psychology: brain, mind, and culture, 2e by drew westen paul j. wellman texas a&m university...
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Psychology: Brain, Mind, and Culture, 2e
by Drew Westen
Paul J. Wellman
Texas A&M University
John Wiley and Sons, Inc.
PowerPoint Presentation: Chapter 1
Psychology: The Study of Mental Processes and Behavior
Lecture Outline
Boundaries of Psychology Biological versus cultural
Perspectives in Psychology Psychodynamic Behaviorist Cognitive Evolutionary
© 1999 John Wiley and Sons, Inc.
Psychology
Psychology is defined as the scientific investigation of mental processes and behavior
Psychological processes reflect the influence of: biological processes of the cells within the
nervous system the context of cultural beliefs and values
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Biopsychology Biopsychology seeks to understand the mind through
understanding the biological activity of the brain Localization of function is the notion that discrete
brain regions control discrete aspects of mental functioning Lesions of neural pathways alter behavior in animal
studies Humans with focal brain damage show evidence of
impairment of language– Broca: damage to left front hemisphere impairs language
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Localization of Function
Damage here producesdifficulty in speaking
Damage here producesdifficulty in languagecomprehension
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Cultural Influences and Psychology
Culture refers to the influence of membership in a larger group such as a tribe or nation A society is not simply the summation of
the individuals that make up the society• Rather, culture impacts psychological
functioning of individuals within the society
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Philosophical Issues of Psychology
Free will versus determinism? Nature versus nurture? Rationalism versus empiricism? Reason versus emotion? Continuity versus discontinuity with other
animals? Individualism versus relationality? Conscious versus unconscious?
© 1999 John Wiley and Sons, Inc.
Early Psychological Science Wilhelm Wundt: Proponent of structuralism
Established the first psychological laboratory Used the method of introspection to examine mental
processes• Observers were trained to provide verbal reports of their
psychological processes• Sought to define the structure of consciousness
William James: Proponent of functionalism Functionalism argued that consciousness is functional
and serves a purpose
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Perspectives in Psychology Any issue can be
approached using a number of perspectives
We can be biased in our perspectives Face Vase
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Psychodynamic Perspective
The psychodynamic view posits that conscious and unconscious forces interact to control our thoughts and behaviors Behavior is an interplay between thoughts,
feelings, and wishes Some mental events are unconscious Mental processes can conflict
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Psychodynamic Perspective Metaphor for the Psychodynamic view:
Awareness is like an iceberg: the portion above water is the conscious, the larger bulk below the water is the unconscious
Methods: Seek to understand the meanings of the mental life of a client Speech and dream analyses
Data: Primarily case studies in which a therapist seeks understanding of the thoughts, feelings, and actions of the client
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Behaviorist Perspective Behaviorist view is that learning plays a role in
acquiring and maintaining behaviors Conditioning in which stimuli are associated
• Restaurant is paired with bad news that leads to anxiety
• Pairing of novel flavor with illness leads to taste aversion
Conditioning in which behaviors have consequences:
• Positive consequences are reinforcing
• Negative consequences are punishing
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Behaviorist Perspective Metaphor: Humans and other animals are
mechanistic: we show reflexive responses that can be elicited by external stimuli
Methods: Experimental method What are the relations between stimuli and
behaviors? Data: Quantitative empirical data analyses
that can be replicated Rats running in a maze for food
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Behaviorist Perspective:Animal Experiments of Learning
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Cognitive Perspective The Cognitive view focuses on how people
process, store, and retrieve information Metaphor: The mind is like a computer
Identify inputs, outputs, and speculate on the mental programs that govern thought
Methods: Experimental Method Recall of previous material Reaction time
Data: Memory and decision-making
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Evolutionary Perspective Evolutionary view: Human behaviors
evolved because they helped our ancestors survive and reproduce Animals and humans share common behaviors Behaviors are biological determined
Sociobiology: Natural selection operates on psychological
functions as well as physical functions
© 1999 John Wiley and Sons, Inc.
Evolutionary Perspective
Metaphor: “We are all runners in a race, competing for resources…”
Methods: Deductive, some experimental Data: Often start with a known behavior
in a species and attempt to explain it on the basis of evolutionary principles
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Contributions of the Psychological Perspectives
Psychodynamic Focus on unconscious process and on conflict
Behavioral Focus on learning Behaviors can be modified by consequences
Cognitive Focus on thought and memory
Evolutionary Focus on why we feel, think, or behave
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Major Subdisciplines of Psychology
Biopsychology Developmental Social Clinical Industrial/Organizational Educational Experimental Health
© 1999 John Wiley and Sons, Inc.
Copyright
Copyright 1999 by John Wiley and Sons, New York, NY. All rights reserved. No part of the material protected by this copyright may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without written permission of the copyright owner.
© 1999 John Wiley and Sons, Inc.