Sherrill - General Psychology - Chapter 1 Power Point Presentation

1. With
Professor Sherry Sherrill

2.  Terminology
 Definitions vs. Applied
 Research / Science
 Ethics
 Diversity
 Real World Application of concepts
 Technology
 Preparation for future classes
 Preparation to transfer (4-year)

3.  This is required. (you will not be
wasting your money!)
 You WILL use it.
 Many assignments require the
text.
 You WILL need to have it as soon
as possible.
 Chapter 1 sections in available on
Blackboard.

4.  Module 1: Why do we understand
the world around us the way that we
do? (Ch 1, 3, 8, 9, 11)
 Module 2: How did we become who
we are? Why do we do what we do?
(Ch 2, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
 Module 3: Psychology in Practice (Ch ,
4, 7,8, 9, 10, 12, 13)

5.  What is Psychology?
 History of Psychology
 Fields of Specialization
 Research
 Why Ethics? (Introduction)

6. The systematic and scientific study
of behavior and mental processes
of both humans and other
animals.
What are mental processes?
*(Cognitive Processes/Cognitions)
What are behaviors?
Why is it systematic?
Psychology….a science?????

8.  Q: What is the difference between a
psychologist and a psychiatrist?

10.  American Psychological Association
(APA)
 Principle A: Beneficence & Nonmaleficence
 Principle B: Fidelity and Responsibility
 Principle C: Integrity
 Principle D: Justice
 Principle E: Respect for People’s Rights
and Dignity

11.  Demonstrate knowledge and
understanding representing appropriate
breadth and depth in selected content areas
of psychology including relevant ethical
issues, including a general understanding
of the APA Ethics Code (2002).
 Follow the APA Ethics Code in the
treatment of human and nonhuman
participants in the design, data collection,
interpretation, and reporting of
psychological research.

12.  Recognize that ethically complex
situations can develop in the
application of psychological principles.
 Recognize the necessity of ethical
behavior in all aspects of the science
and practice of psychology.

14.  To better under understand human behavior &
improve safety.
 To improve assistance to those with learning
difficulties.
 To design more effective teaching methods.
 Improve health & well-being to reduce burden on
the government and taxpayers
 To assist courts by helping to understand the
mind of criminals, evidence and the limits of
certain types of evidence and testimony.

15.  Two basic types / reasons for research:
Basic Research
To Test a hypothesis
Applied Research
To Solve a problem

16.  Types or Methods of research used
in psychology:
 Survey Method
 Observational Studies
 Case Studies
 Experimental Design
 Correlational Design

17.  Survey Research: Method of collecting
information (data), using interviews or
written questions, about individual’s
behaviors and attitudes. (Self-report data)
 Inexpensive, easy and not overly time consuming
 May collect factual information or opinions
 Examples:
 End of course / teacher evaluations
 The US Census
 Customer Satisfaction
 Program Evaluation

18.  Survey Method: Interviews or
questionnaires used to collect
information.
 Inexpensive, easy and not time
consuming.
 Data collected may be biased for
many reasons. (Demographic bias, sex
bias, impact of how questions are
presented, convenience samples)

19.  Researchers watch organisms within their
natural settings
 An advantage is that you are less likely to
have an observer effect (when we modify
behavior when being watched), and more
likely the subjects will act naturally.
 Another advantage is not having to rely on
subject reports (inaccuracy -intentional or not)
 A disadvantage could occur when a
researcher allows preexisting biases to
impact recorded observations.

21.  Q: What is the difference between a
psychologist and a psychiatrist?
 A: The type of training they receive,
their theoretical approach, and how
much they charge you as a patient.

22. High School Diploma
Associates Degree
Bachelors Degree
Masters Degree
Doctoral Degree

23.  AKA: Theoretic Perspective
 Based on the person’s individual
beliefs, education and training.
 How the person interprets the
world around them.
 The meaning (causes) they attribute
to a particular mental illness or
other psychological concept.

24.  A psychiatrist has medical training and is
a “doctor” who has specialized in
assessment and treatment of mental
disorders.
 They have a medical or biomedical
theoretical approach.
 They believe that mental illness is due to
genetics, illness, or injury. Focus on the
BODY.
 They typically charge MUCH more than
other clinicians.

25.  A psychologist typically has one of
three basic types of degrees:
 a PhD (doctorate of philosophy that
included in depth research in study)
 a PsyD (doctorate in psychology, that
does not have in depth research
requirements during study)
 An EdD (doctorate in education,
specializing in counseling)

26.  A Psychologist:
 More likely to do ‘therapy’ or counseling
techniques compared to a psychiatrist.
 Typically charge much less than a
psychiatrist, but depends on the therapy
setting (private practice vs. community
mental health)

27.  Cognitive Psychology: Focus on how
organisms process information.
Includes study of thinking, memory,
language, problem solving, and
creativity.
 Developmental Psychology: Factors
that influence development from
conception through death (lifespan)

28.  Social Psychology: Studies the
impact of the social environment
on the individual.
 Personality Psychology: Studies
how personality develops, how it
influences people’s behaviors, and
how to assess the basic elements
that make an individual unique.

