AP Psych; Prologue: The Story of Psychology I. Psychologys Roots A. philosophy and biology B. 1879- birth of modern psychology 1.

William Wundt 2. Leipzig, Germany 3. measured time lapses b/w stimuli and response C. many of earliest contributors come from other fields 1. biology, naturalist, physiology, physicians, philosophy D. structuralism- an early school of psych that used introspection to explore the elemental structure of the human mind; however, subjective E. functionalism- school of psych that focused on how mental and behavioral processes function- how

they enable the organism to adapt, survive, and flourish D. John B. Watson, American, behaviorist 1. re-defines psych as science of observable behavior a. dominant view from 1920s to 1960s E. in 1960s, mental processes regains interest II. Psychology is science of behavior and mental processes A. behavior- anything organism does 1. yelling, smiling, blinking, sweating, talking, etc. 2. observable and recordable B. mental processes- internal subjective experiences we infer from behavior

1. sensations, perceptions, dreams, thoughts, beliefs, feelings C. emphasis on science- empiricism(a) knowledge thru sense experience (b) science advanced thru observation and experiment 1.theories put to the test a. valid, reliable, replicable III. Psychologys Big Issues A. stability v. change B. rationality v. irrationality C. nature v. nurture- contributions that genes and experience make to development of psych traits and behaviors 1. biggest, most persistent and recurring issue 2. biology and experience

3. Plato v. Aristotle, John Locke v. Rene Descartes, Noam Chomsky v. B.F. Skinner 4. natural selection- principle that, among the range of inherited trait variations, those contributing to reproduction and survival will most likely be passed on to succeeding generations 5. consider: a. are differences in intelligence, personality and psych disorders more influenced by heredity or environment b. is childrens grammar innate or environment c. are eating and sexual behavior more pushed by inner biology or pulled by external incentives d. is depression a brain disorder or a thought disorder

e. how are humans alike (b/c of their common biology) and different (b/c of their differing cultures)? f. are gender differences biologically predisposed or socially acquired 6. over time, we may see this tension dissolve a. nurture works on what nature endows 1. we have enormous capacity to learn and adapt b. moreover, every psych event is a biological event 1. mind/body nexus IV. Psychologys Perspectives A. neuroscience 1. how the body and brain create emotions, memories, and sensory experiences

B. evolutionary 1. how nature selects traits that promote the perpetuation of ones genes C. behavior genetics 1. how much our genes and our environment influence our individual differences D. psychodynamic 1. how behavior springs from unconscious drives and conflicts E. behavioral 1. how we learn observable responses F. cognitive 1. how we encode, process, store and retrieve info G. social-cultural 1. how behavior and thinking vary across situations and cultures

*these perspectives are not contradictory but complementary; not exclusive but inclusive V. Psychologys Subfields A. basic research- pure science that aims to increase the scientific knowledge base 1. biological psychologists a. explore links b/w brain and mind 2. developmental psychologists a. study changing abilities over course of our lives 3. cognitive psychologists a. experiment w/ how we perceive, think, and solve problems 4. personality psychologists a. investigating our inner traits 5. social psychologists a. exploring how we view and affect one another

B. applied research- scientific study that aims to solve practical problems 1. e.g., industrial/organizational psychologists study and advise on behavior in the workplace, product design, system organization C. counseling psychologists- help w/ academic, vocational and marital issues D. clinical psychologists- a branch of psychology that studies, assesses, and treats pp w/ psych disorders 1. administer and interpret tests 2. provide psychotherapy 3. manage mental health programs 4. maybe conduct research E. psychiatrist- physicians who provide psychotherapy, prescribe drugs and treat physical causes of psych disorders

-psych related to many disciplines, occupations, endeavors, etc. -approx. 50M worldwide; 2X # in 1980 -psych findings affect society and public policy