WK 1 & 2 PSYCH121 LEC - Science, Culture and Psychology

Who is considered the first main thinker behind the psycho-dynamic perspective?

Sigmund Freud

What does the psycho-dynamic view posit?

Conscious and unconscious forces interact to control our thoughts and behaviours

3 Key premises of psychodynamic perspective

1. Peoples actions are determined by the way their thoughts and feelings are connected in their minds

2. Many of these mental events occur outside of conscious awareness

3. These mental processes may conflict with one another

Freud proposed there were 3 components to the psyche:

1. Ego = rational mind

2. Superego = morality, ideal self

3. Unconscious pleasure principle, base instincts

Key goal of psycho-dynamic therapy?

To uncover ‘repressed’ material

Primary method used in psychodynamic perspective?

Case studies - Understanding thoughts, feelings and actions

Criticisms of psycho-dynamic perspective

1. overreliance on clinical observation and interpretation (non-objective)

2. Can be falsified? Cannot be measured

Influential ideas by Freud which continue to influence psychoanalytic theory: (5)

• Influence of childhood experiences

• Importance of talk therapy

• Introduction of transference

• Defence mechanisms

• laid foundations for psychodynamic practice

Focus of behaviourist perspective? (2)

learning

studies the way environmental events control behaviour

Methods used in behaviourist perspective (3)

Scientific method

Experimentation

Observable behaviours and environmental stimuli

Influence of behaviourist perspective on therapy (3)

Conditioning - rewards, punishment

Empiricism

Role in CBT, ACT

Behaviourist perspective : criticisms (3)

• Dismisses internal processes

• Only focus on nurture/environment

• Large influence of studies using non-human animals

Focus of Humanist Perspective (4)

• Focuses on uniqueness of individual

• People are motivated to reach their full potential ‘Self-Actualise’

• Push back on hard determinism

• Considers the subjective, conscious experience of individual to be most important

Methods used in humanist perspective (4)

• case studies

• interviews

• clinical observations

• Maslow - Hierarchy of needs

Influence of humanist perspective

• Positive psychology

• Person-Centred therapy

• Ethics

Humanist Perspective Criticisms

• Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs

• Were methods used scientifically rigorous?

• Should we assume all people are inherently good?

Cognitive perspective focus: (3 )

• How people process, store and retrieve information

• Pushed back against hard determinism of behaviourism

• Uses metaphor that mind is like a computer

Cognitive Perspective focus topics:

• Perception

• Attention

• Learning

• Problem solving

• Memory

Cognitive Perception methods: (1)

• Experimental

Criticisms of cognitive perspective:

• Difficulty measuring internal processes

• Ecological validity

• Reductionism

Cognitive perspective influence

• Remains prominent paradigm

Evolutionary Perspective View:

• Human behaviours evolved because it helped our ancestors survive and reproduce

• Nature rather than nurture

Evolutionary perspective methods

• Utilises deductive methodologies

Evolutionary Perspective Influences

• Behavioural genetics

• Provides potential understandings for a range of human behaviours

Evolutionary Perspective: Criticisms

• Deductive nature of hypotheses

What is culture broadly?

Distinguishes members from one group to another group

What does culture effect: (4)

Values, Behaviours, Beliefs and attitudes

What is culture:

• Culture is learned

• Culture is dynamic and not homogenous

• Enculturation: process of absorbing and internalising the rules of the culture we live in

• Ethnocentrism: Tendency for a persons own culture to influence how they see the rest of the world

How does culture spread?

It is learned and impacts our view point

A criticism of history and development of psychology (Culture, lens)

• Dominant cultural lenses ie WEIRD

What is cultural Psychology?

Emic Perspective

What is cross-cultural psychology?

Etic Perspective

What is a emic approach?

• Focus on specific cultural group

What is Etic perspective?

• Searches for commonalities and differences across cultures

What makes a culturally responsive psychologist?

• Cultural competence

• Cultural responsiveness

Dimensions of culture? (7)

• set of dimensions that guide daily life

• Time (polychronic vs monochronic)

• Emotion

• Interpersonal Space and Settings

• Context (high context vs low context)

• Adherence (Tight vs Loose)

• Individualist vs Collectivist

What is psychology?

