Ch 1 – What is psychology how can it help you succeed & Psychology as a science / Introduction to psychology

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What is Psychology + expand on the scientific method psychologists use

• The scientific study of mind and behavior

• Ask a question, form a hypothesis, test prediction, analyze data and draw a conclusion

A Hypothesis should fit into the context of the scientific theory by being a…. + how is psychology research presented

• a well-tested, broad explanation of a natural phenomenon that is supported by a large body of evidence

• Psychology research is published or presented at research conferences so others can build or replicate results

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Define Empiricism

• Empiricism All knowledge comes from sensory experience and observable evidence rather than innate ideas or pure reasoning.

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Empirical method

• A way of gaining knowledge by means of direct and indirect observation/experience, over pure theory or gut feeling.

• For example in psychology: observable behaviors, biological indicators and self-reports.

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What do scientists test for + Context of psychology as a social science

• Scientists test what is measurable. Psychological science is empirical, it is based on measurable data.

• Psychology is also a social science. Late 1800s Psychology became accepted as own discipline, before thought of as philosophy, but any behavior at its roots is also biological.

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Two 19th century scholars, Wilhelm Wundt and William James, are generally credited as….. + who was Willhelm Wundt

• being the founders of psychology as a science and academic discipline that was distinct from philosophy.

• Wilhelm Wundt (1832–1920) was a German scientist who was the first person to be referred to as a psychologist.

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Wilhelm Wundt usage of introspection + voluntarism

•           (he called it “internal perception”), a process by which someone examines their own conscious experience as objectively as possible

•           He believed in the notion of voluntarism—that people have free will and should know the intentions of a psychological experiment if they were participating

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Wilhelm Wundt student Edward Titchener Structuralism

• went on to develop structuralism. Its focus was on the contents of mental processes rather than their function. Individual parts over function as a whole

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William James, John Dewey, and Charles Sanders Peirce helped establish…..

• helped establish functional psychology. They accepted Darwin’s theory of evolution by natural selection

• viewed this theory as an explanation of an organism’s characteristics.

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Functionalism

• how mental activities helped an organism fit into its environment.

• functionalists were more interested in the operation of the whole mind rather than of its individual parts (focus of structuralism.)

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Sigmund Freud + his perspective on the unconscious

• Sigmund Freud was an Austrian neurologist

• theorized that many of his patients’ problems arose from the unconscious mind.

• the unconscious mind was a repository of feelings and urges of which we have no awareness.

• According to Freud, the unconscious mind could be accessed through dream analysis, by examinations of the first words that came to people’s minds, and through seemingly innocent slips of the tongue.

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Psychoanalytic theory + the method of psychoanalysis

• focuses on the role of a person’s unconscious, as well as early childhood experiences

• involves the patient talking about themself popularized by Freud

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Max Wertheimer, Kurt Koffka, and Wolfgang Köhler (three German psychologists who immigrated to the United States in the early 20th century to escape Nazi Germany)

• credited with introducing psychologists in the U.S to various Gestalt principles. The word Gestalt roughly translates to “the form in its whole;”

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Gestalt psychology

• deals with the fact that although a sensory experience can be broken down into individual parts, how those parts relate to each other as a whole is perception.

For example, a song may be made up of individual notes played by different instruments, but the real nature of the song is perceived in the combinations of these notes as they form the melody, rhythm, and harmony.

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Russian physiologist Ivan Pavlov

• Pavlov studied a form of learning behavior called a conditioned reflex

• in which an animal or human produced a reflex (unconscious) response to a stimulus and, over time, was conditioned to produce the response to a different stimulus that the experimenter associated with the original stimulus

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John B Watson + behaviorism

• Watsons approach of observing and controlling behavior came to be known as behaviorism.

• used in behavioral and cognitive-behavioral therapy. Behavior modification is commonly used in classroom settings. B

  
  

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B.F Skinner and modifying behavior through punishment

• allowed for careful study of the principles of modifying behavior through reinforcement and punishment.

• When the animal pushes the button or lever, the box is able to deliver a positive reinforcement of the behavior (such as food) or a punishment (such as a noise).

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Humanism - abraham maslow and carl rogers

• emphasizes the potential for good that is innate to all humans.

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Abraham Maslow

proposed a hierarchy of human needs in motivating behavior

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Carl Rogers

• emphasized humaism

• used client-centered therapy

• believed that a therapist needed to display unconditional positive regard, genuineness, and empathy. Unconditional positive regard refers to the fact that the therapist accepts their client for who they are

• believed with this people were capable of dealing with and working through their own issues

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Cognitive revolution

• Behaviorism’s emphasis on objectivity pulled psychologists’ attention away from the mind

• European psychology had never really been as influenced by behaviorism cognitive revolution helped reestablish lines of communication between European psychologists and their American counterparts.

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Culture impacts individuals, groups, and society

• An ongoing issue researchers are trying to correct is that certain populations have been over-studied and the results of these studies have been applied to other populations.

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APA

• American Psychological association

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Biopsychology

• explores biology’s influence our behavior.

• The structure and function of the nervous system related to behavior

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Cognitive psychology

• focuses on studying thoughts, and their relationship to our experiences and our actions.

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Developmental psychology + Object permeance

• is the scientific study of development across a lifespan.

• very young children do not demonstrate object permanence. Object permanence refers to the understanding that physical things continue to exist, even if they are hidden from us.

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Personality Psychology

• focuses on patterns of thoughts and behaviors that make each individual unique.

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OCEAN

Openess, conctienousness, extroversian, agreableness, Neurotcism

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Openess

• Low: prefers routine

• High: curious multiple interests

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Continuousness

• Low: impulsive/careless,disorganized

• High: hardworking/dependable organized

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Extroversion

• Low: quiet/reserved withdrawn

• High: outgoing and adventurous

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Agreeableness

• Low: Critical, unccoperative and suspicious

• High: empathetic, helpful, trusting

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Neuroticism

• Low: calm, even tempered and secure

• High: anxious,unhappy,prone to negative emotions

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Social Psychology + Milgram shock experiment

• focuses on how we interact with and relate to others.

• Milgram found that nearly two-thirds of his participants were willing to deliver what they believed to be lethal shocks to another person, simply because they were instructed to do so by an authority figure

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I-O Psychology

• subfield of psychology that applies psychological theories, principles, and research findings in industrial and organizational settings.

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Health Psychology

• focuses on biopsychosocial model

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sport and exercise psychology

• study the psychological aspects of sport performance

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Clinical Psychology

• focuses on the diagnosis and treatment of psychological disorders and other problematic patterns of behavior.

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Counseling Psychology

• focuses on emotional, social, vocational, and health-related outcomes in individuals who are considered psychologically healthy.

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Forensic Psychology

• deals with questions of psychology as they arise in the context of the justice system.