The Science of

Psychology

Links to Learning Objectives

WHAT IS PSYCHOLOGY LO 1.8 Case studies & surveys

LO 1.1 Definition and goals LO 1.9 Correlational techniques

LO 1.10 Experimental design

PSYCHOLOGY THEN
LO 1.11 Placebo/experimenter effects
LO 1.2 Structuralism and functionalism
LO 1.12 Amabile’s experiment
LO 1.3 Early approaches

ETHICS & CRITICAL THINKING

PSYCHOLOGY NOW
LO 1.13 Ethical concerns
LO 1.4 Modern perspectives
LO 1.14 Critical thinking
LO 1.5 Psychiatrists, Psychologists…

PSYCHOLOGY THE SCIENCE

LO 1.6 Scientific method

LO 1.7 Naturalistic/laboratory settings

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What is psychology?

1
 How is psychology defined?
1.1 What defines psychology and what are its four primary goals?

• Write down one idea that

comes to mind when you
hear the word
“psychology.”
• Psychology is…
– the scientific study of…
– behavior and…
– mental processes
• Psychology as cliché

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What are the goals of Psychology?

Description

Explanation
Control

Prediction

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Psychology Then

2
 How are mind & body related?

• Philosophers
– Aristotle (384 - 322 B.C.)
• connection between soul and body
– Plato (427 - 347 B.C.)
• dualism – body and soul are separate but interrelated
– Rene Descartes (1596 - 1650)
• modified dualism – mind and body have reciprocal
interaction via pineal gland
• How do mind and body interact?

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What is structuralism?
1.2 How did structuralism and functionalism differ?

Wilhelm Wundt

• First psychology lab EXPERIENCE

in Germany (1879)
• Mind consists of
THOUGHT
basic elements
analyzed via
EMOTION
objective
introspection

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What is structuralism?

Edward Titchener

• Introspect about
physical objects
AND thoughts
• “Tell me about
things that are
yellow.”

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3
 What is structuralism?

Margaret Washburn

• First woman to
receive a Ph.D. in
psychology (1894)
• Author of The
Animal Mind

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What is functionalism?

• William James
– “stream of thought” vs.
elements of mind
– Focus on adaptation,
living working,
playing—functioning in
the real world

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Gestalt Psychology
1.3 Basic ideas and important people in early approaches

• What do
Gestaltists mean
when they say
that the “whole is
greater than the
sum of the
parts”?

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4
 Gestalt Psychology

• Gestalt - “good
form”
– Gestalt
psychologists
believe that people
naturally seek out
patterns (“wholes”)
in available sensory
information

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Gestalt principles are relevant to cognitive

issues such as learning, memory, problem
solving and relationships.

What is psychoanalysis?

Sigmund Freud

• Neurologist in late 18th

century Vienna
• Psychoanalysis –
insight therapy for fear
& anxiety
– unconscious
– early childhood

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5
 JOHN B. WATSON AND BEHAVIORISM

“Watson wanted to bring psychology back to a focus on

scientific inquiry, and he felt that the only way to do that was to
ignore the whole “consciousness” issue and focus only on
observable behavior...He based a lot of his ideas on the work of
Russian physiologist Ivan Pavlov (shown here).”

-Page 10 (Ciccarelli & Meyer)

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Of Babies and Rats

Fear is learned when a neutral stimulus is paired

with an aversive stimulus like a loud noise.

Watson believed fears

are learned via
experience.

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Psychology Now

6
 Modern Perspectives
1.4 What are the basic ideas behind the seven modern perspectives?

Psychodynamic

Behavioral
Focus on the
Humanistic
unconscious and
Biopsychological early development,
Cognitive not sex
Sociocultural

Evolutionary

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Modern Perspectives

Psychodynamic
Focus on
Behavioral
operant
Humanistic conditioning,
Biopsychological punishment
and
Cognitive
reinforcement
Sociocultural

Evolutionary

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umanistic
People
have perspective
human the
free will freedom
potential to
choose
their
own
destiny

Bonsai tree animation by Augosto Flores

7
 Modern Perspectives

Psychodynamic
Attribute human and animal
Behavioral behavior to biological events
Humanistic

Biopsychological

Cognitive

Sociocultural

Evolutionary

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Modern Perspectives

Psychodynamic
Memory, intelligence,
Behavioral perception, learning, etc.
Humanistic

Biopsychological

Cognitive

Sociocultural

Evolutionary

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Modern Perspectives

Psychodynamic
Relationship between social
Behavioral behavior and culture
Humanistic

Biopsychological

Cognitive

Sociocultural

Evolutionary

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8
 Modern Perspectives

Psychodynamic
Biological, mental traits shared
Behavioral by all humans
Humanistic

Biopsychological

Cognitive

Sociocultural

Evolutionary

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Types of Psychological Professionals

1.6 How does a psychiatrist differ from a psychologist?

1 Psychiatrist

2 Psychoanalyst
Psychiatric
3
Social Worker
4 Psychologist

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