Psychology 110:
General Psychology
Ann Voorhies
What is Psychology?
Psychology
• Psychology is the scientific study of behavior
and mental processes
• General Psychology is an introduction to this
field
– Topics to be explored include:
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Research methods used in Psychology
Learning & Memory
Thinking & Intelligence
Sensation & Perception
Motivation
Personality
Social behavior
Abnormal behavior
Psychology
• Psychology examines both human and
animal behavior
• This course will focus on human behavior,
but will also examine animal behavior in a
variety of topics
What to expect in Psych 110
• Classes will include lectures, films,
discussions and activities
– Each class will move quickly - come prepared!
• Do all assigned reading before class
• Test yourself with the review quizzes found
throughout the text
• As you read, make a few notes summarizing the
reading in your own words
What to expect in Psych 110
• You are responsible for all material
– Some material will be covered in both the
reading and lecture
– Some lectures will include new material not in
the text
– Some material will only be presented in the
readings
• Therefore - it is important for you to attend class
AND keep up with the reading!
Course goals
• Learning about psychology - the science
of our mental processes and behavior - is
different from experiencing psychology in
the real world!
– In this course, you will develop a knowledge
base about psychology, along with the skills to
apply that knowledge to your own real-world
experiences
Course goals
• You will
– Acquire knowledge about psychology as a
scientific study
– Learn about psychology actively through
experience and interactions
– Expand your skills in critical thinking and
writing
– Develop the skills to recognize and utilize
psychological concepts in your every-day
experience
Attendance and Participation
• If you will miss a class for any reason
– You are responsible for all information missed
– Do NOT ask me if you missed anything in
class. The answer is YES.
• Get the information you need from another student
in the class
– Do NOT me for permission to miss class,
leave early, or arrive late
• You are responsible for yourself
Attendance and Participation
• Check your email at least once per day
– Important information will be communicated
via email
• Being aware of this information is part of being
prepared for class
Attendance and Participation
• You will be graded on the quality of your
class participation
• Attendance will not be recorded
– However - quality participation does rely on
regular attendance
Attendance and Participation
• Quality participation includes:
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Coming to class on time, on a regular basis
Coming to class prepared
Participating in class activities and discussions
Respectful classroom behavior
• Paying attention to the instructor AND your classmates
• Carefully considering what others have to say, and
responding respectfully
• No cell phones/texting/using a computer other than to take
notes
• No talking/passing notes with your neighbor
Attendance and Participation
• Please keep in mind that this is a college
class
– Not a therapy session, debate club, or
personal forum
• Quality participation includes active
listening and contributions that are ontopic and to-the-point
Tests
• 4 tests throughout the quarter
• Lowest grade will be dropped
– No make-up tests given
– Missed test = 0 points = dropped grade
– It is your right and responsibility to decide
when and why a test might be missed
• You do NOT need to contact me regarding
a missed test
Tests
• Tests will cover material from lecture,
reading and activities
– You are responsible for all material, including
material not written in the posted lecture notes
Tests
• To study for tests
– Review your class notes and your notes on
the reading
– Use the materials on the text’s companion
website for further review
– Use the quizzes on the text’s companion
website to practice for our in-class exams
Final exam
• The final exam will be worth 75 points, 50
points on material covered since test #4,
and 25 points on cumulative material
• Everyone MUST take the final at the
scheduled time
Assignments
• Four written assignments will incorporate class
material with active learning
– Each assignment will be distributed in class and
posted on the class website
• All assignments are due in class on the date
listed in the syllabus
– Late assignments will lose 2 points for each date late
– Assignments found to contain plagiarized material will
receive 0 points.
• Read the syllabus for a full definition of plagiarism
• It is your responsibility to know what constitutes plagiarism!
Writing in Psych 110
• College-level writing skills are critical for
success in General Psychology (and all of
college!)
– Placement in ENG 101 is recommended
– The LOFT writing center can help develop
skills
• 4 writing assignments due throughout the
quarter
– Work must be organized, detailed and concise
Organize before writing
• To organize your thoughts into cohesive
written papers, start by outlining the paper
– Introduction with thesis statement
– Supporting paragraphs
• ~3 paragraphs
• Each paragraph should make a specific point in
support of your thesis
– Conclusion
• See class website for example of hierarchical outline
Organize before writing
• Fill in your outline with details to support
each point
– Each supporting paragraph should contain
specific details to illustrate your point
While writing…
• Incorporate the details listed in your
outline into concise sentences that follow
the organization of your outline.
• Aim to incorporate 2-3 pieces of
information into each sentence
– However - it is okay to write 2 concise
sentences to avoid one run-on sentence
In-class practice: Part I
• List 3 interesting things about yourself
– Example: I have a Ph.D.
In-class practice: Part II
• Give 3 specific details about each item
– Example:
1. My Ph.D. is in psychology in the area of
behavioral neuroscience.
2. From the University of Washington.
3. I studied motivation for rewards.
In-class practice: Part III
• Incorporate the details listed into 3
concise, descriptive sentences.
– Example:
I did my graduate studies on reward
motivation and received a Ph.D. from the
University of Washington’s Psychology
department, in the area of behavioral
neuroscience.
The science of psychology
• Psychology is the scientific study of
behavior and mental processes
– Behavior - observable, measurable states and
actions
– Mental processes - subjective states
• e.g., thoughts, feelings, sensations, perceptions,
memories, dreams, motives, etc.
