PSYCHOLOGY
PRINCIPLES IN PRACTICE
Chapter 1
WHAT IS PSYCHOLOGY
Section 1: Why Study Psychology?
Section 2: What Psychologists Do
Section 3: A History of Psychology
Section 4: Contemporary Perspectives
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HOLT, RINEHART
AND
WINSTON
Chapter 1
PSYCHOLOGY
PRINCIPLES IN PRACTICE
What is Psychology?
 Psychology is the scientific study of behavior
and mental processes.
 Behavior is any action that people can observe
or measure.
 Cognitive processes are mental processes.
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HOLT, RINEHART
AND
WINSTON
Chapter 1
Section 1: Why Study Psychology?
PSYCHOLOGY
PRINCIPLES IN PRACTICE
Question: What are the goals of psychology, and how is
psychology a science?
GOALS OF PSYCHOLOGY
 Observe
 Describe behavior
 Explain
 Predict
 Control
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HOLT, RINEHART
AND
WINSTON
Chapter 1
Section 1: Why Study Psychology?
PSYCHOLOGY
PRINCIPLES IN PRACTICE
Question: What are the goals of psychology, and how is
psychology a science?
THE SCIENCE OF PSYCHOLOGY
Psychology is a social science but has its
foundation in the natural sciences. It deals with
the structure of human society and interactions
of individuals who make up society.
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HOLT, RINEHART
AND
WINSTON
Chapter 1
Section 2: What Psychologists Do
PSYCHOLOGY
PRINCIPLES IN PRACTICE
Question: What do psychologists do, and what are their
areas of specialization?
PSYCHOLOGISTS
 Test ideas using various research methods
such as surveys and experimentation
 Consult and teach
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HOLT, RINEHART
AND
WINSTON
Chapter 1
Section 2: What Psychologists Do
PSYCHOLOGY
PRINCIPLES IN PRACTICE
Question: What do psychologists do, and what are their
areas of specialization?
AREAS OF SPECIALIZATION
 Clinical – the largest group – treat psychological
problems
 Counseling – treat adjustment problems
 School – deal with students who have problems that
interfere with learning
 Educational Psychologist – focus on course planning
and instructional methods
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HOLT, RINEHART
AND
WINSTON
Chapter 1
Section 2: What Psychologists Do
PSYCHOLOGY
PRINCIPLES IN PRACTICE
Question: What do psychologists do, and what are their
areas of specialization?
AREAS OF SPECIALIZATION (continued)
 Personality Psychologist – identify characteristics or
traits
 Social Psychologist – concerned with people’s
behavior in social situations
 Experimental Psychologist – conduct research into
basic processes
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HOLT, RINEHART
AND
WINSTON
Chapter 1
Section 2: What Psychologists Do
PSYCHOLOGY
PRINCIPLES IN PRACTICE
Question: What do psychologists do, and what are their
areas of specialization?
AREAS OF SPECIALIZATION (continued)
 Industrial and Organizational Psychologist – focus on
people in work and business
 Environmental Psychologist – focus on ways in
which people influence and are influenced by
physical environment
 Consumer Psychologist – study the behavior of
shoppers to explain and predict behavior
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HOLT, RINEHART
AND
WINSTON
Chapter 1
Section 2: What Psychologists Do
PSYCHOLOGY
PRINCIPLES IN PRACTICE
Question: What do psychologists do, and what are their
areas of specialization?
AREAS OF SPECIALIZATION (continued)
 Forensic Psychologist – are concerned with how
psychological problems give rise to criminal behavior
 Health Psychologist – study the ways in which
behavior and mental processes are related to physical
health
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HOLT, RINEHART
AND
WINSTON
Chapter 1
Section 3: A History of Psychology
PSYCHOLOGY
PRINCIPLES IN PRACTICE
Question: How has the study of psychology developed over
time?
