Psychology by Carole Wade - Chapter 1: What is Psychology?

psychology

scientific study of behavior and mental processes, affected by physical state, emotional state, and external environment

empirical evidience

evidence that has been gathered by careful observation, experimentation, and measurement

psychologists rely heavily on this

assumption

beliefs that are taken for granted

bias

often remains hidden until someone challenges our belief and we get defensive and angry

philosophy

the search for truth

physiology

the scientific study of the body

parents of psychology

philosophy and physiology

goals of pyschology

describe, understand, predict and control

GOAL: describe

theory and development

description

GOAL: understand

find cause and explain

experiments

GOAL: predict

ex. possible crimes or suicides?

correlation

GOAL: control

modify and change

Birth of Psychology

William Wundt opened his own psychology lab in 1879 and it became its own discipline

structuralism

early psychological approach that emphasized the analysis of immediate experience into basic elements; similar to a "mental chemist," first method but not a good method, William Wundt

problems with structuralism

based off of reflections and introspection, everyone thinks differently

William Wundt

father of psychology, opened lab in 1879, used structuralism

William James

first American psychologist; used functionalism

phrenology

now discredited theory that different brain areas account to specific character and personality traits, which can be read from bumps on the skull

functionalism

early psychological approach that emphasized the function or purpose of behavior and consciousness

pyschoanaylasis

theory of personality and a method of psychotherapy that emphasizes unconscious motives and conflicts, Sigmund Freud

Five (+2) perspectives of psychology

biological, learning, cognitive, sociocultural and psychodynamic + (humanist & feminist). many psychologists combine two or more approaches fueled by developments

PERSPECTIVE: biology

bodily events

ex. brain and the nervous system

PERSPECTIVE: learning

environment

ex. "rewards and punishments," observable behavior

PERSPECTIVE: cognitive

mental processes

ex. memory

PERSPECTIVE: sociocultural

society and culture

ex. gender, culture, etc.

basic psychology

"pure" research

applied psychology

practical uses of knowledge

clinical pyschologists

diagnoses, treats, and/or studies mental and emotional problems, both mild and severe. Has Ph.D, ED.D or Psy.D.

teach/research pyschologists

do research and/or apply research and findings in an academic setting

Sigmund Freud

father of psychoanalysis

Critical thinking

the ability and willingness to assess claims and make judgments on the basis of well supported reasons and evidence rather than emotion or anecdote

CT#1: Ask Questions

Be willing to wonder, to be curious, inquire

CT#2: Define your terms

Framing your terms in clear and concrete terms

CT#3: Examine the Evidence

what evidence supports or refutes the claim and how reliable is it?

CT#4: Analyze the assumptions and biases

Assumptions are beliefs that are taken for granted, bias keeps us from considering the evidence fairly

CT#5: Avoid emotional reasoning

when gut feelings replace clear thinking

CT#6: Don't Oversimplify

looking beyond the obvious, resists easy generalizations, and rejects either or thinking

CT#7: Consider other interpretations

creatively generates as many reasonable explanations before settling on the most likely one

CT#8: Tolerate uncertainty

willing to accept state of uncertainty

Psychobabble

pseudo science and quackery covered by a veneer of psychological and scientific language

Occam's razor

once several explanations of a phenomenon have been generated, a critical thinker chooses the one that accounts for the most evidence while making the fewest unverified assumptions

Charles Darwin

argued that a biologist's job is not merely to describe, but also to figure out how these attributes enhance survival

Behaviorists

within the learning perspective, focus on environmental rewards and punishers that maintain or discourage specific behavior

Social cognitive learning theorists

combine elements of behaviorism with research on thoughts, values, expectations, and intentions; people learn by imitating others and by thinking about the events happening around them

Social Psychologists

focus on social roles and rules, how groups affect attitudes and behavior, why people obey authority, and how each of us is affected by other people

Positive Psychology

focuses on the qualities that enable people to be happy, optimistic, and resilient in times of stress

Feminist Psychology

a psychological approach that analyzes the influence of social inequities on gender relations and on the behavior of the two sexes

Psychological practice

providing health or mental health services

Humanist Psychology

A psychological approach that emphasizes free will, personal growth, resilience, and the achievement of human potential.

PERSPECTIVE: Psychodynamic

deals with unconscious dynamics within the individual; such as inner forces, conflicts, or instinctual energy.

Educational psychologist

study psychological principles that explain learning and search for ways to improve educational systems.

Experimental Psychologist

conduct lab studies of learning, motivation, emotion, sensation, perception, physiology and cognition.

Developmental Psychologist

study how people change and grow over time.

Industrial/ organizational psychologist

study behavior in the workplace.

Psychometric psychologist

design and evaluate tests of mental abilities, aptitudes, interests and personalities.

Psychotherapist

Does psychotherapy; no degree or advanced degree; is unregulated.

Psychoanalyst

does psychoanalysis, advanced degree then specific training; sometimes M.D or Ph.d.

Psychiatrist

Similar to Clinical Psychologist but has a more biological approach, prescribes RX, has M.D and specialty in psychiatry.

Liscensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) and Marriage, Family and Child Counselor (MFCC)

treats individual and family problems, Licensing and M.A. in psychology or social work.

Psychologists In Industry, Law, etc

do research or serve as consultants to institutions. ex. Sports, legal, public policy, military, advertising.

State the three components of empirical evidence.

Observation, Experimentation & Measurement

Evolutionary Psychology

emphasizing mechanisms that may help explain human commonalities in cognition, development, emotion, social practices, and other areas of behavior.

Cultural Psychologist

examine how cultural rules and values affect people's development, behavior, and feelings.

Counseling Psychologist

generally help people deal with problems of everyday life.

School Psychologist

generally work with parents, teachers, and students to enhance students' performance and resolve emotional difficulties.