psychology hypothesisscientific method structuralistfunctionalist psychoanalystbehaviorist cognitivistshumanist psychologistpsychiatristclinical psychologistcounseling psychologist

Create a list of at least 10 questions (about anything... you, your friends, family, animals, the world, etc.) that you think the study of psychology can help answer.

                                                                                                            

                    

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 _____ (you fill in the blank)?Why do I get down or up when my favorite song comes on the radio?Why did I cheat on my test...my boyfriend...my girlfriend... my diet?Why do I get so tired or maybe bored in a class? (not in here, right?)Do my dreams really mean anything?Does hypnosis really work?

Psyche – “the soul”Logos – the study of a subject

The scientific study of behavior & mental processes (everything we think, feel & do)

Explain thefollowing (p.

10 –11):1.Description

–2.Explanation

–3.Prediction –4.Influence –

1. Describe/gather info about behavior being studied

2. Explain why people behave as they do (propose as hypotheses)

3. Predict what will be done & what they think or feel in various situations (study past to predict future)

4. Influence behavior in helpful ways by conducting studies

Psychologists rely on the scientific method Identify a problem/question

Formulate a hypothesis

Collect data through observation & experimentation

Analyze the data & draw conclusions

2 EARLY SCHOOLS OF THOUGHT:2 EARLY SCHOOLS OF THOUGHT:

1. William Wundt (1832-1920)– University of Leipzig, Germany– Established modern psychology

as a separate field of study– A structuralist• Study/observe the basic elements that make up

conscious mental experiences• “What goes on inside our minds”

2. William James (1842-1910)– “Father of psychology in the

United States”– A functionalist

• Study/investigate the function or purpose (not structure) of consciousness & behaviors & how people adapt to their environments

1st psychologists were interested in understanding the conscious mind

New, contemporary approaches emerged:

•Sigmund Freud (1856-1939)–A psychoanalyst–Emphasized how unconscious

(outside awareness) motives & conflicts influence behavior

–Used free association technique

• John B. Watson (1878-1958)–A behaviorist–Analyze how organisms

learn/modify their behavior based on responses to events (stimuli) in the environment

–Psychology should only concern itself only w/ the observable facts of behavior

–All behavior is a result of conditioning

oAbraham Maslow, Carl Rogers, Rollo May–Response to the

behaviorists–Humanists–Humans are not

controlled by events in the environment or unconscious forces

–Each person has freedom in directing his/her future & achieving personal growth

Jean Piaget, Noam Chomsky, Leon Festinger•Cognitivists•Study how we process, store, retrieve & use information

•Focus on thinking, language, problem solving & creativity

•Behavior influenced by perceptions, memories & expectations

• Psychologist – scientist who studies the mind & behavior

• Psychiatrist – a medical doctor who treats people w/ mental, emotional, or behavioral disorders; can prescribe medication or operate on patients

Psychologist vs. Psychiatrist: What’s the difference?

The 2 most popular:1.Clinical psychologists

Help people deal w/ personal problems

Treat people w/ emotional disturbances

Work in private offices, mental hospitals, prisons & clinics

2.Counseling psychologists Advise & assist people w/

problems of everyday life Work in schools or industrial firms

Copy & complete the following chart:

Type of Psychologist

Job Description

School psych.

Social psych.

Developmental psych.

Educational psych.

Community psych.

Industrial/organizational psych.

Environmental psych.

Psychobiologists

Forensic psych.

Health psych.

Experimental psych.