PowerPoint®Presentation by Jim FoleyThinking Critically With

Psychological Science© 2013 Worth Publishers

Module 1: The History and Scope of Psychology

Topics and Questions

The origins and growth of psychology, from questions to a science

The big question: do our human traits develop through experience (nurture), or are we born with them (nature)?

Psychology’s biopsychosocial levels of analysis

Psychology’s subfields Applying psychology to learning the

text: SQ3R

Psychology is about understanding mind, self, and others.

Bring your curiosity to class, with questions like:How do I explain dreams? Anxiety? The abilities and funny behavior of babies? How can I learn to use my mind to be more successful in my life? To be more effective in helping others?

From speculation to science: The Birth of Modern Psychology

Aristotle (4th century BCE) had ideas about how the body and mind work.His method: making guesses.

Wilhelm Wundt (1832-1920) added two key elements to help make psychology a science:1. carefully measured observations2. experiments

Push a button when a ball dropped (based on when they heard the ball hit a platform): 1/10th of a second.

Push a button when consciously aware of hearing the ball hit the platform: 2/10ths of a second.

Wilhelm Wundt’s 1879 experimentmeasured the time it took for people to:

Why were the times different?

Structuralism

Edward Titchener, like his teacher Wundt, used data from introspection, reporting on sensations and other elements of experience.

Structuralism: Using these introspective reports to build a view of the mind’s structure

Functionalism: The school of thought that Psychological processes have a function: helping us survive as individuals, adapt as a species

The developer of functionalism, William James (1842-1910), asked: How did the human style of thinking and behavior enable our ancestors to live long enough to reproduce?

James mentored another pioneer

William James

Mary Whiton Calkins (1863-1930) became a memory researcher and the first female president of the APA.

She studied with William James but was denied a Harvard PhD. Why?

Because of her gender.

Psychology Pioneers

Mary Whiton Calkins

Psychology Pioneers

Margaret Floy Washburn,

PhD

Margaret Floy Washburn (1871-1939): The first female to earn a

Psychology PhD The second female APA

president Author of The Animal

Mind.

Shifting definitions of “psychology”

Wilhelm Wundt and

Edward Titchener,

around 1900: “The science

of mental life.”

John B. Watson and B.F. Skinner,

behaviorists, 1920’s: “The

scientific study of

observable behavior.”

Cognitive psychologists,

1960’s, studied

internal mental processes, helped by

neuroscience.

Now we combine these definitions: “The science of behavior and mental

processes.”

Behaviorists study and experiment with observable behavior.

Watson experimented with conditioned responses.

Skinner studied the way consequences shape behavior.

Like other behaviorists, he saw little value in introspection.

Trends in Psychological Science: Behaviorism

John B. Watson

B. F. Skinner

Sigmund Freud, founder of psychoanalysis: He studied and helped people with a

variety of mental disorders. More about Freud when we study

personality and therapy

Sigmund Freud

Trends in Psychology: Freudian/Psychoanalytic Psychology

Humanists: Abraham Maslow and Carl Rogers (1960s): studied people who were thriving rather

than those who had psychological problems.

developed theories and treatments to help people to feel accepted and to reach their full potential.

Carl Rogers

Abraham Maslow

Trends in Psychology: Humanism

The Growth of Psychology

Psychology’s pioneers have come from many fields: physiology, philosophy, medicine, and biology.

Advances in psychology also have been made in many countries

Psychology has spread rapidly; there are 71 member nations in the IUPS.

The subjects studied in psychology have

multiplied too… as we shall see in this course.

The Big Issue in Psychology: N-N

To what extent are our traits already set in place at birth (our “Nature”)?

And to what extent do our traits develop in response to our environment/ experience (our “Nurture”)?

The Nature-Nurture Question:

vs. Nature Nurtur

e

Plato: Ideas such

as “the good” and “beauty”

are inborn. Descartes:

Some ideas are innate.

Charles Darwin: Some traits become part of our nature through

natural selection: they help us survive long

enough to pass the traits to the next generation.

Aristotle:All knowledge

comes through the senses.

John Locke:The mind is a

blank slate (blank chalkboard or

screen) “written on” by experience.

Nature Nurture

We have differences

that are shaped by our environment.

We share a common

origin that gives us an

inborn human nature in common.

