PSY 1 GENERAL PSYCHOLOGY

Handout # 1
Introduction to the Science of Psychoo!y
What is Psychology?

Subfelds in Psychology
Su"#ed $escri%tion
Behavioral Genetics Studies the inheritance of traits reated to "eha&ior
Behavioral
Neuroscience
(Biopsychology)
E'a(ines the "ioo!ica "asis of "eha&ior
Clinical Psychology
$eas )ith the study* dia!nosis* and treat(ent of
%sychoo!ica disorders
Clinical
Neuropsychology
+nites the areas of ,io%sychoo!y and Cinica
Psychoo!y* focusin! on the reationshi% "et)een
"ioo!ica factors and %sychoo!ica disorders
Cognitive Psychology
-ocuses on the study of hi!her (enta %rocesses .e/!/
an!ua!e* (e(ory* and 0ud!(ent1
Counseling Psychology
-ocuses %ri(ariy on educationa* socia* and career
ad0ust(ent %ro"e(s
Cross-cultural
Psychology
In&esti!ates the si(iarities and di2erences in
%sychoo!ica functionin! in and across &arious cutures
and ethnic !rou%s
Developmental
Psychology
E'a(ines ho) %eo%e !ro) and chan!e fro( the
(o(ent of conce%tion throu!h death
Educational Psychology
Concerned )ith teachin! and earnin! %rocesses* such as
the reationshi% "et)een (oti&ation and schoo
%erfor(ance
Environmental
Psychology
Considers the reationshi% "et)een %eo%e and their
%hysica en&iron(ent
Evolutionary
Psychology
Considers ho) "eha&ior is in3uenced "y our !enetic
inheritance fro( our ancestors
Experimental
Psychology
Studies the %rocesses of sensin!* %ercei&in!* eanin!*
and thin4in! a"out the )ord
Forensic Psychology
-ocuses on e!a issues such as deter(inin! the
accuracy of )itness (e(ories
Psychoo!y is the scienti#c study of "eha&ior and
(enta %rocesses/ 5he %hrase ehavior and mental
processes (eans (any thin!s6 it enco(%asses not
0ust )hat %eo%e do "ut aso their thou!hts* e(otions*
%erce%tions* reasonin! %rocesses* (e(ories* and
e&en the "ioo!ica acti&ities that (aintain "odiy
functionin!/
Psychoo!ists try to descri"e* %redict* e'%ain* and
contro hu(an "eha&ior and (enta %rocesses* as
)e as he%in! to chan!e and i(%ro&e the i&es of
%eo%e and the )ord in )hich they i&e/ 5hey use
scienti#c (ethods to #nd ans)ers that are far (ore
&aid and e!iti(ate than those resutin! fro(
intuition and s%ecuation* )hich are often inaccurate/
PSY 1 GENERAL PSYCHOLOGY
Handout # 1
Introduction to the Science of Psychoo!y
!ealth Psychology
E'%ores the reationshi% "et)een the %sychoo!ica
factors and %hysica ai(ents or disease
"ndustrial#$rgani%ationa
l Psychology
Concerned )ith the %sychoo!y of the )or4%ace
Personality Psychology
-ocuses on the consistency in %eo%e7s "eha&ior o&er
ti(e and the traits that di2erentiate one %erson fro(
another
Program Evaluation
-ocuses on assessin! ar!e8scae %ro!ra(s such as the
Head Start %reschoo %ro!ra( * to deter(ine )hether
they are e2ecti&e in (eetin! their !oas
Psychology o& 'omen
-ocuses on issues such as discri(ination a!ainst )o(en
and the causes of &ioence a!ainst )o(en
(chool Psychology
$e&oted to counsein! chidren in ee(entary and
secondary schoos )ho ha&e acade(ic or e(otiona
%ro"e(s
(ocial Psychology
5he study of ho) %eo%e7s thou!hts* feein!s* and
actions are a2ected "y others
