History and
Approaches of
Psychology
Psychology: The scientific study of behavior and
mental processes
Let’s break down the definition:
• Behavior: Anything that you do that can be observed
• Mental Processes: Internal experiences such as thoughts,
feelings, sensations, and perceptions
Psychology was not considered an area of
scientific study until the 1870’s when the
ideas philosophy and physiology were
combined
• Founder of scientific psychology
• 1879: set up first formal
research laboratory in Germany
• 1881: established first
psychological journal
• Focused studies on
consciousness
– awareness of immediate
experience
• Wundt’s student
• Founded American
Psychological Association
(APA)
• Started America’s first
research laboratory at John’s
Hopkins University
• Began the first journal of
psychology in America
APA Website
• Established by Edward Titchener (student of Wundt)
• Task of psychology = analyze consciousness into its
basic elements; study how elements are related
– Focus on sensations (vision, hearing, touch), feelings,
images, and perception
• Investigations based on introspection by trained
subjects
– Introspection = careful, systematic self-observation of
one’s own conscious experience
• Created by William James
• Psychology should investigate the purpose of
consciousness, rather than what makes it up
• Applied Darwin’s theory of natural selection to
humans
• inheritable characteristics that provide humans with
a competitive advantage are more likely to be
passed on
• Fostered later development of behaviorism and
applied psychology
• Main goal = explain human
behavior
• 1890: Wrote first psychology
textbook Principles of
Psychology
• Argued consciousness is a flow
of thoughts (stream of
conscious)
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Psychoanalytic
Behavioral
Humanistic
Cognitive
Biological
Socio-Cultural
Evolutionary
Sigmund Freud: viewed person as
being pushed and pulled by
unconscious wants & desires (sexual
& aggressive in nature)
Repression of wants & desires led to
mental disorders later in life
Developed psychoanalytic theory
PSYCHOANALTIC THEORY: Explains personality,
motivation, and mental disorders by focusing on
unconscious determinants of behavior
• People aren’t the masters of their own minds
• Emphasizes role of conflict in our lives and early
childhood experiences
• Because we can’t accept certain thoughts in our
conscious, they find their expression in dreams, slips
of the tongue that appear as accidents and even
jokes
• “Freudian Slips”
PSYCHOANALTIC THEORY
Cause of disorders: Unconscious, unresolved repressed
issues from past
Treatment technique Psychoanalysis, dream analysis
View on personality: Id, ego, superego, psychosexual
stages
View on motivation: We strive to satisfy our id impulses
but we must meet demands of society (super ego)
• Pros:
– Impact of childhood on development
– Many ideas still used in mainstream psychology
• Cons:
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No focus on observable behavior
Can’t be scientifically proven
Ignores other explanations
Doesn’t look at changing behavior, just underlying causes
BEHAVIORAL: emphasizes observable behavior rather than
the role of the consciousness.
Believe behavior is governed by the environment
John B. Watson (1913): Father of Behaviorism - observe & measure
behavior. Known for “Little Albert” study
Ivan Pavlov: Classical Conditioning - Involuntary behavior =
Associative Learning in dogs through saliva responses after hearing a
bell.
B. F. Skinner: Operant Conditioning. Voluntary behavior and learning
due to consequences (reinforcement & punishment).
Controlled by rewards = NO FREE WILL
BEHAVIORAL THERAPY
View of cause of disorders: We are reinforced for
maladaptive behaviors
Treatment technique: Change maladaptive behaviors
through reinforcements. Systematic desensitization,
token economy, aversion therapy
View on personality: Our personality traits arise from
reinforcement/ punishment
View on motivation: We’re driven by extrinsic and
intrinsic motivators
1. Excludes behaviors that can’t be seen
2. Not all behaviors can be explained through
rewards and punishments
3. Doesn’t acknowledge free will
Nature: Certain elementary
ideas are innate to the human
mind; not gained through
experience
• Men are born, not made
Nurture: Anything we know we
have learned through
experience
• Men are made, not born
Nature or Nurture?
HUMANISM: emphasizes the unique qualities of humans, especially their
their potential for personal growth
Thought other approaches were “dehumanizing” and suggested people
weren’t masters of their own destinies
People have a basic need to continue to evolve and fulfill their potential;
many psychological disturbances are due to thwarting these needs
Abraham Maslow: Hierarchy of Needs - each level of needs must be
satisfied before one moves onto the next.
