PSY 101 Chapter 1

• Psychiatry is the study and treatment of mental illness.
• Psychology is the scientific study of behavior and mental processes.
• The Greek philosopher introduced the method of Introspection based on his concept of “Know Thyself”.
• Wilhelm Wundt is considered as the father of

  psychology.
• Aristotle actually wrote a book on psychology entitled “Peri Psyches” more than 2,000 years ago.
• Behavior refers to observable actions or responses in both humans and animals.
• Mental Processes are not directly observable and refer to a wide range of complex mental processes, such as thinking, imagining, dreaming, and studying.
• Goals of Psychology

  1. Describe
  2. Explain
  3. Predict
  4. Control
• Socrates

  • “Know Thyself”
  • Introspection as a method
• Aristotle

  • Human behavior is subject to rules and laws
  • Delved into personality, sensation, perception, thought, intelligence, etc.
• Descartes

  • Mind can be studied in its own rights (Dualism)
• Charles Darwin

  • Evolution and adaptation
  • (link to biological approach)
• Wilhelm Wundt

  • Established the first psychological laboratory in Leipzig, Germany
  • The father of experimental psychology
• SOCRATES

  1. Self-Reflection
  2. Subjective Experiences
  3. Clinical Relevance
• Aristotle

  1. Nature of the Soul
  2. Functions of the Soul
  3. Intellect and Reason
• Nature of the Soul

  • Vegetative
  • Sensitive
  • Rational
• Renee Descartes

  Dualism

  1. Body
  2. Immaterial Mind/Soul
• Descartes' dualism set the stage for discussions on the nature of consciousness and the relationship between mental and physical phenomena.
• Charles Darwin

  Book: On the Origin of Species

  1. Evolutionary Psychology
  2. Survival and Reproduction
  3. Innate Behaviors
  4. Evolutionary Explanation of Mental Processes
  5. Cross-Cultural Universal
• Historical Approaches

  1. Structuralism
  2. Behaviorism
  3. Functionalism
  4. Gestalt Psychology
• Wilhelm Wundt Structuralism

  • The study of the most basic elements, primarily sensations and perceptions, that make up our conscious mental experiences
• STRUCTURALISM

  • Breaks conscious experience into objective sensations (sight/taste) and subjective feelings (emotional responses, mental images)
  • The mind functions by combining the objective and subjective elements of the experience.
• William James

  • First American psychologist
• William James Functionalism

  • The study of the function rather than the structure of consciousness; interested in how our minds adapt to our changing environment
  • Streams of consciousness is fluid and continuous (Influenced by Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution)
  • Adaptive behavior patterns are learned and maintained
  • Make use of direct observations in the laboratory
• John B. Watson Behaviorism

  • Emphasized the objective, scientific analysis of observable behaviors.
  • Behaviorism is largely responsible for establishing psychology as a scientific discipline through its objective methods and especially experimentation
• Behavior Modification

  • a therapeutic approach that utilizes principles of operant conditioning to bring about desired changes in behavior
• Gestalt Psychology Pioneers

  1. Max Wertheimer
  2. Kurt Koffka
  3. Wolfgang Kohler
• Gestalt Psychology

  1. Principle of Wholeness
  2. Principle of Closure
  3. Principle of Proximity
• Principle of Wholeness

  • emphasizes that individuals perceive objects as whole entities rather than isolated parts. Our minds naturally organize stimuli into complete and meaningful wholes
• Principle of Closure

  • the tendency to perceive incomplete or fragmented stimuli as whole objects. The mind fills in missing information to create a complete and recognizable form
• Principle of Proximity

  • suggests that elements that are close to each other are perceived as a group. Spatial closeness influences our perception of relationships between elements
• Structuralism

  • Focus: Structuralism, led by Wilhelm Wundt and Edward Titchener, focused on analyzing the basic elements of consciousness through introspection.
• Structuralism

  • Methodology: Introspection involves trained individuals reporting their conscious experiences in response to stimuli. Researchers aimed to break down mental processes into their elemental components.
• Structuralism

  • Emphasis: Emphasized the study of sensations, feelings, and images as building blocks of conscious experience.
• Functionalism

  • Focus: championed by William James, shifted the focus to understanding the adaptive functions of behavior and mental processes.
• Functionalism

  • Methodology: used observational methods, introspection, and even naturalistic observations to study behavior and mental processes. They were interested in understanding the adaptive functions of consciousness.
• Functionalism

  • Emphasis: Emphasized the study of how mental processes function in helping individuals adapt to their environment
• Behaviorism

  • Focus: led by John B. Watson and later B.F. Skinner, emphasized the study of observable behavior, rejecting the study of consciousness.
• Behaviorism

  • Methodology: controlled experiments and objective observation of behavior. They focused on studying how external stimuli lead to observable responses.
• Behaviorism

  • Emphasis: Emphasized the influence of external stimuli and the role of conditioning in shaping behavior.