The Field of Psychology
 Psychologists
work in just about every setting
you can imagine.
 About 1/3 help people with personal
problems.
 Psychology is the scientific study of human
and animal behavior.
 These behaviors include the blink of an eye,
sweating, thinking, attitudes, thoughts,
physical and emotional changes……
 A theory is a general framework or idea
about the nature of something.
 Research
Psychologists – study the origin,
cause and results of certain behavior
 (do research)
 Applied Psychologists – make direct use of
the findings of research psychologists; deal
directly with clients
 (apply the research)
Wilhelm Wundt
Started the first human psychology lab in 1879
Called the “father of psychology”
Tried to break down the human mind by having people
describe sensations that got from objects they
touched called introspection (process of looking into
yourself and describing what is there)
Sigmund Freud
Austrian physician
Developed on e of the first comprehensive theories of
personalities
Said we are influenced by things we aren’t aware of
(unconscious) and our experiences in early childhood
Most problems can be traced back to the first 5-6
years of childhood
Charles Darwin (mid 1800’s)
Theory suggested that animal
studies might help us
understand humans
William James
Philosopher, Harvard Professor
Wrote an important psychology text
One of the founders of American psychology
Interested in how humans function and adapt to their
environment
John B. Watson
One of the first American psychologists to study the
impact of learning on human emotions
Associated with “behaviorism”
Said what we feel and do depends on connections and
associations we have made
Wrote a book on child rearing based on his ideas
Whose work inspired scientists to study animals
in an attempt to understand human beings
better?
 Who started the first laboratory for studying
humans and is called the “father of psychology”?
 Who published a very important and widely used
textbook on psychology and was interested in
how humans adapt to their environment?
 Who wrote a book on child rearing to teach
parents how to apply scientific learning
principles in bringing up their children?

 Charles
Darwin
 Wilhelm Wundt
 Sigmund Freud
 William James
 John B. Watson
Neurobiological Approach –
Views behavior as the result of nervous system functions
and biology
Behavioral Approach –
Views behavior as the product of learning and
associations
Early behaviorist – John B. Watson
Recent Behaviorist (1904-1990) – B.F. Skinner
Humanistic Approach –
Believes people are basically good and capable of
helping themselves
We are in control of our own destiny
Most famous humanist (1902-1987) – Carl Rogers
Former minister who said that every human has the
potential to ecome great in his or her way. We just
need a little guidance.
Psychoanalytic Approach – Best known of all theories
Sigmund Freud
Views the individual as the product of unconscious
impulses, especially sex and aggression
Cognitive Approach – Most popular theory
Emphasizes how humans use mental processes to handle
problems or develop certain personality characteristics
Focus is on thinking the brain can talk itself into (and
out of) almost any belief or behavior
Sociocultural Approach - Views behavior as strongly
influenced by the rules and expectations of specific
social groups or culture
 Six
approaches are used today.
 Most psychologists lean toward one approach
but borrow here and there from other
theories.
 This individual, combined approach is called
electicism (eclectic approach).
 Which
approach in psychology emphasizes
people’s potential?
 Which analyzes internal sentences, thoughts?
 Which focuses on learning?
 Which analyzes our chemical make-up?
 Which studies one’s ethnic background?
 Which emphasizes sexual desires?
 Humanism
 Cognitive
 Behaviorism
 Neurobiological
 Sociocultural
 Psychoanalysis