The scientific and systematic study of the human mind and behaviour

What are the three components of the biopsychosocial model?

• Biological

• Psychological

• Social

What does the biopsychosocial model explain?

That behaviour is influenced by biological, psychological, and social factors interacting together.

What are the three principles of critical thinking?

• Skepticism

• Objectivity

• Open-mindedness

Why does correlation not imply causation?

Because the relationship may be caused by a third variable or occur by chance.

What is falsification (Karl Popper)?

The idea that a scientific theory must be testable and capable of being proven wrong.

What is pseudoscience?

Claims that appear scientific but do not follow the scientific method.

What are two reasons people believe pseudoscience?

• Belief perseverance

• Confirmation bias

What is a paradigm (Thomas Kuhn)?

A set of assumptions, methods, and ways of thinking shared within a scientific discipline

What are Kuhn’s three phases of scientific change?

• Normal science

• Model revolution

• Paradigm shift

What are the two key philosophical debates that shaped psychology?

• Nature vs nurture

• Free will vs determinism

When did psychology become a scientific discipline?

Around the mid-19th century, when it began using systematic scientific methods.

What distinguishes science from philosophy in psychology?

Science relies on systematic methods and evidence-based research.

What does the word psychology mean?

• Psyche = soul/spirit/breath

• Logia = study of

Why are internal psychological processes difficult to study?

Because they cannot be directly observed, unlike behaviour.

Outline the history of Psychology and justify why Psychology is a science-discipline

Psychology originated as a branch of philosophy, where thinkers such as Aristotle and Descartes explored questions about the mind, behaviour, and the relationship between mind and body. Over time, psychology developed into a scientific discipline in the mid-19th century by adopting systematic methods based on empirical evidence rather than speculation. Psychology is considered a science because it uses the scientific method, critical thinking, and evidence-based research to study behaviour and mental processes. Scientific theories in psychology must also be testable and falsifiable, distinguishing them from pseudoscience.

Describe what pseudoscience is and outline the dangers of pseudoscience

Pseudoscience refers to beliefs or practices that claim to be scientific but do not follow the scientific method or rely on empirical evidence. It is often characterised by unfalsifiable claims, exaggerated conclusions, reliance on anecdotal evidence, and lack of peer review. Pseudoscience is dangerous because it can mislead people, encourage poor decisions, and undermine trust in legitimate scientific research.

Explain what a paradigm is and why they change

A paradigm is a set of widely accepted assumptions, theories, and research methods that guide how a scientific discipline studies a topic. According to Thomas Kuhn, paradigms change when evidence accumulates that cannot be explained by the current paradigm. This can lead to a paradigm shift, where a new framework replaces the old one because it better explains the evidence.

Describe key perspectives in psychology (5)

Psychodynamic perspective

Developed by Freud, this perspective argues that behaviour is influenced by unconscious thoughts and conflicts, particularly between the id, ego, and superego.

Behaviourist perspective

Focuses on observable behaviour and how it is shaped by environmental stimuli, rewards, and punishments. Uses experiments to study learning and conditioning.

Humanistic perspective

Emphasises individual experience, free will, and personal growth, with the goal of reaching self-actualisation.

Cognitive perspective

Studies mental processes such as memory, perception, and problem solving, often comparing the mind to a computer processing information.

Evolutionary perspective

Suggests behaviours developed through natural selection because they helped our ancestors survive and reproduce.

Explain what defines and influences culture

Culture refers to the shared beliefs, values, norms, language, rituals, and traditions of a group. It is learned and shapes how people understand and interact with the world.

Distinguish cultural psychology from cross-cultural psychology

Cultural psychology studies how psychological processes are shaped within a specific culture (emic approach).

Cross-cultural psychology compares similarities and differences across cultures to test whether theories apply universally (etic approach).

Outline why cultural responsivity and competency are critical skills for psychologists

Psychologists must be culturally competent and responsive to work effectively with diverse clients. This includes understanding cultural values, recognising biases, and respecting different worldviews, which is especially important in multicultural societies like Australia.

enculturation

The individual learning and taking on of a culture