(port Psychology A%%ies %sychoo!y to athetic acti&ity and e'ercise
The Roots of Psychology

Franz Josef Gall* an 19th Century %hysician* ar!ued that a trained o"ser&er
coud discern intei!ence* (ora character* and other "asic %ersonaity
characteristics fro( the sha%e and nu("er of "u(%s on a %erson7s s4u/ His
5heory !a&e rise to the #ed of phrenology* e(%oyed "y hundreds of
%ractitioners in the 1:th century/
John Locke* theori;ed that hu(an "ein!s are "orn a tabula rasa* )hich
(eans <"an4 sate= and that their e'%eriences in ife sha%e their su"se>uent
"eha&ior/
,/ 5he Scienti#c Era and the E(er!ence of the Schoos of Psychoo!y
A/ Pre8Scienti#c Sta!e
Se&en thousand years a!o* %eo%e assu(ed
that %sychoo!ica %ro"e(s )ere caused "y
e&i s%irits/ 5o ao) those s%irits to esca%e
fro( a %erson7s "ody* ancient heaers
chi%%ed a hoe in a %atient7s s4u )ith crude
instru(ents a %rocedure caed
trephining or trephination/
Accordin! to the 1?th century %hioso%her
Rene Descartes* ner&es )ere hoo) tu"es
throu!h )hich <ani(a s%irits= conducted
i(%uses in the sa(e )ay that )ater is
trans(itted throu!h a %i%e/
PSY 1 GENERAL PSYCHOLOGY
Handout # 1
Introduction to the Science of Psychoo!y
5he for(a "e!innin! of Psychoo!y as a scienti#c disci%ine is !eneray
considered to "e in the ate 1:th century* )hen* in Lei%;i!* Ger(any*
Wilhelm Wundt esta"ished the #rst e'%eri(enta a"oratory de&oted to
%sychoo!ica %heno(ena/ At a"out the sa(e ti(e* William James )as
settin! u% his a"oratory in Ca("rid!e* @assachusetts/
Ahen Aundt esta"ished his a"oratory in 19?:* his ai( )as to study
the "uidin! "oc4s of the (ind/ He considered %sychoo!y to "e the study of
the conscious e'%erience/ His %ers%ecti&e* )hich ca(e to "e 4no)n as
structuralism* focused on unco&erin! the funda(enta (enta co(%onents
of %erce%tion* consciousness* thin4in!* e(otions* and other 4inds of (enta
states and acti&ities/
5o deter(ine ho) "asic sensory %rocesses sha%e our understandin! of
the )ord* Aundt and other structuraists used a %rocedure caed
introspection* in )hich they %resented %eo%e )ith a sti(uus such as a
"ri!ht !reen o"0ect or a sentence %rinted on a card and as4ed the( to
descri"e in their o)n )ords and in as (uch detai as they coud* )hat they
)ere e'%eriencin!/ Aundt ar!ued that "y anay;in! their re%orts*
%sychoo!ists coud co(e to a "etter understandin! of the structure of the
(ind/
Structurais( )as then re%aced "y functionalism/ Rather than focusin! on
the (ind7s structure* functionais( concentrated on )hat the (ind does and
ho) "eha&ior functions/ -unctionaists* )hose %ers%ecti&e "eca(e %ro(inent
in the eary 1:BB7s as4ed )hat roe "eha&ior %ays in ao)in! %eo%e to ada%t
to their en&iron(ents* ed "y the A(erican %sychoo!ist William James* the
functionaists e'a(ined ho) "eha&ior ao)s %eo%e to satisfy their needs and
ho) our <strea( of consciousness= %er(its us to ada%t to our en&iron(ent/
Another schoo of %sychoo!y )as that of John B. Watson* )ho noted that
consciousness coud ony "e studied throu!h the %rocess of intros%ection*
