psyc 101 Assignment 1

7/22/2019 psyc 101 Assignment 1

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Intro Lesson 1 9/10/2012 7:11:00 PM

Lesson 1: The Evolution of Psychology

Lesson Objectives

Upon completion of this lesson, you should be able to:

explain how psychology developeddiscuss psychology's origins in philosophy and physiology

contrast the "schools" from structuralism to humanism

describe research areas in psychology

discuss professional specialties in psychology

discuss seven key themes that relate to psychology's subject matter and

field of study

take steps to improve your academic performance

Reading Assignment

Weiten, Chapter 1

Discussion

Your textbook defines psychology as a scientific approach to the study of

behavior. Some psychologists study the behavior of people; others focus on

animal behavior. The subject matter for psychologists may be directly

observable and measurable behavior, or mental processes, such as dreams

and emotions, may be examined through an individual's self reports.

The basic goals of psychology are to explain, predict,

and control behavior. Psychologists incorporate their observations and

assumptions about behavior into theories. Explanations and predictions are

derived from theories. It is important to update theories when new

information is discovered. Psychologists consider controlling the behavior of

unconsenting others to be unethical. However, psychological theories may

be applied to help people who seek to modify their behaviors.

Some psychologists engage in pure research (no immediate practical

application). Others conduct applied research, which is relevant to specific

personal or social problems. In addition to conducting research,

psychologists may teach or apply psychological principles to help people

realize behavioral goals.


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Your textbook provides an exhaustive listing of occupations within the field

of psychology. Clinical practice may include clinical, school, educational, and

community psychologists. Researchers are typically developmental,

personality, social, environmental, or experimental psychologists. Industryemploys consumer and industrial psychologists.

Psychology's roots reach far back into history. The Greeks were early

contributors, noting the relation between behavior and external forces and

using introspection to gain self-knowledge. Over the last 150 years,

several important movements have formed modern psychology. Wilhelm

Wundt introduced structuralism, in which objective sensations are

differentiated from subjective feelings. Functionalism was introduced by

William James in the early 1900s and is founded on overt behavior and the

formation of habits. Around the same time, John B. Watson

founded behaviorism, in which measurable responses to environmental

stimuli are of concern. From Germany there came Gestalt psychology,

which deals with perceptions and insight. Finally, Sigmund Freud

contributed psychoanalysis, which concerns itself with unconscious and

irrational motivation.

In explaining, predicting, and controlling behavior, psychologists typicallywork from one of four contemporary perspectives: biological, cognitive,

psychoanalytic, or behavioral. The biological perspective looks to hormonal

and/or genetic factors in explaining behavior. The cognitive perspective

focuses on perceptions, cognitions, problem-solving, and dreams. Your

textbook discusses the structuralism, functionalism, Gestalt, and humanistic

schools of the cognitive perspective. The psychoanalytic perspective was

developed largely through the work of Sigmund Freud, who saw behavior as

motivated by sexual and aggressive instincts. The behavioral

perspective focuses on situational determinants of behavior. Fundamental

to this view was the early work of Ivan Pavlov, John Watson, and B. F.

Skinner. Social learning theorists have more recently expanded the

behavioral perspective to include cognitive factors.


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Psychologists employ five basic methods in their study of behavior:

naturalistic observations, experiments, surveys, case studies, and

correlations. Naturalistic observation involves actually observing behavior

as it occurs in the environment. Your textbook discusses the various control

techniques employed in the experimental method to determine the causesof behavior. The survey method may employ interviews, questionnaires,

and/or psychological tests to obtain self-report information from subjects.

The behavior of an individual is examined closely in a case study. Finally,

the correlational method determines the degree to which variables are

related to each other. Regardless of the methods used, psychologists must

adhere to ethical standards that require informed consent, confidentiality,

considerate treatment, and debriefing of research participants.

