psyh unit 1 (history and scope)

What is psychology?

The scientific study of behavior and mental processes

What is behavior?

Observable actions—what we do

What are mental processes?

Internal thoughts, feelings, perceptions, and other mental activity

What are psychology's three main levels of analysis?

Biological, psychological, and socio-cultural

What does the biological level of analysis examine?

How genes, the brain/body, evolution, and other biological processes influence behavior

What are examples of biological influences?

Genetic predispositions, genetic mutations, natural selection, and genes responding to the environment

What does the psychological level of analysis examine?

How thoughts, emotions, perceptions, learning, and expectations influence behavior.

What are examples of psychological influences?

Learned fears, learned expectations, emotional responses, cognitive processing, and perceptual interpretations.

What does the socio-cultural level of analysis examine?

How other people, society, and culture influence behavior

What are examples of socio-cultural influences?

Presence of others, cultural/family expectations, peer groups, and media.

Why do psychologists use multiple levels of analysis?

Behavior usually results from an interaction of biological, psychological, and social-cultural factors, rather than one cause.

What are biological factors that may influence body weight?

Genetics, evolutionary adaptations, metabolism, hunger mechanisms, and biological regulation of weight.

What evidence suggests genetics influences body weight?

Twin studies show that genetics can influence weight.

What is set-point theory?

The idea that the body tends to maintain weight around a biologically influenced level; when weight drops, hunger may increase and metabolism may decrease

What evolutionary explanation can help explain humans' tendency to store fat?

Storing energy as fat could have helped humans survive periods when food was scarce

What psychological factor can cause adults to eat more?

Portion size—larger portions or containers can lead people to eat more

What does "our eyes rule our bellies" mean?

External visual cues, such as portion size, can influence how much we eat rather than hunger alone.

According to the slides, how do young children and adults differ in eating behavior?

Young children are more likely to stop eating when full, while adults can be more influenced by external cues such as portion size

What socio-cultural factors can influence eating and obesity?

Cultural attitudes toward food, hospitality, portion sizes, and eating habits

According to the slides, how are American and French eating cultures contrasted?

Americans are described as tending to eat more, eat faster, and enjoy food less, while French culture emphasizes higher-quality food and a different eating experience

When did psychology become a scientific discipline?

In the late 1800s

What is trephination?

The ancient practice of cutting holes into the skull, sometimes based on beliefs about releasing evil spirits

Why is trephination relevant to psychology's history?

It shows that humans have tried to explain and treat unusual behavior and mental experiences since ancient times

What did Plato believe about nature vs. nurture?

He emphasized nature, believing humans inherit characteristics and intelligence

What did Aristotle believe about nature vs. nurture?

He emphasized nurture, arguing that knowledge comes through experience and the senses

What did René Descartes believe about knowledge?

He believed some ideas are innate.

What did John Locke believe about the mind?

The mind begins as a tabula rasa, or "blank slate."

What is empiricism?

The idea that knowledge comes from experience and observation, so science should rely on observation and experimentation.

Who established the first psychology laboratory?

Wilhelm Wundt

When and where did Wilhelm Wundt establish his psychology laboratory?

1879 in Leipzig, Germany

What school of psychology is associated with Wilhelm Wundt?

Structuralism

What is structuralism?

An early approach that attempted to understand the basic elements or structure of conscious experience

What is introspection?

Examining and reporting your own conscious thoughts and experiences

Who is most associated with functionalism?

William James

What is functionalism?

The study of how mental and behavioral processes function to help organisms adapt, survive, and flourish

What research method was associated with William James's functionalism?

Naturalistic observation

How did functionalism differ from structuralism?

Structuralism focused on the elements of consciousness; functionalism focused on the purpose/function of mental processes and behavior

Why is William James important to psychology?

He is considered the father of American psychology and wrote Principles of Psychology in 1890

Who was Mary Whiton Calkins?

A psychologist mentored by William James who completed the requirements for a Harvard Ph.D. but was denied the degree; she later became the first female president of the APA

Who was Margaret Floy Washburn?

The first woman to earn a Ph.D. in psychology and later the second female president of the APA

What is psychodynamic theory?

The view that behavior and feelings are strongly influenced by unconscious drives and conflicts

Who developed psychodynamic theory?

