Greek word “psyche” = mind or soul
“logos” = study of
The science that deals with the
behavior & thinking of organisms.
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The Scientific study of behavior and mental
processes that tested through scientific
research.
The science that deals with the behavior &
thinking of organisms.
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Science – branch of study based on
systematically conducted research
Behavior – activities by people or
animals that can be observed directly or
measured by special techniques
Thinking – unobservable activity by
which a person recognizes past
experiences through the use of symbols
or concepts
Organism – any living person or animal
“Hard Sciences”
Physics
Chemistry
Instruments How body’s
Equipment chemistry
relates to mood,
performance &
personality
disturbance
Biology
Psychology
Sense organs
Nervous system
Glands
Brain
Focus is on
BEHAVIOR
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Describe, explain, predict and influence
bahavior
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Gather information about the behavior being
studied and present what is known
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Psychologists seek to explain why people
behave as they do.
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A psychologist will propose their explanations in a
hypothesis (an educated guess about some
phenomenon, or a prediction of how the study will
turn out)
A Psychologist will also form a theory- a complex
explanation based on findings from a large number
of studies
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Psychologists will predict, using their
accumulated knowledge, what organisms will
do and what they will think or feel in various
situations.
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Some psychologists seek to influence behavior
in helpful ways.
Many view psychology as an applied science
and are using psychological principles to solve
immediate problems.
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To Make sure that data are collected accurately,
psychologists rely on the scientific method.
Question
Hypothesis
Experiment
Results
Conclusions
Theory
School of psychology that argues that the mind
consists of sensations, feelings and images that
combine to form experiences
 Focused on the basic elements of human
experience
 Used a systematic procedure to study human
behavior
 Introspection- a method of self-observation in
which participants report their thoughts and
feelings
William Wundt
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School of psychology that emphasizes the uses
or functions of the mind rather than the
elements of experience.
The study of how animals and people adapt to
their environments
Thinking, feeling, learning and remembering
(activities of the mind) serve one function- to
help us survive as a species
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Sir Francis Galton
The study of how heredity influences a
person’s ability, character and behavior.
He determined that “greatness” ran in families
Would the world be a better place if we got rid
of ‘undesirable’ people?
Encouraged “good” Marriages to produce
talented offspring
Problems…
Environment interacts with heredity
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Perception is more than the sum of the
parts…it involves a “Whole pattern”.
Gestalt (the German word means form or
whole) is a theory that the brain operates
holistically, with self-organizing tendencies
Theory: A general framework or idea
for scientific study.
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behavior is viewed as a reflection of hidden
feelings, unconscious thoughts
created by Sigmund Freud
dream interpretation
behavior is determined by the experiences of
early childhood
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All behavior (even instinctive behavior) is the
result of conditioning and occurs because a
stimulus is there.
Reinforcement-a response to a behavior that
increases the likelihood the behavior will be
repeated
Focuses on learning through reward and
punishment
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believes that people are good and need good
care
striving to reach full potential
people are in control of their own destiny
a person’s self-concept is important
Human nature is evolving and self directedwe are not controlled by environment
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Behavior is more than just a quick response to
stimulus
Emphasizes how behavior is a result of
thinking, internal sentences, and memories
A person’s behavior stems from their
perceptions of reality
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This approach emphasizes the impact of
biology on our behavior
examines behavior in terms of the physical
changes and brain chemistry
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Behavior is influenced by rules and
expectations of social groups, families or
cultures
Studies religion, race, socioeconomic status
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Psychobiology
Cognitive psychology
Development psychology
Social psychology
Personality psychology
Clinical psychology
Cultural psychology
Health psychology
Educational psychology
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Girls tend to sleep more soundly than boys.
Your brain will stop growing in size when you are
about 15 years old.
No one knows why, but more men then women are
color blind about out of every 200 men, as compared
to 1 out of every 200 women.
During an 8 hour sleep, most people have from three
to five dreams, each lasting from 10 to 30 minutes...
and they are in color!
One psychological study has revealed that women
talk about men three times as often as men talk about
women.
The left side of your brain controls the right side of
your body and vice versa.
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Girls tend to sleep more soundly than boys.
Your brain will stop growing in size when you are
about 15 years old.
No one knows why, but more men then women are
color blind about out of every 200 men, as compared
to 1 out of every 200 women.
During an 8 hour sleep, most people have from three
to five dreams, each lasting from 10 to 30 minutes...
and they are in color!
One psychological study has revealed that women
talk about men three times as often as men talk about
women.
The left side of your brain controls the right side of
your body and vice versa.