PSYCHOLOGY DEVELOPED OVER TIME
 Began in ancient Greece
 Revived during the scientific advances of the 1500s,
1600s and 1700s
 Contributions were made by modern psychologists
such as William James, B.F. Skinner, and Sigmund
Freud
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HOLT, RINEHART
AND
WINSTON
Chapter 1
PSYCHOLOGY
PRINCIPLES IN PRACTICE
History of Psychology Continued:
 Even though modern psychology is a relatively
new science, there has always been an interest
in finding out why people think and behave the
way that they do.
 In fact, there is evidence that Socrates, Plato,
and Aristotle studied psychology more than
2000 years ago.
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HOLT, RINEHART
AND
WINSTON
Chapter 1
PSYCHOLOGY
PRINCIPLES IN PRACTICE
History Continued……
 Socrates used introspection—or “looking
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within”—to build on his theories on
psychology.
 Aristotle took these ideas further and actually
used observation to study and prove his
theories. His theories on the laws of
associationism are still the heart of learning
theory.
HOLT, RINEHART
AND
WINSTON
Chapter 1
PSYCHOLOGY
PRINCIPLES IN PRACTICE
History Continued…..
 While many groups in history attributed
psychological problems to supernatural forces,
the Greek physician Hippocrates theorized that
such problems were due to brain
abnormalities.
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HOLT, RINEHART
AND
WINSTON
Chapter 1
PSYCHOLOGY
PRINCIPLES IN PRACTICE
The birth of modern psychology:
 The scientific approach led to the birth of
modern psychology in the 1800’s.
 The first experimental psychology lab was
established in Leipzig, Germany by Wilhelm
Wundt who used introspection to test his
theories.
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HOLT, RINEHART
AND
WINSTON
Chapter 1
PSYCHOLOGY
PRINCIPLES IN PRACTICE
Modern Psychology Continued:
 Wundt was the father of structuralism which
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held that consciousness breaks down into
objective sensations and subjective feelings.
 Later, William James established the
functionalist school of though. Functionalists
used observation and were concerned “what’s
and why’s.” What are the purposes of
behavior and mental processes?
HOLT, RINEHART
AND
WINSTON
Chapter 1
PSYCHOLOGY
PRINCIPLES IN PRACTICE
Modern Psychology Continued:
 Later, contributions were made by such
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visionaries as John B. Watson (Behaviorism),
BF Skinner (Reinforcement), and Sigmund
Freud (Psychoanalysis), and many others.
 The Gestalt perspective, which defines
perceptions as wholes that give shape and/or
meaning to the parts, has also grown into a
modern philosophy.
HOLT, RINEHART
AND
WINSTON
Chapter 1
Section 4: Contemporary Perspectives
PSYCHOLOGY
PRINCIPLES IN PRACTICE
Question: What are the seven main contemporary
perspectives in psychology?
SEVEN MAIN CONTEMPORARY
PERSPECTIVES IN PSYCHOLOGY
 Biological – nervous system, glands, hormones,
genetic factors
 Evolutionary – physical traits, social behavior
 Cognitive – interpretation of mental images,
thinking, language
 Humanistic – self-concept
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HOLT, RINEHART
AND
WINSTON
Chapter 1
Section 4: Contemporary Perspectives
PSYCHOLOGY
PRINCIPLES IN PRACTICE
Question: What are the seven main contemporary
perspectives in psychology?
SEVEN MAIN CONTEMPORARY
PERSPECTIVES IN PSYCHOLOGY (continued)
 Psychoanalytic – environmental influences, learning,
observational learning
 Learning – effects of experience on behavior
 Sociocultural – ethnicity, gender, culture,
socioeconomic status
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HOLT, RINEHART
AND
WINSTON
PSYCHOLOGY
Chapter 1
PRINCIPLES IN PRACTICE
Question:
What are the goals of psychology?
Observe
Describe
Goals of
Psychology
Explain
Predict
Control
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HOLT, RINEHART
AND
WINSTON