Sigmund Freud

What is the unconscious according to Freud?

The part of the mind containing thoughts, desires, memories, and conflicts outside conscious awareness

What is behaviorism?

An approach emphasizing the scientific study of observable behavior

Who are two major figures associated with behaviorism?

John B. Watson and B. F. Skinner

What is humanistic psychology?

An approach emphasizing personal growth, human potential, love, acceptance, and environmental influences

Who are the major figures associated with humanistic psychology?

Abraham Maslow and Carl Rogers

What are four areas emphasized in contemporary psychology on the slides?

Cognitive/cognitive neuroscience, evolutionary psychology & behavioral genetics, cross-cultural & gender psychology, and positive psychology

What does the neuroscience perspective focus on?

How the brain and body influence emotions, behavior, and mental processes

What might a neuroscience psychologist ask?

How are messages transmitted through the body, or how is brain/body chemistry connected to mood?

What does the evolutionary perspective focus on?

How natural selection shaped behaviors and traits that helped our ancestors survive and reproduce

What question might an evolutionary psychologist ask?

How has evolution influenced particular behavioral tendencies?

What does the behavior genetics perspective focus on?

How genes and environment contribute to individual differences

What is the main nature-vs.-nurture question of behavior genetics?

How much of a trait is attributable to genetics versus environment?

What does the psychodynamic perspective focus on?

How behavior arises from unconscious drives and conflicts

What does the behavioral perspective focus on?

How we learn observable behaviors and responses

What might a behavioral psychologist ask?

How did someone learn a particular fear, habit, or response, and how can that learned behavior be changed?

What does the cognitive perspective focus on?

How we encode, process, store, and retrieve information

What might a cognitive psychologist study?

Memory, reasoning, thinking, perception, and problem-solving

What does the social-cultural perspective focus on?

How behavior and thinking vary across cultures and social situations.

Neuroscience vs. cognitive perspective?

Neuroscience = brain/body mechanisms. Cognitive = thinking and information processing.

Evolutionary vs. behavior genetics perspective?

Evolutionary = how natural selection shaped human tendencies over generations. Behavior genetics = how genes and environment explain differences between individuals.

Behavioral vs. psychodynamic perspective?

Behavioral = learned, observable behavior. Psychodynamic = unconscious drives and conflicts.

Social-cultural vs. biological perspectives?

Social-cultural = social/cultural environment. Biological = genes, brain, body, and physiology

What does a biological psychologist study?

Links between the brain and mind.

What does a developmental psychologist study?

How people's abilities and behavior change throughout the lifespan, from womb to tomb.

What does a cognitive psychologist study?

How people perceive, think, remember, and solve problems

What does a personality psychologist study?

Persistent personality traits and individual differences.

What does a social psychologist study?

How people view, influence, and affect one another.

What does a clinical psychologist do?

Studies, assesses, and treats people with psychological disorders.

What does a counseling psychologist do?

Helps people cope with academic, vocational, marital, and everyday life challenges

Clinical vs. counseling psychology?

Clinical focuses more on psychological disorders; counseling focuses more on helping people cope with life challenges

What does an educational psychologist do?

Studies and helps people in school and educational settings.

What does an industrial/organizational (I/O) psychologist do?

Studies and advises on behavior in the workplace

Wundt → ?

Structuralism; introspection; first psychology lab; 1879, Leipzig, Germany

William James → ?

Functionalism; how behavior/mental processes help us adapt, survive, and flourish.

Freud → ?

Psychodynamic theory; unconscious drives and conflicts

Watson + Skinner → ?

Behaviorism; observable, learned behavior

Maslow + Rogers → ?

Humanistic psychology; growth, potential, love, acceptance

Locke → ?

Tabula rasa / blank slate; experience shapes knowledge.

Plato → ?

Nature; characteristics/intelligence are inherited.

Aristotle → ?

Nurture; knowledge comes through experience and the senses

Descartes → ?

Some ideas are innate

Three levels of analysis → ?

Biological + psychological + socio-cultural

Seven current perspectives → ?

Neuroscience, evolutionary, behavior genetics, psychodynamic, behavioral, cognitive, social-cultural

Five research subfields → ?

Biological, developmental, cognitive, personality, social

Four applied subfields → ?

Clinical, counseling, educational, industrial/organizational