The Brain Antidepressants: Prozac Serotonin Paxil Acetylcholine Norepinephrine Zoloft Dopamine Celexa Endorphins Wellbutrin neurotransmitters

Neurobiological Behavior is viewed in terms of biological response

Neurobiological For example: Low levels of the neurotransmitter serotonin in the brain causes depression

Neurobiological • Research on depression has demonstrated that the brain’s chemistry changes dramatically during depressive states • This research has led to the development of powerful antidepressants known as SSRI’s. • SSRI stands for selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors

Behavioral Approach Behavior is viewed as a product of learned responses

Behavioral Approach • Humans become who they are through a process of learning and associations with things that have been learned

Behavioral Approach People act as they do because of the “rewards” they have received for previous behavior

Humanistic Approach • Humans are basically good • If allowed to develop to their fullest potential, then humans will reach their goals

Psychoanalytic Approach • Sexual and aggressive impulses experienced in early childhood continue to affect our behavior throughout adolescence and adulthood • We are not aware of these impulses but they affect our behavior nonetheless

Psychoanalytic Approach • By analyzing these impulses, we gain an understanding of them as well as insight into how to control them

Cognitive Approach Rodin’s “The Thinker” • Behavior is viewed as a product of various internal sentences or thoughts

Sociocultural Approach • Society greatly influences our behavior • Behavior is viewed as strongly influenced by the rules and expectations of our society and culture Calista Flockhart Is her body-size “Normal”?

by: Scott Jones

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