First Lecture- UReddit Psychology 101

1. Psychology: Historical, Social,
and Scientific Foundations

2. Overview
• How did psychology become a science?
•What is the science like today?
•What about the Nature vs. Nurture debate?

3. Brief History of Psychology
•What is psychology?
•Early psychologists:
•Socrates (philosopher)
•Aristotle (more data driven)
•Descartes (mind-body dichotomy)
•Locke (blank slate)

4. Structuralism and Functionalism
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Wundt (1832-1920)
James (1842-1910)
Wundt and Titchner studied Influenced by Darwin,
the elements (atoms) of the William James established
mind by conducting the school of
experiments at Leipzig, functionalism, opposing
Germany in 1879. structuralism.

5. The Unconscious Mind
Freud (1856-1939) 5
http://loeillet.chez-alice.fr
Jung (1875-1961)
http://ot.re.kr
Sigmund Freud and his followers emphasized the
importance of the unconscious mind and its effects
on human behavior.

6. Humanistic Psychology
6
Maslow (1908-1970)
http://facultyweb.cortland.edu
Rogers (1902-1987)
http://www.carlrogers.dk
Maslow and Rogers emphasized current
environmental influences on our growth potential
and our needs for love and acceptance.

7. Contemporary Psychology
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Nature versus Nurture
Darwin (1809-1882)
Darwin states that nature selects those traits that
best enable the organism to survive and reproduce
in a particular environment.

8. Nature vs. Nurture?
 Is any one trait the
result of genes or
environment alone?
 How do genes work?
 Then, are all behaviors
the result of genes being
“turned on?”

9. Nature and Nurture
 Genes set the stage
 Experience places you on
the continuum.
 Homosexuality as an
example
 IQ as an example

10. Psychology’s Current Perspectives
Perspective Focus Sample Questions
Neuroscience How the body and brain How are messages
enables emotions. transmitted in the body? How
is blood chemistry linked with
moods and motives?
Evolutionary How the natural selection How does evolution influence
of traits the promotes the behavior tendencies?
perpetuation of one’s
genes.
Behavior genetics How much our genes and To what extent are
our environments psychological traits such as
influence our individual intelligence, personality,
differences. sexual orientation, and
vulnerability to depression
attributable to our genes? To
our environment?
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11. Psychology’s Current Perspectives
Perspective Focus Sample Questions
Psychodynamic How behavior springs How can someone’s
from unconscious drives personality traits and
and conflicts. disorders be explained in
terms of sexual and
aggressive drives or as
disguised effects of unfulfilled
wishes and childhood
traumas?
Behavioral How we learn observable How do we learn to fear
responses. particular objects or
situations? What is the most
effective way to alter our
behavior, say lose weight or
quit smoking?
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12. Psychology’s Current Perspectives
Perspective Focus Sample Questions
Cognitive How we encode, process, How do we use information
store and retrieve in remembering? Reasoning?
information. Problem solving?
Social-cultural How behavior and How are we --- as Africans,
thinking vary across Asians, Australian or North
situations and cultures. American – alike as members
of human family? As products
of different environmental
contexts, how do we differ?
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13. Psychology’s Subfields
Research
Psychologist What s/he does
Explores the links between brain and
Biological
mind.
Studies changing abilities from womb to
Developmental
tomb.
Studies how we perceive, think, and solve
Cognitive
problems.
Personality Investigates our persistent traits.
explore how we view and affect one
Social
another.
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14. Psychology’s Subfields: Research
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Biological
Other 11.5% 9.9%
Experimental
14.1%
Developmental
24.6%
Psychometrics
5.5%
Cognitive
8.0%
Social 21.6%
Personality
4.8%
Data: APA 1997

15. Psychology’s Subfields
Applied
Psychologist What s/he does
Industrial/ Studies and advise on behavior in the
Organizational workplace.
Helps people cope with academic,
Counseling
vocational, and marital challenges.
Study, assess, and treat people with
Clinical
psychological disorders
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16. Psychology’s Subfields: Applied
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Industrial
6%
Other
Educational 3%
9%
Counseling
15%
Clinical
67%
Data: APA 1997

17. Clinical Psychology vs. Psychiatry
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A clinical psychologist (Ph.D.) studies, assesses, and
treats troubled people with psychotherapy.
Psychiatrists on the other hand are medical
professionals (M.D.) who use treatments like drugs
and psychotherapy to treat psychologically diseased
patients.