Throughout this course, as you examine psychology in its many variations,

seven key ideas are emphasized as unifying themes. These seven key

themes come in two sets: three relate to psychology as a field of study and

four relate to psychology's subject matter. The three key themes having to

do with psychology as a field of study are as follows:

psychology is empirical

psychology is theoretically diverse

psychology evolves in a sociohistorical context

Themes four through seven, related to psychology's subject matter, are

these:

behavior is determined by multiple causes

behavior is shaped by cultural heritage

heredity and environment jointly influence behavior

our experience of the world is highly subjective

Self Test

Now check your knowledge with thisSelf Test.

Written Assignment

Please return to the "Lessons and Assignments" page to access the Written

Assignment for this lesson.
https://alissa.georgiacenter.uga.edu/Alissa/SelfTest/self_test-1.html?win=newhttps://alissa.georgiacenter.uga.edu/Alissa/SelfTest/self_test-1.html?win=newhttps://alissa.georgiacenter.uga.edu/Alissa/SelfTest/self_test-1.html?win=newhttps://alissa.georgiacenter.uga.edu/Alissa/CourseLessonshttps://alissa.georgiacenter.uga.edu/Alissa/CourseLessonshttps://alissa.georgiacenter.uga.edu/Alissa/CourseLessonshttps://alissa.georgiacenter.uga.edu/Alissa/SelfTest/self_test-1.html?win=new


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My name is Pia Aiya. I have a degree from the University of Georgia is

Spanish and am currently working on my degree in Biochemistry. This is my

first IDL course but I am just as dedicated to it as I would be to a classroombased course. I have always wanted to take psychology, but my schedule

never permitted it. I am currently living at home with my parents and

working for my father as a director of marketing and sales for his jewelry

lighting business. I am taking Medical Biochemistry at UGA two days a week

and working the other three days. I am also applying to medical schools with

hopes to start in 2013.


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Book Notes 9/10/2012 7:11:00 PM

Book Notes:

Psychology is about understanding all the things we do (2)

Probing whys and hows gives answers (2)

No simple answer to the mystery of pathological gambling (3)

Study of psychology teaches the complexity of behavior (3) Early History:

Greek : psyche = soul and logos = the study of a subject

18th century = the study of the mind

Wundt (founder of psychology) an independent discipline not a stepchild of

philosophy or physiology

o 1879 he did first formal lab for research in psychology at university of

leipzip

o psychology became the scientific study of conscious experience (4)

o lab studies focused on attention, memory, sensory processes and

reaction time experiments in regards to mental processes

G. Stanley Hall: student of Wundt

o End of 19th

century, established Americas first research lab in psych at

johns Hopkins in 1883

o Americas first psych journal 1887

o American psychological association (APA) he was driving force 1893 ,

first president

1879 psychologys date of birth

Structuralism vs. Functionalsim

Structuralism Edward Titchener at Cornell

Structuralism was based on the notion that the task of psychology is to

analyze consciousness into its basic elements and investigate how these

elements are related

o Like sensation, feeling and images to the conscious experience

Structuralists depended on introspection (the careful, systematic self-

observation of ones own conscious experience)

o Trained people to be more objective and aware then exposed to

auditory tones, optica illusions and visual stimuli

Functionalism was based on the belief that psychology should investigate the

function or purpose of consciousness, rather than its structure

Functionalism William James (formal training medicine), moved to Harvard

to study and teach psychology


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o His teachings show psychology deeply embedded in a network of

