Psyc 1
Mod 1
January 29, 2004

Module 1
The History and Scope of Psychology

Psychology 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

1. 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
2. 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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