Roots, History, Approaches

Roots, History, Approaches
Roots
 Early questions:
 Connection between mind & body?
 Ideas – innate or experiential?
 “Psych” – mind; “ology” – study (Aristotle)
Roots
 Empiricism
 Francis Bacon/John Locke
 Tabula Rasa
 Knowledge – from experience
 Science – rely on experimentation and observation
Discussion
 Based on your knowledge at this point, should
psychology be a science? Why/why not?
Development
Structuralism
- Wilhelm Wundt – 1st
psychology laboratory
- Used introspection
- Focus on basic elements of
human mind
- Describe experiences
- Edward Titchener - expanded
Wundt
Titchener
Functionalism
- William James – 1st psych lab
outside of Europe
- Used observation of human &
animal behavior
- How consciousness helps
people adapt to environment
James
Development
Psychoanalysis
-Sigmund Freud
- Used case studies
-Behavior from mental
processes
-Many occur from
unconscious level
Gestalt
-Max Wertheimer;
Wolfgang Kohler
-Used observation
-Organization of
mental processes
-“Whole is greater that
the sum of its parts”
Kohler
Behaviorism
-John B. Watson; B.F.
Skinner
- Used observation of
stimuli/responses
- Learning most
important
determinant of
behavior
Watson
Important People
 G. Stanley Hall
 Hermann Ebbinghaus
 Mary Calkins
 Charles Darwin
 Beverly Inez Prosser
Approaches
Cognitive – how person processes, perceives & how that
relates to observable behaviors
Behavioral – how person was rewarded/punished, study
person’s history; LEARNING & how relates to behaviors
Humanistic – how people perceive the world and how their
choices reflect their perceptions; individual experiences
Biological – based on hormones, genes, & nervous system,
especially brain
Psychodynamic/psychoanalytical – constant and mostly
unconscious conflict causes mental processes & behaviors
Sociocultural – multicultural; varying behaviors across
cultures and situations
Evolutionary – genes that are adaptive pass on via natural
selection
Discussion
 Which of the approaches most represents psychology
as a science? Why?
 Which of the approaches least represents psychology
as a science? Why?
 Should psychology be considered a science?
Task
 Work in small groups of 3-4. Create a scenario that
shows a behavior & explain how ONE of the
approaches would explain that behavior.
 DO NOT put your names on it.
 Make sure you can explain why it is that approach.
 You have 7 minutes to complete this task.
Philosophical Developments
• Are abilities determined by our genes or
our experiences?
• What are the interactions between
genetics and environment?
• What effect does it have on behavior?
Psychology’s Big Issues
Stability versus change
Are traits consistent across the lifespan
and different situations?
Rationality versus irrationality
How are decisions made?
Nature and nurture
What are the relative contributions of
biology and experience?
Careers in Psychology
Basic Research
- Pure science or research
-Research for the sake of finding new
information and expanding the
knowledge base of psychology
Biological psychologists
Developmental psychologists
Cognitive psychologists
Personality psychologists
Social psychologists
Applied Research
- Research designed to solve
specific practical problems
Industrial/organizational psychologists
Counseling/clinical psychologists
School psychologists
Sports psychologists
Clinical Psychologist
-Diagnose and treat psychological problems
Review
 Where do most psychologists work?
 Which type of psychologist would most want to be?
Why?
 Which type of psychologist would you not want to be?
Why?
Think about . . . Homework
 What methods
psychology needs to use
to be considered a
science
 Tools that different
specialties of psychology
would utilize
 Complete approaches
chart
biological
key
theorists
key
terms
key
concept
… you
are like
you are
because
….
behavioral
cognitive
humanistic
psychodynamic/
psychoanalytic