cultural and intellectual influences

o Natural selection: heritable characteristics that provide a survival or

reproductive advantage are more likely than alternative characteristics

to be passed on to subsequent generations and thus come to beselected over time

o Consciousness he argued consists of a continuous flow of thoughts

stream of consciousness

Functionalism led to behaviorism and applied psychology

Freud and the unconscious

Freuds approach to psychology grew out of his efforts to treat mental

disorders

Unconscious contained thoughts, memories, and desires that are well below

the surface of conscious awareness but that nonetheless exert great

influence on behavior

Slip of the tongue revealing true feelings and dreams showing feelings people

are unaware of

Psychoanalytic theory attempts to explain personality, motivation and mental

disorders by focusing on unconscious determinants of behavior

Watson and Behaviorism

1913-1920 John B. Watson founded behaviorism

Behaviorism is a theoretical orientation based on the premise that scientific

psychology should study only observable behavior

Suggested that psychologists abandon the study of consciousness all

together (trying to redefine psychology) (8)

o Basis of verifiability

Behavior refers to any overt (observable) response or activity by an organism

Clashed with psychoanalytic theory

Mission to relate overt behaviors (responses) to observable events in the

environment (stimuli)Pavlovs dogs (9)

Animals became test subjects (better than humans b/c more control)

Skinner and Free Will

B.F. Skinner influenced by Pavlov and Watson

Organisms tend to repeat responses that lead to positive outcomes and they

tend not to repeat responses that lead to neutral or negative outcomes

o Pigeons playing ping pong (9)


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People are controlled by their environment, not themselves

Free will is an illusion

Behaviorism like his flourished in 1950s and 60s

Humanist

1950s behaviorism and psychoanalytic theory thought dehumanizing bymanythought failed to recognize qualities of human behavior

Humanism formed through loose alliance of diverse opposition to behaviorism

and psychoanalytic theory

Humanism is a theoretical orientation that emphasizes the unique qualities of

humans, especially their freedom and their potential for personal growth

Carl Rogers argued that human behavior is governed by each individuals

sense of self

Greatest humanist contribution is their innovative treatments for psychological

problems and disorders

Modern History

Applied psychology = the branch of psychology concerned with everyday, practical

problems

not mainstream until WWII

Clinical psychology is the branch of psychology concerned with the diagnosis and

treatment of psychological problems and disorders

Took off during and after WWII because many psychologists called to war to

screen trauma soldiers

Veterans Administration (VA) trained and paid for clinics for veterans

psychological scars

1988 Association for Psychological Science (ASP) serves exclusively as an

advocate for the science of psychology

Cognition and Physiology

Cognition refers to the mental processes involved in acquiring knowledge

once called consciousness

Cognitive perspective point out that the way people thing about events surely

influences how they behave

Biological perspective maintain that much of human and animal behavior can

be explained in terms of the bodily structures and biochemical processes that

allow organisms to behave

Increased Interest in Cultural Diversity


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Cross cultural research costly, difficult, time consuming

Psychologists worry that cultural comparisons may inadvertently foster

stereotypes of various cultural groups

Ethnocentrism is the tendency to view ones own group as superior to others

and as the standard for judging the worth of foreign ways Civil rights movement, womens movement and gay-rights movements all

raised doubts about whether psychology had dealt adequately with human

diversity

New interest in culture appears attributable to two recent trends

o advances in communication, travel and international trade has shrunk

the world and increased global interdependence bringing more and

more Americans and Europeans into contact with people of non-

Western culture

o the ethnic makeup of Western world has become an increasingly

diverse multicultural mosaic

The emergence of Evolutionary Psychology

Evolutionary Psychology examines behavioral processes in terms of their

adaptive value for members of a species over the course of many generations

o Natural selection favors behaviors that enhance organisms

reproductive success

Doubters say evolutionary psychology cannot be tested and explanations are

post hoc and speculative accounts for obvious behavioral phenomena

Positive Direction

Positive psychology movementcomes from Seligmans 5 year old daughter

thinking father was too grumpy.

Argued that psychology devoted too much attention to pathology, weakness,

damage and ways to heal suffering

Positive psychology uses theory and research to better understand the

positive, adaptive, creative, and fulfilling aspects of human existence.

Three areas of interest

o Positive subjective experiences positive emotions

o Positive individual traits positive strengths and virtues

o Positive institutions and communities society, strong families, etc.

