Overview of
Psychology
Wilhelm Wundt gets it started
First Experimental Psych Lab (1879)
Focuses on the scientific study of the mind.
WW insists that Psych methods be as rigorous
as the methods of chemistry & physics.
Wilhelm Wundt
(1832-1920)
Wundt’s students start labs
across USA (1880-1900)
University of Leipzig
Harvard University
Yale University
Columbia University
Catholic University
Univ of Pennsylvania
Cornell University
Stanford University
Then Freud & Psychoanalysis enter the scene
Proposes the idea of the UNCONSCIOUS
Thoughts, memories & desires
exist below conscious awareness
and exert an influence on our
behavior
Sigmund Freud
(1856-1939)
Unconscious expressed in
dreams & “slips of the tongue”
Psychoanalytic Theory attempts to explain
personality, mental disorders & motivation in
terms of unconscious determinants of behavior
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCXynjpFaKU (1:34)
‘Freuds Id, Ego and Superego’
The I.B Curriculum breaks
Psychology into 3 core fields:
• Biological Level of Analysis
• Cognitive Level of Analysis
• Sociocultural Level of Analysis
I.B then examines in brief, other
branches of Psychology
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Abnormal Psyc
Developmental Psyc
Health Psyc
Psyc of Human Relationships
Sport Psyc
Lets examine some of these briefly
Abnormal Psychology
Brainstorm 1:
10 traits of a
“normal” person
Abnormal Psychology
Brainstorm 2:
10 traits of a
“abnormal” person
Szasz (1962) argued that the role of Psychiatry is
to “exclude from society those seen as exhibiting
socially unacceptable behaviors or beliefs”
Diagnosing Abnormalities:
the Diagnostic and Statistical
Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)
•
Published by the American Psychological Association
DSM IV
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Axis I: Clinical syndromes
Axis II: Personality disorders; mental retardation
Axis III: General medical conditions
Axis IV: Psychosocial and Environmental problems
Problems with primary support group
Educational problems
Occupational problems
Housing/economic problems
Problems with access to health care services
Problems with legal system/crime
Other psychosocial problems & environmental
problems
 Axis V: Global Assessment of Functioning
Ranges from – (inadequate information) – 100 (superior
functioning)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oif3xDjlV5I (1:47)
DSM IV TR Explained- Vita Creativity Company
Developmental Psychology
• Changes in behaviour
from womb to tomb
• Investigates human
growth
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8O6z5-WTHt0 (3:54)
‘What is Developmental Psychology’
Health Psychology
• Explores relationship
between
psychological factors
and physical ailments
or disease
• “An ounce of
prevention to avoid
years of cure”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RyP8L3qTW9Q (3:45)
‘The Science of Stress Physiology Emotions Fight Flight’
Psychology of Human Relationships
• Social responsibility
• Interpersonal
relationships
• Violence
Sport Psychology
• Emotion &
Motivation
• Skill development
& performance
• Problems in sports
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vx3KJn8r8y0 (2:13)
‘The Armstrong Lie Official Trailer 1 2013’
1. The Biological Level of Analysis
• Specializes in the biological bases of
behaviour
Behaviour is dictated by:
-Genetics
-Hormones
-Neurotransmitters in the brain
-Changes in brain activity
2. The Cognitive Level of Analysis
• Emphasis on higher
mental processes
• The stuff that you
can’t see- how you
process inputs
In opposition to Behaviourismthe study of observable
behaviour
2. The Cognitive Level of Analysis
Principals that define the Cognitive LOA:
1. Humans have mental representations of
their world and these representations
differ from person to person
2. These mental representations can be
scientifically investigated
3. “Cognition” is the hidden world of
mental processing
3. The Sociocultural Level of Analysis
Principals that define the Sociocultural LOA:
1. The social and cultural environment
influences human behaviour
2. We want connectedness with, and a sense
of belonging to others
3. We construct our conceptions of the
individual & social self (who am I?)
Brainstorm- Have you viewed yourself differently in certain
phases of your life? Think then share with someone
Clinical Psychology
• Diagnosis of mental
disorders
• Treatment of mental
disorders
• The application of all
the areas we talked
about… to help
people