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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.