PSYC Chapter 1: History of Psychology

Psychology

The study of mental processes and behaviours.

Mental Processes

Activities of our brain when engaged in thinking, observing the environment, and using language.

Behaviour

Observable activities of an organism, often in response to environmental cues.

Goals of Studying Mental Processes

Psychologists generally have 4 goals: Describe, Explain, Predict, Control.

Describe

Psychologists seek to describe very specifically the things they observe.

Explanation

Key goal for many psychologists is 'Why?' They develop hypotheses and theories to explain 'Why?'.

Prediction

Psychologists seek to predict the circumstances under which a variety of behaviours and mental processes are likely to occur.

Control

Psychology can give people advice on controlling their own behaviours, ranging from limiting unhealthy stress to increasing memory retention.

Level of the Brain

Psychologists consider the neuronal (brain cell) activity that occurs during the transmission and storage of information.

Level of the Individual/Person

Psychologists analyze how the content of mental processes, including emotions, thoughts, and ideas, form and influence behaviour.

Computer Analogy

Relates to software rather than mechanical functioning or the 'hardware' of the brain.

Level of the Group

This level recognizes that humans are shaped by their social environment and that it changes over time.

Influences on Thoughts and Behaviours

The groups/culture which people belong to can influence their thoughts and behaviours in fundamental ways.

Neuronal Activity

Focus on the structure of genes that guide the formation of neuronal activity.

Individual Differences

How individual differences in personality account for emotional responding.

Child Maltreatment

The role of child maltreatment plays in later parenting behaviour.

Social Environment

Includes people around them (friends & family) or a large population (school, work, etc.).

Immigration Status

Research example of how immigration status impacts student performance in elementary school.

Gangster Culture

Research example of the relationship between gangster culture and mental health in adolescents.

Complex Activation

All thoughts and actions involve complex activation and coordination of a number of levels.

Subfields of Psychology

Includes biopsychology, cognitive psychology, developmental psychology, social psychology, etc.

Empirical Examination

Concerned with empirically examining the mind and behaviour.

Myths

Stories of forgotten origin that seek to explain/rationalize the fundamental mysteries of life that are universal (common to all cultures).

Rituals

Solemn ceremonies that are related to myths and involve sacred or customary ways of celebrating important religious social occasions in a culture.

Greek Philosophy

The intellectual history of psychology starts with the history of Greek philosophy, as they had a recorded language.

Hippocrates

Believed that disease had a physical and rational explanation and that an individual's physical and psychological health was influenced by excess or lack of one or more of four bodily humours.

Four Bodily Humours

Blood, phlegm, yellow bile, and black bile collectively determine a person's personality and character.

Empirical Methods

Methods that rely on observation and experimentation to examine questions.

Plato's Belief

Believed the human mind was imprinted with all relevant knowledge and that it was innate (existing within a person from birth).

Aristotle

Plato's student who made key contributions to the foundations of psychology and promoted empirical or testable investigations of the natural world.

Francis Bacon

Regarded as the creator of Empiricism: the view that all knowledge originates in experience.

Integration of Mental and Physical Health

Greeks recognized that mental and physical health were integrated and that the mind and body were connected.

Balance of the Mind

Plato believed that a healthy mind represented a balance among intellect, emotion, and base desires and appetites.

Scientific Revolution

A period during and after the Renaissance when European society transitioned from a spiritual worldview to one based on math and mechanics.

Modern Science

By the 1600s, modern science thrived, with the dominant view being that the brain controlled the body by moving fluids from one area to another.

Innate Knowledge

The belief that knowledge exists within a person from birth.

Open Critical Discussions

Engagement in discussions of each other's ideas to determine the nature of reality and limitations on human awareness.

Imbalance of the Mind

An overreliance on intellect, emotion, or base desires would cause an imbalance in the mind.

Psychology's Roots in Philosophy

Historically, humans have attempted to explain inexplicable events through rituals and myths.

Psychology's Roots in Physiology and Psychophysics

The study of how physical processes relate to psychological experiences.

Critical Discussions

Discussions that emphasize that theories are never final but can always be improved.

Direct Observation

A method used by Hippocrates to test his theories.

Academic Study

Became firmly rooted in detailed scientific methods due to early efforts in empirical observation.

Nature of Reality

Greek philosophers tried to find ways to determine the nature of reality.

Rene Descartes

First of modern philosophers and early scientist who believed the meaning of the natural world could be explained through mathematics and science.

John Locke

Philosopher who argued that the mind at birth is a 'blank slate' waiting for experience to imprint knowledge.

Psychophysics

Area of study that examines the relationship between physical stimuli and their psychological effects.

Johannes Muller

Physiologist who pioneered the study of the relationship between physical and mental stimuli.

Herman von Helmholtz

First to measure the speed of nerve impulse and determined that nerve impulses occur over time rather than instantaneously.

Gustav Fechner

German philosopher and physicist considered one of the founders of experimental psychology.

