Psychology: Chapter 1
Chapter 1: The science of Mind
The discipline of Psychology
Introspection - Personal observation of our own thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.
- ex: don't like taste -> avoid it next time
Psychology - The scientific study of the mind; the scientific study of behavior, mental processes, and brain functions
- Philosophy - The discipline that systematically examines basic concepts, including the source of Knowledge
- Natural sciences - sciences that study the Physical and biological events that occur in nature
| Ancient Greek Philosophers | Observations can be accounted for by natural, not supernatural, explanations |
|---|---|
| British Empiricistsex: John Locke | Knowledge is the result of experience; the mind is a “blank slate" filled with ideas by observing the world. |
| Ancient Physicians | The brain is the source of the mind |
| 17th and 18th Century natural scientists. | Discoveries about sensation and movement showed that the mind was Physical |
| Hermann Von Helmholtz | studies reaction time -> the mind is Physical |
- Hermann Von Helmholtz Proved that signals that come from closer to the brain (thigh) reach the brain faster than those further (toe)
| 1832-1920 | Wilhelm Wundt1st experimental psychologist | Structuralism | Behavior can be broken down into its components (small elements) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1880 -1943 | Max Wertheimer | Gestalt Psychology | Breaking behavior into components loses meaning (experience ≠ sum of elements) |
| 1842-1910 | William James | Functionalism | Behavior is functional and contributes to survival. |
| 1856-1939 | Sigmund Freud | Psychodynamic Theory | Traumatic experience -> abnormal behavior new foundation for therapy (support, cognition) |
| 1908-1970 | Abraham Maslow | Humanistic Psychology | People are naturally good and are motivated to improve |
| 1849-1936 | Ivan Petrovich Pavlov | Behaviorism | Experience is the primary source of behavior |
| 1928- 2012 | Ulric Neisser | Cognitive Revolution | Private mental Processing can be studied scientifically (scientific method, mental systems) |
- Freud followed the Psychological model to explain psychological disorders
- Humanistic Therapists Call their Patients "Clients" to represent equal standing
- unlike Frued (Psychodynamic theory) "Patients"
- Edward Thorndike's "Law of Effect"
- Behaviors Followed by Pleasant/ helpful outcomes would be more likely
5 Psychological Perspectives
| Biological | Cognitive | Developmental | Social & Personality | Mental & Physical Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| - Neuroscience- Sensation- Consciousness | - Memory- Perception- Intelligence | - Learning- Life-span- Language | - Emotion- Gender- Multicultural | - Abnormal- Therapies |
| Biological and Evolutionary Psychology | - Investigates Connections among mind, behavior, and biological Processes- How our evolutionary past shapes our behavior |
|---|---|
| Cognitive Psychology | - Investigates mental Processes: Thinking, Problem-Solving, and Information Processing*Perception, learning, and memory |
| Developmental Psychology | - Investigates the normal changes in behavior that occur across the lifespan |
| Social and Personality Psychology | - How our behavior is affected by the presence of others- Recognizes that behavior varies around averages- Individual differences often interact with environments |
| Clinical Psychology | - Explains, defines, and treats psychological disorders- Promotes general well-being |