Psychology Today


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Psychology is the science that studies behavior and the physiological and

cognitive processes that underlie it, and it is the profession that applies the

accumulated knowledge of this science to practical problems

Research areas in Psychology

Developmental psychology Social psychology

Experimental psychology

Physiological psychology

Cognitive psychology

Personality

Psychometrics

Educational psychology

Health psychology

Professional Specialties in Psychology

Four established professional specialties:

o Clinical psychology

o Counseling psychology

o School psychology

o Industrial/organizational psychology

2 emerging specialties are clinical neuropsychology and forensic psychology

Clinical Psychology and Psychiatry differ in the way they approach the

treatment of mental disorders and how they obtain their degree

Psychiatry is a branch of medicine concerned with the diagnosis and

treatment of psychological problems and disorders

Seven Unifying themes

Theme 1: Psychology is Empirical

o Empiricism is the premise that knowledge should be acquired through

observation

o Its conclusions are based on direct observations rather than reasoning,

speculation, traditional beliefs or common sense

o Wheres the evidence? How do you know?

Theme 2: Psychology is Theoretically Diverse

o A theory is a system of interrelated ideas used to explain a set of

observations

Theme 3: Psychology Evolves in a Sociohistorical Context

o Trends, events, issues, and values in society effect psychology


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Theme 4: Behavior is Determined by Multiple Causes

Theme 5: Behavior is Shaped by Cultural Heritage

o Culture refers to the widely shared customs, beliefs, values, norms,

institutions, and other products of a community that are transmitted

socially across generations Theme 6: Heredity and Environment Jointly Influence Behavior

o Nature vs. Nurture

Theme 7: Peoples Experience of the World is Highly Subjective

o People see what they want to see

o People see what they expect to see

Improving Academic Performance

1. Set up a schedule for studying

2. Find a place to study where you can concentrate

3. Reward your studying

Improving your Reading

SQ3R is a study system designed to promote effective reading, which

includes five steps: survey, question, read, recite, and review

Improving Test Taking Strategies

Testwiseness is the ability to use the characteristics and format of a cognitive

test to maximize ones score


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Lesson 1 Questions 9/10/2012 7:11:00 PM

1. Who is Wilhelm Wundt? Why is he important to current day psychology?

a. Wundt is considered to be the founder of psychology because he

was the first to view psychology as separate from physiology or

philosophy. He is important to current day psychology because he

turned what was up until that point a intellectual concept into ascience with rule and theories.

2. Name three significant individuals in the early development of psychology

as a discipline and describe their major contributions to the field.

a. While there were many important individuals in the early

development of psychology as a discipline, three that stand out are

William James, Sigmund Freud, and John Watson. James defended

the idea of functionalism and believed psychology should study the

purpose and function of consciousness. His work incorporated the

idea of natural selection of characteristics and he was one of the

first to think of consciousness as a flow of thoughts. Freud on the

other hand was the first to bring the unconscious to psychology. He

is best known for developing the psychoanalytic theory which is still

used today. Though he is best know for his idea that behavior is

driven by sexual urges. Finally, Watson is known for founding

behaviorism which suggests psychology study observable behavior.

3. Briefly discuss and contrast the five schools of psychological thought that

were developed after Freud's psychodynamic theory.a. After psychodynamic theory many psychological thoughts sprung

up. Behavioral psychology was first introduced by John Watson and

comes from fundamentalism. It is based on the thought that

psychology should scientifically study observable behavior. Its

major criticism was that it fixated on animal behavior. Humanistic

psychology was introduced in the 1950s and it revolved around the

idea that humans had their own unique, complex qualities different

from those of animals. Cognitive psychology developed in the 1950s

and 1960s and believed human behavior could not be understood

without studying how people process, store and attain information.

