4. Psychology
What is it?
The study of our inner
feelings and behaviors.
Do our feelings always match our behaviors?
If you call me dumb,
I may feel sad inside.
But I will
still act
tough.
5. History of Psychology
Although the science of psychology started in the late 1800’s,
the concept has been around a lot longer.
There was evidence of trephination (cutting holes into a skull to
let evil spirits out) back in the stone age.
6. 6
Prescientific Psychology
Socrates (469-399 B.C.) and Plato (428-348 B.C.)
Socrates and his student Plato believed the mind
was separate from the body, the mind continued to
exist after death, and ideas were innate.
Socrates
Plato
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7. 7
Prescientific Psychology
Rene Descartes (1596-1650)
Descartes, like Plato, believed in soul (mind)-body
separation, but wondered how the immaterial
mind and physical body communicated.
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9. Empiricism
» the view that knowledge
originates in experience and that
science should, therefore, rely on
observation and experimentation.
10. 10
Prescientific Psychology
Mind and body are
connected
Mind and body are
distinct
The Hebrews Socrates
Aristotle Plato
Augustine Descartes
What is the relation of mind to the body?
18. 18
PSYCHOLOGY TODAY
We define psychology
today as the scientific
study of behavior
(what we do) and
mental processes
(inner thoughts and
feelings).
38. 38
Psychological Associations &
Societies
The American Psychological Association is the
largest organization of psychology with 160,000
members world-wide, followed by the British
Psychological Society with 34,000 members.
41. Tips for Studying Psychology
SQ3R
Study Tips
Distribute your study time
Learn to think critically
In class, listen actively
Overlearn
Be a smart test-taker
43. Empiricism
= the view that knowledge
originates in experience and
that science should, therefore,
rely on observation and
experimentation.
44. Structuralism
= an early school of psychology
that used introspection to
explore the structural elements
of the human mind.
45. Functionalism
= a school of psychology that
focused on how our mental and
behavioral processes function –
how they enable us to adapt,
survive, and flourish.
47. Behaviorism
= the view that psychology (1)
should be an objective science
that (2) studies behavior without
reference to mental processes.
Most research psychologists today
agree with (1) but not with (2).
48. Humanistic Psychology
= historically significant
perspective that emphasized the
growth potential of healthy
people and the individual’s
potential for personal growth.
49. Cognitive Neuroscience
= the interdisciplinary study of the
brain activity linked with cognition
(including perception, thinking,
memory, and language).
51. Nature-Nurture Issue
= the longstanding controversy over
the relative contributions that
genes and experience make to the
development of psychological
traits and behaviors.
Today’s science sees traits and
behaviors arising from the
interaction of nature and nurture.
52. Natural Selection
= the principle that, among the
range of inherited trait
variations, those contributing to
reproduction and survival will
most likely be passed on to
succeeding generations.
53. Levels of Analysis
= the differing complementary
views, from biological to
psychological to social-cultural,
for analyzing any given
phenomenon.
54. Biopsychosocial Approach
= an integrated approach that
incorporates biological,
psychological, and social-
cultural levels of analysis.
55. Biological Psychology
= a branch of psychology that
studies the links between
biological (including neuroscience
and behavior genetics) and
psychological processes.
56. Evolutionary Psychology
= the study of the roots of
behavior and mental processes
using the principles of natural
selection.
57. Psychodynamic Psychology
= a branch of psychology that
studies how unconscious drives
and conflicts influence behavior,
and uses that information to treat
people with psychological
disorders.
58. Behavioral Psychology
= the scientific study of
observable behavior, and its
explanation by principles of
learning.
59. Cognitive Psychology
= the scientific study of all the
mental activities associated with
thinking, knowing, remembering,
and communicating.
69. Human Factors Psychology
= the study of how people and
machines interact resulting in
the design of machines and
environments.
70. Counseling Psychology
= a branch of psychology that
assists people with problems in
living (often related to school,
work, and marriage) and in
achieving greater well-being.
71. Clinical Psychology
= a branch of psychology that
studies, assesses, and treats
people with psychological
disorders.
72. Psychiatry
= a branch of medicine dealing
with psychological disorders;
practiced by physicians who
often provide medical (for
example, drug) treatments as
well as psychological therapy.
73. SQ3R
= a study method
incorporating five steps;
Survey, Question, Read,
Rehearse, Review.