Psych
What is psychology?
The scientific study of behaviour and the physiological and mental processes that underlie such behaviour.
A profession that applies the findings of psychological research to real world problems
Wilhelm Wundt
First psychology lab in 1879
Main focus was on consciousness
Many students established research labs in North America and Germany.
G. Stanley Hall
Student of Wundt for a brief time
Growth of psychology in North America
Structuralism
Edward TitchenerTo identify and examine the basic components of conscious experiences (i.e., structure) and see how they are related.
Sensation and perception (i.e., vision, hearing, etc.)
Examined via introspection - systematic self-observation
Limitation – no independent, objective observations of phenomenon under study
Functionalism
William James
Natural selection – heritable characteristics with a survival or reproductive advantage are more likely to be passed on or “selected” over time (Charles Darwin).
Psychology should be concerned with the function or purpose of consciousness not the structure
Consciousness should not be separated into components, it should be seen as continuous flow of thoughts (stream of consciousness)
Interaction between the mind and the environment (i.e., how people adapt to the outside world)
Psychology is the study of observable behaviour
Behaviour: any overt response or activity by an organism
Cannot study consciousness because it cannot be directly observed
Scientific method – falsifiability
Must be able to show a claim is true or false through observation
Stimulus-Response Psychology
Sigmund Freud - psychoanalysis
Focus on unconscious determinants of behaviourUnlearned biological instincts, especially sexual and aggressive impulses, influence thoughts, feelings and behavioursHumanistic Approach
Optimistic view of human behaviour
Humans are free and in control of their own destiny
Emphasizes the human desire for personal growth
All humans
The scientific study of behaviour and the physiological and mental processes that underlie such behaviour.
A profession that applies the findings of psychological research to real world problems
Wilhelm Wundt
First psychology lab in 1879
Main focus was on consciousness
Many students established research labs in North America and Germany.
G. Stanley Hall
Student of Wundt for a brief time
Growth of psychology in North America
Structuralism
Edward TitchenerTo identify and examine the basic components of conscious experiences (i.e., structure) and see how they are related.
Sensation and perception (i.e., vision, hearing, etc.)
Examined via introspection - systematic self-observation
Limitation – no independent, objective observations of phenomenon under study
Functionalism
William James
Natural selection – heritable characteristics with a survival or reproductive advantage are more likely to be passed on or “selected” over time (Charles Darwin).
Psychology should be concerned with the function or purpose of consciousness not the structure
Consciousness should not be separated into components, it should be seen as continuous flow of thoughts (stream of consciousness)
Interaction between the mind and the environment (i.e., how people adapt to the outside world)
Psychology is the study of observable behaviour
Behaviour: any overt response or activity by an organism
Cannot study consciousness because it cannot be directly observed
Scientific method – falsifiability
Must be able to show a claim is true or false through observation
Stimulus-Response Psychology
Sigmund Freud - psychoanalysis
Focus on unconscious determinants of behaviourUnlearned biological instincts, especially sexual and aggressive impulses, influence thoughts, feelings and behavioursHumanistic Approach
Optimistic view of human behaviour
Humans are free and in control of their own destiny
Emphasizes the human desire for personal growth
All humans