Psychology Ch. 1
Social psychology
Concerned with people's social behavior. They focus in external rather than internal influences.
Experimental psychology
Conduct research into basic processes such as functions of the nervous system, sensation and perception, learning and memory, and thinking and motivation. They study the biological and psychological reasons for cognitive behavior. Biological psychologists study the relationship between biological changes and psychological events. They are more likely to do basic research. Basic research is research that has no immediate application and is done for it's own sake.
Gestalt School
Gestalt psychology is an alternative to behaviorism and structuralism. It was developed by German psychologists Max Wertheimer, Kurt Kofka, and Wolfgang Kohler. It is based on the idea that our perceptions of objects are more than the sum of their parts. They are wholes that give shape, or meaning to the parts. Gestalt psychology rejects the structuralist idea that experience can be broken down into individual parts. It also rejects the behaviorist idea that only observable behavior is important.
Counseling psychology
Treat people who have adjustment problems . They often work in businesses or higher educational institutes. Help people function on the highest level possible. You do not have to have a disorder to see one.
Example of cognitive activity
Memories, dreams, perceptions, thoughts, memories
The middle ages
Most Europeans of this period believed that psychological problems were caused by possession of demons.
Pioneers in psychology
Most historians of psychology point to the year 1879 as the beginning of psychology as a modern science. IN that year, German psychologist Wilhelm Wundt established his laboratory in the city of Leipzig
Should school districts employ psychologists
Students face many distractions that hinder learning; psychologists perform a valuable function in helping students overcome these barriers.
Why do some psychologists study animal behavior
They believe that research findings with some animals can be applied to humans
When explaining human behavior, where does a personality psychologist generally look
They loot at the personality traits of the individual
• Rehabilitation psychology
- Work with people challenged by a disability. They help their patients develop strategies to compensate for their disability and live meaningful lives.
Theory
A statement that attempts to explain why things are the way they are and why they happen the way they do. Psychological theories discuss principals that govern behavior and mental processes.
What might an accelerated heart rate in a patient indicate to a psychologist
Anxiety
Behavior
Any action that people can observe or measure
John Watson and Behaviorism
Founded the school of behaviorism, which defined psychology as the scientific study of observable behavior. Holds that people can be totally conditioned by external events and that belief in individual choice is just an illusion.
According to Freud, what is the key to people's behavior
Fulfilling unconscious desires
Clinical Psychology
Most physiologists are clinical. Treat people with psychological problems such as anxiety or depression or severe psychological disorders. Deal with mental health issues, learning disabilities, geriatrics, and general health. • Psychiatrists, who are medical doctors, can prescribe medication to patients. • Often times, psychologists and psychiatrists work together
How are the natural sciences different from the social sciences
Natural sciences are concerned with the physical world, whereas the social sciences are concerned with human society
Why are there so many specialties within the field of clinical psychology
People and psychological disorders vary; psychologists specialize to better treat patients
What are the types of changes that can occur throughout a person's lifetime
People change socially, biologically, mental/cognitive , and emotional changes
Psychology is a science
Psychology is a social science, rooted in the natural sciences. Social sciences include history, anthropology, economics, political sciences, and sociology. Natural sciences include biology, chemistry, and physics. Some areas of psychology are closely related to the natural sciences. Both natural scientists and psychologists do scientific research to do their work
History of psychology
Psychology is as old as human history with roots going back to ancient Egypt and Greece. It is a written account of the interest in people's actions, motives, and thoughts can be traced to ancit times.
What is psychology
Psychology is the scientific study of human behavior and mental processes. Psychologists seek to observe, describe, explain, predict and modify behavior and mental processes.
Bringing diversity into psychology
Psychology was dominated in the past by white men. Most of their research used white male participants and tended to explore issues that we relevant primarily to white men. Many psychologists today are women and members of ethnic groups. Psychological research is more diverse than ever. The work of Kenneth Bancroft Clark exemplifies such research. He studied the effects of segregation on black children
Learning perspective
Emphasizes the effects of experience on behavior . In contrast, social-learning theory suggests that people can change their environments or create new ones. Psychologists who take the learning perspective believe that behavior is learned either from direct experience or by observing other people.
Biological perspective
Emphasizes the influence of biology on our behavior. Biologically oriented psychologists focus on connections between the brain and behavior. They also focus on the influences of hormones and genes.
How can ethnicity and gender affect cultural expectations and social roles?
Emphasizing individual differences.
How does research of an experimental psychologist differ from that of other psychologists
Experimental psychologists research basic processes including functions of the nervous system, sensation and perception, learning and memory, thinking and motivation.
• Health psychology
Study of how behavior and mental processes relate to physical health. They study how stress affects health problems and also focus on disease prevention
• Comparative psychology
The study of animal behavior across different species
Why might a business hire a counseling psychologist
To reduce employee discord and increase the productivity of its workforce.
B.F. Skinner and Reinforcement
Added to the behaviorist tradition by adding reinforcement. Showed that animals that are reinforced or rewarded, for a certain action are more likely to perform that action again. Believed people learn in the same way animals do.
Cognitive perspective
Emphasizes the role that thoughts play in determining behavior. It has roots in Socrates' maxim "Know thyself". They are currently influenced by computers and computer science.
How would B.F. Skinner view introspection
He would probably dismiss it as unscientific
Biopsychosocial perspective
Holds that mental processes are influenced by the interaction of biological processes, psychological dispositions, and social factors. This is a holistic approach that dates back to Greece. The modern model was developed by George Engel. It was developed in relation to the treatment of heart disease. Cultural, social, and psychological factors and genetic dispositions as well as diet, exercise, stress levels, and financial status all have a bearing on heart disease, according to Engel.
