AP Psych Ch 1

Module 1 - Psychology’s History

Prescientific Psychology

Empiricism - the idea that knowledge comes from experience and science is based off of observation and experimentation

Psychological Science is Born

Psychology originally divided into 3 branches (schools) which were: structuralism, functionalism, and behaviorism * Gestalt psychology and psychoanalysis are the other 2 that were later added

Thinking About the Mind’s Structure

Structuralism was developed by Edward Bradford Titchener and uses introspection to analyze the different body sensations and the relation between them in order to then understand how the mind is structured * Titchener did this by having his subjects undergo a certain task (such as smelling a rose) and then asking them to report about what they were experiencing

Thinking About the Mind’s Functions

Functionalism - founded by William James, heavily influenced by Charles Darwin * Says that the mind has specific functions that then evolve naturally with humans * Ex: the mind associates laughter with happiness because one often coexists with the other, fight-or-flight response
Experimental psychology - the study of behavior and thinking using experimentation

Psychological Science Develops

Freudian psychology - how our childhood experiences and unconscious thoughts shape our behavior
Psychology is defined as the scientific study of observable behavior * Introspection was rejected by Freud since you cannot observe a thought
Human behavior is influenced by learned associations through conditioning
Behaviorism - the idea that psychology is a science that studies behavior without the mental process behind it (2nd part is false)
Cognitive Revolution - when lead psychologists such as Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow went against the current definition of psychology because they thought that it was too limited and instead followed the ideas of humanistic psychology * Said that Freudian psychology and behaviorism were constricting * Humanistic Psychology - how current environmental influences nurture or limit growth potential and how humans crave love and acceptance * Humanistic psychology led to the field switching focus towards how the mind retains and processes information
Cognitive Psychology - how humans perceive, process, and retain information
Cognitive Neuroscience - the study of brain activity and it’s relation to cognition (perception, memory, thinking, linguistics)
**Psychology - the science of behavior and mental processes * Behavior = anything that an organism does * Mental processes = internal experiences inferred from behavior such as dreams, beliefs, and sensations

Module 2 - Psychology’s Big Issues and Approaches

Psychology’s Biggest Question

Nature-nurture - psychologists debate whether psychological traits come from genetics or experiences over time
Natural Selection - created by Carles Darwin, said that organisms (including humans) have certain genetic characteristics that optimize their survival and those without them die, resulting in a survival of the fittest * Ex: green lizards are more difficult to see than blue lizards because they blend in with the grass around them which allows the green lizards to survive while the blue ones are eaten by predators. Eventually no blue lizards will remain and green lizards will only exist because they were the only ones who survived and reproduced * Both can be true too - depression is considered a brain and thought disorder since every psychological event is also a biological event in the nervous system

Psychology’s Main Levels of Analysis

Levels of analysis - the different views used to analyze elements of psychology (ex: biological, socio-cultural) * Biopsychosocial approach - an analysis approach that mixes biological, psychological, and sociocultural perspectives
One situation can be looked at from multiple perspectives based on the different types of analysis

Psychology’s Subfields

Behavioral Psychology - the scientific study of observable behavior and it’s causes
Cognitive Psychology - study of thinking, knowing, remembering, and communicating
Biological Psychology - the study of the links between biological and psychological processes
Evolutionary Psychology - study of evolution of behavior and the mind using natural selection
Psychodynamic Psychology - branch of psychology that focuses on the unconscious and what influences behavior, especially in early childhood (usually to treat mental disorders)
Sociocultural Psychology - study of how societal situations and cultures affect thinking
Psychometrics - study that measures human attitudes, abilities, and traits
Basic research - some psychologists research different areas to expand general knowledge * Developmental psychologists - research how humans change from birth to death * Cognitive psychologist - study how people think, communicate, solve problems, etc * Educational psychologists - study how psychology affects teaching and learning * Personality psychologists - how psychology alters our personalities * Social psychologists - studies how humans view and influence each other
Applied research - scientific study that is used to conquer real world problems * Industrial-organizational psychology - how psychology applies to the workplace to optimize productivity and behavior * Human factors psychologists - a subfield of IO psychology that studies how people and machines interact and how these machines/environments can be safer and more efficient * Counseling psychologists - branch of psychology that assists people with problems in order to increase their well-being (usually school, work, or marriage problems) * Clinical psychologists - a branch that studies, diagnoses, assess, and treats those with psychological disorders (depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, etc) * Clinical counseling psychologists both assess and treat emotional, behavioral, and mental disorders * Both also run tests, provide counseling/therapy, conduct research, and diagnose and monitor patients
Psychiatrists - medical specialty (not a part of psychology) made up of doctors who administer medication to treat the physical causes behind psychological disorders
Positive Psychology - scientific study of human functions to discover what makes people and communities successful
Community psychologists - studies how people interact in social settings and how social institutions affect individuals/groups

