KK

Psychology's Past & Present - Lecture Notes

Psychology's Past & Present

Syllabus Information

  • Instructor: Dr. Liza Meredith (she/her)
  • Section Leaders:
    • Anthony Pothacamury
    • Rachael Lehner
    • Bodhi Laitinen
    • Caroline Armstrong (she/her)
    • Ariana DeJesus Rodriguez
    • Anthony Greco
    • Sarah Nakamoto
    • Patrick McGonagle
    • Leyla Karimzadeh
    • Jiaqi Liu
    • Helen Yu
    • Taylor Knickel
    • Vivien Lee
    • Rowan Farha
    • Taylor Schultz
    • Bryan Key
  • Contact Information: Includes emails and Zoom links for instructors and teaching assistants.
  • Office Hours: Times and locations (both in-person and via Zoom) for various instructors and TAs are specified.

Study Tips

  • Complete study guides.
  • Start studying at least 5 days before the exam.
  • Stay up to date with course material; attend/watch lectures.
  • Don't over-note the textbook.
  • Focus on earning as many points as possible, not just on exams.
  • Do extra credit.

Research Experience Program (REP)

  • Opportunity to earn extra credit by participating in research studies.
  • Some studies offer a “cash” option even if not enrolled in a REP-offering course.

University Resources

  • Academic resources.
  • Basic needs support (housing, food, healthcare, financial).
  • Counseling & Crisis Services.
  • Mental Health & Wellbeing resources.
  • Financial Aid information.
  • Student Support Services.
  • Resources for Students with Children.

Agenda

  • What is Psychology?
  • Where did Psychology come from?
  • What are some of the major theoretical perspectives?
  • Where is Psychology going?
  • What can you do with an undergraduate or graduate degree in Psychology?
  • How can psychology be useful to me?

What is Psychology?

  • Scientific study of the mind, brain and behavior, including thoughts.
  • Levels of Analysis:
    • Societal level
    • Behavioral level
    • Mental level
    • Physiological level
    • Neurochemical level
    • Molecular level

Current Debates in the Field

  • Nature vs. Nurture Debate
    • Nature: Genetics determine behavior; personality traits and abilities are inherent.
    • Nurture: Environment, upbringing, and life experiences shape behavior.

Early Beginnings

  • Psychology originated in philosophy.
  • Many philosophers wrote about human development, interpersonal relationships, and other contemporary topics.
  • Wilhelm Wundt established psychology as a laboratory science in 1879.
  • 1883: Stanley Hall's Lab Opens
  • 1890: First Text in Psych: The Principles of Psychology by William James
  • 1892: Professional Association Founded: American Psychological Association
  • 1896: First psychological clinic
  • 1899: Freud writes book: The Interpretation of Dreams
  • 1904: First female president of APA

Contributions of Psychologists of Color

  • Kenneth Clark & Mamie Clark
  • Martha Bernal
  • Reiko True

APA Presidents

  • 2024 President: Cynthia de las Fuentas
    • Focus on mental health services for Latinx immigrant populations.
    • Aims for inclusive spaces, equitable cultures, and socially just practices.
  • 2025 President: Debra Kawahara
    • Feminist and multicultural scholar.
    • Work centers on intersectionality, women's issues, Asian American mental health, and feminist/multicultural values.
    • Campaign slogan: “Strength in Unity.”

APA and Public Policy

  • Issues policy statements on matters of social importance, including abortion, human rights, the welfare of detainees, human trafficking, rights of the mentally ill, IQ testing, sexual orientation change efforts, and gender equality.

Review Questions

  • Where did Psychology originate from?
  • How long has Psychology been around for?
  • What is Psychology?
  • What are some of the current debates in the field?

Great Theoretical Frameworks of Psychology

  • Six primary schools of thought have shaped modern psychology:
    • Structuralism
    • Functionalism
    • Behaviorism
    • Cognitivism
    • Psychoanalysis
    • Humanistic and Positive Psychology

Structuralism

  • Major figures: Titchener & Wundt
  • Aimed to identify basic elements or “structures” of psychological experience through introspection.
  • Introspection: reporting on moment-to-moment experiences and thoughts.

Functionalism

  • Major figure: William James
  • Aimed to understand the adaptive purposes of thought and behavior.
  • James argued that the mind is more complex than its elements and cannot be broken down.

Behaviorism

  • Major figures: Watson and Skinner
  • Aimed to uncover how animals learn behaviors through environmental experiences, and why people behave differently under different conditions.

Cognitivism

  • Major figure: Piaget
  • Aimed to demonstrate how mental processes shape our behavior.

Psychoanalysis

  • Major figure: Freud
  • Aimed to uncover mental processes that may be operating below conscious awareness.
  • Attempts to uncover the role of early life experiences.

Humanistic and Positive Psychology

  • Major figures: Maslow & Rogers
  • Aimed at understanding how individuals find meaning and meet their full potential.

