INTRODUCING PSYCHOLOGY
CHAPTER 1
OVERVIEW OF PSYCHOLOGY
• Psychology is the scientific study
of behavior and mental processes
• This covers everything people
think, feel, and do
• This study of human behavior is
systematic rather than simplistic
THE GOALS OF PSYCHOLOGY
• Description: Gather information
about the behavior
• Explanation: Propose hypothesis
and construct theories about the
behavior
• Prediction: Predict future
behaviors based on past ones
• Control: Influence behavior in
helpful ways
TEST YOUR INTUITIONS ABOUT BEHAVIOR
• 1. For the first week of life, a baby sees nothing but shades of gray.
• 2. Slow learners remember more of what they learn than fast learners.
• 3. Highly intelligent people tend to be physically frail and socially isolated.
• 4. Psychiatry is a subdivision of psychology
• 5. A child learns to talk more quickly if adults around the child habitually repeat
the word he or she is trying to say, using proper pronunciation
THE SCIENTIFIC BASIS OF PSYCHOLOGY
• Psychologists rely on the scientific
method to ensure data is collected
correctly
• Although the scientific method is
used, many questions about
behavior remain unanswered and
psychological theories are
continually revised
HISTORICAL APPROACHES
• Structuralists: Psychologists who
studied the basic elements that
make up conscious mental
experiences (Wilhelm Wundt)
• Introspection: A method of selfobservation in which participants
report their thoughts and feelings
HISTORICAL APPROACHES, CONT.
• Functionalists: Psychologists who
studied the function (rather than
the structure) of consciousness
(William James)
• Functionalists study how animals
and people adapt to their
environments
HISTORICAL APPROACHES, CONT.
• Inheritable traits: Sir Francis
Galton studied heredity and how it
influenced a person’s ability,
character, and behavior
• Galton raised the question of
heredity vs. environment or nature
vs. nurture
CONTEMPORARY APPROACHES
• Psychoanalytic Psychology: The
study of unconscious motives and
conflicts and how they determine
behavior
• Sigmund Freud is considered the
father of psychoanalysis
CONTEMPORARY APPROACHES, CONT.
• Behavioral Psychology: The study
of how organisms learn or modify
their behavior based on their
response to events in the
environment
• Ivan Pavlov pioneered this
approach in his famous dog
experiment
CONTEMPORARY APPROACHES, CONT.
• Humanistic Psychology: Developed
as a reaction or behavioral
psychology. Humanists believe each
person has freedom in directing his
or her future and in achieving
personal growth
• Cognitive Psychology: The study of
how we process, store, and use
information and how this influences
our behavior
CONTEMPORARY APPROACHES, CONT.
• Biological Psychology: The study
of how physical and chemical
changes in our bodies influence
our behavior
• Sociocultural Psychology: The
study of the influence of cultural
similarities and differences on
behavior and social functioning
PSYCHOLOGY AS A PROFESSION
• A psychologist is someone trained
to observe, analyze, and evaluate
behavior.
• Psychologists and psychiatrists are
different professions- psychiatry is
a specialty of medicine
Dr. Elizabeth Connors, PhD
TYPES OF PSYCHOLOGISTS
• Clinical psychologists: Help people
with personal problems. They
typically work in private offices,
mental hospitals, prisons, or
clinics.
• Counseling psychologists: Advise
and assist people with problems of
everyday life. Typically work in
schools or industrial firms.
TYPES OF PSYCHOLOGISTS, CONT.
• Developmental psychologists: Study changes
that occur throughout life
• Educational psychologists: Deal with topics
related to teaching children and young adults
• Community psychologists: Help design, run, or
evaluate mental health for the state or local
government, or private organizations
• Industrial/organizational psychologists:
Employed by business firms and government
agencies to boost production, etc.
AMERICAN PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION (APA)
• The APA is a society of
psychologists and educators
• It is the major psychological
association of the United States
and the world’s largest association
of psychologists
• It is made up of 53 divisions and
works to advance the science and
profession of psychology