Biological psychology believed behavior could be explained by the

subjects bodily structure and biochemical functions. Biological

psychology was introduced in the 1800s but not developed until the

1950s. Evolutionary psychology believes in natural selection of


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traits. This idea was introduced by William James and his belief of

functionalism.

4. Briefly describe the advances and changes that occurred in psychological

thinking after World War II.

a. Due to the war, many soldiers were psychologically scarred, whichcalled for more psychologists. The Veterans Administration

therefore paid to train people in clinical psychology and thus

psychology evolved from an academic science to a profession.

Furthermore, this time period after the war led to increased interest

in the cognitive perspective and the biological perspective.

Together, these led to the discovery that mind, body, and behavior

were interrelated. Later, this led to interest in cultures effect of

behavior and eventually evolutionary psychology.

5. Briefly summarize the basic tenets of evolutionary psychology.

a. The main idea behind evolutionary psychology is natural selection

of behavioral traits lead to the successful continuation of a species

with those traits.

6. How is psychology defined today?

a. Psychology today is defined as both a profession and as a science.

The profession uses the studied theories and applies them to real

life problems. The science studies behavior and its cognitive and

physiological procedures.7. Briefly describe the differences between academic psychology and applied

psychology and describe two types of applied psychology specializations.

a. Applied psychology deals with everyday, practical problems where

as academic psychology is the study of psychology as a science and

is more greatly invested in research rather than application. One

example of applied psychology is clinical psychology, where the

main concern is diagnosing and treating those with psychological

issues. Another example is counseling psychology which is similar

to clinical psychology in that it deals with evaluating and treating

psychological disorders but counseling psychology differs in that it

only deals with moderately sever cases.

8. Pick two different types of academic psychologists and briefly compare

the types of issues researched by them.


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a. Two types of academic psychologies are social psychology and

educational psychology. Social psychology deals with communal

relationships and their effect on behavior. Social psychology

researches issues such as conformity, aggression, and prejudice.

Educational psychology on the other hand deals with methods ofteaching and learning. This type of psychology researches

curriculum optimization, classroom diversity and motivational

factors.

9. How do a psychologist and psychiatrist differ? How are they the same?

a. Psychologists and psychiatrists differ in how they approach

treatment of a problem and how they obtain their degree. A

psychologist must go to graduate school and choose a specialty in

order to get a doctorate. A psychiatrist goes to medical school and

get a MD degree. They are similar in that they both treat mental

disorders.

10. Briefly summarize the advice provided in the text on how to get more

out of lectures and improving your test-taking strategies.

a. There are many things that can be done to get more out of class

lectures. Start by actually attending class. The key is to stay

motivated, stay attentive and try to make notes as complete as

possible. This can be done by being an active listener, reading

ahead before class, taking notes in your own words, listening forclues as to what is important, and asking questions. These

strategies can be applied to improve test scores in many ways. The

best way is to set up a mental schedule based on the test; guess on

difficult questions, mark them, and move on; take questions how

they come, meaning dont make them more complicated than

needed; and finally review answers if time permits.

11. What is critical thinking, and why is it important in psychology?

a. Critical thinking is purposeful, reflective judgment that is used to

evaluate situations, make decisions, and solve problems. It is

imperative to psychology because the basis of critical thinking are

cognitive skills and affective outcomes both of which have been

greatly studied in psychology since its birth in the 19th century.

Essays


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1. Discuss the contributions of structuralism and functionalism to the

evolution of psychology as a discipline.

a. Wundt brought psychology into being as the scientific study of

conscious experience. From there sprang both functionalism and

structuralism. Both accept consciousness as the basis for scientificresearch, but they differ in how it should be studied. Structuralism

focuses on the basic elements components of consciousness and

their relation with one another. Functionalism on the other hand

delves into the reasoning behind consciousness itself. Both brought

about important techniques and discoveries, but eventually

structuralism diminished because the methods of result

interpretation were unreliable. The study of functionalism on the

other hand led to discoveries such as stream of consciousness by

William James and the study of behaviorism. In time however,

functionalism as defined by nineteenth century psychologists too

died out. It however left other forms of psychology -- with basis in

functionalism -- that are still around today.

