Intro to Psychology

What is psychology?

The history of psychology

Types of psychologists

Special thanks to Sunset Schools for use of slides.

What is psychology?

Psychology is the scientific study of how we think, feel and behave.The APA, the American Psychological Association is the largest organization devoted to the advancement

of psychology.

What are different types of psychologists? (8 types)

Clinical psychologists work in clinics or hospitals or private practices treating mental disorders. They have a PhD.

School psychologists

Work for school districts to treat students for mild disorders like depression and grief. CNE's is Fred Feltz. They have a PhD.

Counseling psychologists

Treat mental disorders with insight therapy. They treat mental disorders without medicine. They have a PhD.

Counselors

Do not really treat mental disorders. Usually do not have a PhD. Counselors use talk therapy for everyday problems like marital counseling, family counseling, career counseling, mild depression, grief counseling.

Psychiatrists (shrinks)

Psychiatrists are MDs (doctors) who specialize in the treatment of mental disorders. They treat disorders with medicine and a little counseling.

Sports/performance psychologists

Work for major league sports teams to maximize performance and minimize performance anxiety.

Forensic psychologists

They testify in court to determine if a defendant is fit to stand trial. If a defendant is termed insane then no.sanity is a legal term, not a psychological one.They also study criminal

behavior like serial killers

Industrial/organization psychologists

Work for large corporations to maximize employee output and profit.Have similar duties to interior designers, architects.They might work for human resources.

Review questions:

Carlos just moved to Duncanville from a small town and his parents were just divorced. Hes been having a hard time with life. Carlos might see a PsychiatristClinical psychologistCounselorMoe Sizlak

Mr. Didden was hired by the TLC company to help them retain their employees without lowering the firms profits. After TLC removed cubicles and permitted employees to decorate their workroom as recommended by Mr. Didden, the absentee rate declined and no employees left for jobs elsewhere. Mr. Didden is most likely

a) a forensic psychologist

b) an industrial/organizational

psychologist

c) a counseling psychologist

d) a clinical psychologist

A psychiatrist typically has a

a) Doctorate in Psychology

b) Medical Degree

c) Doctorate in Physiology

d) Doctorate in Education

In contrast to a clinical psychologist, a psychiatrist is more likely to

a) engage in an eclectic

b) use a biomedical treatment

c) recognize the importance of

group therapy with patients

having the same disorder

d) treat clients in community

mental health centers

exclusively

Major Perspectives of Psychology (a preview)

Ancient Roots

Archaeologists have found evidence of trephination Stone Age humans carving holes in the skull to release evil spirits.

Trephening

The Greeks

Plato and Democritus theorized about the relationship between thought and behavior.

Phrenology

Old quacks used to predict

personality based on

the bumps on your head.

However, thinking about psychology is different than scientifically studying it.

Wilhelm Wundt (1832-1920)

Founder of Structuralism studied consciousness using the technique of introspection, studying your own thoughtsPsychology began in Germany.But most is here in USA, todayFirst to do psych experiments.

William James (functionalism)

This approach says our mind is a product of our environment Influenced by DarwinInfluenced Behaviorists.Consciousness cannot be studied.

The History & Scope of Psychology

Psychologys Perspectives

The Big Seven

Neuroscience Perspective

Biology explains everything!.

If you could not remember the names of your parents and went to a psychologist who adheres to the neuroscience perspective, what might they say?

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.

How could this behavior ensured Homers ancestors survival?

Psychodynamic Perspective

Fathered by Sigmund Freud.Our behavior comes from unconscious drives.Usually stemming from our childhood.

What might a psychoanalyst say is the reason someone always needs to be chewing gum?

Behavioral Perspective

Focuses on our OBSERVABLE behaviors.Focus on rewards and punishments.

If you bit your fingernails when you were nervous, a behaviorist would not focus on calming you down, but rather focus on how to stop you from biting your nails.

Cognitive Perspective

Focuses on how we think (or encode information)How do we see the world?How did we learn to act to sad or happy events?Cognitive Therapist attempt to change the way you think.

Meet girl

Get Rejected by girl

Did you learn to be depressed

Or get back on the horse

Social-Cultural Perspective

Focus on how your culture affects your behavior.

Even in the same high school, behaviors can change in accordance to the various subcultures.

Humanistic Perspective

Focuses on positive growthAttempt to seek self-actualization (be all you can be) (think hippies)

Mr. Rogers would have made a great Humanistic Therapist!!!

Psychology came from

Neurology and philosophy

The question Is intelligence more influenced by heredity or experience? deals with a big issue in psychology known as

a) stability vs. change

b) mind-body dualism

c) rationality vs. irrationality

d) nature vs. nurture

If Aristotle and Locke, who both believed that what we know is acquired from experience, were alive today, they would best agree with the

a) behavioral approach

b) psychoanalytic approach

c) humanistic approach

d) psychodynamic approach

The worlds largest organization devoted to the advancement of psychology is the

a. World Psychology Organization

b. American Psychological Society

c. American Psychological Association

d. Psychologists of North America

According to Wilhelm Wundt, the focus of psychology was on the scientific study of

a. observable behavior

b. conscious experience

c. unconscious motivation

d. the functions of behavior

e. self concepts

Which of the following statements gives the best explanation of the birth of psychology?

A. a man by the name of Wilhelm Wundt established the first research laboratory in the late 1800s

B. A man by the name of Wilhelm Wundt began to perform hypnosis on individuals in the late 1800s

C. A man by the name of Sigmund Freud established the first research laboratory in the late 1800s

D. A man by the name of Sigmund Freud began to perform hypnosis on individuals in the late 1800s

Which psychological approach is most concerned with the importance of encoding, storage, and retrieving information

a) information technology

b) behavioral approach

c) biological approach

d) cognitive approach

Dr. Didden was hired by the TLC company to help them retain their employees without lowering the firms profits. After TLC removed cubicles and permitted employees to decorate their workroom as recommended by Dr. Didden, the absentee rate declined and no employees left for jobs elsewhere. Dr. Didden is most likely

a) a forensic psychologist

b) an industrial/organizational

psychologist

c) a counseling psychologist

d) a clinical psychologist

A good definition of psychology is:

a. the understanding of unconscious processes

b. the study of the human mind

c. the scientific study of human behaviors

d. the exploration of personality traits

e. the scientific study of behavior and mental processes.

Functionalism is the historical school of psychology that focused its attention on

a. unconscious processes and their effect on behavior

b. cognitive associations and how those impact learned actions

c. the effect of relationships between parents and children on behavior

d. the belief that mental processes could best be understood in terms of their adaptive purpose and function

e. the individual structures that make up the mind and how each affects and determines behavior

Wundts technique of reporting ones conscious mental experiences is known as

a. introspection

b. structuralism

c. functionalism

d. psychodynamism

e. humanism

According to behaviorists, behavior is governed primarily by

a) heredity

b) personal motives

c) the environment

d) unconscious desires

A psychiatrist typically has a

a) Doctorate in Psychology

b) Medical Degree

c) Doctorate in Physiology

d) Doctorate in Education