What is Psychology?
Psychology = the
scientific study of
behavior and mental
processes.
Such study can involve both animal and human behaviors. Feel, think,
and do.
Why should we study
Psychology?
Psychology can help us
• understand our own behavior
• understand social dynamics
• understand we aren’t alone in our
feelings
• understand how to train / use
incentives (motivate)
• understand how we learn / use
memory tools…
Psychologists have 4 goals:
1. Describe Behavior
2. Explain Behavior
3. Predict Behavior
4. Influence Behavior
1. Describe Behavior
First goal for any scientist or psychologist;
•
describe or gather information about the
behavior being studied and to present what is
known.
Plato 387 BC
Greek philosophers
decided people have
minds and control
their own behavior.
Aristotle 335 BC
5th Century BC
Socrates
But what is the MIND?
Many early philosophers
believed in…
Dualism = theory that mind and
body are distinct and separate.
Rene Decartes
argued the mind
and body are distinct
but must be linked.
17th Century
The term Psychology
was first used in 1853
Elements of Psychology
By J D Morell
The first lab was set up
to study Psychology in
1879.
Wilhelm Wundt
“Father of Experimental Psychology”
Wundt enabled
Psychologists to
reach another GOAL:
2. Explain Behavior
2. Explain Behavior:
Psychologists are not content simply to state
the facts. Rather, they also seek to explain why
people (or animals) behave as they do.
-Hypothesis.
-Theory.
How did Wundt study
cognitive (private,
unobservable mental)
behaviour?
Cognitive: having to do with an organism’s thinking and understanding
Physiological: having to do with and organism’s physical processes.
People self-report their thoughts and
feelings using introspection (look
inside).
Introspection: A method of self-observation in which
participants report their thoughts and
feelings.
Introspection
Scientific Method
The Scientific Method
What am I so tired?
Sleep patters/hours?
If I only get 4 hours of sleep will
I be tired for work? Compared
to 8 hours?
Sleep 4 hours/8 hours
What is the difference
between a Hypothesis and
a Theory?
Hypothesis = educated guess
about behavior that is tested
through scientific research.
Example: an experiment designed to look at the
relationship between study habits and test anxiety
might have a hypothesis that states,
"We predict that students with better study habits will
suffer less test anxiety.”
Your hypothesis should always explain what you
expect to happen during the course of your
experiment or research.
Theory = a complex explanation based
on many scientific studies
A theory arises from repeated observation and testing and
incorporates facts, laws, predictions, and tested
hypotheses that are widely accepted.
A theory has been extensively tested and is generally accepted,
while a hypothesis is a speculative guess that has yet to be tested.
When Psychologists
have a THEORY, they
can reach another
GOAL:
3. Predict Behavior
3. Predict Behavior:
To predict, as a result of accumulated knowledge, what
organisms will do and, in case of humans, what they will
think or feel in various situations.
Other Psychologists
use these theories to
reach the last GOAL:
4. Influence Behavior
4. Influence Behavior:
Finally, some psychologists seek to influence
behavior in helpful ways.
- Basic science vs. applied science
Basic Science:
Some Psychologists seek to influence behavior in helpful
ways. They are conducting studies with a long-term goal of
finding out more about human or animal behavior.
*Pursuit of knowledge for its own sake. Perhaps is
may become useful later.
Ex. Why do we study the soil on mars, it's not like we were going to
plant something there, but it's just good to know.
Applied Science:
More interested in discovering ways to use what
we already know about people to benefit others.
*Using psychology principles to solve problems
Ex. learn of an area's terrain to understand what plant it is
suitable for.
Section Quiz 1-1
You are probably asking
yourself how many theories
about behavior are there?
How many can you name/describe?
Historical ______?
Contemporary______?
There are
4 Historical
and
6 Contemporary
Approaches
Use Graphic Organizer 1 to document them
1. Structuralism
Human experience can be
broken down into basic
elements of consciousness
Wundt
(1832-1920)
Ask how you feel..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SW6nm69Z_IE&index=4&list=PLn7y6NU57Hy7aXQSXVgJadwaF_TxnarS
2. Functionalism
William James
(1842-1910)
People and animals adapt to
their environments. Behaviors
help them survive.
“The greatest discovery of my generation is that a human being can alter
his life by altering his attitudes.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ufqOe0_pres&list=PL76F82C863E380422
3. Inheritable Traits
Heredity influences ability,
character, and behaviour.
Genius/greatness runs in families.
Eugenics: study to improve human population
First to use questionnaires and surveys.
Sir Francis Galton
(1822-1911)
4. Gestalt = whole form
Early 20th century
German psychologists
- 3 German Scientists
Sensations are assembled into
perceptual experiences. Perception
is more than the sum of its parts.