2. Compare and contrast the psychoanalytic, behaviorist, and humanist

assumptions about human nature.

a. Views on human nature in psychology come down to attitude.

Humanists by definition view humans as superior to and different

from animals. For this reason they view human nature as essential.Free will that makes up human nature is for them what makes

humans unique from any other species.

b. Behaviorists on the other hand dont see human nature as negative

or positive. They dont actually believe human nature exists

because for them a persons views and opinions are the result of

the environment. In fact, behaviorists tried to redefine psychology

all together without the study of the consciousness.

c. All in all, behaviorists views clash with psychoanalysts views

because psychoanalysts believe subconscious urges cause humans

to behave the way they do. For this reason, psychoanalysts view

human nature as a negative stimuli. They go to the opposite

spectrum as humanists and believe everything about the behavior

of a person can be explained by impulses of which the person may

not even be aware.


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3. Compare and contrast the research interests of a developmental

psychologist, a physiological psychologist, a social psychologist and a

cognitive psychologist on the topic of love.

a. Each psychologist would be interested in a different aspect of love.

The developmental psychologist would be in the stage of life thepeople in love were in. He would want to know when the lovers first

fell in love and how that impacted their maturation. Furthermore, a

developmental psychologist would be interested in the components

of love and the components evolution in the peoples lives because

the developmental psychologist sometimes studies emotional

development as well as physical, mental, and social.

b. A physiological psychologist would be less interested in the

emotions associated with love and more interested in the effect love

has on the body. The physiological psychologist would research

chemical release in those in love versus chemical release in those

not in love. He would also look at brain function and activity in

response to love. Another topic of interest might be changes in

bodily functions when around that which the person loves.

c. A social psychologist would look have more in common with the

developmental psychologist versus the physiological psychologist.

The social psychologist would research loves effect on

relationships. He would be interested in how love changes thebehavior of the person in love and the behavior of those around the

person in love. The social psychologist may also be interested in

changes in daily thoughts that might occur as a side effect to being

in love.

d. Finally, the cognitive psychologist would combine the research and

interests of the social psychologist with that of the physiological

psychologist. The cognitive psychologist would be interested in

loves effect on higher mental function. He would look at how love

effects a persons reasoning, decision making, and overall

perception of himself and other. The cognitive psychologist would

also be interested in how love effects a persons creativity.

4. Imagine that you are the president of a large corporation that designs

different products for the home. Your company designs everything from

cleaning powders to furniture. What type of applied psychologist would


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you hire to work in your company? Explain how having them on staff

would benefit your company.

a. I would most likely hire a counseling psychology. As a president of

a company that designs products for the home, I need someone

who deals with practical, every day problems to tell me what needsfixing. This is what a counseling psychologist does. She/he would

inform me and my company on what patients suffer from most on a

daily basis and I would create products to make their lives easier so

their environment is a calmer place for them to live.

5. Your text identifies three unifying themes that relate to psychology as a

field of study. Identify each of these themes and show how each theme

might be relevant in investigating clinical depression.

a. Psychology is empirical. This means conclusions about clinical

depression can only be drawn by directly studying and analyzing

those with clinical depression.

b. Psychology is theoretically diverse. This means investigating clinical

depression would be most beneficial if first the scientist proposed a

theory he/she would like proven about clinical depression. Then,

any observations about clinical depression have a purpose.

c. Psychology evolves in a sociohistorical context. Therefore, any

investigation of clinical depression must be compared to the

happenings of the world and society at that point in time. Thismeans todays findings of clinical depression may not mean as

much as they do tomorrow because tomorrow has a different

sociohistorcial context.

