September 9,2015

UNIT 1: Chapter 1 ~ “ Evolution of Psychology”
History, Approaches, Subfields
Psychology hopes to predict & control human behavior.
But, it does so within different approaches .
There is not a single agreed upon method.

I. History & Approaches (2 –4%)
Psychology has evolved markedly since its inception as a discipline in 1879. There have been significant changes in the theories that psychologists use to explain behavior & mental processes .
In addition, the methodology of psychological research has expanded to include a diversity of approaches to data gathering .

Some Ideas are Inborn:
Socrates & Plato
The Mind is a Blank Slate:
Aristotle & Locke

Descartes : natural instincts in physical world. However, believed humans were different & they have a mind to guide body.
Hobbes : no mind/soul & that only energy & matter exists & that everything is shaped by brain machinery.

YouTube: Psych 101 -- Modern Roots of Psychology

Structuralism vs. Functionalism
Structuralism : Analyze consciousness into its basic elements & how they relate.
Titchener continued Wundt's Work
Dependent on introspection – careful, systematic selfobservation of one’s own conscious experience.
Favored : Lab experiments
Functionalism : Investigate the function or purpose of consciousness , rather than its structure. (William James)
Influenced by Charles Darwin’s natural selection:
Heritable characteristics that provide a survival or reproductive advantage are more likely than alternative characteristics to be passed on to subsequent generations and thus come to be “selected” over time.
Favored : How people adapt to real world situations
Edward Titchener
William James

Structuralism vs. Functionalism
Generally thought that functionalism won out & then spawned the more modern :
Applied Psychology & Behaviorism
Edward Titchener
William James

YouTube: Psych 101 - Wundt & James - Structuralism & Functionalism

Psych as a Science: Gestalt Psychology
“The whole is greater/different than the sum of its parts.”
Max Wertheimer revolted against Wundt .
(1923) Believed consciousness was best understood by observing the whole experience , rather than breaking it down into a cluster of component elements.
We will see much more of this in the next unit when we
study Sensation & Perception.

Psych as a Science: Modern Era - Psychoanalysis
1st to focus on abnormal behaviors
Sigmund Freud
(1856-1939)
Psychoanalysis
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Believed all behavior & mental processes are directed by unconscious forces : which we are not fully aware
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Problems arise from unresolved conflict in the unconscious mind
Used Free Association & Dream
Analysis to explore the unconscious.
Freud’s ideas were
( & still are ) controversial , yet have had a great influence on the field of psychology & popular interest.
We will see much more of this in when we study
Personality in Chapter 12.

Sigmund Freud (1856-1939) - Psychoanalysis
Developed psychoanalysis as an approach to delve into the mind of those with irrational fears, obsessions, & anxieties .
Freud & The Unconscious: Thoughts, memories, & desires that are well below the surface of conscious awareness but that still exert great influence on behavior.
“Freudian Slip” - Meaningless slips of the tongue would provide insight into someone’s true feelings.
Very controversial for his observations on the importance of sexuality towards human behavior.
Focused on personality, motivation, & abnormal behavior. Later incorporated into mainstream.

YouTube: Schallhorn Perspectives Review

Psych as a Science: Modern Era - Behaviorism
John B. Watson
(1878-1958) takes the focus on behaviors to another level.
Scientific psychology should study only observable behavior .
Proposed abandoning the study of
consciousness altogether
Observed behaviors : any overt/observable response or activity by an organism
Watson: Shined a light on nature versus nurture
Behaviorists look for stimulus – any detectable input from the environment.
Behavior approach is often referred to as (S-
R) Stimulus-Response

Psych as a Science: Modern Era - Behaviorism
B.F. Skinner
(1904-1990)
: Championed a return to the Watson strict focus on observable behaviors
Organisms tend to repeat responses that lead to positive outcomes
They tend NOT to repeat responses that lead to neutral or negative outcomes.
Used lab rats & pigeons , conducted experiments to show how he could control behaviors of the animals.
**Trained pigeons to play Ping-Pong!**
Wrote “Beyond Freedom and Dignity” (1971):
Asserted that all behavior is fully governed by external stimuli . People are controlled by their environment, not by themselves. Free Will is an Illusion!
Skinner: Thought to be the most or one of the most influential contributors to psychology.

