The History and Scope of Psychology

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Chapter 1

• The History and Scope of Psychology

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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
• carefully measured observations
• experiments

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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 minds structure

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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
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Psychology Pioneers

• 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.

Mary Whiton Calkins
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Psychology Pioneers

• Margaret Floy Washburn (1871-1939)
• The first female to earn a Psychology PhD
• The second female APA president
• Author of The Animal Mind.

Margaret Floy Washburn, PhD
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Shifting definitions of psychology

• Now we combine these definitions The science
  of behavior and mental processes.

Wilhelm Wundt and Edward Titchener, around 1900
The science of mental life.
John B. Watson and B.F. Skinner, behaviorists,
1920s The scientific study of observable
behavior.
Cognitive psychologists, 1960s, studied
internal mental processes, helped by neuroscience.
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Trends in Psychological Science Behaviorism
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Trends in Psychology Freudian/Psychoanalytic
Psychology

• 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

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Trends in Psychology Humanism

• 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.

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The Growth of Psychology

• Psychologys 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.
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The Big Issue in Psychology N-N
The Nature-Nurture Question

• 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)?
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Nature
Nurture

• vs.

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We have differences that are shaped by our
environment.
We share a common origin that gives us an inborn
human nature in common.
Nature
Nurture

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Biology Plus Environment..
are part of psychologys three biopsychosocial
levels of analysis.
The outer level, Environment social Influences,
culture, education, relationships
The deep level, Biology genes, brain,
neuro-transmitters, survival, reflexes, sensation
In the middle, Psychology thoughts, emotions,
moods, choices, behaviors, traits, motivations,
knowledge, perceptions
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The three levels as influences on some
psychological phenomenon
Example Depression
Example Intelligence
Example Enjoying Soccer
Example Shyness
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From different angles, you ask different
questions
Cognitive perspective
Social-cultural
Behavioral genetics
Neuroscience
Psychodynamic
Behaviorist
Evolutionary







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?
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• Lets play Whats my perspective?

Obsessive-compulsive disorder is a problem in
the orbital cortex.
Compulsions start as habits and are rewarded by
the anxiety relief they bring.
No, its a sign of unresolved childhood issues.
OCD comes from our natural instinct to control
our environment.
No, OCD is an inherited condition.
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.
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Psychologys Subfields
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Psychologys Subfields Research Examples
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Psychologys Subfields Applied
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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.
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An Application of PsychologyImproving your test
performance

• Scientific studies show us that

Testing yourself boosts retention of material.

• The retrieval practice effect/testing effect

Actively processing material helps master it.

• Put it in your own words, make connections

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

• Spread studying over multiple days

People tend to overestimate their mastery.

• If the concept looks familiar not good enough

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Applying this knowledge Use SQ3R to master a
textbook
Survey
Scan/Skim what you are about to read, especially
chapter outlines and section heads.
Question
Ask questions that the text might answer write
guesses.
Read
Look for the answer to your questions, reading a
manageable amount at a time.
Rehearse
Recall what youve read in your own words. Test
yourself with quizzes.
Review
Look over text and notes and quickly review the
main ideas of the whole chapter.