Introduction, History, The Six Psychological Perspectives

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Introduction, History, The Six Psychological
Perspectives
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Psychology

• The scientific study of behavior and mental
  processes.
• Uses scientific research methods.
• Behavior includes all observable behavior.
• Mental processes include thoughts, feelings and
  dreams.

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Modern Psychologys Roots
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Wilhelm Wundt (1832-1920)

• father of psychology
• founder of modern psychology
• opened the first psychology lab in 1879

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E.B. Titchener

• founder of structuralism (1st perspective)
• goal understand the structure of conscious
  experience by analyzing its parts

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Structuralism

• studied the basic elements (structure) of
  conscious experience

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Gestalt Psychology

• the whole (conscious experience) is different
  from the sum of its parts.
• integrate pieces of information into meaningful
  wholes.

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William James

• first American psychologist
• author of the first psychology textbook
• founder of Functionalism

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Functionalism

• study the functions of consciousness how
  consciousness helped people adapt to their
  environment

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Sigmund Freud

• founder of psychoanalytic perspective
  (personality)
• abnormal behavior originated from unconscious
  drives and childhood conflicts
• used personal observation reflection instead of
  controlled lab experiments

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Freuds Influence(dont have to write this, just
f.y.i.)

• Influence on pop culture
• freudian slips
• anal-retentive
• Influence on psychology
• psychodynamic theory modern version of Freuds
  ideas
• importance of unconscious thoughts
• significance of childhood experiences

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Ivan Pavlov

• Russian Physiologist
• studied learning in animals
• created an interest in the study of observable
  behaviors

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John B. Watson

• founder of behaviorism
• studied only observable and objectively
  describable acts
• emphasized objective and scientific methods

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B.F. Skinner

• Behaviorist
• Focused on learning through rewards and
  observation

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Humanistic Psychology

• focus on conscious experience and individuals
  free will
• healthy individuals strive to reach their
  potential
• humans are not solely controlled by rewards and
  reinforcements

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Six Contemporary Psychological Perspectives
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Whats a perspective?

• Method of classifying a collection of ideas
• Also called schools of thought
• Also called psychological approaches
• Dont write this bullet Example Whether you
  help a student who has dropped their books in the
  hall. Why do some help when others dont?

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6 Contemporary Psychological Perspectives
Perspective Focus Behavior is Explained by
Cognitive
Biological
Social-Cultural
Behavioral
Humanistic
Psychodynamic
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Cognitive Perspective

• Focus how people think and process information
• Dont write this bullet, just think about it
  (Forerunners Structuralism, Functionalism,
  Gestalt Psychology)
• behavior is explained by how a person interprets
  the situation

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Biological Perspective

• Focus how our biological structures and
  substances might cause a given behavior, thought,
  or emotion
• behavior is explained by brain chemistry
  structure, genetics, hormones, glands, etc.

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Social-Cultural Perspective

• Focus how thinking and behavior change depending
  on the setting or situation
• behavior is explained by the influence of other
  people present
• review

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Behavioral Perspective

• Focus how we learn through rewards, punishments,
  and observation
• behavior is explained by previous learning

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Humanistic Perspective

• Focus how healthy people strive to reach their
  full potential
• behavior is explained as being motivated by
  satisfying needs (safety, hunger, thirst, etc.),
  with the goal of reaching ones full potential
  after basic needs are met.

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Psychodynamic Perspective

• Focus how behavior is affected by unconscious
  drives and conflicts
• behavior is explained through unconscious
  motivation and unresolved inner conflicts from
  ones childhood
• modern version of psychoanalytic perspective
  (Freuds ideas)

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Psych Perspectives Group Activity

• Scenario Fight Breaks out in the Cafeteria
• Task Explain how each of the 6 Contemporary
  Psychological Perspectives would explain the
  aggressive behavior

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Psych Perspectives Self-Assessment

• Think about itNow that you understand each of
  the Six Contemporary Psych Perspectives, with
  which one/s do you most identify?
• Task Write your name on each of your post-it
  notes and stick them on the perspective/s you
  feel are most accurate.

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Careers in PsychologyWhat do psychologists do?
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Basic Research

• research that aims to increase the scientific
  knowledge base
• research for the sake of finding new information

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Applied Research

• Aims to solve specific, practical problems rather
  than expanding the scientific knowledge base

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Clinical Psychologist

• Diagnose and treat patients with psychological
  problems
• Largest number of professional psychologists

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