“Give me a dozen healthy young infants…
I will take any one and create… a doctor, a lawyer, and yes, even a beggar man thief.”
- John B. Watson 1913
According to Watson , set up environmental conditions & you will give rise to the desired behavior.
Rewards => Reinforcements
Skinner took Watson’s ideas to new heights and brought behaviorism to the public conversation.

YouTube: Psych 101 - Skinner Box

Psych as a Science: Modern Era - Biological Approach
To understand human behavior, the physiological underpinnings must be understood.
Neuroscientific Perspective:
Cellular, Neuron, Brain & Central
Nervous System
Role of drugs , Use animal models as means to understand human behavior. How are messages relayed throughout the body?
What role do our senses play?
Endocrine system – glands, hormones The
Fight or Flight Response is an example.

Psych as a Science: Modern Era - Cognitive Approach
The Cognitive Approach believes memory, language, thought and attention – cognitive measures are worth examination .
Semantic relatedness – connectedness of ideas in memory.
When given two words to say out loud, a person will say 2 words that are related much faster than 2 that are unrelated
Very popular today – social, developmental, personality, & clinical psychology.
In order to understand individuals, one must understand the way people think, remember, process information, & reason.

Psych as a Science: Modern Era - Evolutionary
Psychology
Examines psychological traits such as memory, perception, and language from a modern evolutionary perspective .
Seeks to identify which human psychological traits are evolved adaptations – that is, the functional products of natural selection or sexual selection.
Argue that much of human behavior is the output of psychological adaptations that evolved to solve recurrent problems in human ancestral environments.
The adaptationist approach is steadily increasing as an influence in the general field of psychology .

1950s opposition to behaviorism and psychoanalytic theory
Humanism – theoretical orientation that emphasizes the unique qualities of humans , especially their freedom and their potential for personal growth .
More optimistic view of human nature.
Carl Rogers (1902-1987) & Abraham Maslow (1908-1970)
– prominent humanists in psychology

People are goal related & driven
Self-actualization : someone who has reached his or her own unique potential. (Maslow)
Free will & motivation – We are in complete control
In therapy, attempt to help individuals see the misconceptions they hold in their subjective view of reality.
If those views are corrected, the individual will feel better about themselves.

Psych as a Science: Modern Era - Socio-Cultural
Focuses on the diversity of the human experience
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Context (developmental)
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Influence of groups (social)
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Applied aspect (forensic psychology)
Human behavior does not occur in a vacuum & groups, cultures, and situations all have impact on human behavior.
Behavior can be predicted by the presence or absence of another person.

YouTube: Schallhorn on Psychology Approaches

YouTube: Paul Bloom The Psychology of Everything (48 min)

Growth of Psychology
Wars of 20th Century: (WWI, WWII, Vietnam, Korea, etc.) created huge demand for mental testing of military recruits.
50s & 60s : Advances in study of cognition led to renewed interest in mental processes.
80s: saw a growth in cultural factors influencing behavior. Trend sparked by growing global interdependence & cultural diversity.
90s: Emergence of new theoretical perspective: evolutionary psychology . Patterns of behavior are the product of evolutionary forces & natural selection favors behaviors that enhance reproductive success.
2000s: Emergence of “Positive Psychology” : study of strengths & virtues that enable individuals & communities to thrive. The psychology of positive human functioning, which achieves scientific understanding to find a fulfilling life.

Psychology Today: Vigorous & Diversified
Psychology : Science that studies behavior & physiological & cognitive processes that underlie it.
Psych. is a profession that applies the accumulated knowledge of this science to practical problems.
Contemporary psychology is multifaceted
& spread throughout mainstream society that has seen rapid growth.