What is Psychology?

Definitions?

Definitions?

• Psychology is the scientific study of mind and behaviour

Psychological Concepts

• Memory and recall

• Learning

• Perception

• Thinking and cognition

• Creativity

• Attitudes and behaviour

• Individual differences and personality

• Intelligences

Schools of Thought…

• Psychodynamics

• Nativism (Rationalist/Biological)

• Behaviourism (S-R)

• Cognitive Psychology

• Humanistic Psychology

• Constructivist theories

• Social Psychology

A Brief History of Psychology

• Sigmund Freud (1865-1939): ‘I set myself the task of bringing to light what human beings keep hidden within them… the task of making conscious the most hidden recesses of the mind is one which is quite possible to achieve’.

A Brief History of Psychology

• Ivan Pavlov(1849-1936): Studied the conditioned and unconditioned responses of animals to stimuli. Concluded that learning occurred as an association (coupling) of one event with another. Stimulus-Response.

• Classical Conditioning

A Brief History of Psychology

• B. F. Skinner (1904-1990): • Behaviourism• A behaviour followed by a

reinforcing stimulus results in an increased probability of that behaviour occurring in the future.

• Operant Conditioning• Extinction of behaviour

A Brief History of Psychology

• Carl Rogers (1902-1987):

• Humanistic approach to learning

• Unconditional positive regard

• Student centred learning (Client centred approach)

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Humanist Psychology

• A psychological approach that emphasizes personal growth and the achievement of human potential, rather than the scientific understanding an assessment of behavior.

• This approach: – Rejected behaviorism and psychoanalysis.– Emphasized creativity and achieving

potential.

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

Social Motives• Motives acquired through experience and

interaction with others (McClelland, Murray)– Need for achievement (n Ach)

• The need to accomplish something difficult and to perform at a high standard of excellence

– Need for affiliation • The need to have harmonious relationships with other

people and to be accepted by others

– Need for power • Personal – want to direct others• Institutional – want to organize efforts of others to meet the

needs of the institution

Need for Achievement• Characteristics of achievers

– High n Ach • pursue goals that are challenging, yet attainable

through hard work, ability, determination, and persistence

• see their success as a result of their own talents, abilities, persistence, and hard work

– Low n Ach • not willing to take chances when it comes to

testing their own skills and abilities• when fail, usually give up quickly

• Parents can foster n Ach – give children responsibilities– teach them to think and act independently

from the time they are very young– stress excellence, persistence, and

independence– praise them sincerely for their

accomplishments

Need for Achievement

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Academic/Research Psychologists

• Research in areas of basic or applied psychology.

• Examples include:– Experimental psychologists– Educational psychologists– Developmental psychologists– Industrial/Organizational psychologists– Psychometric psychologists

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What Psychologists Do

• Academic/research psychologists

• Psychological practitioners

• Psychologists in other settings

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What Areas do Psychology Undergraduates Pursue?

• Psychology• Other• Counseling• Education• Social work• Medicine• Law • Health Sciences• Business• Sociology

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Psychologists in Other Settings

• Sports• Consumer Issues• Advertising• Organizational Problems• Environmental Issues

• Public policy• Opinion polls• Military training• Animal behavior• Legal Issues

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Clinical Psychologists are not:

• Psychotherapists

• Psychoanalysts

• Psychiatrists

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Psychological Practitioners

• Counseling psychologists help people deal with problems associated with everyday life.

• School psychologists work with parents, teachers and students to enhance student performance.

• Clinical psychologists diagnose, treat, and study mental or emotional problems.

A Brief History of Psychology

• Edward Tolman (1886-1959):

• Cognitive Shift Theory

• Cognitive Map

• Challenge to Behaviourism

A Brief History of Psychology• Leon Festinger (1919-1989):

• Cognitive Dissonance Theory

• Describes conflicting thoughts or beliefs (cognitions) that occur at the same time, or when engaged in behaviours that conflict with one's beliefs.

A Brief History of Psychology

• Abraham Maslow (1902-1987):

• Hierarchy of Human Needs

• Self Actualisation

• Psychology of Being

• ‘Peak experiences’

A Brief History of Psychology• Lev Vygostsky (1896-

1934):

• Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD)

• Social learning

• Co-operative learning

A Brief History of Psychology

• Jean Piaget (1896-1980):

• The child as a solo scientist

• Discovery learning

• Assimilation and Accommodation

• Schema Theory

A Brief History of Psychology

• Jerome Bruner (1915-):

• Scaffolding

• The ‘spiral curriculum’

• ‘Cognition is involved in everything a human being might possibly do…’

A Brief History of Psychology

• Howard Gardner(1943-): • Theory of Multiple

Intelligences• ‘An important part of that

understanding is knowing who we are and what we can do... Ultimately, we must synthesize our understandings for ourselves’.

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