Figure-ground perception
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZWucNQawpWY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZkWnj2KAVF0&list=PL1C7F61610C1DC7F3&index=1
Gestalt Pictures
Psychoanalytic Psychology
Unconscious motives and
conflicts determine human
behaviour.
Sigmund Freud
(1856-1939)
Dream Analysis
Free Association: anything that comes to mind
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JNN-gU25w8Q
Count the number of 'F's in the following
text:
FINISHED FILES ARE THE RE- SULT OF
YEARS OF SCIENTIF- IC STUDY
COMBINED WITH THE EXPERIENCE OF
YEARS
A Freudian slip is a verbal or memory
mistake that is believed to be linked to the
unconscious mind.
Common examples include an individual
calling his or her spouse by an ex’s name,
saying the wrong word or even
misinterpreting a written or spoken word.
Behavioural Psychology
Ivan Pavlov
(1849-1936)
Behavior is learned or
modified in response to the
environment.
Classical
Conditioning
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hhqumfpxuzI
Classical Conditioning
How Classical Conditioning Works:
-Ivan Pavlov noticed dogs began to salivate in response to a tone after
the sound had been repeatedly paired with the presentation of food.
Pavlov quickly realized that this was a learned response and set out to
further investigate the conditioning process.
- Classical conditioning involves pairing a previously neutral stimulus
(such as the sound of a bell) with an unconditioned stimulus (the taste of
food). This unconditioned stimulus naturally and automatically triggers
salivating as a response to the food, which is known as the
unconditioned response.
- After associating the neutral stimulus and the unconditioned stimulus,
the sound of the bell alone will start to evoke salivating as a response.
The sound of the bell is now known as the conditioned stimulus and
salivating in response to the bell is known as the conditioned response.
Operate Conditioning
Operant conditioning focuses on using either reinforcement or
punishment to increase or decrease a behavior. (reward)
Through this process, an association is formed between the behavior and
the consequences for that behavior.
For example, imagine that a trainer is trying to teach a dog to fetch a ball.
When the dog successful chases and picks up the ball, the dog receives
praise as a reward. When the animal fails to retrieve the ball, the trainer
withholds the praise.
Eventually, the dog forms an association between his behavior of
fetching the ball and receiving the desired reward.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H6LEcM0E0io
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mt4N9GSBoMI
Behavioural Psychology
John Watson
(1878-1958)
Behavior is learned or
modified in response to the
environment.
Only observable behaviour
(not the unconscious) should
be studied.
Little Albert
Behavioural Psychology
B F Skinner
(1904-1990)
Operant
Conditioning
Reinforcement
Behavior is learned or
modified in response to the
environment.
Humanistic Psychology
Human behavior is selfdirected.
Self- Actualization
Abram Maslow
(1908-1970)
Hierarchy of Needs
Humanistic Psychology
Human behavior is selfdirected.
Carl Rogers
(1902-1987)
Perception
Memory
Thinking
Speaking
Problem Solving
Cognitive Psychology
Human behaviour is rationally
motivated, based on mental
processes (how information is processed,
stored, retrieved and used).
Intellectual
development
Jean Piaget
(1896-1980)
Language
development
Noam Chomsky
(1928)
Psychobiology/ Biological
Psychology
Physiological changes
influence behaviour.
Changes in your body will change your behavior
Sociocultural Psychology
Ethnicity, gender, culture, and
socioeconomic status
influence behaviour.
Section Quiz 1-2
So what exactly do
Psychologists do?
Psychologists are trained to:
• Observe, analyse and evaluate behaviour
• Develop theories of behaviour
• Apply knowledge to influence behaviour
Most psychologists study everyday
behaviours.
Psychologists work in a variety of
settings.
Where do you think?
Clinical psychologist – diagnoses and
treats people with psychological disorders
Most common
Counselling psychologist – usually works in schools or
business to help people with everyday problems
Developmental psychologist – studies changes in
behaviour (emotional, physical, cognitive, language, social,
moral) as people mature
Educational psychologist – studies learning
Community psychologist – works in mental health clinic
or social welfare agency
Industrial / organizational psychologist – works to improve workplace,
guides training and evaluation, evaluates employee behaviour
Experimental psychologist – tests sensation,
perception, learning, motivation, emotion in a
carefully controlled lab
Biological psychologist (psychobiolgist) – studies the brain
and nervous system using imaging technology
Environmental psychologist – studies the effects of the
environment on society and health
Forensic psychologist – works in the legal system (i.e.
expert witness) or criminal behaviour (profiler)
Health psychologist – studies the link between
physical and mental health
Section Quiz 1-3