Chapter 1
What is Psychology?
© 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
The Science of Psychology: An
Appreciative View, 2nd Edition (King)
Overview
The Science of Psychology: An Appreciative
View by Laura King (University of Missouri
at Columbia) brings a truly appreciative
view of psychology - as a science and for
exploring behavior.
• students must study the discipline of
psychology as a whole
• sub-disciplines are intricately connected
• human behavior is best understood by
exploring its functioning state in addition
to its potential dysfunctions
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Chapter Preview
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Defining Psychology
Psychology in Historical Perspective
Contemporary Approaches to Psychology
What Psychologists Do
Science of Psychology and Health and Wellness
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Psychology: Defined
Psychology is the scientific study of
behavior and mental processes.
Three Key Components
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science – systematic methods
behavior – what can be directly observed
mental processes – thoughts, feelings, motives
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Science of Psychology
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Critical Thinking
Skepticism
Objectivity
Curiosity
CSOC
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Goals of Psychology
• to describe behavior
• to predict behavior
• to explain behavior
Can we do this successfully without
critical thinking, skepticism, objectivity
and curiosity?
… and sometimes to manipulate or
control behavior for either good or evil…
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Psychology – A General Science
Psychology is not limited to the study
of psychological disorders.
Freud’s view of human nature
 positive psychology – a branch of
psychology that emphasizes human
strengths
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Example: Amish forgiveness (p. 7-8)
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Narcissism Epidemic
Narcissism…unusually self-confident,
self-assertive, and self-centered.
Generation born since 1980s
“More narcissistic than early generations”
vs.
“Attitudes have been stable over time”
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History of Psychology
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Western Philosophy
Biology and Physiology
Wilhelm Wundt (1832-1920)
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1879 – established 1st psychology lab
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History of Psychology
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Western Philosophy
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Socrates, Plato and Aristotle
Later Philosophers
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Rene Descartes
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Argued that the mind and body were
completely separate
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Wilhelm Wundt’s
Structuralism
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identified structures of the mind
(mental processes)
introspection (“looking inside”)
systematic, detailed self-reports
(science)
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VIL-HELM VOONT
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William James’
Functionalism
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identified the functions and purposes
of the mind
stream of consciousness
human interactions with outside world
why is human thought adaptive?
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Brother of author
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Psychology and Evolution
Charles Darwin
On the Origin of Species, 1859
Natural Selection
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competition for resources
genetic characteristics that promote
reproduction and survival are favored
environmental changes alter course of
evolution
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Contemporary Approaches
Current Psychological Perspectives
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Biological
Behavioral
Psychodynamic
Humanistic
Cognitive
Evolutionary
Sociocultural
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1. Biological Approach
The biological approach focuses on the
brain and nervous system.
Neuroscience
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study of the structure, function, development,
genetics, biochemistry of the nervous system
thoughts and emotions have physical basis in brain
allowed psychologists to better understand the brain
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2. Behavioral Approach
The behavioral approach focuses on the
environmental determinants
of observable behavior.
Notable Behaviorists
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John Watson
B.F. Skinner
rejected thought processes
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Noted Behaviorist:
John Watson
"Give me a dozen healthy infants, wellformed, and my own specified world to bring
them up in and I'll guarantee to take any one
at random and train him to become any type
of specialist I might select--doctor, lawyer,
artist, merchant-chief, and, yes, even
beggarman and thief, regardless of his
talents, penchants, tendencies, abilities,
vocations, and race of his ancestors. I am
going beyond my facts and I admit it, but so
have the advocates of the contrary and they
have been doing it for many thousands of
years."
–John B. Watson, Behaviorism, 1930
Notable Behaviorists
John Watson
B.F. Skinner
rejected thought
processes
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Noted Behaviorist:
B.F. Skinner
I did not direct my life. I didn't
design it. I never made
decisions. Things always came
up and made them for me.
That's what life is.
-- B. F. Skinner
If you're old, don't try to change
yourself, change your
environment.
-- B. F. Skinner
Notable Behaviorists
 John Watson
 B.F. Skinner
 rejected thought
processes
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Psychodynamic Approach:
Freud
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Known as the founding father
of the psychodynamic
approach
Believed that there are
unlearned biological instincts
(especially of a sexual and/or
aggressive nature) that can
occur early in life and these
instincts influence how a
person thinks, feels, and
behaves
Had a couch 
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4. Humanistic Approach
Humanists emphasize
 positive human qualities
 capacity for positive growth
 free will
Humanistic Theorists
 Carl Rogers
 Abraham Maslow
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Humanistic Approach:
Carl Rogers
The only person who is educated is
the one who has learned how to learn
and change.
-- Carl Rogers
I believe that the testing of the
student's achievements in order to
see if he meets some criterion held
by the teacher, is directly contrary to
the implications of therapy for
significant learning.
-- Carl Rogers
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Humanists emphasize
positive human qualities
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capacity for positive
growth
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free will
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Humanistic Approach:
Abraham Maslow
What is necessary to
change a person is to
change his awareness
of himself.
-- Abraham Maslow
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Humanists emphasize
positive human qualities
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capacity for positive
growth
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free will
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5. Cognitive Approach
The cognitive approach emphasizes the
mental processes involved in knowing.
Information Processing
…how humans interpret incoming info, weigh it,
store it, and apply it
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6. Evolutionary Approach
The evolutionary approach uses ideas such
as adaptation, reproduction, and natural
selection to explain human behavior.
Evolutionary Psychologists
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David Buss
Leda Cosmides
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7. Sociocultural Approach
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examines how social and cultural
environments influence behavior and mental
processes
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studies differences between ethnic and
cultural groups within and across countries
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Careers in Psychology
Practice / Applied
Research
Teaching
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Areas of Specialization
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Physiological Psych / Behavioral Neuroscience
Sensation and Perception
Learning
Cognitive Psychology
Developmental Psychology
Motivation & Emotion
Psychology of Women & Gender
Personality Psychology
Social Psychology
Industrial / Organizational Psychology
Clinical & Counseling Psychology
Health Psychology
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Areas of Specialization
Also (but not addressed in text beyond this chapter)
 Community Psychology
 School & Educational Psychology
 Environmental Psychology
 Forensic Psychology
 Sport Psychology
 Cross-Cultural Psychology
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Career Settings in Psychology
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Influence of Culture
Individualistic Cultures
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individuals viewed as unique and distinct
from their social group
value independence
Collectivistic Cultures
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emphasize social group and the individual’s
role within that group
value interdependence
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Influence of Culture
Individualistic subjects
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prefer to work on tasks that they have had
previous success with
like to emphasize their successes
Collectivistic subjects
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prefer to work on tasks that they have
difficulty with
self-critical view
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Science of Psychology and
Health and Wellness
Mind-Body Connections
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how the mind impacts the body
how the body impacts the mind
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Chapter Summary
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Explain what psychology is and how it differs from an everyday, informal approach to understanding human nature.
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Discuss the roots and early scientific foundations of
psychology.
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Summarize the main themes of the seven approaches to
psychology.
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List some of the areas of specialization and careers in
psychology.
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Describe the connections between the mind and the body.
© 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Chapter Summary
Defining Psychology
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scientific study of behavior and mental processes
Historical Foundations of Psychology
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origins in philosophy and physiology
structuralism – Wilhelm Wundt
functionalism – William James
evolutionary theory – Charles Darwin
© 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Chapter Summary
Contemporary Approaches to Psychology
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current approaches – complementary
Specializations and Careers in Psychology
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practice, research, teaching
academic, clinic, private practice, industry, school
Science of Psychology and
Health and Wellness
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mind-body connection is a “two-way street”
© 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.