)hich )as a notoriousy unreia"e research too/ -or Aatson* since
consciousness coud not "e reia"y studied* it shoud not "e studied at a/ 5o
"e scienti#c* %sychoo!y needed a su"0ect (atter that )as sta"e enou!h to
"e reia"y (easured* and that su"0ect )as "eha&ior/ -or Aatson* "eha&ior is
)hat )e coud see and therefore "eha&ior is )hat )e need to study/ 5his
then ed to a schoo of %sychoo!y caed Behaiorism/
!igmund Freud aso founded his o)n schoo of
%sychoo!y under the na(e of "sychoanalysis. At
the center of this theory is the conce%t of the
unconscious the thou!hts* attitudes* i(%uses*
)ishes* (oti&ations* and e(otions of )hich )e are
una)are/ -reud "eie&ed that chidhood7s
unacce%ta"e .i/e/ for"idden or %unished1 )ishes
are dri&en out of conscious a)areness and "eco(e
%art of the unconscious* )here they continue to
in3uence our thou!hts* feein!s* and actions/ 5he
ite(s in the unconscious are then e'%ressed in
drea(s* si%s of the ton!ue* and %hysica
(anneris(s/ Cassic -reudian theory is often
unacce%ted "y (ost (odern %sychoo!ists since it
is (osty "ased on se' andCor a!!ression/ Ho)e&er*
)hat they do acce%t is the fact that %eo%e7s ideas*
!oas* and (oti&es can at ti(e o%erate outside
PSY 1 GENERAL PSYCHOLOGY
Handout # 1
Introduction to the Science of Psychoo!y
Another i(%ortant reaction to structurais( )as the de&eo%(ent of Gestat
%sychoo!y in the eary 1:BB7s/ Gestalt psychology e(%hasi;es ho)
%erce%tion is or!ani;ed/ Instead of considerin! the indi&idua %arts that (a4e
u% thin4in!* !estat %sychoo!ists too4 the o%%osite tac4* studyin! ho)
%eo%e consider indi&idua ee(ents to!ether as units or )hoes/
Led "y Ger(an scientists such as #erman $bbinghaus and %a&
Wertheimer* !estat %sychoo!ists %ro%osed that <5he )hoe is di2erent
fro( the su( of its %arts=* (eanin! that our %erce%tion or understandin! of
o"0ects is !reater and (ore (eanin!fu than the indi&idua ee(ents that
(a4e u% our %erce%tions/
C/ Post8)ar schoos of %sychoo!y
'arl Rogers and (braham %aslo) "eca(e the forerunners of the
#umanistic schoo of %sychoo!y/ Accordin! to the(* hu(an "ein!s ha&e
enor(ous %otentia for %ersona !ro)th/ 5hey hi!hy e(%hasi;ed the
i(%ortance of free )ill* the hu(an a"iity to (a4e choices and the
uni>ueness of the indi&idua/
Jean "iaget started the 'ognitie schoo of %sychoo!y* )hich studied the
interna* (enta re%resentations that are used in %ercei&in!* re(e("erin!*
thin4in!* and understandin!/
Summary of the Timeline of Psychology
)*** BCE 5re%hinin! )as used to ao) the esca%e of e&i s%irits
+)* BC Hi%%ocrates ar!ues for four te(%era(ents of %ersonaity
,-./ $escartes descri"es ani(a s%irits
PSY 1 GENERAL PSYCHOLOGY
Handout # 1
Introduction to the Science of Psychoo!y
,-0* Dohn Loc4e introduces idea of 1aula 2asa
,3*/ -ran; Dosef Ga %ro%oses phrenology
,3/0
Aihe( Aundt inau!urates the #rst %sychoo!y a"oratory in
Lei%;i!* Ger(any
,30* Principles o& Psychology %u"ished "y Aiia( Da(es
,30) -unctionaist (ode for(uated
,0** Si!(und -reud de&eo%s Psychoanaysis
,*0+
I&an Pa&o& )ins the No"e %ri;e for )or4 on di!estion that ed to
funda(enta %rinci%es of earnin!
