The Foundations of Psychology

Lesson 1.1

Wilhelm Wundt

• credited with the founding of the field of psychology

• used scientific methods (i.e, collecting and evaluating evidence and introspection) for structuralism, the study of the components that make up the mental experience

John Watson

• founder of behaviorism (not to be confused with behavioralism)

• Core belief that behavior is shaped by environment

• Believed that psychology should limit itself to that which can be observed – things that people can know for certain; in other words, overt behaviors, instead of mental processes

B.F Skinner

• built on the principle of behaviorism by studying the behavior of animals in a device that came to be known as the Skinner Box

• focused specifically on how behavior is shaped by reward and punishment → reinforcement

• though he only studied animals, he believed the same principles of conditioning could be applied to humans

Gestalt Movement

• led by Wolfgang Kohler, Max Wertheimer, and Kurt Koffka

• they recognized that people group objects, thoughts, and perceptions according to certain organizational principles:

  • proximity

  • similarity

  • continuity

  • closure

  • connectedness

Sigmund Freud

• emphasized mental processes that were not normally subject to our awareness, coined:

  • psychodynamic theory → unconscious forces (instinctual and those related to childhood) shape behavior + are at the root of psychological problems

  • Psychoanalysis is based on this theory, but is no longer widely practiced (yet still influential)

Reinforcement

the concept that behavior is shaped by reward and punishment

Structuralism

understanding the structure of the human mind/conscious experience

Gestalt Psychology

how the brain organizes perceptions into meaningful wholes

Psychodynamic Perspective

the influence of unconscious mental forces on personality

Functionalism

how behavior helps people adapt to environmental demands

Behaviorism

environmental influences determine behavior (and psychology should restrict itself to the study of observable behavior)

Social Cognitive Theory

environment and cognition shapes behavior

Behavior Therapy

the application of the principles of learning to the treatment of mental disorders

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

addresses maladaptive thoughts as well as overt behaviors

Humanistic Perspective

Asserts that:

• free will and conscious choice are essential aspects of the human experience

• each individual is unique

and,

• self awareness, being authentic, and achieving one’s full creative potential are crucial to living a meaningful life

Physiological Perspective

examines relationships between biological processes and behavior

Evolutionary Psychology

asserts that behavioral tendencies or predispositions may be rooted in our genes

Cognitive Perspective

involves the study of mental processes, including thinking, learning, memory, use of language, and problem solving

Socio-cultural Perspective

examines how behavior and attitudes are shaped by social and cultural influences to which people are exposed