Elements of Psychophysics

Book by Gustav Fechner that lays out many methods and study techniques used in the emerging field of psychology.

Charles Darwin

Proposed the theory of evolution in his book On the Origin of Species, suggesting that all life on earth is related.

Natural Selection

Theory suggesting that chance variations passed down from parent to offspring can be adaptive or less adaptive, affecting survival.

Wilhelm Wundt

Physiologist who opened the first lab dedicated to the study of psychology in 1879, marking the first real attempt to make psychology a science.

Voluntarism

Psychological paradigm developed by Wundt referring to voluntary and willful acts of decision in human behavior.

Stanley Hall

Student of Wilhelm Wundt who opened one of the first psychology labs in the USA and was the first president of the USA Psychological Association.

DSM

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual that lists psychological behaviors and how to diagnose them.

Structuralism

Philosophical approach that studies the structure of conscious experience.

Edward Titchener

Psychologist associated with structuralism, whose goal was to uncover the basic elements of the conscious mind.

Introspection

Means 'looking inward', involving reflective and systematic observation and self-reflection of individual experiences.

Functionalism

Psychological approach that focuses on why or how something happens.

Gestalt Psychology

Believed the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

Psychoanalysis

A theory of personality and a method of psychotherapy created by Sigmund Freud, focusing on unconscious motives.

Behaviorism

A psychological perspective that emphasizes the study of observable, measurable behavior, as advocated by John B. Watson.

Humanism

A perspective that emphasizes the unique qualities of humans and their potential for personal growth, associated with Carl Rogers.

Cognitive Psychology

A branch of psychology that compares the human mind to a computer, emphasizing cognitive development and problem-solving.

Behavioral Neuroscience

A field that examines how the brain relates to behavior, including the influence of genetics and physiological mechanisms.

Evolutionary Psychology

A perspective that emphasizes behavior patterns that may help a species survive.

Defense Mechanisms

Psychological strategies used to cope with reality and maintain self-image, defined by Freud.

Stimulus-Response Relationships

The focus of behaviorism on how stimuli in the environment can elicit specific responses.

Bobo Doll Experiment

An experiment by Bandura that demonstrated learning through social observation.

Cognitive Development Timeline

The specific timeline of cognitive abilities development in children, studied by Jean Piaget.

Clinical Psychology

A branch of psychology focused on working with individuals to address mental health issues.

Applied Psychology

The application of psychological principles in real-world settings.

Positive Psychology

A domain of psychology that focuses on the positive aspects of human life.

Industrial/Organizational Psychology

A field that applies psychological principles to workplace environments.

Cultural Psychology

A branch of psychology that examines how cultural contexts influence psychological processes.

Empirical Research Methods

Research methods that rely on observation and experimentation to gather data.

Unconscious Motives

Drives that influence behavior without conscious awareness, as proposed by Freud.

Critique of Psychoanalysis

Concerns regarding the scientific rigor of Freud's methods and the reliance on rich patients' experiences.

Nurture Over Nature

The belief emphasized by Watson that environmental factors are more influential than genetic ones in shaping behavior.

Common Myths

Psych not only abt MH; Not all psychologists work w/ppl

Four Goals of Psychology

Sort of hierarchical order: Describe, Explain, Predict, Control/Application

Explain

Goal of trying to understand why certain behaviours occur.

Predict

Goal of forecasting when or how behaviours will occur.

Control/Application

Goal of applying methods to influence behaviours.

Psychological Roots

Psych has roots in Mythology, Philosophy, Physiology, and psychophysics.

First CAD Lab

Opened in U of T in 1891 by James Mark Baldwin.

Edward Tichener

Proponent of Structuralism, focused on uncovering basic elements of the conscious mind.

William James

First psych lab at USA at Harvard, associated with Functionalism.

Psychoanalytic theory

Psychological theory that human mental processes are influenced by the competition between unconscious forces to come into awareness.

Behaviourism's Roots

Ivan Pavlov.

Pavlov's Discovery

Discovered that dogs could learn to associate a bell with an automatic behaviour.

John B. Watson

Believed psychology should only study observable, measurable behaviour and that controlling a person's environment could control their behavior.

BF Skinner

Agreed with Watson and focused on overt behaviour only, stating that humans tend to repeat responses that lead to positive outcomes and not repeat negative outcomes.

Bandura

Described learning by social observation and is famous for the Bobo doll experiment.

1950's Humanism

Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow disagreed with behaviorists and emphasized the unique qualities of humans, especially their potential for personal growth.

1950's Cognitive Psychology

Compared the human mind to a computer, emphasizing cognitive development, problem solving, and mental processes.

Jean Piaget

Was interested in how children come to develop cognitive abilities and found the specific timeline of cognitive development.

1950's Behavioural Neuroscience

Donald Hebb emphasized the brain, genetics, and/or other physiological mechanisms in describing behavior.