#1 Warm UP: What is
Psychology?
What is your definition?
How would you define it?
Write it out.
Then we will share it & improve the
definition.
What is
Psychology?
Psyche – meaning the soul
Logos – referring to the study
of a subject
“The study of the mind.”
Has a foundation in
philosophy & physiology
Psychology is defined as
the scientific study of the
behavior of individuals &
their mental processes.
UNIT 1 - History/Evolution of
Psychology
The Evolution of
Psychology
From Speculation to Science:
How Psychology Developed
Psychology Today:
Vigorous & Diversified
Have you
ever
wondered
…
Why do I like the people, food, or music that I like?
Or, why do I NOT like certain things or have an irrational fear of
certain things, like spiders, heights, or public speaking?
Why do I feel a sudden boost in mood when my favorite song
comes on the radio?
Why did I cheat on my test…
my diet, my boyfriend or my girlfriend?
Why do I get so tired or maybe bored in a certain class?
(of course not in psychology though)
Or… Have you ever
wondered?
Are first-born children more driven to achieve?
Only children? The middle child?
Does handwriting offer any clues to my
personality?
Do my dreams really mean anything?
Does hypnosis really work?
Why my family or my relationships look so
dysfunctional at times and what to do about it?
What is Psychology?
• Psychology is the scientific study of behavior and mental
processes
– Mental processes: Internal, subjective experiences we infer
from behavior
• Examples: thoughts, dreams, perceptions, sensations, beliefs or
feelings
– Behavior: Anything an organism does. Behavior is observable
• Examples: smiling, yelling blinking, sweating talking
• Goals of Psychology
–
–
–
–
Observe
Describe
Predict
Control/Influence
• Basic
• Applied
How does Psychology relate to Science?
• Psychology is a social science, but still a
SCIENCE
– Psychologists use the scientific method
– Scientific Method: Process of gaining knowledge
by identifying problems, forming hypothesis, and
then testing hypothesis with observation,
experimentation and analysis
Why Study Psychology?
• Application to everyday life
• Gain insight into behavior (yours and others)
Big Issues in
Psychology
Stability vs. Change
Rationality vs. Irrationality
Nature vs. Nurture
Stability vs.
Change
Do we change over time in
distinct and universal
stages or do we basically
remain the same drooling,
slobbering, simple beings
of our beginnings?
Do these things change?
Personality traits, sense of humor,
tastes, etc…
Can a shy child become the teenage
class clown?
Do we become adults or are we
always just big kids?
Do our personalities change in
different situations?
Rationality vs. Irrationality
Are we wise or not?
Why do we do things that are bad for us
when we know they are bad?
We screw up, we make mistakes, and we lose
sight of good judgment
But, we often don’t change behavior, we don’t
seem rational
Nature vs. Nurture
Am I the way I am because I
was born that way or
because of my
surroundings?
Biology (genes) vs.
Experience
Can I ever be
like these
people, or
does nature
give me
limitations?
History of Psychology
• Although the science of psychology started in the
late 1800’s, the concept has been around a lot
longer.
• There was evidence of trephination (cutting holes
into a skull to let evil spirits out) back in the stone
age.
It was like a bad SAW movie!!!!
Psychology hopes to predict & control human behavior.
But, it does so within different approaches.
There is not a single agreed upon method.
Pre-Scientific Psychology
How are ideas formed?
Some Ideas are Inborn:
Socrates & Plato
The Mind is a Blank Slate:
Aristotle & Locke
What are the Origins of Psychology?
• Greek Philosophers
– Socrates and Plato first conceive the mind as
separate and distinct from the body
• Enlightenment Philosophers
– Rene Descartes: early ideas of the nervous
system and natural instincts in the physical
world.
– John Locke develops Blank Slate Theory: men
are shaped by experience, not predisposition
– Locke and Francis Bacon came up with
empiricism
• Empiricism: idea that knowledge and science
should rely on observation and experimentation
YouTube: Psych 101 -- Modern Roots of Psychology
History of Psychology
Phrenology – Examining bumps
on the skull to determine
intellect and character traits (19th
century)
Past attempts at understanding
human behavior (weird or not) have
led to what we know today and
shaped the current Approaches to
Psychology
STOP 
Waves of Psychology
• The science of psychology has gone
through waves since it started.
• Waves are different ways of thinking
over time.