Module 3 - Careers in Psychology

Basic Research Subfields

Cognitive psychologists - research thought processes such as memory, language, problem solving, and decision making. They do this by creating computer models and understanding how biology impacts cognition * Work in schools or business settings and also can become human factors specialists or consultants
Developmental psychologists - Study how age changes behavior based off of biological, cognitive, and social development and work with other fields such as school psychology, educational psychology, and gerontology * Works on public policy for child-care reform, education, maternal and child health, and adoption * Work in daycares, youth groups, schools, or senior centers and usually specialize in a specific age group
Educational psychologists - work on how psychology can affect learning by linking learning capabilities to social and biological factors and finding ways to facilitate learning * Design aptitude tests and work in schools, gov, or businesses
Experimental psychology - Investigates the behavioral processes of humans and other animals such as motivation, learning, thought, and memory * Work in academic settings (teaching/supervising) or research facilities (zoos, gov agencies)
Psychometric psychology - Studies how we gain psychological knowledge by modifying,creating, and scoring neurocognitive/personality tests * Employed by universities, research firms, testing companies, or the government
Social psychologists - research how individuals influence/are influenced by one another by studying beliefs and behaviors that go into prejudice, leadership, and aggression * Work in colleges and universities, businesses, hospitals, the gov, and do research
Forensic Psychology - Research and create public policies for law enforcement, mental health, and criminal investigations within the legal field * Can be clinical psychologists or lawyers and can work at universities, law schools, research facilities, and law enforcement agencies
Health psychology - Research how psychology promotes personal wellbeing and disease prevention in order to help others live a healthier lifestyle by creating programs to lose weight, prevent the spread of STDs, treat the psychological problems behind chronic/terminal illnesses, and manage pain * Work at hospitals, medical schools, or in private practices (if a clinical psychologist)
Industrial-organizational psychology - Studies the relationship between people and their working environments to increase productivity and promote job satisfaction. They do this by studying the structure, consumer behavior, training, and personnel within a workplace * Usually work with firms, the government, and schools
Neuropsychologists - study how the nervous system is connected to behavior by studying and treating neurological disorders like Alzhimers, ADHD, and autism * If a clinical psychologist can work in a hospital but can also work in research and teaching
Rehabilitation psychologists - work with those who have lost body function from an event such as sickness or injury * Work in medical facilities, universities, the government, and private practice
School psychology - Diagnose and treat psychological problems that could affect a person’s learning capabilities at school, work in academic and government settings
Sports psychology - Study how psychology influences participation in physical activity. If a clinical psychologist, they can help athletes facing anxiety, addiction, and other psychological conditions * Mostly work in academics and research but can also be a part of a team, organization, or private practice

Helping Professions

Clinical psychologists - work with patients to help with their psychological well being and can specialize in different disorders or treat a broad range and work with psychopathology * Work in private practice, mental health organizations, schools, medical facilities, gov, counseling centers
Community psychology - Deal with broad mental health problems within specific communities rather than individuals or families. Also, they believe that human behavior is influenced by interactions with other people and use that to promote preventative measures and crisis intervention, especially for minorities * Work in the government, do research, or teach
Counseling psychologists - help patients adjust to changes and cope with transitions in group and individual settings * Work in private practice, mental health centers, and universities

The Human Factor

Human Factors Psychology - This field assists in designing and testing new appliances and technologies to see if they are functional and safe for people and then improves them to be more accessible based off of psychology * Work with engineers to develop ways to prevent accidents with existing products or create new preventative options
Curse of knowledge - the idea that when someone explains something to another person, they assume that the other person already knows what they are talking about and has the background knowledge to understand the topic