PS101- A Brief History of Psychology

basic psychological science

when we try to understand why people behave the way they do

applied psychological science

when we try to use our understanding to change behavior positively

psychological science framework

development > biological > psychological > basic social interactions> larger social group > culture

biological level

how do our neurotransmitters, brain circuits, genetics, etc. influence our behavior

psychological level

experience the world based on what we have already learned and know, and how our thoughts and feelings shape our actions.

social interactions level

understanding complex behavior involves understanding our relationships with teh people we are closest to

larger social group level

our social interactions exist in a larger context of human relationships

culture level

the shared beliefs, values, and practices that shape a group’s way of life and influence individual behavior.

development

cuts each level, we change at each level across our lifespan

biological psychology

physiological psychology or neuroscience, focuses on how the brain and body influence behavior

evolutionary psychology

explain behavior through a lens of natural selection, survival, and reproduction

cognitive psychology

focus on internal processes such as thinking, memory, language, devision making

personality psychology

focus on the uniqueness of each individual, how personalities develop, and how they influence our behaviors and emotions

social psychology

focus on understanding how our social environments, interactions, and group dynamics influence our behavior and emotions

cultural psychology

studies how religious and ultural practices and traditions shape individual behavior

developmental psychology

focus on how factors influence development across the lifespan; prenatally through old age

health psychology

how do behavioral factors influence individaul physical healthand well-being, including the impact of stress, lifestyle, and social support.

clinical psychology

specialized in the diagnosis and treatment of mental health conditions and behavioral problems

counseling psychology

specialized in the diagnosis and treatment of adjustment problems

psychiatry

specialized in psychological disorders, medical treatments

forensic psychology

develops personality profiles of people who have committed criminal acts, informs devisions about people who are convicted, help criminal justice system understand behavioral problems

dualism

• the idea that the mind and body are separate and interact in the pineal gland of the brain

• proposed by Descartes

  • “Free will”: Our behavior is influenced by our intentions, what we want and desire

determinism

• opposite of dualism

• behavior and mental processes are caused by physical events

physiology

• originally a branch of biology

• approached psychology with empiricism and the scientific method

  • knowledge is gained through systematic observation of events in the world

structuralism

• proposed by Wilhelm Wundt

• defined psychology as the systematic study of the adult mind

• broke down experience into individual components

• trained subjects in introspection to describe mental elements of experience

functionalism

• proposed by William James

• agreed with structuralism and also used introspection

• consciousness evolved to help us adapt

psychoanalysis

• proposed by Sigmund Freund

• emphasized the unconscious mind

• irrational urges and sexual drives as the cause of many behaviors

behaviorism

• proposed by John Watson and B.F. Skinner

• very opposed to introspection

• stimulus-response approach: focus on measuring the relationship between events and a creature’s response

• studied observable behavior rather than inner thoughts and feelings.

gestalt psychology

• proposed by Wolfgang Köhler

• the whole is greater than the sum of its parts

• whole = our experience

• parts = individual parts of our perception

humanistic psychology

• proposed by Abraham Maslow

• divergest from psychoanalysis and behaviorism

• emphasizes free will

• goal is self-actualization, the fulfillment of our human potential

• unscientific