Chapter 1 – Introducing Chapter 1 – Introducing PsychologyPsychology

Section 1 - Why Study PsychologySection 1 - Why Study PsychologySection 2 – A Brief History in Section 2 – A Brief History in

PsychologyPsychologySection 3 – Psychology as a Section 3 – Psychology as a

ProfessionProfession

Section 1 – Why Study Section 1 – Why Study PsychologyPsychology

Lesson Objective: Describe how, Lesson Objective: Describe how, through the study of psychology, through the study of psychology, people can discover psychological people can discover psychological principles that have the potential to principles that have the potential to enrich the lives of humans.enrich the lives of humans.

Why Study Psychology?Why Study Psychology?

Psychology can provide useful insight Psychology can provide useful insight into behaviorinto behavior

You can acquire useful informationYou can acquire useful information

Overview of PsychologyOverview of Psychology PsychologyPsychology is the scientific study of is the scientific study of

behavior and mental processes.behavior and mental processes. Such study can involve both animal and human Such study can involve both animal and human

behaviorsbehaviors Psychologists differ on how much importance Psychologists differ on how much importance

they place on different types of behavior.they place on different types of behavior. Some believe that you should study behavior that Some believe that you should study behavior that

you can only see , observe and measure directlyyou can only see , observe and measure directly Some psychologists believe that our thoughts , Some psychologists believe that our thoughts ,

feelings and fantasies are also important even feelings and fantasies are also important even though they are not directly observable.though they are not directly observable.

They all believe however that the study They all believe however that the study behavior must be systematic by using the behavior must be systematic by using the scientific methodscientific method..

The Goals of PsychologyThe Goals of Psychology

DescriptionDescription – The first goal for any scientist or – The first goal for any scientist or psychologists to describe or gather information about the psychologists to describe or gather information about the behavior being studied and to present what is known.behavior being studied and to present what is known.

ExplanationExplanation – Psychologists are not simply content to – Psychologists are not simply content to state the facts. Rather they seek to explain why people (or state the facts. Rather they seek to explain why people (or animals) behave as they do. animals) behave as they do. These explanations can be called These explanations can be called psychological principlespsychological principles – –

generally valid ideas about behaviorgenerally valid ideas about behavior A A hypothesishypothesis is an educated guess about some phenomenon is an educated guess about some phenomenon

It is a researchers prediction about what the results of a study are It is a researchers prediction about what the results of a study are expected to be.expected to be.

A A theorytheory is usually a complex explanation based on findings is usually a complex explanation based on findings from a large number of experimental studies.from a large number of experimental studies.

Theories change as new data improves our understanding and a Theories change as new data improves our understanding and a good theory becomes the source of additional ideas for good theory becomes the source of additional ideas for experiments.experiments.

The Goals of PsychologyThe Goals of Psychology

PredictionPrediction – The third goal of psychology is to – The third goal of psychology is to predict, as a result of accumulated knowledgepredict, as a result of accumulated knowledge By studying descriptive and theoretical accounts of past By studying descriptive and theoretical accounts of past

behaviors, psychologists can predict future behaviors.behaviors, psychologists can predict future behaviors. InfluenceInfluence – some psychologists seek to influence – some psychologists seek to influence

behavior in helpful ways.behavior in helpful ways. They conduct studies with long term goals of finding our They conduct studies with long term goals of finding our

more about human or animal behavior.more about human or animal behavior. They are doing They are doing basic sciencebasic science or or research.research.

Others see psychology as an Others see psychology as an applied scienceapplied science and are and are using psychological principles to solve more immediate using psychological principles to solve more immediate problems.problems.

The Scientific Basis of The Scientific Basis of PsychologyPsychology

To ensure that data are collected accurately, To ensure that data are collected accurately, psychologists rely on the scientific method.psychologists rely on the scientific method. The data are obtained from methods such as The data are obtained from methods such as

experiments, surveys and case studies.experiments, surveys and case studies. Psychologists reach their conclusions by identifying a Psychologists reach their conclusions by identifying a

problem or question, formulating a hypothesis, collecting problem or question, formulating a hypothesis, collecting data through observation and experimentation, and data through observation and experimentation, and analyxing the data.analyxing the data.

Wilhelm WundtWilhelm Wundt is credited with setting up the is credited with setting up the first psychology laboratory in Germany in 1879first psychology laboratory in Germany in 1879 Claimed psychology had two kinds of elements – Claimed psychology had two kinds of elements –

sensations and feelings.sensations and feelings. Used Used introspectionintrospection (scientific method) to collect data. (scientific method) to collect data.