6. Your text identifies four unifying themes that relate to psychology's

subject matter. Identify each of these themes and show how each theme

might be relevant in investigating clinical depression.

a. First, Behavior is determined by multiple causes. In relation to

clinical depression, this means that there is no once cause of clinical

depression. This opens up infinite avenues as to what caused the

clinical depression.

b. Behavior is shaped by cultural heritage. This means clinical

depression could be a effect of the cultural circumstances in which a

person grew up. In this scenario, researching common cultural

factors in those with clinical depression could turn up answers.


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c. Heredity and environment jointly influence behavior. This

introduces the argument of nature versus nurture. With clinical

depression, this mean analyzing how many with clinical depression

have family members with clinical depression and analyzing

common environmental factors in those without family memberswith clinical depression.

d. Peoples experience of the world is highly subjective. This means

clinical depression patients could potentially have nothing in

common because each sees the world differently. The best way to

learn about clinical depression through this theme would be to

compare how patients interpret common occurrences.

7. Imagine that you have been asked to speak to a group of tenth-grade

students who have signed up for a study skills seminar offered by a local

youth group. Based on the information provided in the Personal

Application, what are ten concrete points that you would make in your

presentation?

a. Before the class properly and effectively prepare by following the

subsequent advice. First and foremost, set up a study schedule for

yourself. This ensures that you have time to properly prepare for

both class and exams. It also ensures that you are not stressed out

last minute cramming weeks of material in mere hours. Next,

designate a study area where you can concentrate. It is importantto have one or two places you can study sans distractions. This way

you can optimize your study time. Furthermore, set up short-term

rewards for yourself while studying. Do this by breaking up your

work and when you finish a portion, take a desired break such as a

snack or television show.

b. During class use the following guidelines. Be an active listener in

class. Even though it can be hard, avoid distractions such as day

dreaming. Also, read ahead before class. Most classes have

schedules. Skim the prepared assignment before going to class.

Then, take note in your own words instead of copying what the

teachers says. This is important for your understanding of the

material. The most important thing you can do in class is ask

questions. Many a time, even the not so important questions can

help you and those around you better understand the material.


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c. During the test the first thing you should do is set up a mental

schedule. This way you can finish the test without being rushed at

the end. Next, guess on hard questions and come back to them at

the end if time permits. This way you do not waste more time than

you have. Finally, look over and change any wrong answers at theend. Once done with the test, a second glance can help correct

answers chosen in the heat of the moment.

8. The Critical Thinking Application in your text lists four skills that are

exhibited by critical thinkers. Identify these four skills and show how they

might be used by a woman who was trying to decide whether to begin

hormone therapy once she was past menopause.

a. The first skill is understanding and using scientific investigation. The

woman might use this by asking how the hormone therapy affects

post-menopausal women. This skill may also motivate the woman

to find out what hormone therapy is made up of and how it will help

her. The second skill is the application of formal and informal logic.

This might lead the woman to the assume that because she has

already gone through menopause and will not get her period again,

she can expect minimal hormone interference from her body in

reaction to the hormone therapy. The third skill is evaluation of

credibility of information. This might lead the woman to question

her hormone therapy information sources. The final skill is analysisof reasoning to reach a viable conclusion. With this final skill, the

woman would weigh reasons to undergo hormone therapy against

reasons not to undergo hormone therapy and the one that

outweighs the other would be her decision.


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last question 9/10/2012 7:11:00 PM

Compare and contrast the psychoanalytic, behaviorist, and humanist

assumptions about human nature.

Views on human nature in psychology come down to attitude. Humanists by

definition view humans as superior to and different from animals. For thisreason they view human nature as essential. Free will that makes up human

nature is for them what makes humans unique from any other species.

Behaviorists on the other hand dont see human nature as negative or

positive. They dont actually believe human nature exists because for them a

persons views and opinions are the result of the environment. In fact,

behaviorists tried to redefine psychology all together without the study of

the consciousness.