Pop Quiz Review

  • Focuses on internal psychological processes of which we are unaware? - Psychoanalysis
  • Focuses on uncovering general laws of learning and how people behave under different conditions? - Behaviorism
  • Focuses on understanding the adaptive purposes of thought and behavior? - Functionalism
  • Focuses on understanding how mental processes shape our behavior? - Cognitivism
  • Focuses on understanding how individuals find meaning and meet their potential? - Humanistic and Positive Psychology
  • Focuses on identifying the basic elements or “structures” of psychological experience? - Structuralism

Psychology Trends to Watch (APA)

  • Artificial intelligence impacts the future of the field.
  • New approaches in equity, diversity, and inclusion.
  • Modernizing the profession.
  • Taking a global view of the science of human behavior.
  • Workplaces are at a boiling point.

Questions for the Day

  • What is Psychology?
  • Where did Psychology come from?
  • What are some of the major theoretical perspectives?
  • What can you do with an undergraduate or graduate degree in Psychology?
  • How can psychology be useful to me as a college student?

Psychology as a Profession

  • Psychologists: individuals who study the mind, brain, and behavior with advanced training (typically doctoral level).
    • Research-focused.
    • Applied.

Demographic Snapshot for Active Psychologists in 2021

  • Gender
  • Age
  • Race/Ethnicity
    • American Indian/Alaska Native: 0.13\%%
    • Asian: 3.28\%%
    • Black/African American: 5.08\%%
    • Hispanic: 7.95\%%
    • Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander: 0.03\%%
    • People of all other racial/ethnic groups: 2.68\%%
    • White: 80.85\%%

Multifaceted World of Modern Psychology

Clinical Psychologists

  • Perform assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of mental disorders.
  • Conduct research on people with mental disorders.

Counseling Psychologists

  • Work with people experiencing temporary or relatively common life problems.

School Psychologists

  • Work with teachers, parents, and children to remedy students’ behavioral, emotional, and learning difficulties.

Forensic Psychologists

  • Work in prisons, jails, and other settings to assess and diagnose inmates and assist with their rehabilitation and treatment.
  • Conduct research on eyewitness testimony or jury decision making.

Industrial-Organizational Psychologists

  • Work in companies and businesses to help select productive employees, evaluate performance, and examine the effects of different work settings.
  • Design equipment and workspaces to maximize employee performance.

Other Areas

  • Cognitive and Perceptual
  • Community
  • Developmental
  • Engineering
  • Environmental
  • Evolutionary
  • Health
  • Neuropsychological
  • Personality
  • Quantitative
  • Rehabilitation
  • Sports

Undergrad Degrees in Psychology - Career Examples

  • Business/Finance: Personal Financial Advisors, Advertising, Promotions and Marketing Managers, Sales Managers, Advertising Sales Agents, Retails Sales Workers, Market Research Analysts
  • Criminal Justice: Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists, Investigators, Criminal Profiler, Jury Specialist
  • Insurance: Claims Adjusters, Appraiser, Examiners and Investigators, Insurance Sales Agents
  • Community Service: Social and Human Service Assistants, Social Workers, Substance Abuse and Behavioral Disorder Counselors, Childcare Workers
  • Healthcare: Psychiatric Technicians and Aides, Personal Care Aides
  • Other: Meeting, Convention and Event Planners, Fundraisers, Public Relations Specialists, Writer or Author, Customer Service Representatives, Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Flight Attendant, Recreation Workers

Which is Which? (Psychology Professions)

  • Work in prisons, jails, and other settings to assess and diagnose inmates and assist with their rehabilitation and treatment? - Forensic Psychologists
  • Work in companies and business to help select productive employees, evaluate performance, & examine the effects of different work settings? - Industrial-Organizational Psychologists
  • Work with people experiencing temporary or relatively common life problems such as career uncertainty, relationship conflict, grief and loss concerns? - Counseling Psychologists

Undergrad Degrees in Psychology - Additional Career Options

  • Consultant
  • Teacher
  • Educational Leadership Consultant
  • Healthcare Administrator
  • Quality Assurance Manager
  • Mental Health Practitioner
  • Health Educator
  • Researcher
  • College Admissions Officer
  • Marketer
  • Project Manager
  • Realtor
  • Event Planner
  • Leadership Development Intern
  • Graphic Designer
  • Research Specialist
  • Buyer

Questions of the Day (Repeated)

  • What is Psychology?
  • Where did Psychology come from?
  • What some of the major theoretical perspectives?
  • What can you do with an undergraduate or graduate degree in Psychology?
  • How can psychology be useful to me as a college student?

Can Psychology Be Useful To You Now?

  • DEARMAN (or DEAR MAN)
    • Describe
    • Express
    • Assert
    • Reinforce
    • Mindful
    • Assertive
    • Negotiate