Psychology is an academic and applied discipline which involves the scientific study of mental functions as well as behaviors. Psychology has the goal of understanding individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching.
“What is Psycology?”
- When and how did psychology science begin?
- 300 B.C.E – Greek philosopher Aristotle theorized incorrectly about memory, personality, and motivation.
- 1879 , University of Leipzig, Germany: Professor Wilhelm Wundt makes first, psychological experiment to measure time between how a ball is drooped and the peoples reaction. He then established the first psychology lab.
STRUCTURALISM: USES INTERPENETRATION TO EXAMINE STRUCTURE OF HUMAN MIND.
- Wundt student, Edward Titchener introduced structuralism, by asking people to report their experiments with sensory.
- Howard University teacher/writer William James bought the idea of functionalism into the world.
FUNCTIONALISM: FOCUSES ON OUR PROCESSES FUNCTION AND HOW WE USE THEM TO ADAPT, SURVIVE, AND FLOURISH.
- 1921 Margaret Floy Washburn, becomes first woman to have a Howard psych degree. She also wrote an animal book called The Animal Mind.
2. How did psychology continue to develop from 1920, to today?
- Ivan Pavlov: Russian pioneer of learning.
- Sigmund Freud: Austrian physician who developed the personality theory.
- Jean Piaget: Swiss observer of children
- John B. Walton/B.F Skinner: Redefined 20th century
BEHAVIORISM: VIEW THAT PSYCHOLOGY SHOULD BE OBJECTIVE.
HUMANISTIC: EMPHASIZES GROWTH POTENTIAL IN HEALTHY PEOPLE, AND PERSONAL GROWTH.
- Carl Rogers/Abraham Maslow: Pioneers of humanistic psychology.
COGNITIVE: THE STUDY OF BRAIN ACTIVITY ( DEALS WITH PERCEPTION, THINKING, MEMORY, LANGUAGE.)
PSYCHOLOGY: DEFINED AS THE SCIENCE OF MENTAL BEHAVIOR AND PROCESSES.
” Contemporary Psychology”
1. What is psychology’s historically big issue?
- Nature-nurture issue: Relative contributions of genes and environment.
2. What are psychology’s level of analysis?
- Different views of psychology for analyzing.