OverviewHistory

Overview and Historical Roots

I. What is Psychology?

• Definition Evolution

  • Past Definition: The science of the mind.

  • Current Definition: The study of behavior and mental processes.

II. Key Themes in Psychology

A. Determinism vs. Free Will

• Determinism:

  • Assumes everything that happens has a cause or determinant in the observable world.

• Free Will:

  • Belief that behavior is caused by a person's independent decisions.

• Influences on behavior:

  • Internal Environment: Biology & genetics.

  • External Environment: Social & physical world.

B. Mind-Brain Problem

1. Dualism:

   • Mind is separate from the brain but controls the brain and body.

2. Monism:

   • Conscious mind is inseparable from the brain; mind processes arise due to the complexity of the brain.

C. Nature vs. Nurture

• Examines how heredity (nature) and environment (nurture) contribute to behavioral differences.

III. Key Sub-Disciplines in Psychology

A. Biopsychology

• Focuses on behavior based on nervous system activities, genetics, drug influence, and brain damage.

B. Evolutionary Psychology

• Explains behavior through the lens of genetics shaped by human evolution.

C. Sensation and Perception

• Studies human experience through the five senses (vision, hearing, smelling, tasting, touching).

D. Learning and Motivation

• Investigates how experiences influence motivations, goals, and ambitions.

E. Cognitive Psychology

• Examines cognitive processes like thinking, memory, knowledge acquisition, and states of consciousness.

F. Developmental Psychology

• Studies behavioral changes across different age stages.

G. Social Psychology

• Analyzes how personal thoughts, feelings, and behaviors affect others and vice versa.

H. Personality Psychology

• Investigates individual differences in behavior; exploring variations in actions across different situations.

I. Abnormal Psychology

• Focuses on psychological disorders and their characteristics.

J. Clinical Psychology

• Treats psychological problems via therapies (e.g., cognitive, behavioral modification).

K. Psychiatry

• Medical specialty dealing with psychological disorders using drug therapies.

  • Psychoanalysis: A clinical psychology form rooted in Freud's theories addressing dreams and unconscious experiences.

IV. Other Areas of Psychological Application

A. Health Psychology

• Studies the interrelationship between physical and psychological health.

B. Forensic Psychology

• Examines criminal behavior in psychological contexts.

C. Industrial/Organizational Psychology

• Focuses on job-person matching and optimizing work environments.

D. Ergonomics

• Studies how to improve human interaction with machinery and technology.

E. School Psychology

• Addresses students' issues within academic and social environments.

V. The History of Psychology: Key Highlights

A. Wilhelm Wundt

• Proposed that experience is similar to elements and compounds, akin to chemistry.

B. Edward Titchener

• Introduced Structuralism, focusing on how people understand components that form structures.

C. William James

• Developed Functionalism, studying how behaviors serve practical functions.

D. Charles Darwin

• Suggested all species share common ancestors; adaptability leads to species survival.

  • Comparative Psychology: Utilizes animal research to understand human behavior.

E. Alfred Binet

• Created the first practical intelligence test.

F. John Watson

• Established Behaviorism, centered on observable and measurable behaviors, discounting mental processes.

H. Ernest Becker

• Proposed that awareness of mortality is a primary motivator influencing daily behavior.

  • Terror Management Theory: Suggests awareness of death fosters hostility towards opposing beliefs and affinity for similar ones.

G. Sigmund Freud

• Known as the father of psychoanalysis; used methods like dream analysis and addressed repressed memories related to trauma.