+

“Nurture works on what Nature endows.”

The Roles of Nature and

Nurture:

Biology Plus Environment..are part of

psychology’s three “biopsychosocial” levels of analysis.

The deep level, Biology:

genes, brain, neuro-

transmitters, survival, reflexes,

sensation

The outer level, Environment:

social Influences, culture,

education, relationshipsIn the middle,

Psychology: thoughts, emotions,

moods, choices, behaviors, traits,

motivations, knowledge, perceptions

The three levels as influences on some psychological phenomenon

Example: DepressionExample: IntelligenceExample: Enjoying SoccerExample: Shyness

Cognitive perspective

Social-cultural

Behavioral genetics

Neuroscience

Psychodynamic

Behaviorist

Evolutionary

There are many perspectives for

describing psychological phenomena: From different angles, you ask different questions:

How reliable is memory? How can we improve our thinking?

Could our behavior, skills, and attitudes be “downloads” from our culture?

Could our behavior, skills, and attitudes be genetically programmed instincts?What role do our bodies and brains play in emotions? How is pain inhibited? Can we trust our senses?

Do inner childhood conflicts still plague me and affect my behavior?How are our problematic behaviors reinforced? How do our fears become conditioned? What can we do to change these fears and behaviors?Why are humans prone to panic, anger, and making irrational judgments?

Different perspectives on a single issue: Six Blind Men and an Elephant

Let’s play: “What’s my perspective?”

“Obsessive-compulsive disorder is a

problem in the orbital cortex.”

“No, it’s a sign of unresolved

childhood issues.” “No, OCD is

an inherited

condition.”

“Compulsions start as habits and are rewarded by the

anxiety relief they bring.”

“OCD comes from our

natural instinct to control our

environment.”

“OCD thinking and behavior is a reaction to our fast-paced, out-

of-control lifestyles.”

“No, OCD is a matter of mental habits and

errors that can be corrected.”

Psychology’s Subfields

AppliedClinical Psychology

Counseling Psychology

Educational Psychology

Industrial-Organizational

Community Psychology

Clinical Psychology

Basic researchBiological

Developmental

Cognitive

Personality

Social

Positive Psychology

Psychology’s Subfields Research Examples

Type of researchBiological

Developmental

Cognitive

Personality

Social

Positive Psychology

Study how the stages of cognitive and emotional development vary in autism

Explore the structural problems in the brain that may be part of autism

Clarify the difficulties autistic children have with understanding sarcasmDecide whether traits like neuroticism need to be measured differently in autismFind how autistic children can learn social skills as procedures if not by intuitionExplore what motivates people and contributes to life satisfaction

AppliedClinical Psychology

Counseling Psychology

Educational Psychology

Industrial-Organizational

Community Psychology

Clinical Psychology

Psychology’s SubfieldsApplied

Help someone achieve career goals despite family conflict and self-doubt

Use exposure therapy to decrease phobic reactions in a traumatized client

Evaluate aptitudes and achievement to plan for a student with learning problemsFigure out how a factory can improve coordination of tasks, roles, and personalitiesHelp coordinate a city’s efforts to understand and prevent elder abuseUse exposure therapy to decrease phobic reactions in a traumatized client

Psychology in context with other professions

Psychiatrists are physicians, M.D.s or

D.O.s. They can prescribe medication.

In addition to psychologists,

professionals in social work, counseling, and marriage and family

therapy may be trained to do psychotherapy.

An Application of Psychology:Improving your test performance

Scientific studies show us that:

• The retrieval practice effect/testing effect

Testing yourself boosts retention of material.

• Put it in your own words, make connections

Actively processing material helps master it.

• Spread studying over multiple days

Spaced rehearsal, interspaced with other subjects, is more efficient than cramming.

• If the concept looks familiar… not good enough

People tend to overestimate their mastery.

Applying this knowledge: Use SQ3R to master a textbook

SurveyScan/Skim what you are about to read, especially chapter outlines and section heads.

Question Ask questions that the text might answer; write guesses.

ReadLook for the answer to your questions, reading a manageable amount at a time.

RehearseRecall what you’ve read in your own words. Test yourself with quizzes.

ReviewLook over text and notes and quickly review the main ideas of the whole chapter.