,0*) @ary Ca4ins )or4s on @e(ory
,0,) Stron! e(%hasis on intei!ence testin!
,04*
Gestat %sychoo!y is for(ed* "eco(in! the (ost in3uentia
schoo of %sychoo!y
5,04+ Dohn ,/ Aatson* an eary "eha&iorist %u"ishes Behaviorism
,043
Leta Stetter Hoin!)orth %u"ishes )or4 on adoescence and
)o(en issues
,0),
Car Ro!ers %u"ishes Client-Centered 1herapy he%in! to
esta"ish the hu(anistic %ers%ecti&e
,0).
,/-/ S4inner %u"ishes (cience and !uman Behavior* ad&ocatin!
the "eha&iora %ers%ecti&e
,0)+
A"raha( @aso) %u"ishes 6otivation and Personality*
de&eo%in! the conce%t of sef8actuai;ation
,0)/
Leon -estin!er %u"ishes 7 1heory o& Cognitive Dissonance*
%roducin! a (a0or i(%act on socia %sychoo!y
,0-0
Ar!u(ents re!ardin! the !enetic "asis of IE fue in!erin!
contro&ersies
,03,
$a&id Hu"e and 5orsten Aiese )in No"e %ri;e for )or4 on &ision
ces in the "rain
,03)
Increasin! e(%hasis on the Cognitive Perspective of %sychoo!y
arises
,00* Greater e(%hasis on (uticuturais( and di&ersity arises
4*** Ei;a"eth Loftus does %ioneerin! )or4 on fase (e(ory and
PSY 1 GENERAL PSYCHOLOGY
Handout # 1
Introduction to the Science of Psychoo!y
eye)itness testi(ony
4*,* - Present
Ne) su"#eds de&eo% such as Cinica Neuro%sychoo!y and
E&outionary Psychoo!y
Perspectives of Psychology
The Neuroscience Perspective: lood! S"eat! and #ears
5his %ers%ecti&e incudes the study of heredity and e&oution* )hich
considers ho) heredity (ay in3uence "eha&ior6 and "eha&iora
neuroscience* )hich e'a(ines ho) the "rain and the ner&ous syste(
a2ect "eha&ior/
,ecause e&ery "eha&ior uti(atey can "e "ro4en do)n into its
"ioo!ica co(%onents* the neuroscience %ers%ecti&e has "road a%%ea/
Psychoo!ists )ho su"scri"e to this %ers%ecti&e ha&e (ade (a0or
contri"utions to the understandin! and "etter(ent of hu(an ife* ran!in!
fro( cures fro( certain ty%es of deafness to dru! treat(ents for %eo%e
)ith se&ere (enta disorders/
-urther(ore* ad&ances in (ethods for e'a(inin! the anato(y and
function of the "rain ha&e %er(itted the neuroscienti#c %ers%ecti&e to
e'tend its in3uence across a "road ran!e of su"#eds in %sychoo!y/
The Psychodynamic Perspective: $nderstanding the %nner Person
Pro%onents of the %sychodyna(ic
%ers%ecti&e ar!ue that "eha&ior is
(oti&ated "y inner forces and con3icts
a"out )hich )e ha&e itte a)areness or
contro/ 5hey &ie) drea(s and si%s of
the ton!ue as indications of )hat a
%erson is truy feein! )ithin a seethin!
