This document provides an introduction to the field of psychology. It defines psychology as the study of mental functions and behaviors. It then discusses several topics of focus in psychology like behavior, mental processes, and disorders. It provides brief summaries of the history of psychology, covering figures like Freud, Pavlov, and Piaget. It also summarizes the main perspectives in modern psychology, including neuroscience, psychodynamic, behavioral, cognitive, and humanistic approaches.

1. Introduction
to
Psychology

2. Psychology: Definition
The study of mental functions and behaviors.
“The human brain is
by far the most
complex physical
object known to us in
the entire cosmos.”
Owen Gingerich
(Astronomer)

3. Psychology
Topics of focus:
Behavior
Mental Processes
Consciousness
Perception
Personality
Development
Memory
Intelligence
Disorders

4. Psychology
Psychologist: evaluates, diagnoses, treats, and
studies behavior and mental processes. Clinical
and counseling psychologists provide mental
health care.
Psychiatrist: specializes in the diagnosis and
treatment of mental disorders. Psychiatrists are
medical doctors who must evaluate patients to
determine whether their symptoms are the result
of a physical or mental illness.

5. History of Psychology
“Trepanning” (drilling a
hole into a person’s head
to relieve pressure or let
out evil spirits) was
practiced as a treatment
for abnormal behavior in
neolithic times through
the 1700s.
“The Extraction of the
Stone of Madness” (c.1488)

6. History of Psychology
In Ancient Greece, Hippocrates (c. 460 – 370 BC)
introduced the idea of “four temperaments of
personality.” sanguine (optimistic, leader-like),
choleric (bad-tempered, irritable), melancholic
(analytical, quiet), and phlegmatic (relaxed, peaceful).
A person’s personality was determined by by an
excess or lack of body fluids (called "humors"):
blood, yellow bile, black bile, and phlegm.

7. History of Psychology
John Locke (1632-1704)
published the idea that
children are born as
“blank slates” (a “Tabula
Rasa”), and that life
experiences form who
they become as adults.
This idea contradicted the
previous notion that we
are born with some
knowledge and habits.

8. History of Psychology
Franz Joseph Gall
argued that you could
learn about a person’s
intelligence, character,
and personality based
on the size, shape, and
number of bumps on
their head.The study of
Phrenology, popular in
the 1800s, was based on
this theory.

9. History of Psychology
Wilhelm Wundt (1832 - 1920) was the first person to call
himself a “psychologist.” He built the first laboratory for
psychological research in Germany. He provided his subjects
with stimuli, and asked them to describe how it made them
feel. This strategy came to be called “Structuralism.”

10. History of Psychology
Sigmund Freud (1856-1939)
created psychoanalysis (dialogue
between a patient and a
psychoanalyst, thought to bring
relief from psychological
disorders). He also developed
the idea that the conscious
mind (everything we are aware
of) is only the “tip of the
iceberg”, while the unconscious
mind holds the primitive wishes,
impulses, and repressed feelings
that influence our behavior.

11. History of Psychology
Ivan Pavlov (1849-1936) introduced the idea of “conditioning” as
a form of learning and an explanation for certain habits and
behaviors shown by both animals and humans.This study led to
an approach to Psychology called “behaviorism.”

12. History of Psychology
Leta Stetter Hollingworth studied exceptional children, and published
The Psychology of the Adolescent (1928). During the late 1800s and early
1900s, intelligence testing (especially to assist with placement in
schools) was widely practiced for the first time in history.

13. History of Psychology
Jean Piaget (1896-1980) published influential theories about human
development from childhood to adulthood.

14. History of Psychology
In 1954, Abraham Maslow developed
the concept of “self-actualization”: the
motive to realize one's full potential.
Expressing one's creativity, the pursuit
of knowledge, the desire to give back
to society, and “finding yourself” are
examples of self-actualization.

15. Psychology Today
Psychology is a diverse field today. Some sub-fields are more
scientific, like neuropsychology or evolutionary psychology.
Others, like cognitive psychology, are more philosophical.
There are 5 main
perspectives in Psychology:
!
1. Neuroscience
2. Psychodynamic
3. Behavioral
4. Cognitive
5. Humanistic

16. Psychology Today
The Neuroscience perspective considers how people function
biologically, and how the functioning of the body shapes our
behavior, hopes, and fears.This perspective also considers how
heredity can affect behavior.

17. Psychology Today
The Psychodynamic perspective is about understanding the inner
person. It is based on the theory that behavior is motivated by
inner forces and conflicts over which we have little awareness or
control. Proponents of the psychodynamic perspective see
dreams and comments made accidentally as indications of what a
person is truly feeling.

18. Psychology Today
The Behavioral perspective focuses on observable behaviors that
can be measured objectively. Behaviorists believe that our behavior
is related to our environment, and we can modify behavior by
modifying environment.

19. Psychology Today
The Cognitive perspective focuses on how people think,
understand, and know about the world. Its emphasis is on how
people represent the outside world within themselves, and how
they process information. Cognitive psychologists ask,“how does
the way we think about the world influence our behavior?”

20. Psychology Today
The Humanistic perspective acknowledges that environment and
heredity play a part in our development, but argue that what
ultimately drives human behavior is individual choice. All humans
naturally strive to grow, develop, and be in control of their own
lives and behavior.