Download Psychology - Fundamentals of Psychology - Lecture Notes and more Study notes Introduction to Psychology in PDF only on Docsity! What is Psychology? Psychology • The study of the mind and behavior – why people act, think, and feel as they do • Hard-headed curiosity Common Misconceptions • Psychology is about giving advice • Psychology is common sense • Psychology is the study of mental illness Surprising Findings • Massive losses of brain tissue early in life my have minimal long term effects • Two kids reared together have different personalities • All types of people report roughly comparable levels of personal happiness • Electroconvulsive Shock Therapy (ECT) is effective in treating depression Popular Beliefs Debunked • Most mothers ARE NOT depressed after their children leave • Sleep walkers are not acting out their dreams • Sleep talkers are not verbalizing their dreams • Opposites do not attract Limits to Common Sense • A ball rolls down a spiral track. The end of the track curves left. What direction does the ball take when it leaves the track? Limits to Common Sense • A wooden cube is 1 inch long on each side. How many cubes does it take to for a cube 2 inches long on each side? Limits to Common Sense • Survey of 1255 adults by the New York Museum of National History • 77% were interested in plants & trees, but only 39% in botany • 48% were interested in fossils, but only 39% in paleontology • 42% were interested in rocks and minerals, but 53% in geology • Scientific Method Early Approaches • Structuralism • Functionalism • Psychoanalytic Wilhelm Wundt and Structuralism • 1832-1920 Docsity.com • Structure of mental experiences • Introspection – self-observation • Two basic mental processes: sensations and feelings • Also studied color vision, visual illusions, attention and feelings William James and Functionalism • First U.S. professor of psychology 1842-1910. • Psychological processes a function of evolution • Function rather than elements of psychological processes • Suggested applications to teaching • Educational psychology Sigmund Freud and Psychoanalytic Theory • Freud’s wide-range influence • Case studies using free association • Psychoanalytic theory – Basic sexual and aggressive instincts motivate behavior – Instincts are suppressed in humans Behaviorism: A True Science of Psychology • John Watson – Pavlov and his dogs – Little Albert • B.F. Skinner – Consequences – Reinforcement and punishment Beyond Behaviorism: Humanism and Cognitive Psychology • Humanists – Abraham Maslow and Carl Rogers – Free will of individuals – Help use inner resources to make healthier choices • Cognitive Psychology – Experimental research on mental processes or cognition Modern Perspective and the Eclectic Approach • Seven orientations/views – Biological/physiological, evolutionary, cognitive, psychodynamic, behavioral, sociocultural, humanistic • Eclectic – Integration of several perspective, more complete and complex picture of behavior Biological and Evolutionary Views • Biological/Physiological – Physical causes of behavior • Evolutionary Docsity.com
