Psych

Prologue Outline I. Psychology’s Roots Objective 1: Define psychology. A. Psychology- The scientific study of behavior and mental processes. 1. Behavior is anything a person/organism does such as an observation of an action (can record of). Ex: Smiling, yelling, sweating, talking, and blinking. 2. Mental processes are from the internal aspect; infer from behavior. Ex: Sensations, perceptions, dreams, thoughts, beliefs, and feelings. 3. Psychology (science) is less a set of findings that a way of asking and answering questions. * evaluates competing ideas with observation and analysis II. Prescientific Psychology Objective 2: Trace its roots, from early understandings of mind and body to beginnings of modern science. A. In earlier time, Buddha in India, Confucius in China, related and questioned the relationship between the mind and the body. B. Socrates is an ancient Greece philosopher-teacher. C. Plato is a student of Socrates. 1. Both concluded that the mind is separate from the body, lives after you die, and knowledge is born within you. D. Future Student of Plato Aristotle began to grow, more observational than logic; Plato and Socrates. 1. Believed knowledge was not preexisting; instead, grows from experiences stored in your memories. E. Modern science begins to flourish (1600’s) 1. Rene Descartes is a brilliant Frenchman, agrees about existence of innate ideas and the mind being able to survive death. a. Concluded that the fluid in the brain contains “animal spirits,” flowed through the nerves, and provoked movement. 2. Francis Bacon (Britain) was centered on experiment, experience, and common-sense thinking. He became a founder of modern science. 3. John Locke a British political philosopher, who believed at birth our minds have a clean slate and it, builds on experience. a. His ideas and Bacon’s helped form Empiricism- view that knowledge originates in experience and therefore science should rely on observation and experimentation. III. Psychological Science is born Objective 3: Explain how early psychologists sought to understand the mind’s structure and functions identify leading psychologists who worked in these areas. A. Wilhelm Wundt founded the first psychological laboratory in 1879. Wanted to seek the “atoms of the mind,” also known as fasted and simplest mental processes; considered 1st experiment. 1. Wundt’s student EdwardTichener joined Cornell University faculty and introduced school of Structuralism- used introspection to explore the elemental structure of human mind. (Used Rose method) 2. Structuralism proved to be unreliable and psychologist William James introduced the school of Functionalism – focused on how mental and behavioral processes function (how they enable organisms to adapt, survive, and flourish). 3. William James admitted Mary Calkins into graduate seminar, where she earned all credits for a Harvard PH.D outscoring all male students on exams, but they denied her degree. a. First female president of the American Psychological Association and first female to receive PH.D in psychology. IV. Psychological Science Develops Objective 4: Describe the evolution of psychology as defined from the 1920s through today. A. Historical roots of psychology include the fields of philosophy and biology. 1. Ivan Pavlov pioneered the study of learning, was a Russian physiologist. 2. Sigmund Freud developed an influential theory of personality, was an Austrian physician. 3. Jean Piaget last century’s most influential observer of children; was a Swiss biologist. B. Wundt and Titchener focused on inner sensations, images and feelings. C. Until the 1920s psychology was defined as the science of mental life. From the 1920s to 1960s psychology in America was redefined as observable behavior. D. Response to Freudian psychology and to behaviorism is Humanistic Psychology- Historically important perspective that emphasizes growth potential of healthy people; personalized methods to study personality to personal promote growth. E. During the 1960’s psychology went through Cognitive resolution, as it began to begin interest in processes again. 1. The study of the interaction of thought processes and brain function is called Cognitive Psychology (neuroscience). 2. Worldwide the number of psychologists is increasing. V. Psychologist’s Big Debate Objective 5: Summarize the nature-nurture debate in psychology, and describe the principle of natural selection. A. The nature-nurture issue is the controversy over the relative contributions of biology and experience. Also over the contributions that genes and experience make to the development of psychological traits and behaviors. B. Plato a Greek philosopher assumed that character and intelligence are inherited. Aristotle argued that all knowledge comes from sensory experience. C. In 1600s the views of the Greek philosophers were revived by Plato, who believed most knowledge is from senses and Descartes, believed some ideas=innate. D. Naturalist Charles Darwin explained species variation by proposing the process of Natural Selection- (principle that among range of inherited trait variations, those contributing to reproduction and survival will most likely be passed on to succeeding generations), which works through the principle of biology. VI. Psychology’s Three Main Levels of Analysis Objective 6: Identify the three main levels of analysis in the biopsychsocial approach, and explain thy psychology’s varied perspectives are complementary. A. Each person is a complex organism that is part of a larger social system and at the same time composed of smaller systems: Level of Analysis (differing complementary views, from biological t psychological to social-culture, for analyzing any given phenomenon)—biological, psychological, and social-culture—which together form integrated Biopsychosocial approach (perspective incorporates levels of analysis), approach to study of behavior and mental processes. B. Psychologists who study how… 1. Body and brain enable emotions, memories and sensory=Neuroscience 2. Natural selection influences behavior tendencies=Evolutionary 3. Concerned with relative influences of genes and environment=Behavior Genetics 4. Behavior springs from unconscious drives +conflicts=Psychodynamic 5. Mechanisms by which observable responses are acquired=Behavioral 6. Explores how mind encodes, process, store + retrieve info=Cognitive 7. Study how thinking and behavior vary in different situations=Social-Cultural. C. The different perspectives on the big issues complement one another. VII. Psychology’s Subfields Objective 7: Identify some of psychology’s subfields, and explain the difference between clinical psychology and psychiatry. A. Psychologists may be involved in conducting Basic research-pure science that aims to increase the scientific base, which builds psychology’s knowledge base or Applied research – scientific study that aims to solve practical problems, seeks solutions to practical problems. B. Psychologists…. 1. Who help people cope with problems in living= Counseling 2. Who study, assess, and treat troubled people = Clinical 3. Medical doctors provide psychotherapy and treat physical causes of psych. disorders = Psychiatry VIII. Your study of Psychology' Objective 8: Describe some effective study techniques. A. In order to master any subject, you must actively process it. B. The SQ3R study method incorporates five steps: Survey, Question, Read, Review and Reflect. C. Five additional study tips identified in the text. 1. Distribute your study time. 2. In class, listen actively. 3. Overlearn. 4. Focus on the big ideas. 5. Be a smart test taker.