Introducing to you PSYCHOLOGY.

1. PSYCHOLOGY
The science of behaviour and cognitive processes.
Definition : Psychology is “the science of human
and animal behaviour; it includes the application of
this science to human problems.
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2. ROOTS OF PSYCHOLOGY
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Predict what will happen
Systematically observe events
Do events support predictions
René Descartes
(1596-1650)
Philosophy asks questions about the
mind:
 Does perception accurately reflect reality?
 How is sensation turned into perception?
Problem- No “scientific” way
of studying problems
Physiology asks similar questions about the mind
SCIENTIFIC
METHOD

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Psychology Is Born
Wilhelm Wundt
(1832-1920)
First Experimental Psych Lab (1879)
Focuses on the scientific study of the mind
WW insists that Psych methods be as rigorou
as the methods of chemistry & physics.
Wundt’s students start labs
across USA (1880-1900)

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Psychology (pre-1920)
Wilhelm Wundt (1832-1920)
Physiologist & Perceptual Psychologist
Founder of Psychology as a Science
Experiments
Edward Titchner (1867-1927)
Student of Wundt
Formed Y at Cornell
Introspection
William James (1842-1910)
Philosopher & Psychologist
Formed Y at Harvard
Psychology
Understanding
Mental Processes

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Structuralism vs Functionalism
William James
(1842-1910)
Analyze consciousness into basic
elements
and study how they are related
Introspection - self-observation
of one’s own conscious
experiences
Investigate the function, or purpose
of consciousness rather than its
structure
Leaned toward applied
work
Structuralism
Functionalism
Wilhelm
Wundt

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Behaviorism
Scientific Psychology should focus on
observable behavior.
John Watson
(1878-1958)
Ivan Pavlov
Psych the Science of Behavior
Stimulus
Response
Psychology
Mental Processes cannot
be studied directly

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Psychology (1920s-1960s)
John B. Watson (1878-1958)
Behavior without Reference to Thought
The RAT & S-R Psychology
B. F. Skinner (1904-1990)
Behaviorism with a Twist
The PIDGEON & The Skinner Box
Psychology
Science of Observable
Behavior
Behaviorism

8. KEY PERSPECTIVES
 Behavioural : overt behaviour
 Cognitive : cognitive processes i.e.
memory, thought, reasoning & others
 Biological : biological processes
underlie behaviour
 Evolutionary : evolved psychological
mechanism
 Developmental : changes in behaviour
over life span
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9. Contd….
 Psychodynamic : unconscious and
internal processes
 Social and cultural : social and cultural
factors
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10. Psychology and Diversity
 Diversity-“ Difference in the behavior
or characteristics of individuals from
different cultures or ethnic group.”
 Multicultural Perspective: in
psychology an approach that pays
careful attention to the effects of
ethnic and cultural forces on behavior.
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11. Examples
 Russia more then 16000 women are
murdered by their spouse each year
which is endorsed by some cultural
values (Horne 1999) “Beat the wife for
better cabbage soup”
 Japan , cultural values view violence as
appropriate form of discipline and
punishment
 So nature and cause of domestic
violence must include careful attention of
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12. Evolutionary psychology
 A branch of psychology suggesting
that as a result of evolution, human
being possess many evolved
psychological mechanisms that help
(or once helped) us to deal with
important problems relating to
survival.
 Evolution-Charles Darwin –3 basic
components
 Variation
 Inheritance
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Variation –
organisms vary in
many ways
Inheritance-
some of these
variations are
heritable
This is the
crucial
outcome of
evolution
Selection- Variations
that are adaptive
become increasingly
common in the
population

14. THANK YOU
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