INTRODUCTION TO

PSYCHOLOGY

LECTURE 1
 What is Psychology??
Psychology is the study (science) of
behaviour (theory, quantifiable,
replicable)
This field traces its roots to
philosophy and biology
 What is Psychology??
Greek origins psyche, meaning the
soul, or breathe of life
The science of behaviour (what we
do) and mental processes
(sensations, perceptions, dreams,
thoughts, beliefs, and feelings)
Purpose: to develop a deeper
understanding of how we think and
how we behave
 Psychology is a Science
Psychology uses scientific methods
to study the brain, the mind, and
mental states in order to create
theories: cognitive behaviorism,
behaviorism, humanism, existential
humanism, nature, nurture,
psychosexual, object relations,
psychosocial, Adlerian,
physiological/genetic/evolutionary
and multiculturalism.
 The human mind
The human mind is the portion of the
brain where we think and make
decisions. It is the area where we
perceive things and create a
response to them.
The History of Psychology
 Charles Darwin

Darwin wrote extensively

about:

* child development
* emotion

1809-1882
Psychological Science is Born

Wundt and psychologys

first graduate students
studied the atoms of the

Wundt (1832-1920)
mind by conducting
experiments at Leipzig,
Germany, in 1879. This
work is considered the
birth of psychology as we
know it today.
 Psychological Science is Born

James (1842-1910)

Mary Calkins
American philosopher William James wrote an important
1890 psychology textbook. Mary Calkins, Jamess
student, became the APAs first female president.
Psychological Science is Born

Freud (1856-1939)
Sigmund Freud, an Austrian physician, and his
followers emphasized the importance of the
unconscious mind and its effects on human behavior.
Psychological Science is Born

Psychology originated in many disciplines

and countries. It was, until the 1920s,
defined as the science of mental life.
Psychological Science Develops
Behaviorists

Skinner (1904-1990)
Watson (1878-1958)

Watson and later Skinner emphasized the study of

overt behavior as the subject matter of scientific
psychology.
Psychological Science Develops
Humanistic Psychology
Maslow (1908-1970)

http://facultyweb.cortland.edu

Rogers (1902-1987)

http://www.carlrogers.dk
Maslow and Rogers emphasized current
environmental influences on our growth potential
and our need for love and acceptance.
 Everyday Psychology
In a way, everybody is a psychologist:
we all ask and answer questions
about our world
we want to know why things happen,
when and if they are likely to happen
again, and how to reproduce or
change them to predict our
behaviour and that of others
Everyday Psychology

What makes me happy?

 Everyday Psychology

How can you make someone love you?

 Today Psychology
scientific based upon research
design is based upon principles testing
(and rejecting) hypotheses sample size
often use statistics to analyse the data
thorough testing and retesting of
results
Psychology Today
We define psychology today as the scientific
study of behavior (what we do) and mental
processes (inner thoughts and feelings).
Characteristics of
Psychology
Quantifiable humor example
Replicable
Order: Describe -> Theory -> Predict
Contemporary Psychology

1. Psychologys Biggest Question

2. Psychologys Three Main Levels of
Analysis
3. Psychologys Subfields
4. CLOSE-UP: Tips for Studying Psychology
Psychologys Three Main Levels of
Analysis
 Psychologys Current Perspectives
Perspective Focus Sample Questions
Neuroscience How the body and brain How are messages transmitted in
enables emotions? the body? How is blood
chemistry linked with moods and
motives?
Evolutionary How the natural selection of How does evolution influence
traits the promotes the behavior tendencies?
perpetuation of ones genes?
Behavior genetics How much our genes and our To what extent are psychological
environments influence our traits such as intelligence,
individual differences? personality, sexual orientation,
and vulnerability to depression
attributable to our genes? To our
environment?
Psychologys Current Perspectives
Perspective Focus Sample Questions
Psychodynamic How behavior springs How can someones
from unconscious drives personality traits and
and conflicts? disorders be explained in
terms of sexual and
aggressive drives or as
disguised effects of unfulfilled
wishes and childhood
traumas?

Behavioral How we learn observable How do we learn to fear

responses? particular objects or
situations? What is the most
effective way to alter our
behavior, say to lose weight or
quit smoking?
 Psychologys Current Perspectives
Perspective Focus Sample Questions
Cognitive How we encode, process, How do we use information in
store and retrieve remembering? Reasoning?
information? Problem solving?

Social-cultural How behavior and thinking How are we as Africans,

vary across situations and Asians, Australians or North
cultures? Americans alike as members of
human family? As products of
different environmental contexts,
how do we differ?
Psychologys Subfields: Research
Psychologist What she does
Explore the links between brain and
Biological
mind.
Study changing abilities from womb to
Developmental
tomb.
Study how we perceive, think, and solve
Cognitive
problems.
Personality Investigate our persistent traits.
Explore how we view and affect one
Social
another.
Psychologys Subfields: Applied
Psychologist What she does
Studies, assesses, and treats people with
Clinical
psychological disorders
Helps people cope with academic,
Counseling
vocational, and marital challenges.
Studies and helps individuals in school
Educational
and educational settings
Industrial/ Studies and advises on behavior in the
Organizational workplace.
 Summary
Psychology is the systematic study
of behaviour and experience.
Psychologist employed a scientific
methods in their exploration to
explain different behavioural
phenomena.