Self Actualization- strive to be the best one can.
Carl Rogers: Focused on the feelings of the client. Unconditional positive regard
Fostered a therapeutic approach to therapy.
Fully functioning: personal growth, free will, self-determination
• View of cause of disorders: Barriers to self
actualization. Ideal self and actual self not in
congruence
• Treatment technique: Client-centered therapy. Selfhelp, group therapy
• View on personality : Our ideal self must be in
congruence with our actual self
• View on motivation : Maslow’s hierarchy of needs says
basic needs should be met before higher needs
COGNITIVE: refers to mental activity including thinking,
remembering, problem solving, decision making, learning
& using language.
Thoughts impact behavior. “People act because they
think.”
Emphasizes the importance of receiving, storing, and
processing information
Jean Piaget: identified 4 stages of cognitive development in children
View of cause of disorders : Irrational thoughts
lead to anxiety and depression
Treatment technique RET, Beck's Cognitive
Behavioral Therapy
View on personality Based on how we think and
perceive the world.
View on motivation Based on goals, reducing
cognitive dissonance
BIOLOGICAL: behavior can be explained in terms of
brain structures and biochemical processes that
allow organisms to behave.
BIOLOGICAL APPROACH
View of cause of disorders Imbalance of
neurotransmitters, genetics, hormones, brain
structure
Treatment technique Drugs and surgery
View on personality Genetics, neurotransmitters
hormones
View on motivation Genetics, neurotransmitters
hormones
SOCIO-CULTURAL APPROACH: Examines the cultural differences in
an attempt to understand, predict, and control behavior
As time progressed more people were traveling and visiting other
cultures
Psychologists soon recognized the difference in cultural gestures,
body language, and spoken language, etc
Lev Vygotsky: those we interact with are
responsible for the development of higher
order functions.
SOCIO-CULTURAL APPROACH
View of cause of disorders: Often we mimic our
parents or friends’ depression and anxiety.
Treatment technique: Group therapy
View on personality: Social Cognitive Theory of
Personality
View on motivation: Compliance and Conformity
EVOLUTIONARY: Examines behavioral processes in terms of
their adaptive value for members over the course of many
generations
Modern extension of functionalism
Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution by
natural selection.
Those organisms best suited to their
environments will flourish & pass on genes
more successfully than those with poorer
adaptations.
Criticisms:
 Untestable
 Speculative accounts for obvious behavioral phenomena
EVOLUTIONARY APPROACH
View of cause of disorders: Anxiety was a
defense mechanism in wild
Treatment technique: NA
View on personality: Extroverts maintain social
networks
View on motivation: Instinct and drive theories
Flagship Articles with Keywords (%)
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Cognitive
Behavioral
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Neuroscience
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Year
Intro to Psych Crash Course
• Clinical Psychologists: Evaluate
and treat mental, emotional, and
behavioral disorders
• Counseling Psychologists: Help
people adapt to change or make
changes in their lifestyle
• Developmental Psychologists:
Study psychological development
throughout a lifespan
• Engineering Psychologists: Do
research on how people function
best with machines
• Educational Psychologists: Focus on
how effective teaching and learning
take place
• Forensic Psychologists: Apply
psychological principles to legal/criminal
issues
• Health Psychologists: Concentrate on
biological, psychological, and social
factors associated with health and
illness
• Industrial/Organizational Psychologists:
Aim to improve productivity and the
quality of work life by applying
psychological principles and methods to
the workplace
• Neuropsychologists: Explore the
relationship between brain/nervous
systems and behavior
• Psychometricians: Focus on methods for
acquiring and analyzing psychological data
• Rehabilitation Psychologists: Help clients
with mental retardation, developmental
disabilities, and disabilities resulting from
neurological injury
• School Psychologists: Assess and counsel
students, consult with educators and
parents, and perform behavioral
intervention when necessary
• Social Psychologists:
Focus on how a person’s
mental life and behavior
are shaped by interactions
with other people
• Sports Psychologists: Help
athletes refine their focus
on competition goals,
increase motivation, and
deal with anxiety and fear
of failure