Introducing Psychology
What is it that fascinates
psychologists about ordinary
behavior? What exactly do they
study?
Introducing Psychology
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I. Why Study Psychology?
II. Overview of Psychology
III. A Brief History of Psychology
IV. Psychology as a Profession
I. Why Study Psychology?
Insight
• Psychology can
provide useful insight
into behavior.
• Of course, few people
are more obnoxious
than a novice
psychologist.
• The more you study
psychology, the more
respect you will gain
for the complexity and
diversity of human
and animal behavior.
I. Why Study Psychology?
Practical Information
• You will learn
concrete and detailed
ways to carry out a
number of useful
procedures, i.e.
shaping, mnemonic
devices, and life
development.
II. Overview of Psychology
Defining Psychology
• Psychology is the scientific study of
behavior and mental processes.
• Psychology is trying to understand why
people do the things they do.
• Behavior has causes; it is governed by
laws and rules.
• Thus, the study of behavior must be
systematic.
• The flaw in all their reasoning is that
speculating on the WHOLE from a
few FACTS can lead to VERY
LARGE errors in judgment.
The Scientific Basis of Psychology
Psychologists rely on the scientific method:
• Identify a specific problem or question
• Formulate a hypothesis
• Collect data through observation and
experiment
• Analyze the data
• Draw a conclusion
Goals of Psychology
Describe
The first task for any
scientist or
psychologist is to
gather information
about the behavior
being studied and
present what is
known.
Goals of Psychology
Explain
• Psychologists also seek to explain why
people behave as they do.
• Theories are formed from a large number
of experimental studies.
• Theories allow us to describe and explain
observed behavior.
Goals of Psychology
Predict
• Psychologists want to predict what
humans will do, think, and feel in various
situations.
• By studying descriptive and theoretical
accounts of past behaviors, psychologists
can predict subsequent behaviors.
Goals of Psychology
Control
Some psychologists
seek to influence
or control behavior
in helpful ways.
What problems may occur when a
researcher accepts one theoretical view?
III. The Establishment of
Psychology
Structuralism
• 1879 – The first psychology
lab was set up in Germany
by Wilhelm Wundt.
• He attempted to map out the
basic structure of thought
process.
• He used introspection, a
method of self-observation in
which one looks within and
reports their thought process.
Functionalism
• 1890 – American
psychologist William
James theorized all
activities of the mind –
thinking, feeling,
learning, and
remembering – serve
only to help us survive
as a species.
Five Major Approaches in Use
in Psychology
1. Biological Psychology
• Some psychologists
today focus on the
physiological basis
of behavior.
• It’s the belief that
everything you do or
feel involves some
correlation in the
brain.
2. Psychoanalysis
• Founded by Sigmund Freud,
he was interest in the
unconscious mind.
• He believed that behavior
occurred without us knowing
why.
• He believed that our
conscious experiences are
only the tip of the iceberg,
that beneath the surface are
primitive biological urges that
are in conflict with the
requirements of society and
morality.
2. Psychoanalysis
• Free association – a
technique in which a
patient said
everything that came
to mind, no matter
how absurd or
irrelevant it seemed.
• Dream Analysis –
dreams are the
expression of the
most primitive
unconscious urges.
2. Psychoanalysis
• Both he believed
revealed the
operation of
unconscious
processes.
• He used his case
studies to develop
a comprehensive
theory of
personality.
3. Behaviorism
• Belief that the
environment
shapes you into
what you are.
• The key idea is
that all animals
adjust their
behavior to meet
the demands of
their environment.
3. Behaviorism
• Behaviorists stress
investigating observable
behavior.
• They believe that all
behavior, even instinctive
behavior, is a result of
conditioning.
• American B.F. Skinner,
influenced both the public
and scientists with his
techniques of conditioning
behavior by rewards and
punishments.
4. Cognitive Processes
• Emphasizes the
importance of thought
processes in learning
behavior.
• We perceive and interpret
our world, think about
problems, constantly
assess our knowledge of
ourselves and others, and
use language to
communicate with one
another.
5. Humanism
• Focuses on the uniqueness
of individuals through
choices.
• Belief that the human mind
is able to influence and
change the world in which it
functions.
• Proposed by Abraham
Maslow to counter the
psychoanalytic and
behavioral approaches
which he felt was
dehumanizing.
IV. Psychology as a
Profession
What is a Psychologist?
• Psychologists are people who have been
trained to observe and analyze behavior
patterns, to develop theories on behavior,
and to apply what they know to influence
behavior.
• Just as there are many different branches
of medicine, there are also many different
fields of psychology.
Psychiatry
• Psychiatry is a
specialty of
medicine.
• They study how to
treat people with
disturbed behavior
and can prescribe
medicine.
Clinical and Counseling
Psychology
• Specialists in this field are also referred to
as psychotherapists.
• They help people deal with personal and
everyday problems.
• Some help with emotional and learning
problems.
• They account for about one-half of all
psychologists.
Personality, Social, and
Developmental Psychology
• Usually involved in research.
• Some may create personality tests.
• Others study groups and may be interested
in public opinion.
Other Fields
• Educational Psychology – Related to
teaching children and young adults.
• Community Psychology – May help design,
run or evaluate a mental health clinic.
• Industrial/Organizational Psychology – Study
and develop methods to boost production,
improve working conditions, and job
placement.
• Experimental Psychology – Do everything
from testing how electrical stimulation of the
brain affects behavior to studying how
disturbed people think.
Psychology ties together all that has been
discovered about human behavior and
feelings in order to look at the total human
being.