– Science - objective approach to answer
questions
• Based on observable facts, data, and reliable
methods
Roots of psychology
• Greek philosophers
– Plato
• Nativism - humans possess all knowledge at birth
• Rationalism - humans gain access to knowledge
with the development of logic and reasoning
– Aristotle
• Empiricism - the senses are the source of
knowledge, which grows with experience
– Tabula rasa
– Modern learning theory
Roots of psychology
• Renaissance philosophers
– Descartes
• Early modern rationalism - human dualism
separates the mind and body
– Mind controls the body at the pineal gland in the brain
– Locke
• Early modern empiricist - knowledge comes from
experience; ideas are not innate
– Supports a role for environment and experience in the
development of knowledge and personality
Roots of psychology
• Philosophy meets biology
– Early studies of the nervous system lead to
the discovery of the interaction between the
brain and behavior
• Galvani - discovered that nerves carry electrical
impulses throughout the brain and body
• Muller - proposed that the brain is divided into
functional regions dedicated to different neural
input and output
Roots of psychology
• Charles Darwin
– Theory of evolution
• Advantageous variations will improve the chances
of passing along genes to the next generation
• Deleterious variations will decrease the chances of
passing along genes to the next generation
– Theory originally focused on physical traits,
but has been applied to behavioral traits as
well
Roots of psychology
• Pavlov
– Pioneered the study of learning after his
discovery of classical conditioning
• Freud
– Proposed a seminal theory on the origins of
personality
Origins of modern psychology
• Experimental psychology
– Wilhelm Wundt - “father of psychology” began the first psychology laboratory in 1879
• Tested human experience of sensations and
perceptions
• Used “introspection” as a tool to examine one’s
own experiences and mental processes
Origins of modern psychology
• Behaviorism
– Replaced experimental psychology in the
1920s
– John Watson
• Emphasized the study of observable behaviors
and outcomes
– B.F. Skinner
• Made significant contributions to behaviorism and
learning theory with myriad studies of animal
behavior
Origins of modern psychology
• Humanistic psychology
– 1960s - response to the clinical approach of
psychoanalytic psychology
– Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow
• Focused on an individual’s need for safety,
support, love and fulfillment
Origins of modern psychology
• Cognitive psychology
– 1960s - response to the mechanistic
approach of behaviorism
– Jean Piaget
• Studied the cognitive and intellectual development
of children
– Many other modern psychologists have
contributed to the field with work on
perception, learning, memory, language and
many other mental processes
Current perspectives in psychology
• Psychodynamic perspective
– How unconscious drives and conflicts
determine the adult mind and behavior
Current perspectives in psychology
• Biological perspective
– How the nervous system directs, and is
influenced by, behavior.
– Also considers the role of genetics and
evolution in the development of brain and
behavior.
Current perspectives in psychology
• Behaviorism/Learning perspective
– How the individual responds to the
environment and learns observable
responses
Current perspectives in psychology
• Cognitive perspective
– The mental processes involved in encoding,
processing, storing and retrieving information
Current perspectives in psychology
• Sociocultural perspective
– How behavior and mental processes vary
across situations, environments, cultures and
time
Current perspectives in psychology
• These perspectives are rarely kept strictly
separated
– Most of the study of psychology draws from a
few or more of these perspectives in order to
reach the most fully-informed, well-considered
conclusions
Levels of analysis
• Three main levels of analysis are used
together to consider the origins of a given
behavior or mental process
– Biological influences
– Psychological influences
– Sociocultural influences
Levels of analysis
• Biological influences
– genetic
predispositions/mutations/abnormalities
– natural selection of adaptive physiology and
behaviors
– gene/environment interactions
– structural/chemical/endocrine function or
abnormalities
Levels of analysis
• Psychological influences
– learned responses (e.g., fears, expectations)
– innate emotional responses
– cognitive processing and perceptions
Levels of analysis
• Socio-cultural influences
– presence of others
– cultural, societal, family expectations
– peer and other group influences
– compelling environmental forces (e.g., media)
Levels of analysis
• The interaction between these loci of
analysis can explain a behavior or mental
process much better than just one
perspective could!
– More perspectives drawn from
– More details included
– More questions raised to be answered
What do psychologists do?
• Research
– Biological or Physiological – studies the connections
between the brain/nervous system and
behavior/mental processes
• Example – A physiological psychologist might study the
behavioral outcome of a drug that affects the brain.
– Developmental – studies the various changes that
occur between birth and death
• Example – a developmental psychologist might study the
changes that take place as an adolescent progresses toward
mature decision making.
What do psychologists do?
• Research
– Cognitive – studies mental processes, such as
perception, learning, thinking and language
• Example – a cognitive psychologist might study the ability of
subjects to accurately recall a true memory which has been
linked to inaccurate information
– Personality – studies the similarities, differences,
stability and change in human traits
• Example – a personality psychologist might study individuals’
need for social interaction in an increasingly electronic world
– Social – studies interactions between individuals and
groups, and how these interactions affect those
involved
• Example – a social psychologist might study the effects of
institutionalized sexism on the employees of a large
corporation
What do psychologists do?
• Applied psychology
– Clinical psychologist – assesses, diagnoses
and treats people with psychological disorders
• NOT the same as a psychiatrist!
– Counseling psychologist – works with people
to help them cope with and overcome social,
emotional and psychological challenges
What do psychologists do?
• Applied psychology
– Educational psychologist – works with
students in school settings
– Industrial/organizational psychologist –
studies and consults on behavior and
environment in the workplace
Next class: How do psychologists study
behavior and mental processes?