Structuralism & Introspection
Kickin’ it old school
•Started with William Wundt’s first psychological
laboratory and his concept of introspection
(structuralism). (1832-1920) **Father of
Psychology
Structuralism: Identify the parts that make
up consciousness & the mind
★ Declared psychology should be a
‘science’
★ Used empirical methods
★ Focus for Wundt – consciousness
(awareness of immediate experience)
★ Wundt: Tremendous following- N.
These guys were
considered hot, back in
the day!!!!
Functionalism - “Kickin it old school”
William James (1842-1910)
“1st American Psychologist”
Wrote: “The Principles of Psychology” &
discussed functionalism.
Criticized Wundt’s ideas for being
too narrow.
Influenced by Darwin, interested in
understanding how consciousness (like
thoughts and feelings) functioned to help
people adapt to their environments.
Structuralism vs. Functionalism
Structuralism – task of psychology is to analyze
consciousness into its basic elements & how they
relate. (Titchener continued Wundt's Work)
Dependent on introspection – careful, systematic
self-observation of one’s own conscious experience.
Favored lab experiments
Functionalism – psychology should investigate the
function or purpose of consciousness, rather than its
structure. (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.
Edward Titchener
Favored how people adapt to real world situations
Generally thought that functionalism won out and then
spawned the more modern –
Applied Psychology & Behaviorism
William James
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.
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.
Gestalt Example
When you look at a chair, you don’t see a flat
surface and metal bars. You see the chair as a
whole.
Psych as a Science:
Modern Era - Psychoanalysis
1st to focus on abnormal behaviors
Sigmund Freud (1856-1939)
Psychoanalysis
★ Believed all behavior & mental processes
are directed by unconscious forces: which
we are not fully aware.
★ Problems arise from unresolved conflict in
the unconscious mind.
Used Free Association & Dream
Analysis to explore the unconscious.
Freud’s ideas were (and 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 soon.
Behaviorism
• During this time period (early to mid 1900s), people started to
ignore how you feel inside.
• All that mattered was how you acted.
• If you they could change your behavior, who cares how you feel.
• Very popular during the conservative 1950’s when social
appearance mattered more than self expression.
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
Focus on Observed behaviors: any
overt/observable response or activity by an
organism
Watson also shined a light on nature versus nurture
Behaviorists look for stimulus – any
detectable input from the environment.
Behavior approach is often referred to as (SR) 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.
Working with lab rats & pigeons, he 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 is often thought to be the most or
one of the most influential contributors to
psychology. **much more on behaviorism in the chapter on “Learning.”
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.
Cognitive Perspective
• Focuses on how we
think (or encode
information)
• How do we see the
world?
• How did we learn to act
to sad or happy events?
• Cognitive Therapist
attempt to change the
way you think.
You meet a girl…
Hopes are high!!!
She rejects
you…don’t even
get digits.
How do you react to the rejection?
Some learned get back on Some learned to give up
the horse
and live a lonely life of
And try again.
solitude.
Psych as a Science: Modern Era Humanism
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 (19081970)
– prominent humanists in psychology
Psych as a Science: Modern Era Humanism
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 - SocioCultural
Focuses on the diversity of the human experience
★ Context (developmental)
★ Influence of groups (social)
★ 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
Growth of Psychology
The Wars of the 20th Century (WWI, WWII, Vietnam, Korea, etc.)
created a huge demand for mental testing of military recruits.
1950s & 60s saw advances in study of cognition led to renewal
of interest in mental processes.
1980s saw a growth in cultural factors influencing behavior.
Trend sparked by growing global interdependence & cultural
diversity.
1990s witnessed emergence of new theoretical perspective
called evolutionary psychology. Patterns of behavior are the
product of evolutionary forces & natural selection favors
behaviors that enhance reproductive success.
2000s saw the emergence of “Positive Psychology” the study
of the strengths and virtues that enable individuals &
communities to thrive. It is the psychology of positive human
functioning, which achieves scientific understanding to find a
fulfilling life.
Psychology Today: Vigorous &
Diversified
Psychology – the science that studies
behavior & the physiological &
cognitive processes that underlie it.
It is the 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.
Approaches to Psychology Group Skit
• Each group will be assigned one of the
approaches we discussed.
• You groups will need to develop a skit to
demonstrate the approach.
**You can read more about each approach in
the textbook!!
**Everyone in the group must be involved in the
skit!