Psychology week 1-2- intro to psych

Psychology

study of behavior and mental processes

Question to identify sub fields

what type of behavior does it address?

all sub fields share common goal

understanding behavior

-experimental psych

Studies the overall processes of sensing, perceiving, learning, and thinking

experimental psych

how people change over time, used in every field of psych

Most likely subject of expiremntal psych

how brain influences muscles

cognitive psych

thinking, decision making, language, judinging and problem solving

developmental psych

studies how people grow and change

personality psych

differentiating traits and consistency over lifetime

health psych

focusing on how biological, social, and psychological factors influence health and illness

clinical psych

helps people suffering from psych disorders (study, diagnose, treat)

counceling psych

helps people with career adjustment problems

Social psych

how individuals' thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are influenced by others (real, imagined, or implied

cross-cultural psych

study of human behavior and mental processes under diverse cultural conditions, examining both universal similarities and cultural variations

clinical neurospych

focusing on the relationship between brain, behavior, and cognitive function

educational psych

studies teaching and learning processes

Diversity science goals

reducing prejudice, racism, and discrimination

diversity science primary interest

gender, ethnicity, economic class , religion, race

newest sub field in psych

diversity science

Advances in brain/ nervous system

allows prevention rather than just treatment of disorders

wundt started first lab in late 1800s, Germany

father of structuralism

structuralism

perspective focusing on mental components of perception, consciousness, and other

-uses introspection

study mind through reflection of experience

william James created

functionalism

idea formed from Darwin’s ‘survival of the fittest’

functionalism

functionalism

purpose of behavior and though on adapting to environment

Gestalt

whole is different from sum of parts

wertheimer

associated with gestalt movement

Floy

fisrt women in psych- animal behavior

Calkins

first femal president of American psych association

women

70% of workforce, 75% of grad students, majority of high status positions

Likely future trends

increase focus on equity/inclusion/diversity, increase interest on issues of public interest, and increase adherence to strict ethical and moral guidelines

5 Major perspectives

neuroscience, behaviorist, cognitive, humanistic, psychodynamic

neuroscience

focus on brain, nervous system, and other bio processes

behavioral

external behavior observed and measured

cognitive

how we think, understand, and know through info processing

humanistic

natural growth through control of life

psychodynamic

inner forces and conflicts with little control

neuroscientists are likely to consider

how body influences behavior

perspectives emphasizing free will over determinism

cognitive and humanistic

nature v nurture

inherited genetics vs. environmental variables

concious v unconscious behavior

intentional decisions vs automatic behavior

obersavble behavior v internal process

measurable actions vs mental process

free will v determinism

freely chosen vs. predetermined by factors

individual v universalitism

personal insight vs collective rules/ experiences

individualistic culture

focus on own achievements rather than collective