caudron of unconscious %sychic acti&ity/
5he ori!ins of the %sychodyna(ic
&ie) are in4ed to one %ersonF Si!(und
-reud/ -reud )as a Giennese %hysician
in the eary 1:BB7s )hose ideas a"out
unconscious deter(inants of "eha&ior
had a re&outionary
5his %ers%ecti&e considers ho) %eo%e and
nonhu(ans function "ioo!icay6 ho) indi&idua
ner&e ces are 0oined to!ether* ho) the
inheritance of certain characteristics fro( %arents
and other ancestors in3uences "eha&ior* ho) the
functionin! of the "ody a2ects ho%es and fears*
)hich "eha&iors are instinctua* and so forth/
E&en (ore co(%e' 4inds of "eha&iors* such as a
"a"y7s res%onse to stran!ers* are &ie)ed as
ha&in! critica "ioo!ica co(%onents "y
%sychoo!ists )ho e("race the neuroscience
PSY 1 GENERAL PSYCHOLOGY
Handout # 1
Introduction to the Science of Psychoo!y
e2ect on HBth century thin4in!* not 0ust in %sychoo!y "ut in reated #eds
as )e/ Athou!h so(e of the ori!ina -reudian %rinci%es ha&e "een
roundy critici;ed* the conte(%orary %sychodyna(ic %ers%ecti&e has
%ro&ided a (eans of not ony to understand and treat so(e 4inds of
%sychoo!ica disorders "ut aso to understand e&eryday %heno(ena such
as %re0udice and a!!ression/
The ehavioral Perspective: &bserving the &uter Person
5he "eha&iora %ers%ecti&e )as cha(%ioned "y ,/-/ S4inner* a %ioneer
in the #ed/ @uch of our understandin! of ho) %eo%e earn ne) "eha&iors
is "ased on the "eha&iora %ers%ecti&e/ Aon! )ith its in3uence in the area
of earnin! %rocesses* this %ers%ecti&e has (ade contri"utions in such
di&erse areas s treatin! (enta disorders* cur"in! a!!ression* reso&in!
se'ua %ro"e(s* and endin! dru! addiction/
The 'ognitive Perspective: %dentifying the roots of $nderstanding
5he co!niti&e %ers%ecti&e focuses on ho) %eo%e thin4* understand*
and 4no) a"out the )ord/ 5he e(%hasis is on earnin! ho) %eo%e
co(%rehend and re%resent the outside )ord )ithin the( and ho) our
)ays of thin4in! a"out the )ord in3uence our "eha&ior/
5he "eha&iora %ers%ecti&e !re) out of a
re0ection of %sychoo!y7s eary e(%hasis on the
inner )or4in!s of the (ind/ Instead "eha&iorists
su!!ested that the #ed shoud focus on o"ser&a"e
"eha&ior that can "e (easured o"0ecti&ey/
Dohn ,/ Aatson )as the #rst A(erican
%sychoo!ist to ad&ocate a "eha&iora a%%roach/
Aor4in! in the 1:HB7s* Aatson "eie&ed that one
coud !ain a co(%ete understandin! of "eha&ior "y
studyin! and (odifyin! the en&iron(ent in )hich
%eo%e o%erate/ In fact* Aatson thou!ht that it )as
%ossi"e to %roduce any desired ty%e of "eha&ior "y
controin! a %erson7s en&iron(ent/
PSY 1 GENERAL PSYCHOLOGY
Handout # 1
Introduction to the Science of Psychoo!y
@any %sychoo!ists )ho adhere to the co!niti&e %ers%ecti&e co(%are
hu(an thin4in! to the )or4in!s of a co(%uter* )hich ta4es in infor(ation
and transfor(s* stores* and retrie&es it/ In their &ie)* thin4in! is
infor(ation %rocessin!/
Psychoo!ists )ho rey on the co!niti&e %ers%ecti&e as4 >uestions
ran!in! fro( ho) %eo%e (a4e decisions to )hether a %erson can )atch
tee&ision and study at the sa(e ti(e/ 5he co((on ee(ents that in4
co!niti&e a%%roaches are an e(%hasis on ho) %eo%e understand and
thin4 a"out the )ord and in descri"in! the %atterns and irre!uarities in
the o%erations of our (inds/
The (umanistic Perspective: The $ni)ue *ualities of the (uman
Species
