Welcome to Welcome to Human BehaviorHuman Behavior

PSYCHOLOGYSOCIOLOGY

DefinitionsPsychologyPsychology

Is the science of behavior and mental processes

SociologySociology

Is the science of human society and social behavior

PSYCHOLOGYPSYCHOLOGYTwo Major OrganizationsTwo Major Organizations

APAAmerican

Psychological Association

APSAssociation for

Psychological Science

American Psychological AssociationFounded in 1892 by G. Stanley HallToday it is made up of 54 divisionsEach division represents an area of special interest to contemporary psychologists

Areas of Special Interest in PSYCHOLOGY

DevelopmentalDevelopmental

Studies the processes and changes involved in human mental and physical growth in specific time frames in life

-Ex. Child Psychologists

PsychologyPsychology

These careers mirror demographic changes

-Baby boom= lots of child psy.-Now older people= geriatric psy.

Areas of Special Interest in PSYCHOLOGYPhysiological PsychologyPhysiological Psychology

Investigates the extent Investigates the extent to which behavior is to which behavior is caused by physical caused by physical and chemical and chemical phenomena in the phenomena in the bodybody

They study the brain, the nervous system, and the body’s biochemistry

Example: why coffee makes us nervous

Areas of Special Interest in PSYCHOLOGYExperimental PsychologyExperimental Psychology

Investigates such basic psychological processes as learning, memory, sensation, perception, cognition, motivation, and emotion

BIG TOPICS FOR OUR CLASS!!!!!!!

Careers: Mostly at the college level, few make a career out of it

Areas of Special Interest in PSYCHOLOGYPersonality PsychologyPersonality Psychology

Investigates the differences among people in such traits as anxiety, sociability, self-esteem, the need for achievement, and aggressiveness

Is shyness a personality trait or simply the response to an unfamiliar social situation?

Introvert v. ExtrovertIntrovert v. Extrovert

Areas of Special Interest in PSYCHOLOGY

Clinical and Counseling PsychologyClinical and Counseling Psychology About ½ of all psychologists specialize in this

division Patients or “clients” Interested primarily in the diagnosis, causes,

and treatments of psychological disorders

Areas of Special Interest in PSYCHOLOGY

Industrial PsychologyStudies the nature of humans at work

Ex-Does the physical appearance of a workplace impact productivity? Quality?

Areas of Special Interest in PSYCHOLOGY

Consumer PsychologyFocuses on the nature of the human consumer

What makes people buy things? Work includes advertising firms and private

companies • Ex- Children and bright cereal boxes

Areas of Special Interest in PSYCHOLOGY

Environmental Psychology Studies the impact of our environment on human behavior

Work: Architects, Landscape Design, Urban Planners

Areas of Special Interest in PSYCHOLOGYCommunity Other Divisions of Other Divisions of

the APA:the APA:Consumer PSY

IndustrialOrganizational

TEACHING OF PSYCHOLOGY

School

Addictions Educational Social

Where it all BeganLogic and ideas of ancient Greeks

Plato and Aristotle had theory of Associationism:

-learn and understand by making associations between events they observe

17th CenturyRene Descartes-wrote that mind and body are separate and interact to make us who we are

-Nativist View- emphasizes nature (genetics, heredity) accounts for who we areJohn Locke- who we are comes through our senses and associations between events

-Empiricists Position- Locke believed each person was a blank slate shaped by experience

This is still the biggest debate in psychology:

Nature

vs.

Nurture