How do humanistic and psychoanalytic psychologists differ in their views of what drives behavior
Humanistic psychologists believe that self-awareness, experience, and choice allow people to choose their own behavior, whereas psychoanalytic psychologists hold that unconscious forces shape human behavior.
Personality psychology
Identifies and studies human characteristic, or traits. They are interested in the origins of psychological problems and disorders. Also they are concerned with issues such as anxiety, aggression, and gender role.
School Psychology
Identify and help students who have problems that interfere with learning. School psychologists use interviews, tests, and observation to help students.
What generalization can be made about the relation of biopsychosocial approach to other psychological perspective?
Includes several other psychological perspectives.
Cognitive activities
Mental processes of the mind.
What can a psychiatrist do that a psychologists can not
Prescribe medication
William James and Functionalism
Said that Experience is like a continuous "stream of consciousness". He was one of the founders of functionalism. Functionalism is the study of how mental processes help organisms adapt to their environment.
Evolutionary perspective
The evolutionary perspective focuses on the evolution of behavior and mental process. Evolutionary psychologists suggest that many kinds of behavior patterns are examples of adaptive behavior
What role does biology play in our mental process?
The nervous system makes mental processes possible
Why might an athlete seek the help of a sports psychologist
To perform better in critical situations, to help handle stress
• Human factors psychology
find the best ways to design products for people to use. They consider how the product will be used, how the product affects people, how the product looks and feels, and how the product will be engineered so it is safe, durable, and comfortable to use.
• Industrial psychology
the study of people and work
Which type of psychologists might treat patients with eating disorders?
• Clinical and developmental psychologists.
Sociocultural perspective
Focuses on the influences of ethnicity, gender, culture, and socio-economic status on behavior and mental process.
• Environmental psychology
How people are influenced by their physical environment.
• Organizational psychology-
the study of how people behave in organizations, such as business firms. Psychologists in this field are often trained in both industrial and organizational psychology. They are also employed by corporations to improve working conditions and increase output.
What are some of the specialties within clinical psychologists
Child and adult mental health, learning disabilities, geriatrics, general health
How do psychologists help change behavior?
By understanding factors that influence human behavior, teaching people how to filter out distractions and keep their anxiety at tolerable levels.
Developmental psychology
Development psychologists study changes that occur throughout a person's lifespan. These changes can be physical, emotional, cognitive, or social. Some development psychologists are especially interested in the challenges of adolescence.
Educational psychology
Focus on course planning and instructional methods for an entire school system rather than for an individual student. They focus on how learning is affected by psychological factors, cultural factors, economic factors, and instructional methods. Some educational psychologists help prepare standardized tests. They also study various tests to determine college success.
Sigmund Freud and Psychoanalysis
He developed psychoanalysis, which emphasizes unconscious motives and internal conflicts in human behavior. He developed psychoanalysis, which emphasizes unconscious motives and internal conflicts in human behavior. He developed psychodynamic thinking, which assumes that most of what exists in an individual's mind is unconscious and consists of conflicting impulses, urges, and wishes. He theorized that the key to human behavior is satisfying desires.
Wilhelm Wundt and structuralism
It focused on the basic elements of consciousness. He broke down consciousness into objective sensations and subjective feelings. He believed that the human mind functioned by combining objective sensations and subjective feelings
Explaining behavior
Psychologists observe and describe behavior and mental processes to better understand them. An example would be a sports psychologist, who can help athletes improve performance by measuring athletes' heart rates and other body processes and by interviewing athletes.
Ancient Greece
Socrates developed a method of learning called introspection, which means to carefully examine our own feelings and thoughts. Aristotle outlined associationism, the theory that association with past experiences is a basic principle or mental activity. Greeks used introspection (cognitive) and linked behavior and biological factors to explain behavior (associationism)
Humanistic Perspective
Stresses the human capacity for self-fulfillment and the importance of consciousness, self-awareness, and the capacity to make choices. According to this perspective, personal experiences are the most importance aspect of psychology.
psychoanalytical perspective
Stresses the influence of unconscious forces on human behavior Psychologists who follow this approach focus on conscious choice.
• Cross-cultural psychology
Study behavior and mental processes under different cultural conditions. They have brought new insights to standard psychological theories. Example: They have discovered that visual perception develops differently in cultures as a result of the shapes and angles people are exposed to every day.
What do the social sciences deal with
The structure of human society and the nature and interactions of the individuals who make up society.
• Consumer psychology
The study of the behavior of shoppers.
Psychological research
Two widely used research methods are surveys and experimentation. Surveys collect data through questions asked of a particular group. Experimentation usually involves people or animals. Some psychologists believe animal research can be applied to humans.
Psychological constructs
Used to learn more about human behavior. These constructs talk about something we cannot see, touch, or measure directly.
Why do psychologists organize their research into theories
Useful theories allow them to predict behavior and mental processes
• Forensic psychology
Work in the criminal justice system. They determine the psychological competence of defendants. They explain how psychological problems lead to criminal behavior. They work with police to help select cops, help cops cope with job stress, train cops in handling dangerous situations such as hostage, domestic violence, and suicide threats.
• Community psychology
helps create social systems that promote and foster individual well-being. Social systems might include mental health centers, hospital programs, and school-based programs. They focus on promoting change in the social environment, helping relatively powerless people, preventing threats to mental health in the social environment.
