Psyc 1
Mod 1
January 29, 2004
Module 1
The History and Scope of PsychologyPsychology Up-close
- What is Psychology?
- Early Perspectives
- Science of mental processes
- Science of observable behavior
- Modern Perspective
- Science of behavior and mental processes
- e.g. sensations, perceptions, dreams, thoughts, beliefs and feelings
- How old is Psychology?
- Caveman days!
- It’s very old although
- The science factor is fairly new
Roots of Psychology: Philosophy
How are mind and body related?
Dualism - body and soul are separate but interrelated
- Origins in medieval religion
- Soul is seat of intellectual function and will
- Mind is product of the soul
- Mind not subject to scientific inquiry
- To challenge this was punishable by death
Rene Descartes (1596-1650) - modified dualism
- since animals have no soul, much behavior does not require soul
- the body can therefore control much behavior
- led him to study reflexes
- the soul’s main function is thought, a uniquely human attribute
How are the mind and body related?
- Materialism: Thomas Hobbes )1588-1679)
- mind is a product of the brain - area is centralized
- soul not involved in human behavior - began to look at the mental process
- Empiricism
- knowledge and intellect are learned
- sensory experiences produce elementary ideas
- elementary ideas become associated into complex thought and ideas; changed because of mind
Empiricism vs. Nativism
- Nativism - the view that elementary ideas are innate
- If knowledge is innate…
- What is the purpose of education?
- Can intellect be changed by experience?
- Are abilities determined by our genes or our experiences?
- Nature vs. Nature
Foundations of Modern Psychology
- Charles Darwin (809-1882)
- Theory of natural selection (1859)
- Physical characteristics evolve through natural selection
- Behavioral patterns also influence selection
- Inborn knowledge and behavioral tendencies with survival value are passed on (we must be told of things after we are 3yrs)
- Human beings are part of nature and can be
- Darwin’s theory encouraged scientific inquiry
- 19th century developments in physiology demonstrated the approach to use
- based on scientific methods, controlled laboratory experiments
- influential beliefs from early physiology
- reflexology - all human behaviors occur through reflexes
- localization of function - specific structures of the brain serve specific functions in the control of mental experiences and behavior
- Separated from philosophy in 19th century
- Influences from physiology remain
- Wilhelm Wundt (1832-1920)
- Leipzig, Germany (1879: First known Psychological Laboratory)
- Wrote the first psychology textbook
- Applied laboratory techniques to study the mind
- Structuralism - identify “atoms” of the mind
- Focused on basic sensory and perceptual processes
- Measured reaction times
- Used introspection as a tool to explore the elemental structure of the mind
- William James (1842-1910)
- Started psych at Harvard
Perspectives in Psychology
- Perspective is a way of viewing phenomena
- Psychology has multiple perspectives
Psychology’s Subfields
- Basic Research
- Biological psychologists explore the links between brain and mind
- Developmental psychologists study changing abilities from womb to tomb
- Cognitive psychologists study how we perceive, think and solve problems
- Memory
- Applied Research
- Industrial/organizational psychologists study and advise on behavior in the workplace
- Clinical psychologists study, assess and treat people with psychological disorders
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