Advancement Placement Psychology
Janelle Farris
AP Psychology Notes
Introduction to the History and Scope of Psychology
Module 1: The History and Scope of Psychology
Psychology’s Roots
1. Objective: Define Psychology
a. The scientific study of behavior and mental processes
i. Behavior – anything an organism does – observable
ii. Mental processes – the internal, subjective experiences we infer from
behavior
iii. As science, psychology evaluates competing ideas with careful
observation and rigorous analysis
Prescientific Psychology
2. Objective: Trace psychology’s prescientific roots, from early understanding of mind and
body to the beginnings of modern science
a. From Buddha, Confucius to Socrates, Plato and Aristotle – philosophy began to
explore the mind and the behaviors
b. 1600s – modern science began
i. Studying the body – Descartes
ii. Francis Bacon – Founder of modern science
iii. John Locke – the mind at birth is a blank slates (life experiences affect
their lives)
1. Empiricism – the view that knowledge originates in experience
and the science should, therefore, rely on observation and
experimentation – COLLECTING DATA
Psychological Science is Born
3. Objective: Explain how the early psychologists sought to understand the mind’s
structure and functions, and identify some leading psychologist who worked in these
areas.
a. Philosophy – thinking about thinking gave birth to psychology
b. Wilheim Wundt – first psychological laboratory – He was seeking to measure
“atoms of the mind” – the fastest and simplest mental processes
c. Early schools: structuralism and functionalism
i. Thinking About the Mind’s Structure
1. Titchener – Structuralism – attempted to identify the basic
elements of mind
a. Introspection – self-reflective (looking inward – how you
feel)
ii. Thinking About the Mind’s Function
1. William James (Principles of Psychology) – Functionalism –
focused on how mental and behavioral processes function – how
they enable the organism to adapt, survive, and flourish.
a. Stream of consciousness – serves a function (Purpose)
iii. Leading Psychologist
1. Wundt
2. Titchener
3. James
4. Mary Calkins – first woman president
5. Margaret Floy Washburn – first woman to receive a Ph.D
6. Henry Holt – first publisher
Psychological Science Develops
4. Objective: Describe the evolution of psychology as defined from the 1920s through
today.
a. 1920s – “the science of mental life”
i. Young science of psychology from established fields of pshioslphy and
biology
ii. Wundt/Titchener – inner
iii. James – Stream of consciousness and the emotion
iv. Ivan Pavlov
v. Signumd Freud – emphasized the ways emotional responses to childhood
experiences and our unconscious thought processes affect our behavior
vi. Jean Piaget – theory of development – observed his own children
b. 1920s – 1960s – “the scientific study of observable behaviors
i. John B Watson – “Little Albert”
ii. B.F. Skinner – (American) Behaviorists – consequences shape behavior
1. Operant conditioning, learning theory, maze
c. 1960s
i. Humanistic –
1. “Free will, choices, goal driven”;
2. Rogers and Maslow
3. Thought behaviorists were too mechanical rewards, punishments
imitations) making us seem like machines
ii. Cognitive revolution – psychology
iii. Cognitive neuroscience – the study of the interaction of thought
processes and brain function
d. Today
i. “the scientific study of behavior and mental processes”
Contemporary Psychology
Psychology’s Big Debate
5. Objective: Summarize the nature-nurture debate in psychology, and describe the
principle of natural selection
a. Biggest and most persistent issue concerns – the relative contributions of biology
and experience
b. Nature vs nurture debate: human traits develop through experience, or do we
come equipped with them???
c. Charles Darwin (1831)
i. Origin of Species – Nature selects those that best enable an organism to
survive and reproduce in a particular environment. (Evolutionary process)
ii. Darwin’s principle of natural selection
d. Contemporary science the nature-nurture tension dissolves: Nurture works on
what nature endows.
e. Why do they study twins? Because identical twins have the same genes, they are
ideal participants in studies designed to shed light on hereditary and
environmental influences on temperament, intelligence and other traits.
i. Studies of identical and fraternal twins provide a rich array of findings
that underscore the importance of both nature and nurture.
Psychology’s Three Main Levels of Analysis
6. Objective: Identify the three main levels of analysis in the biopsychosocial approach,
and explain why psychology’s varied perspectives are complementary.
a. 3 Different levels of analysis form an integrated biopsychosocial approach:
Behaviors or mental process
i. Biological influences (observable)
1. Genetic predispositions
2. Genetic mutations
3. Natural selection of adaptive physiology and behaviors
4. Genes responding to the environment
ii. Psychological Influences (understanding – thoughts)
1. Learned fears and other learned expectations
2. Emotional responses
3. Cognitive processing and perceptual interpretations
iii. Social-cultural Influences
a. Presence of other
b. Cultural, societal, and family expectations
c. Peer and other group influences compelling models (such
as the media)
b. Different perspectives can complement one another: - easch perspectives have
some characteristics of other perspectives.
i. Psychology’s current perspectives
1. Neuroscience – physiological, body, physical
2. Evolutionary – Dislike bitter tasted foods, enhanced human
survival
3. Behavior genetics
4. Psychodynamic – Children’s past experiences, influenced by
family
5. Behavioral – emphasize the importance of learning
6. Cognitive – thinking
7. Social-cultural – groups, such as religious groups, musician,
regions, countries
c. Psychology will help you understand why people think, feel, and act as they do.
Psychology’s Subfields
7. Objective: Identify some of psychology’s subfields, and explain the difference between
clinical psychology and psychiatry.
a. Subfields
i. Basic research – study for knowledge
ii. Applied research – study to solve problems
1. Counseling psychologist – help people cope with challenges by
recognizing their strengths and resources.
2. Help people cope with challenges
iii. Clinical psychology vs. Psychiatry
1. Clinical Psychologists
a. Assess and treat mental, emotional, and behavior
disorders
2. Psychiatrists
a. Medical doctors licensed to prescribe drugs and otherwise
threat physical causes of psychological disorders.
Close-Up: Your Study of Psychology
8. Objective: Describe some effective study techniques.
a. SQ3R
i. Survey
ii. Question
iii. Read
iv. Review
v. Reflect
b. Additional study hints
i. Distribute your study time
ii. In class, listen ACTIVELY
iii. Overlearn
iv. Focus on the big ideas
v. Be a smart test-taker
Module 2: Thinking Critically With Psychological Science
The Need for Psychological Science
The limits of Intuition and Common Sense
Did We know It All Along? Hindsight Bias
1. Objective: Describe hindsight bias, and explain how it can make research findings seem
like mere common sense.
a. Hindsight bias – I-knew- it -all -along phenomenon (both before and after the
situation)
b. Such errors in our recollections and explanations show why we need
psychological research
c. Psychology’s research: Confirm or Refuted
Overconfidence
2. Objective: Describe how overconfidence contaminates our everyday judgments
NO LATE PAPERS WILL BE ACCEPTED.
These are the summer assignments.
If you have questions about how to complete these assignments, please email me at
Janelle.Farris@k12.sd.us or call 605.390.6085
I expect everyone to have these assignment completed - NO EXCUSES!!!!!
Enjoy taking the time for summer reading! I look forward to seeing you in the fall.
Mrs. Janelle Farris