TheoriesTheories

Psychological theories are continually Psychological theories are continually reviewed and revised.reviewed and revised. New theories and technological New theories and technological

developments are constantly generating developments are constantly generating new questions and new psychological new questions and new psychological studies.studies.

Section 2 – A Brief History in Section 2 – A Brief History in PsychologyPsychology

Section Objectives:Section Objectives: 1. Explain the important trends in the 1. Explain the important trends in the

history of psychologyhistory of psychology 2. Identify various approaches to the 2. Identify various approaches to the

study of psychologystudy of psychology

The Origins of PsychologyThe Origins of Psychology

55thth & 6 & 6thth Centuries BC, the Greeks Centuries BC, the Greeks began to study human behavior and began to study human behavior and decided that most people’s lives were decided that most people’s lives were dominated by not so much by the dominated by not so much by the gods, as by their own mindsgods, as by their own minds People were rationalPeople were rational Although they did not rely a systematic Although they did not rely a systematic

study , they did set the stage for the study , they did set the stage for the development of the sciences, including development of the sciences, including psychologypsychology

The Origins of PsychologyThe Origins of Psychology

1717thth century philosophers popularized the century philosophers popularized the idea of dualism – the concept that the idea of dualism – the concept that the mind and body are separate and distinctmind and body are separate and distinct

Rene Descartes disagreed proposing that Rene Descartes disagreed proposing that link existed between the mind and body link existed between the mind and body The mind controlled the body’s movements, The mind controlled the body’s movements,

sensations and perceptions.sensations and perceptions.

Historical ApproachesHistorical Approaches

The history of psychology is a history The history of psychology is a history of alternative perspectivesof alternative perspectives

StructuralismStructuralism 1879, Wilhelm Wundt - 1879, Wilhelm Wundt -

Acknowledged as establishing modern Acknowledged as establishing modern psychology as a separate formal field of psychology as a separate formal field of studystudy

Was a Was a structuraliststructuralist – interested in the basic – interested in the basic elements of the human experienceelements of the human experience

Interest was in the study of the human mindInterest was in the study of the human mind Developed a method of self-observation, Developed a method of self-observation,

called introspection, to collect information called introspection, to collect information about the mind.about the mind.

Experiments were important because he Experiments were important because he used the first systematic study of psychologyused the first systematic study of psychology

FunctionalismFunctionalism

William James (1842-1910) taught the first William James (1842-1910) taught the first class in Psychology at Harvardclass in Psychology at Harvard

Wrote the first textbook in Psychology Wrote the first textbook in Psychology called called The Principles of PsychologyThe Principles of Psychology

James focused on the functions, or actions James focused on the functions, or actions of the conscious mind and the purposes of of the conscious mind and the purposes of behaviorbehavior

FunctionalistsFunctionalists study how people and study how people and animals adapt to their environmentsanimals adapt to their environments

Inheritable TraitsInheritable Traits

Sir Francis Galton, 19Sir Francis Galton, 19thth century century mathematician and scientist, wanted to mathematician and scientist, wanted to understand how heredity influences as understand how heredity influences as person’s abilities, character and person’s abilities, character and behaviorbehavior

His writings raised the issue of whether His writings raised the issue of whether behavior is influenced by heredity of behavior is influenced by heredity of environment…… nature vs. nuture……environment…… nature vs. nuture……

Gestalt PsychologyGestalt Psychology A group of German psychologists, A group of German psychologists,

including Max Werteimer, Wolfgang including Max Werteimer, Wolfgang Kohler and Kurt Koffka are that Kohler and Kurt Koffka are that perception is more than the sum of perception is more than the sum of its parts - it involves a “whole its parts - it involves a “whole pattern” or Gestalt ( in German)pattern” or Gestalt ( in German)

Gestalt psychologists studied how Gestalt psychologists studied how sensations are assembled into sensations are assembled into perceptual experiencesperceptual experiences

Contemporary ApproachesContemporary Approaches

Many ideas from the historical Many ideas from the historical approaches are used in the approaches are used in the contemporary study of psychologycontemporary study of psychology

Most important approaches today are Most important approaches today are psychoanalytic, behavioral, psychoanalytic, behavioral, humanistic, cognitive, biological, and humanistic, cognitive, biological, and socio-cultural.socio-cultural.