Introduction and History of
Psychology
Chapter 1
History of Psychology
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What Is Psychology – and What Is It Not?
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Psychology is a broad field, with many specialties, but
fundamentally, psychology is the science of behavior and
mental processes.
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uuvGh_n3I_M
History of Psychology

What Is Psychology – and What Is It Not?
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Psychology :
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The scientific study of behavior and mental processes
Psychology is not:
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Mere speculation about human nature
A body of folk wisdom about people that “everybody knows” to be
true
What Is Psychology –
and What Is It Not?
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Psychology disputes unfounded claims from pseudo
psychology.
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Horoscopes, “false” rediscovered memories.
Pseudo psychology –
Erroneous assertions of practices set forth as being scientific
psychology.
Historical Roots
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What are Psychology’s historical roots?
Historical Approaches
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Structuralism: focused on revealing the most basic
“structures” of the mind.
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Mid 1800’s: Charles Darwin
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He suggested a biological kinship btw humans and animals.
Chemistry: Whilem Wundt
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Scientist had noticed patterns in properties of the chemical elements
that led them to develop the periodic table
Wundt wondered could a similar process be applied to simplify our
understanding of the mid?
Wilhelm Wundt
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1879 Wundt established the first institute for
psychological research at the University of Leipzig.
Wundt and his students began to conduct studies on
what they supposed to be the “elements” of
consciousness.
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Sensation and perception, memory, emotion, etc.
Introspection: process of reporting on one’s own
conscious mental experience.
Historical Approaches
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Functionalism: Focus on Function
William James:
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Critic of Wundt
Argued that Psychology should include the function of
Consciousness, not just the structure.
“Stream of Consciousness” as a mental process that had no
static structure, but was continually flowing, changing, and
interacting with the environment.
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Adapting
Historical Approaches
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Gestalt Psychology: Focus on the WHOLE instead of the
parts.
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Opposite of structuralism.
Gestalt Psychologists were interested in how we construct
“perceptual wholes”.
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Such as our perception of a face.
Relied on introspection.
Historical Approaches
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Behaviorism: Eliminate the mind and focus on BEHAVIOR
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John B. Watson*:
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Argued that a true and objective science of psychology should deal
solely with observable events:
Stimuli from the environment and the organism’s response.
Behaviorism should be the science of BEHAVIOR not the mind.
Cared nothing about what people were thinking, instead they wanted
to know how people would act.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMnhyGozLyE
Historical Approaches
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Psychoanalysis: Focus on the UNCONSCIOUS mind.
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Sigmund Freud *
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Asserted that mental disorders arise from conflicts in the
unconscious mind.
Psychoanalytic: method of treating mental disorders.
*Still a force today.
Modern Approaches
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Nine main perspectives characterize modern psychology:
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Biological
Developmental
Cognitive
Psychodynamic
Humanistic
Behavioral
Socio-cultural
Evolutionary
Trait
Biological Perspective
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View of Human Nature:
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We are complex systems that respond to hereditary and
environmental influences.
What Determines Behavior:
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Neural structures, biochemistry, and inborn responses to
external cues.
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Our physical makeup and the operation of our brain influences our
personality and behavior.
What does this mean? Use your own words.
Developmental Perspective
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View of Human Nature:
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We undergo predictable patterns of change throughout our
lives.
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What Determines Behavior:
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Interaction between heredity and environment.
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Ex: Childhood, adolescence, adulthood.
Ex: Nature v. Nurture
Describe this perspective in your own words.
Cognitive Perspective
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View of Human Nature:
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People are information-processing systems.
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What Determines Behavior:
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mental processes like sensation, perception, learning, memory, and
language, all influence behavior.
Mental interpretation of our experience.
Describe this perspective in your own words.
Psychodynamic Perspective
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View of Human Nature:
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We are driven by dark forces of the unconscious.
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What Determines Behavior:
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Unconscious needs, conflicts, repressed memories, and
childhood experiences.
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FREUD! (unconscious, sexual, desires influence behavior)
Emphasizes the treatment of mental disorders over scientific
research.
Describe this approach in your OWN words.
Humanistic Perspective
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View of Human Nature:
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Emphasizes human growth and potential.
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What Determines Behavior:
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Abraham Maslow, Carl Rogers
Perfect Flower
The influence of self-concept, perceptions, and interpersonal
relationships, and on need for personal growth.
Describe this perspective in your OWN words.
Behavioral Perspective
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View of Human Nature:
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Behavior is primarily shaped by learning. We should look for
the causes of behavior in our environment rather than in the
biology of our mind.
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John B. Watson, B.F. Skinner
What Determines Behavior:
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Stimulus cues and our history of rewards and punishments.
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Study the person from the outside only, focusing only on what they
can directly observe.
Describe this perspective in your OWN words.
Sociocultural Perspective
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View of Human Nature:
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What Determines Behavior:
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People are social animals, so human behavior must be
interpreted in social context.
Cultures, social norms and expectations, social learning.
How are social influences different across cultures? Give
examples!
Describe in your OWN words!
Evolutionary/Sociobiological Perspective
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View of Human Nature:
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Behavior is developed and adapted over time.
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What Determines Behavior:
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Natural selection, survival of the fittest.
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Charles Darwin
What does this mean?
Describe in your OWN words!
Trait Perspective
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View of Human Nature:
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Individual differences result from differences in our underlying
patterns of stable characteristics.
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What Determines Behavior:
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Examples: Laid back, moody, what else?
Each person’s unique combination of traits.
Describe in YOUR own words.
Think, Pair, and Share
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Which approach do you like or agree with most, why?
Which approach do you dislike the most? Why?