Intro to Psychology

January 7^th, 2015

Psychology: The science of behavior and mental processes

Science: Based on research

Behavior: Observable ; measurable

January 8, 2015

Goals of Psychology:

·         Observe

·         Predict

·         Explain

·         Describe

·         Control

Prescientific Psychology

·         Wilheim Wundt: Father of Psychology (first psychology lab)

Structuralism

-          Broke down mental process into the most basic components (structures) of conscious experience

-          What did you see? Hear? Taste? Smell? Feel? (Introspection)

Functionalism

-          Focused less on the How of sensation and perception, but rather on the Why.

-          Emphasized the process of how thoughts are formed , changed and how thoughts formed, changed, and how they adapted.

7 Perspectives of Psychology
 

1.       Neuroscience Prospective

-          Focus on how the physical body and brain create our emotion, 

      memories and sensory experiences.

-          2.   Evolutionary Perspective

-          Focuses on Darwinism

-          We behave the way we do because we inherited those behaviors

-          Thus, those behaviors must have helped ensure our ancestors survival

-          3. Psychodynamic Perspective

-          Fathered by Sigmund Freud

-          Our behavior comes from unconscious drives

-          4. Behavioral Perspective

-          Focuses on our observational behaviors

-          Only focuses on the behaviors that impair our living, and attempts to change them

-          5. Cognitive Perspective

-          Focuses on how we think (or encode information)

-          6. Social- Cultural Perspective

-          Focus on how your culture affects your behavior

-          7. Humanistic Perspective

-          Focuses on positive growth

-          Attempt to seek self- actualization