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Chapter 1 WHAT IS PSYCHOLOGY Section 1: Why Study Psychology? Section 2: What Psychologists Do Section 3: A History of Psychology Section 4: Contemporary Perspectives

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We are social animals, therefore, to be successful in society we must fight to learn the cultural, biological and environmental issues of humans.

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Question: What are the goals of psychology, and how is psychology a science?

Chapter 1:Section 1: Why Study Psychology?

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Question: What are the goals of psychology, and how is psychology a science?

GOALS OF PSYCHOLOGY   The study of psychology has five basic goals:   1. Describe – The first goal is to observe behavior and describe, often in minute detail, what was observed

as objectively as possible   2. Explain – While descriptions come from observable data, psychologists must go beyond what is obvious

and explain their observations. In other words, why did the subject do what he or she did?   3. Predict – Once we know what happens, and why it happens, we can begin to speculate what will happen

in the future. There’s an old saying, which very often holds true: "the best predictor of future behavior is past behavior."

  4. Control – Once we know what happens, why it happens and what is likely to happen in the future, we can excerpt control over it. In other words, if we know you choose abusive partners because your father was abusive, we can assume you will choose another abusive partner, and can therefore intervene to change this negative behavior.

  5. Improve – Not only do psychologists attempt to control behavior, they want to do so in a positive manner, they want to improve a person’s life, not make it worse. This is not always the case, but it should always be the intention.

 

Chapter 1: Section 1: Why Study Psychology?

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Question: What do psychologists do, and what are their areas of specialization?

PSYCHOLOGISTS  Test ideas using various research methods such

as surveys, correlations, natural observation, case study and experimentation

 Consult and teach

Chapter 1: Section 2: What Psychologists Do

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Question: What do psychologists do, and what are their areas of specialization?

AREAS OF SPECIALIZATION   Clinical – the largest group – treat psychological

problems   Counseling – treat adjustment problems   School – deal with students who have problems that

interfere with learning   Educational Psychologist – focus on course planning

and instructional methods

Chapter 1: Section 2: What Psychologists Do

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Question: What do psychologists do, and what are their areas of specialization?

  Personality Psychologist – identify characteristics or traits

  Social Psychologist – concerned with people’s behavior in social situations

  Experimental Psychologist – conduct research into basic processes

Chapter 1: Section 2: What Psychologists Do

AREAS OF SPECIALIZATION (continued)

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Question: What do psychologists do, and what are their areas of specialization?

  Industrial and Organizational Psychologist – focus on people in work and business

  Environmental Psychologist – focus on ways in which people influence and are influenced by physical environment

  Consumer Psychologist – study the behavior of shoppers to explain and predict behavior

Chapter 1: Section 2: What Psychologists Do

AREAS OF SPECIALIZATION (continued)

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Question: What do psychologists do, and what are their areas of specialization?

  Forensic Psychologist – are concerned with how psychological problems give rise to criminal behavior

  Health Psychologist – study the ways in which behavior and mental processes are related to physical health

  Sport Psychologist- study and work with athletes helping to improve such things as poor motivation, anxiety and fears, and competition goals.

Chapter 1:Section 2: What Psychologists Do

AREAS OF SPECIALIZATION (continued)

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Question: How has the study of psychology developed over time?

PSYCHOLOGY DEVELOPED OVER TIME   Began in ancient Greece   Revived during the scientific advances of the 1500s,

1600s and 1700s   Contributions were made by modern psychologists

such as William James, B.F. Skinner, and Sigmund Freud

Chapter 1: Section 3: A History of Psychology

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Question: What are the seven main contemporary perspectives in psychology?

SEVEN MAIN CONTEMPORARY PERSPECTIVES IN PSYCHOLOGY   Biological – nervous system, glands, hormones, genetic

factors   Evolutionary – physical traits, social behavior   Cognitive – interpretation of mental images, thinking,

language   Humanistic – self-concept

Chapter 1: Section 4: Contemporary Perspectives

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Question: What are the seven main contemporary perspectives in psychology?

  Psychoanalytic – environmental influences, learning, observational learning

  Learning – effects of experience on behavior   Sociocultural – ethnicity, gender, culture,

socioeconomic status

Chapter 1: Section 4: Contemporary Perspectives

SEVEN MAIN CONTEMPORARY PERSPECTIVES IN PSYCHOLOGY (continued)

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QUESTION: What are the Historical Approaches to the Study of Psychology

Structuralism: ( Edward Titchener) structure of the mind, analyzed structure and content of mental states by introspection, and was concerned with reducing experience to its basic parts.!

Functionalism: (William James) proposed the study of how the mind adapts us to our environment. Influenced by Charles Darwin’s theories of evolution and natural selection. Felt conscious experience is adaptive and always changing.!

Behaviorism: (Ivan Pavlov) stressed the study of observable behavior, not unobservable consciousness!

Chapter 1: Section 4: Contemporary Perspectives

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QUESTION: What are the Historical Approaches to the Study of Psychology (cont.)

Psychoanalysis: (Sigmond Freud) the study of the unconscious mental processes; argued that people are driven by sexual urges and that most emotional conflicts date back to early childhood experiences.!

Gestalt: (Max Wertheimer) emphasized perception and that stimuli are perceived as whole entities rather than parts put together, the whole may be greater that the sum of the parts.!

Humanistic: (Carl Rogers) stressed that humans have enormous potential for personal growth. Emphasized importance of free will, the human ability to make choices, and the uniqueness of the individual. !

Cognitive: ( Jean Piaget) internal, mental representations that are used in perceiving, remembering, thinking and understanding.!

Chapter 1: Section 4: Contemporary Perspectives