5he hu(anistic %ers%ecti&e su!!ests that a indi&iduas naturay
stri&e to !ro)* de&eo%* and "e in contro of their i&es and "eha&ior/
Hu(anistic %sychoo!ists (aintain that each of us has the ca%acity to
see4 and reach fu#(ent/
Accordin! to Car Ro!ers and A"raha( @aso)* )ho )ere centra
#!ures in the de&eo%(ent of the hu(anistic %ers%ecti&e* %eo%e )i
stri&e to reach their fu %otentia if !i&en the o%%ortunity/ 5he e(%hasis of
the hu(anistic %ers%ecti&e is on &ree 8ill* the a"iity to freey (a4e
decisions a"out one7s o)n "eha&ior and ife/ 5he notion of free )i stands
in contrast to determinism* )hich sees "eha&ior as caused* or deter(ined*
"y thin!s "eyond a %erson7s contro/
5he hu(anistic %ers%ecti&e assu(es that %eo%e ha&e the a"iity to
(a4e their o)n choices a"out their "eha&ior rather than reyin! on
societa standards/ @ore than any other a%%roach* it stresses the roe of
%sychoo!y in enrichin! %eo%e7s i&es and he%in! the( achie&e sef8
fu#(ent/ ,y re(indin! %sychoo!ists of their co((it(ent to the
indi&idua %erson in society* the hu(anistic %ers%ecti&e has "een an
i(%ortant in3uence/
+ey %ssues and 'ontroversies in Psychology
5here are #&e (a0or 4ey issues and contro&ersies that sti in!er in the #ed
of %sychoo!y* they areF
Nature vs9 Nurture
Conscious vs9 :nconscious determinants o& ehavior
$servale ehaviors vs9 "nternal mental processes
Free 8ill vs9 Determinism
"ndividual di;erences vs9 :niversal principles
In *ature s. *urture* the (ain to%ic "ein! de"ated u%on is )hether "eha&ior
is %atterned accordin! to the %erson7s !enetic (a4e8u% or in3uenced "y the
%erson7s i((ediate en&iron(ent/ At %resent* %sychoo!ists a!ree that neither
nature nor nurture aone is the soe deter(inant of "eha&ior/ 5he issue is then
%ressed on ho) (uch of hu(an "eha&ior is due to !enetics .nature1 and ho) (uch
is due to the en&iron(ent .nurture1I
PSY 1 GENERAL PSYCHOLOGY
Handout # 1
Introduction to the Science of Psychoo!y
In the issue of conscious s. unconscious determinants of behaior* it is
"ein! as4ed )hether ho) (uch of hu(an "eha&ior is %roduced "y forces that one is
a)are of and ho) (uch is %roduced "y forces outside our consciousness/ Are
%eo%e a)are of )hat they are doin! or are they directed "y unconscious )ishes
and desiresI
5he ne't issue tac4es )hether %sychoo!y shoud concentrate soey on
obserable behaiors that can "e (easured "y outside rater or shoud it focus on
unseen internal thinking processes/ Is it i(%erati&e to study %sychoo!y ony
)ith res%ect to o"ser&a"e "eha&iors or does %sychoo!y need to incor%orate )hat
ha%%ens "ehind )hat can "e seen in the na4ed eyeI
Another issue is the dichoto(y of free )ill and determinism/ In this issue it is
"ein! as4ed )hether "eha&ior is aready %re8deter(ined "y factors outside (an7s
contro or does (an ha&e the a"iity to choose )hat "eha&ior to eicit/ Are %eo%e
i4e trains that 0ust %assi&ey foo) rais aid "efore the( or do they ha&e the a"iity
to steer the(se&es to )hat they )ant to doI
Lasty* on the issue of indiidual di+erences and uniersal principles* it is
"ein! de"ated )hether ho) (uch of hu(an "eha&ior is due to our uni>ue >uaities
and ho) (uch is due to our co((on characteristics/ $o )e act "ecause it is the
%roduct of our idiosyncrasy* or do )e act "ecause it is natura for our s%eciesI