Psychology 001
Introduction to
Psychology
Christopher Gade, PhD
Office: 621 Heafey
Office hours: F 3-6 and by apt.
Email: gadecj@gmail.com
Class WF 7:00-8:30
A Brief History of Psychology
Why do we need to know the
history of psychology?
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To know why our famous historical figures
thought the way they did, and addressed the
topics for which they became famous.
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To sound intelligent when we discuss
psychology with our friends.
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To get an idea of why current areas of
psychology exist today.
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History is the witness that testifies to the passing of time;
it illumines reality, vitalizes memory, provides guidance in
daily life and brings us tidings of antiquity.
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Cicero Pro Publio Sestio
The Beginning
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Psychology’s roots come from the field of
philosophy. Within the early conception of this
field, a number of key issues were often
addressed. Three of the major ones were…
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The mind/body/brain problem
 Are the mind, brain, and body independent of each
other?
Blank slate dilemma
 Are humans born preprogrammed with behaviors and
knowledge or not?
Free will versus determinism
 Do we have consciousness, or are we automatons
responding to stimuli in our environment?
Socrates (469-399 BC)
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Often cited as one of the first psychologists.
Most of what we know of him was from one
of his “students” Plato.
Supposedly addressed the concept of the soul in his
dialogues, suggesting that it was separate from the body.
This concept was later defined as “dualism”.
Most likely believed that morality and intelligence were
things that were contained within the human at birth
(innate).
Best known for his attempts to study ideas through his
“Socratic Method” of teaching.
Aristotle (384-322 BC)
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The “intellectual grandson” of Socrates.
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Studied under Plato at the Academy.
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Well renowned for his attempts to study a large
spectrum of topics, not just philosophy.
Pushed for a more scientific attempt to understand
the world and the mind.
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“theory must follow fact”
*Came to conclude that the soul was inseparable
from the body.
*Reasoned that our intelligence is not preexisting,
but instead result from experiences.
Our Modern World of Psychology
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Wilhelm Wundt
voondt)
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Established the first
“psychological”
laboratory in Leipzig,
Germany (1879).
Measured different types
of sensory and
physiological responses
to stimuli.
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(pronounce
keys example
Disney movies example
“What are the
components of
experience, or mind?”
Edward Titchener
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Student of Wundt’s
Moved to the US and began
teaching at Cornell University in
1892
Started an area of research labeled
as “structuralism”
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The study of the basic elements and
structures that compose the mind.
The majority of his research was
done through a form of research
called introspection*
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Orange example
*This was originally designed by Wundt,
but was used extensively by Titchener
in his research
William James
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Best known for his introduction of
the concept of “functionalism” in
psychology.
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“Don’t concern yourselves with the parts and
structures of the mind and brain, instead ask:
what is the purpose behind the actions of our
mind?”
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The eye example
Wrote THE most influential book in the field
of psychology: The Principles of Psychology
(1890)
Sigmund Freud
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His theories made the field of psychology
not only popular with the majority of the
population, it also made it “sexy”.
Introduced his ideas of the subconscious, repression, and
psychoanalysis in his book “The Interpretation of Dreams
(1900)”.
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Despite his many shortcomings, a number of his ideas and
methodologies are still in circulation today (though most of
them have been either restructured, or entirely removed
from popular psychology).
A Move to Behaviorism (1920’s)
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A few years after Freud made psychology
popular, the psychological community shifted
their focus in an entirely different direction.
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“The mind is too vast, our measurements too
limited, and our perceptions to vague and biased
to truly understand the function of our minds
through measurement.”
This change was believed to be based on a
reaction to:
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The rapid growth of the field
The direction that the field was taking
The mystical based interpretation of the field
The Cognitive Revolution (1970’s)
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Behaviorism, though very helpful in a number
of areas, could not explain everything.
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latent learning example
language acquisition example
New forms of measurement (EEG, fMRI) had
also begun to separate the field of
psychology away from a strictly behaviorist
approach.
Today’s Modern World of
Psychology
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Current goals
Different areas of
psychology
What do
psychologists
actually do?
The Goal of Psychologist
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Despite what you may be hoping for,
psychologists are not able to “control” human
behavior.
Their goal is to understand and define how
the mind and body play roles in our
interpretations, desires, approaches, and
behaviors.
Different Areas of Psychology
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Biological Psychology
Evolutionary Psychology
Motivation Psychology
Cognitive Psychology
Behavioral Psychology
Personality Psychology
Developmental Psychology
Social Psychology
Cultural Psychology
Industrial/Organizational Psychology
Clinical Psychology
But, what do psychologists do?
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With a BA or a BS:
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With an MA:
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not much in the area of
psychology
Ergonomics, teaching, I/O,
marketing, counseling, sales,
forensics, research
With a higher degree (PhD,
PsyD, etc.)
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Research, teaching, clinical work
Different Types of Clinical Psychology
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Clinical Psychologist
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Psychiatrist
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Psychoanalyst
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Clinical Social Worker
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Counseling Psychologist
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Forensic Psychologist
What you need to know…
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Most of today’s topics in psychology can be
traced back to much earlier roots.
There is a wide array of different topics that
psychologists address.
Psychologists can be found in a large variety of
different occupational fields.