Psychology is defined as the scientific study of human behavior and mental processes. There are several major psychological perspectives that study these areas, including psychoanalytic, behaviorist, cognitive, and biopsychological approaches. The field has evolved from its philosophical roots to become a science, with the goal of objectively describing, explaining, predicting, and changing human behavior and cognition. Psychologists work in a variety of settings and subfields, from research and academia to clinical practice and other applied settings. The study of psychology aims to further our understanding of human thought and behavior through empirical research.

1. What is Psychology?
Chapter One

2. Module Objectives
How do we define psychology?
What are the major psychological
perspectives?
Psychology as a science

3. What is Psychology?
The term psychology comes from the
Greek roots psyche meaning soul or
mind and logos meaning word or
study

4. What is Psychology?
Psychology is the science of human behavior
and mental processes.
Behavior is anything we do
‐ overt actions and reactions
Mental processes are our internal
experiences
‐ thoughts, feelings, memories…

5. Why study Psychology?
Psychology helps us scientifically evaluate
common beliefs and misconceptions about
behavior and mental processes.
Can you identify which of the beliefs on the
following slide are true or false?

6. The best way to learn and
remember information is to
“cram,” or study it
intensively during one
concentrated period.

7. FALSE!
This is the worst way to prepare for an
exam! Don’t confuse this for a quicker
method of study- students who cram often
perform more poorly than those who do
not study at all!

8. Advertisers and politicians
often use subliminal
persuasion to influence our
behavior.

9. FALSE!
This is a psychology urban legend!
Although we will discuss the influence of
sensation and perception below our
threshold of awareness.

10. Punishment is the most
effective way to
permanently change
behavior.

11. FALSE!
We will examine this ineffective practice
when we begin our study of learning!
Think about the prison system…a large
scale example of punishment…does it
work?

12. Eyewitness testimony is
often unreliable.

13. TRUE!
Our memories are very fragile and subject
to many variables. We will examine the
influence of memory formation during this
semester.

14. Police often use psychics
to help solve crimes.

15. FALSE!
It’s important to recognize the difference
between psychology and
pseudopsychology, which includes the
area of psychics.

16. People with schizophrenia
have two or more distinct
personalities.

17. FALSE!
This disorder is very misunderstood
among the general public. People often
confuse this disorder with Multiple
Personality Disorder, now known as
Dissociative Identity Disorder

18. How did you do?
This quiz was a brief illustration of how
psychological information is often misunderstood.
Psychology is NOT limited to “common sense”
information.
We will examine each of these questions in detail
through the course of this class

19. Scientific psychology has
four basic goals:
to describe, explain, predict, and
change behavior and mental
processes

20. Psychological information is
based on empirical evidence
This is information based on direct
observation and measurements
with scientific method

21. How Accurate is the
Image of Psychology?
Think on your own…
Make a list of words you would use to
describe a psychologist…think about some
images you have as well.

22. Typical images of
Psychology

23. How about Scientists?
Think on your own..
Make a list of words would you use to
describe a scientist? What images do
you have?

24. Did any of these
images come to
mind?

25. It’s important to
remember that…
Psychologist’s ARE
scientists!

26. Think on Your Own…
You have a problem that you want
to address in therapy…
Can any Psychologist help you?

27. No…There are many
types of psychologists,
and many have nothing
to do with counseling!

28. Why do we have so
many types of
psychologists?

29. Psychologists have different
ways of looking at the same
problem, which is why there
are so many sub-fields of
psychology

30. Psychology’s roots began in
philosophy, but the focus
changed to a scientific
focus.
This scientific focus remains today.

31. Where did Psychology come
from?
The first psychological laboratory was not
created until 1879 by Wilhelm Wundt.
Wundt was responsible for creating the first
school of psychological thought called
Structuralism
‐ This school focused only on immediate conscious
experience and thought.

32. Problems with Structuralism
This group of Psychologists used a
technique called Introspection which
was a process of self-examination
where the person described and
analyzed thoughts as they occurred.

33. Think on your own…
What are some potential
problems with this type of
Psychology?

34. Structuralism…the first step
The focus of study was way too narrow
They studied people only like themselves-
very wealthy white males.
No valid research was produced
This school of thought was a great start, but
no longer exists.

35. The Next Evolution
Functionalism is the second perspective to
emerge, founded by William James.
They studied how and why the mind functions.
This perspective broadened the scope of
psychology and applied psychology to practical
settings.
This perspective still focused on consciousness but
began to examine overt behavior, not just mental
processes.

36. Psychology continued to
expand based on the early
work of these perspectives

37. Psychological Perspectives
Psychologists have different ways of looking at
behavior…click on the links to learn more about
each area of psychology!
‐ Psychoanalytic perspective
‐ Behaviorist perspective
‐ Humanistic perspective
‐ Cognitive perspective
‐ Biopsychology perspective
‐ Social psychological perspective
‐ Evolutionary perspective
See p. 12

38. Who hasn’t heard of Freud?
This is one of the most well-known
psychological perspectives in history
developed by Sigmund Freud.
Freud believed that emotional problems are
due to anxiety from unresolved conflicts that
reside in unconscious

39. Psychoanalytic Theory
Freud was an early pioneer in treating
emotional disorders and was the first to
provide counseling and therapy to patients.
Free association and dream interpretation
were developed technique to explore the
unconscious processes

40. Psychoanalytic Theory
Freud was one of the first to treat emotional
disorders.
Freud’s theories were the first to suggest that
our childhood experiences impact our adult
behaviors
‐ The first to provide therapy for patients.
‐ Developed dream interpretation and free
association

41. Think on your own…
Do childhood experiences
affect adult life?
What are some childhood experiences
that you feel have shaped who you are
now as an adult?

