Chapter 1: The Science of Psychology Lecture Notes PDF

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The instructor is Professor Tekisha Triplett. These notes include all three modules in chapter 1....

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Chapter 1: The Science of Psychology Lecture Notes Professor Tekisha Triplett PSY 200 Module 1.1 Foundations of Modern Psychology 1) Origins of Psychology a) Psychology i) Psych – “mind” ii) Logos – “study” (1) Study of the mind. b) Wilhelm Wundt i) Leipzig, Germany (1) Established the formal discipline of psychology in 1879. (2) Also established the world’s first formal laboratory of psychology. ii) Used introspection to study the mind. (1) Inward focusing on mental experiences. iii) Taught Edward Titchener. (1) Edward brought the teachings to the United States. iv) Wundt’s and Titchener’s methods were called structuralism. (1) The goal of their approach was to understand the human mind by breaking it down into its component parts. c) G. Stanley Hall i) Established the first formal laboratory of psychology in the United States. ii) Founded the American Psychological Association (APA) and was named its first president in 1892. d) William James i) “Father of American Psychology.” ii) Founded functionalism. (1) Focused on the adaptive functions of behavior and mental processes. (a) “Why we do what we do” e) John B. Watson i) Championed the behaviorism school of thought. (1) Emphasized observable, measurable behaviors. (a) Noted that science should not spend time on things that cannot be seen. ii) Emphasized the importance of one’s surroundings and environment on their development. f) Max Wertheimer i) Founded the school of thought called Gestalt psychology. (1) Emphasized the way in which the brain deals in perceptual wholes and meaningful patterns.

(a) You cannot understand a whole by breaking it apart. (2) “The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.” g) Sigmund Freud i) One of the most recognized names in psychology. ii) Proposed that the unconscious is a part of the mind that lies outside of awareness but still influences a person’s impulses, actions, thoughts, wishes, and desires. (1) Felt that early childhood helped shape one’s unconscious. (2) Deeply-rooted sexual and aggressive instincts make up a large unseen part of the self. iii) Psychodynamic perspective (1) Freud’s model and those based on it. iv) Psychoanalysis (1) The system of psychotherapy that Freud conceived of. 2) Contemporary Perspectives in Psychology a) Behavioral Perspective i) Now seen in social-cognitive theory. (1) Combines attending to environmental as well as cognitive contributors to an individual’s behavior. b) Psychodynamic perspective i) Emphasizes self-awareness, self-direction, and conscious choices. (1) Used to only focus on sex and aggression. c) Humanistic perspective i) This model focuses on free will and conscious choice. d) Physiological perspective i) Examines the biological bases of behavior and emphasizes the interplay between the different parts of the brain. e) Evolutionary psychology i) Based on the work of Charles Darwin. ii) Focuses on adaptations that promote survival in various environments. (1) Looks at how behavioral tendencies and predispositions might have genetic roots. f) Cognitive perspective i) Examines the various processes by which humans acquire and utilize knowledge. g) Sociocultural perspective i) Attends to the influence of one’s surrounding culture and society over their psychological and behavioral functioning. (1) Age, ethnicity, culture, race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, and lifestyle is of interest.

Module 1.2 Psychologists: Who They Are and What They Do 1) Specialty Areas of Psychology a) Psychologist i) Earned a specific doctoral degree in the field. (1) Completes 3 – 4 years of graduate school. b) Psychiatrist i) Physician who completes medical school and earns an M.D. (1) Can prescribe medication as part of clinical work. c) Experimental psychologists i) Conducts research on learning, cognition, sensation, and perception. d) Clinical psychologists i) Evaluate and treats people with psychological problems and disorders. (1) Ex. Depression and schizophrenia. e) Counseling psychologists i) Helps people with adjustment problems. f) School psychologists i) Works in a school system to help children with academic problems or special needs. g) Educational psychologists i) Construct standardized psychological and educational tests. (1) Ex. SAT h) Developmental psychologists i) Study physical, cognitive, social, and personality development as someone grows. i) Personality psychologists i) Study the psychological characteristics that make each of us unique. j) Social Psychologists i) Studies the nature and causes of people’s thoughts, feelings, and behaviors in social situations. k) Environmental psychologists i) Studies the ways people’s behavior and mental processes influence and are influenced by their physical environment. 2) Professional Psychology: Becoming More Diverse a) Christine Ladd-Franklin i) Completed all Ph.D requirements at John Hopkins University in 1882. (1) Denied her doctorate because she was a woman. (a) Received her degree 44 years later in 1926. b) Mary Whiton Calkins i) Completed all Ph.D requirements at Harvard University. (1) Denied her doctorate because she was a woman. ii) Named first female president of APA in 1905. c) Margaret Fly Washburn i) First woman to earn the Ph.D in psychology in the United States in 1894. ii) Second female president of the APA in 1921. d) Francis Sumner

i) First African American to receive a doctorate in psychology in the United States in 1920. e) J. Henry Alston i) First African American to publish research finding in a U.S. journal. f) Kenneth Clark i) First and only African American to be president of the APA in 1971. g) Richard Suinn i) First Asian American president of APA.

Module 1.3 Research Methods in Psychology 1) The Scientific Method a) The scientific method is a method of inquiry the involves careful observation and the use of experimental methods. i) Develop a research question. ii) Form a hypothesis. iii) Gather evidence. iv) Draw conclusions. b) The goal of research is to publish the results, which leads to replication. i) Repeating the research. (1) If similar results are found, we can be more confident in the results. (2) If dissimilar results are found, we know there is more work to be done. 2) Descriptive Research Methods a) The Case Study Method i) An in-depth investigation of a very rare or unusual occurrence within the field. (1) Leads to a tremendous amount of information. (a) Information could be biased or inaccurate. (b) Lack of rigorous control. b) The Survey Method i) Utilizes questionnaires or interviews to gather information about groups of people. ii) Samples (1) Subsets of populations iii) Random sampling is used to make sure the representation is accurate. (1) Tries to eliminate bias. c) Naturalistic Observation i) Involves observing behaviors as they occur in natural or normal settings. (1) Lack of control over research setting. (2) Bias in those doing the observation. 3) The Correlational Method a) Examines relationships between variables without manipulating them. i) Measurement to see if a relationship exists. b) The result is a correlational coefficient. i) A statistic that falls between -1 and +1. (1) The closer to zero, the weaker the relationship. (2) The closer to 1 or -1, the stronger the relationship. 4) The Experimental Method a) A method of scientific investigation that manipulates independent variables and observes their effects on dependent variables. b) Control group(s) i) Assigned using random assignment. c) A placebo may be used. i) Used to control for placebo effects. d) A double-blind study may be used to keep the researcher and participant away from bias....