Psychology: Human Behaviour - Lecture 1 Notes

Introduction to Psychology: Human Behaviour

Instructor Introduction

• Instructor: David (prefers Colm or Chi)
• Research Interests:
  • Consciousness and navigating life's difficulties.
  • Role of mindfulness in managing mental fatigue.
  • Mental health, well-being, and navigating the online world.

Lecture Overview

1. Definition of Psychology:
   • Defining psychology and its historical roots.
2. Major Perspectives:
   • Exploring major schools of thought that have shaped psychology.
3. Integration of Perspectives:
   • Reconciling conflicting perspectives within psychology.

Defining Psychology

• Psychology's Place:
  • Considered a discipline within the sciences.
  • Views on placement:
    • Social sciences.
    • Health sciences.
    • Standalone scientific discipline (the instructor's view).
• Definition:
  • Employs scientific methods to understand human behaviour across diverse experiences and contexts.
  • Science of the comprehensive picture of human experience.

Formal Definition

• Psychology:
  • The science of mind and behaviour.
  • Uses scientific methods to understand mental and behavioural processes.
• Complexity of Human Experience:
  • Requires embracing multiple theories and perspectives.
• Multiple Domains of Influence:
  • Behaviour and mental experiences are influenced by:
    • Biological influences.
    • Psychological factors.
    • Social, cultural, and environmental influences.
• Acknowledging Complexity:
  • Explanations of behaviors and experiences are multifaceted.
  • Much lies below conscious awareness.

Subdisciplines of Psychology

• Range of subdisciplines:
  • Biological psychology.
  • Developmental psychology.
  • Perception and cognition.
  • Social psychology.
  • Cross-cultural psychology.
  • Environmental psychology.

Historical Roots of Psychology

• Roots in Philosophy:
  • From ancient Greece through the Renaissance and modern era.
• Classical Greek Philosophy:
  • "Psyche" (ψυχή) translates to soul or spirit; used as synonym for mind and psychology.
• Pivotal Moments:
  • Significant philosophical influences:
    • Descartes.
    • Darwin.
    • Freud.
    • Broadbent.
• Big Questions:
  • Philosophy and psychology both grapple with:
    • Nature of reality.
    • How humans understand reality.
    • Improving the human condition.

Distinction Between Philosophy and Psychology

• Philosophy:
  • Understanding the big picture nature of reality and our place within it.
• Psychology:
  • Focuses on the human being within specific contexts.

Psychology as a Scientific Discipline

• Key Turning Point:
  • Establishment as a scientific discipline.
• Wilhelm Wundt:
  • Founder of scientific psychology.
  • Established the first psychological laboratory in 1879 in Germany.

Wundt's Methods

• Systematic Self-Observation/Introspection:
  • Trained observers objectively report mental processes in response to stimuli.
  • Example: Recognizing a friend in a crowd by integrating perceptions of line, color, shape, and movement.
• Goal: Identify the underlying structure of mental processes.
• Approach: Structuralism.
• Impact: Birthplace of experimental psychology.

Functionalism

• William James:
  • Published "The Principles of Psychology" in 1890.
  • Focused on how and why the mind functions as it does.
• Functionalism:
  • Philosophical approach concerned with the role of mental processes in adaptation.
• Significance of "The Principles of Psychology":
  • Describes psychology as the science of mental life.
  • Influenced modern psychology.

Key Concepts from William James

• Stream of consciousness.
• James-Lange theory of emotion.

Structuralism vs. Functionalism

• Structuralism:
  • Focuses on the basic structures of the mind and how they form conscious experience.
  • Concerned with understanding mental architecture.
• Functionalism:
  • Focuses on the role of mental processes in adapting to environmental challenges.
  • Oriented to the mind as a tool.

Complementary Approaches

• Wundt's Perspective:
  • Emphasized the importance of both structuralism and functionalism.
  • Advocated studying people within ecological contexts.
  • Importance of myth, religion, language, and culture in shaping human behavior.

Contemporary Timeline

• APA Counselling Psychology Division timeline:
  • Outlines key events of the past 50 years.
  • Increased recognition and embedding of social justice principles within the discipline.