42. Behaviorism…the opposite of
Psychoanalysis
Behaviorism was founded by John Watson in
direct opposition to Psychoanalytic Theory.
Behaviorism focused on behavior that can be
measured and observable. This returned the
scientific approach to psychology.
‐ We can describe, predict, and control that behavior.

43. Behaviorism…the opposite of
Psychoanalysis
Behaviorist’s believe people are controlled by
their environment.
‐ Behaviorism focuses on observable behavior
We are the result of what we have learned from
our environment.

44. Cognitive Psychology
Cognitive psychology believes that behaviors are
performed because of ideas and thoughts.
The cognitive perspective focuses on such
processes as perception, memory, and thinking
That’s what this area of psychology believes and
Cognitive psychology currently exerts a strong
influence in psychology.

45. Biopsychology Perspective
How biological factors affect mental processes
and how the brain effects behavior.
Behavior and biology interact in important ways,
and we will discuss the impact of this field when
examining psychopharmacology, development
and genetics.

46. These are some of the
areas of Psychology that
are currently studied.

47. Research and Professional
Areas in Psychology
Developmental
Psychology
Social Psychology
Experimental Psychology
Physiological Psychology
Cognitive Psychology
Personality
Clinical Psychology
Counseling Psychology
Educational and School
Psychology
Industrial and
Organizational
Psychology

48. Developmental: Looks at human development across the life span.
Developmental psychology once focused primarily on child development
but today devotes a great deal of research to adolescence, adulthood,
and old age.
Social: Focuses on interpersonal behavior and the role of social forces in
governing behavior. Typical topics include attitude formation, attitude
change, prejudice, conformity, attraction, aggression, intimate
relationships, and behavior in groups.
Experimental: Encompasses the traditional core of topics such as
sensation, perception, learning, conditioning, motivation and emotion.
Physiological: Examines the influence of genetic factors on behavior
and the role of the brain, nervous system, endocrine system, and bodily
chemicals in the regulation of behavior.
Cognitive: Focuses on “higher” mental processes such as memory,
reasoning, information processing, language, problem solving, decision
making, and creativity.
Personality: Interested in describing and understanding individuals’
consistency in behavior, which represents their personality. This area is
interested in factors that shape personality and with personality
assessment.

49. Clinical: Concerned with evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment of
individuals with psychological disorders, as well as treatment of individuals
with psychological disorders, as well as treatment of less severe
behavioral and emotional problems. Principal activities include
interviewing clients, psychological testing, and providing group and
individual psychotherapy.
Counseling: Overlaps with clinical psychology in that specialists in both
areas engage in similar activities – interviewing, testing, and providing
therapy. Counseling psychologists usually work with a somewhat different
clientele, providing assistance to people struggling with everyday
problems of moderate severity – they specialize in family, marital, or
career counseling.
Educational: Work to improve curriculum design, achievement testing,
teacher training, and other aspects of the educational process. School
psychologists usually work in elementary or secondary schools, where
they test and counsel children having difficulties in school and aid parents
and teachers in solving school-related problems.
I/O: Perform a wide variety of tasks in the world of business and industry.
These tasks include running human resources departments, working to
improve staff morale and attitudes, striving to increase job satisfaction and
productivity, examining organizational structures and procedures, and
making recommendations for improvements.

50. Think on your own..
Where do Psychologist’s Work?
Make a list of potential work places or
jobs for psychologists.

51. Experimental Psychologists
(usually researchers and
professors)
About 1/4th of American Psychologists
work in colleges and universities.

52. Applied Psychologists
(service providers)
The remaining 3/4ths work in hospitals, clinics,
police departments, research institutes,
government agencies, business and industry,
schools, nursing homes, counseling centers, and
private practice.

54. What can you do with a degree in
psychology?
Click on the links below to find out more.
‐ General Psychology
‐ Biopsychology
‐ Industrial/Organizational Psychology
‐ Educational Psychology
‐ Social Psychology
‐ School Psychology
‐ Clinical Psychology
‐ Developmental Psychology
‐ Counseling Psychology

55. Psychology Today
Until the 1960s, psychology was principally a
profession made up of white males, this is
changing.
Today, women earn 73% of bachelor’s
degrees in psychology, and 66% of new
doctorates
Ethnic minorities make up 28% of the APA
Hispanic & African-Americans each receive
only about 5% of new Ph.D.’s

56. Can you think
“outside the box?”

57. Next we will talk about why
psychology is a science, which
requires critical thinking. Use your
imagination and “think outside the
box” on this next puzzle.

58. A man dressed entirely in black
and wearing a black mask, is
standing in the middle of a
crossroad. All of the streetlights
at the intersection are broken. A
car speeds down the road,
heading straight for the man, yet
it turns in time and doesn't hit
him.

59. Did You Get It?
The driver of the car avoided hitting the
man wearing only black because it was
DAYTIME
These “Lateral Thinking” exercises are a
great example of how psychologists think
critically about psychological questions.

60. Next Topic-
Psychology as a Science