Psych 101
PSS110 Introduction to Psychology 1
Reference: Chapters 1 & 2: Burton, Westen and Kowalski, 2011
Acknowledgements: Slide preparation by Dr Tania Signal of
CQUniversity for Wiley; Original note preparation by Dr Stephen
Theiler & Dr Lorraine Fleckhammer for Swinburne University.
1
PSS110 Introduction to Psychology 1
By the end of this lesson you should have a good grasp of these learning objectives.
These notes will form a valuable supplement to your own reading from the text.
Read that part of the text which deals with the topic – this means that you will start to become familiar with the main ideas and new terms.
Your knowledge of these learning objectives will be tested during the course of this unit of study.
2
PSS110 Introduction to Psychology 1
Related Learning Objective 1.
Psychology is a discipline that stems from early philosophical thought. Plato and Aristotle
(300BC) taught and wrote about subjects like attitudes, sensation, perception and memory.
The shift from philosophical speculation to scientific investigation came from two early schools of thought: Structuralism (which sought to uncover the basic elements of consciousness through a process known as introspection) and Functionalism (which sought to explain psychological processes in terms of the role or function they serve).
Psychology distinguishes itself from philosophy by the use of experimental methods, instruments and techniques.
The contemporary definition of psychology is: The scientific study of mental processes, that is, of thinking, remembering and feeling, of behaviour and the interaction between these processes. Therefore, understanding a person requires not only paying attention to the individual’s psychological experiences but to their biological and cultural context and how these phenomena interact.
Biology and culture provide the boundaries or borders within which psychological experiences may be studied. Biopsychology examines the
Reference: Chapters 1 & 2: Burton, Westen and Kowalski, 2011
Acknowledgements: Slide preparation by Dr Tania Signal of
CQUniversity for Wiley; Original note preparation by Dr Stephen
Theiler & Dr Lorraine Fleckhammer for Swinburne University.
1
PSS110 Introduction to Psychology 1
By the end of this lesson you should have a good grasp of these learning objectives.
These notes will form a valuable supplement to your own reading from the text.
Read that part of the text which deals with the topic – this means that you will start to become familiar with the main ideas and new terms.
Your knowledge of these learning objectives will be tested during the course of this unit of study.
2
PSS110 Introduction to Psychology 1
Related Learning Objective 1.
Psychology is a discipline that stems from early philosophical thought. Plato and Aristotle
(300BC) taught and wrote about subjects like attitudes, sensation, perception and memory.
The shift from philosophical speculation to scientific investigation came from two early schools of thought: Structuralism (which sought to uncover the basic elements of consciousness through a process known as introspection) and Functionalism (which sought to explain psychological processes in terms of the role or function they serve).
Psychology distinguishes itself from philosophy by the use of experimental methods, instruments and techniques.
The contemporary definition of psychology is: The scientific study of mental processes, that is, of thinking, remembering and feeling, of behaviour and the interaction between these processes. Therefore, understanding a person requires not only paying attention to the individual’s psychological experiences but to their biological and cultural context and how these phenomena interact.
Biology and culture provide the boundaries or borders within which psychological experiences may be studied. Biopsychology examines the