All in all, behaviorists views clash with psychoanalysts views because

psychoanalysts believe subconscious urges cause humans to behave the way

they do. For this reason, psychoanalysts view human nature as a negative

stimuli. They go to the opposite spectrum as humanists and believe

everything about the behavior of a person can be explained by impulses of

which the person may not even be aware.

Psychoanalysts view humans as essentially "bad" (primitive, animalistic,sexual, and irrational) and unconsciously driven to behave in certain ways.

This is a pessimistic view of humanity. Behaviorists view human nature as

nonexistent. Rather, behavior develops under the control of the

environment. Since behavior is regarded as conditioned reactions to

observable stimuli, the implication is that there is no such thing as free will.

Humanists view humans as essentially "good" and unique among species

because they have free will (conscious and rational), a natural potential for

growth, and a basic need to fulfill this potential. This is an optimistic view of

humanity.


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other notes 9/10/2012 7:11:00 PM

Structuralism:

Edward Titchener (English Professor in America)

Based on the notion that the task of psychology is to analyze

consciousness into its basic elements and investigate how these

elements are related. Recognizing Relationships

Breaking Down Barriers

Taking things Apart

Functionalism

William James (American Scholar)

Psychology should be based on the belied that psychology should

investigate the function or purpose of consciousness [alone] rather

than its structure.

Seeing the psychological process as a whole

Structuralism vs. Functionalsim

Structuralism Edward Titchener at Cornell

Structuralism was based on the notion that the task of psychology

is to analyze consciousness into its basic elements and investigate

how these elements are related

o Like sensation, feeling and images to the consciousexperience

Structuralists depended on introspection (the careful, systematic

self-observation of ones own conscious experience)

o Trained people to be more objective and aware then exposed

to auditory tones, optica illusions and visual stimuli

Functionalism was based on the belief that psychology should

investigate the function or purpose of consciousness, rather than its

structure

Functionalism William James (formal training medicine), moved to

Harvard to study and teach psychology

o His teachings show psychology deeply embedded in a network

of cultural and intellectual influences

o Natural selection: heritable characteristics that provide a

survival or reproductive advantage are more likely than


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alternative characteristics to be passed on to subsequent

generations and thus come to be selected over time

o Consciousness he argued consists of a continuous flow of

thoughts stream of consciousness

Functionalism led to behaviorism and applied psychology

9. Discuss the contributions of structuralism and functionalism to the

evolution of psychology as a discipline.

Wundt brought psychology into being as the scientific study of conscious

experience. From there sprang both functionalism and structuralism. Both

accept consciousness as the basis for scientific research, but they differ in

how it should be studied. Structuralism focuses on the basic elements

components of consciousness and their relation with one another.

Functionalism on the other hand delves into the reasoning behind

consciousness itself. Both brought about important techniques and

discoveries, but eventually structuralism diminished because the methods of

result interpretation were unreliable. The study of functionalism on the other

hand led to discoveries such as stream of consciousness by William James

and the study of behaviorism. In time however, functionalism as defined by

nineteenth century psychologists too died out. It however left other forms ofpsychology -- with basis in functionalism -- that are still around today.

Both perspectives reflect the early view that consciousness is the

appropriate subject matter for the new science, but they differed in regard

to how consciousness should be studied. With Wilhelm Wundt, the

structuralists believed that consciousness should be broken down into its

basic elements through introspection. This approach generated numerous

laboratory studies of sensory and perceptual phenomena. Structuralism

eventually died out due to the inconsistent results of introspective studies.

Along with William James, the functionalists emphasized the adaptive

purposes of consciousness, arguing that psychologists should look at the

continuous flow of thought rather than its static elements. Its practical and

applied focus generated advances in the study of mental testing, child


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development, and gender differences. Functionalism, too, gradually faded

away, but left applied psychology and behaviorism as its enduring

descendants.

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psyc 101 Assignment 1