29.  Experimental Psychology: The
primary activity is conducting
research in a variety of areas that fall
under the realm of psychology.
 Biological Psychology: Studies the
relationship between behavior and
physiological and neurological events
or conditions. (AKA
Physiological Psychology)

30.  Health Psychology: Studies the
interaction between behavioral factors
and physical health.
 ** Geropsychology: Studies issues
that are unique to the aging
population and their experiences.
 School Psychology: Focuses on the
evaluation and resolution of learning
and emotional problems.

31.  Other fields of specialization:
 Industrial-Organizational (I/O)
 Business
 Engineering Psychology
 Rel. b/w machines & people
 Positive Psychology
 Self-fulfillment & happiness
 Forensic Psychology
 Assist police and courts

32.  Clinical and Counseling Psychology:
Both study and practice assessing,
diagnosing and treating
psychological problems.
 Counseling focuses on less severe
problems than clinical psychologists.
(schools; social and academic
problems)

33.  Once upon a time…..
 The “crazy” people were thought to be
possessed.
 Someone with psychosis might have been sent
to an exorcist.
 A person with depression might have been
prescribed a “blood-letting” for severe
depression.
 Could it be that the people condemned in the
Salem witch trials actually had schizophrenia?

34.  The study of Psychology is rooted
in the fields of philosophy and
physiology.
 Philosophy speculated about the
mind.
 Physiology investigated the body.

35.  Philosopher, Rene Descartes,
believed in dualism, which refers
to the belief that the mind and
body are two distinct entities.
 The physical body is mechanical
and follows the laws of physics.
 The mind, or soul, does not follow
any known rules.
(at the time, or is it still this way?)

36.  Dualism is contrary to the belief that
behavior is caused or determined by
physical events either within or
outside of the body. This is known
as determinism.
 Determinism is central to the current
science of psychology.

37.  The actual study of psychology as a
discipline did not begin until
German scientist, Wilhelm Wundt,
opened the first psychological
laboratory in Leipzig, Germany in
1879.
 Wundt defined psychology as the
systematic study of the structures of
the conscious adult mind.
 Structuralism

38.  Structuralism: focused on breaking
down conscious experience into its
basic elements or structures in an
attempt to understand the mind.
 Introspection: (looking inward)
Clearly breaking down, analyzing,
and reporting sensations.
 Included analysis of thoughts,
feelings, and sensations.

39.  Introspection is AKA:
“Experimental Self-Observation”
 The basic flaw associated with
introspection was that therapists
and researchers would often obtain
inconsistent results. (it lacked
reliability)
 Structuralism was abandoned.

40.  William James agreed that
psychology should study the mind,
but dismissed introspection as a
reliable method of studying this.
 He proposed “Functionalism”
which focused on the functional,
continually changing, personal
nature of conscious experience.

41.  Functionalism attempted to learn
how mental processes, such as
learning, thinking, and perceiving,
helped organisms adapt to their
environment.

42.  Sigmund Freud (1856-1939)
 Psychoanalytical / Psychodynamic
Perspectives to understanding issues
of psychology.
 “Psychoanalysis” The “talking cure”
became known as catharsis where
people discuss their problems and
may feel better. (still important)

43.  Psychoanalysis was the procedure
used in interviewing patients with
neurotic symptoms.
 Criticized because its assertions (or
theoretical claims) cannot be tested
in a laboratory.

44.  Freud’s psychoanalytical approach
focused on three primary things:
 Early childhood experiences.
 The unconscious mind (hypnosis and
interpretation of dreams)
 Sexual urges and drives as main
motivational factor in behavior.
Widely known and criticized for focus on
sex. (contr. to psychology’s bad ‘rep.’)

45.  John B. Watson (1878-1958)
Behaviorism: Approach of study
that focuses on the relationship
between environmental events and
an organism’s behavior.
 Believed it was impossible to study
the mind objectively.
 Opposed introspection.

46.  Behaviorism emphasized the
stimulus-response relationship.
 The goal of behaviorism was (and
still is) to identify how we learn.
(Much more to come on learning
(and conditioning) later in text.)

47.  Gestalt Psychology: The German
approach that argues that the
“whole” of an experience is more
than “the sum of its parts.”
 When sensory “elements” are
brought together, they form a
unique and new experience.

48.  The Gestalt approach is still used
today, especially in the study of
visual illusion.
 Understanding how single things
add up to a new experience.
 **The Phi Phenomenon
 “Moving lights, film”

49.  Humanistic Psychology: Approach of
study that focuses on the role of free
choice and our ability to make
conscious rational decisions about
how we live our lives.
 “Be all that you can be!” Optimism
 Abraham Maslow & Carl Rogers
(will be discussed more later)