introduction to psych - history
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Psychology: DefinitionThe study of mental functions and behaviors.
“The human brain is by far the most
complex physical object known to us in the entire cosmos.”
Owen Gingerich (Astronomer)
Psychology
Topics of focus: Behavior
Mental Processes Consciousness
Perception Personality
Development Memory
Intelligence Disorders
Psychology
Psychologist: evaluates, diagnoses, treats, and studies behavior and mental processes. Clinical and counseling psychologists provide mental
health care.
Psychiatrist: specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders. Psychiatrists are medical doctors who must evaluate patients to
determine whether their symptoms are the result of a physical or mental illness.
History of Psychology“Trepanning” (drilling a
hole into a person’s head to relieve pressure or let
out evil spirits) was practiced as a treatment for abnormal behavior in neolithic times through
the 1700s.
“The Extraction of the Stone of Madness” (c.1488)
History of PsychologyIn Ancient Greece, Hippocrates (c. 460 – 370 BC)
introduced the idea of “four temperaments of personality.” sanguine (optimistic, leader-like), choleric (bad-tempered, irritable), melancholic
(analytical, quiet), and phlegmatic (relaxed, peaceful). A person’s personality was determined by by an excess or lack of body fluids (called "humors"):
blood, yellow bile, black bile, and phlegm.
History of Psychology
John Locke (1632-1704) published the idea that children are born as
“blank slates” (a “Tabula Rasa”), and that life
experiences form who they become as adults.
This idea contradicted the previous notion that we
are born with some knowledge and habits.
History of PsychologyFranz Joseph Gall
argued that you could learn about a person’s intelligence, character, and personality based on the size, shape, and number of bumps on
their head. The study of Phrenology, popular in
the 1800s, was based on this theory.
History of PsychologyWilhelm Wundt (1832 - 1920) was the first person to call himself a “psychologist.” He built the first laboratory for
psychological research in Germany. He provided his subjects with stimuli, and asked them to describe how it made them
feel. This strategy came to be called “Structuralism.”
History of PsychologySigmund Freud (1856-1939)
created psychoanalysis (dialogue between a patient and a
psychoanalyst, thought to bring relief from psychological
disorders). He also developed the idea that the conscious
mind (everything we are aware of) is only the “tip of the
iceberg”, while the unconscious mind holds the primitive wishes, impulses, and repressed feelings
that influence our behavior.
History of Psychology
Ivan Pavlov (1849-1936) introduced the idea of “conditioning” as a form of learning and an explanation for certain habits and
behaviors shown by both animals and humans. This study led to an approach to Psychology called “behaviorism.”
History of PsychologyLeta Stetter Hollingworth studied exceptional children, and published The Psychology of the Adolescent (1928). During the late 1800s and early
1900s, intelligence testing (especially to assist with placement in schools) was widely practiced for the first time in history.
History of PsychologyJean Piaget (1896-1980) published influential theories about human
development from childhood to adulthood.
History of PsychologyIn 1954, Abraham Maslow developed the concept of “self-actualization”: the motive to realize one's full potential.
Expressing one's creativity, the pursuit of knowledge, the desire to give back to society, and “finding yourself” are
examples of self-actualization.
Psychology TodayPsychology is a diverse field today. Some sub-fields are more scientific, like neuropsychology or evolutionary psychology. Others, like cognitive psychology, are more philosophical.
There are 5 main perspectives in Psychology:
!1. Neuroscience 2. Psychodynamic
3. Behavioral 4. Cognitive
5. Humanistic
Psychology TodayThe Neuroscience perspective considers how people function
biologically, and how the functioning of the body shapes our behavior, hopes, and fears. This perspective also considers how
heredity can affect behavior.
Psychology TodayThe Psychodynamic perspective is about understanding the inner
person. It is based on the theory that behavior is motivated by inner forces and conflicts over which we have little awareness or
control. Proponents of the psychodynamic perspective see dreams and comments made accidentally as indications of what a
person is truly feeling.
Psychology TodayThe Behavioral perspective focuses on observable behaviors that can be measured objectively. Behaviorists believe that our behavior
is related to our environment, and we can modify behavior by modifying environment.
Psychology TodayThe Cognitive perspective focuses on how people think,
understand, and know about the world. Its emphasis is on how people represent the outside world within themselves, and how they process information. Cognitive psychologists ask, “how does
the way we think about the world influence our behavior?”