Chapter 1 - Study of Psychology

Powers of Observation

• Psychology emphasizes learning about people by observation

Key elements of scientific attitude:

1. Curiosity

2. Skepticism

3. Humility

First psychologist - Wilhelm Wundt

• Started first psychology laboratory in 1879

  • “what makes us perceive reality in a certain way”

• William James (American Philosopher)

  • Began American Pragmatism

  • Faculty member for Harvard

  • Wrote 1st intro to psych text (late 1800s)

• Mary Whiton Calkins

  • classes under James (undergrad, not allowed grad @ Harvard because she was female)

  • 1st woman president of main psychology professional organization (APA)

    • American Psychological Association

• Sigmund Freud (Austria)

  • Founder of psychotherapy/counseling

  • trained as a physician (neurologist)

    • Started as a psychiatrist)

  • Worked with women with hysteria:

    • uterus detaching and moving around body (thought by other scientist)

Brief History Highlights

Trajectory of psychology

Early researchers

• Psychodynamic (Psychoanalytic) approach - Freud (late 1890s-1930s) -- internal (determinalistic)

• Behavioral approach - John Watson & BF Skinner (1930s-1950s) -- external (determinalistic)

• Humanistic approach - Carl Rogers (1960s-1970s) -- free will (choice)

• Cognitive approach - Aaron Beck (1980s-1990s) -- how we think

• Cognitive neuroscience -- how we think and how the brain is structured