approaches

• Key developments in psychology over the course of its existence:

  • William Wundt started the first experimental psychology lab in Leipzig in 1879
  • He used introspection as a method to study behavior
  • Introspection involves thinking about one's own thought processes, observing sensations, emotions, and mental imagery, and reporting on them
• Sigmund Freud is known as the father of psychodynamics

  • Psychodynamics focuses on the interplay between the conscious mind and various levels of the subconscious and unconscious self
  • Freud used introspection as a tool to uncover the causes of anxiety and mental distress
• Behaviorists:

  • Behaviorists rejected introspection as unscientific
  • They believed that only observable inputs (stimuli) and outputs (behavior) should be studied
  • Prominent behaviorists include John B. Watson, Ivan Pavlov, and B.F. Skinner
• Albert Bandura:

  • Developed social learning theory
  • Acknowledged the role of social interactions and mental processes in behavior
  • Introduced cognitive ideas like mediation processes in his work
• Humanist school of psychology:

  • Rejects the idea of studying human behavior scientifically
  • Believes that humans are unique and cannot be studied like physical objects
  • Humanists emphasize the importance of mental aspects of humanity
• Biological psychology:

  • Focuses on the biological basis of behavior
  • Utilizes modern techniques like fMRI scanners and genetic research to understand brain function and behavior
  • Cognitive neuroscience is a blend of biological psychology and cognitive psychology
• Psychology as a science:

  • Psychology is the scientific study of the mind and behavior
  • Systematic and objective methods are used to observe and experiment in psychology
  • Terms like empirical, scientific methodology, replicable, reliable, predictable, and determinism are important in scientific psychology
• Wilhelm Wundt and Structuralism:

  • Wundt is considered the father of psychology for his scientific approach
  • He established the first experimental psychology lab in Leipzig in 1879
  • Wundt used introspection to study conscious experience and mental processes
  • Structuralism aimed to uncover the fundamental structure of the mind by breaking down mental experiences into separate elements
• Behaviorist approach to understanding psychology involves classical researchers: Watson, Pavlov, and Skinner
• Watson believed that behavior is a product of the environment, not inherent traits like intelligence or talent
• Watson conducted an experiment with a nine-month-old boy named Albert to demonstrate the importance of the environment in shaping behavior
• Pavlov's research focused on classical conditioning, where he paired a neutral stimulus (sound of feet) with an unconditioned stimulus (food) to elicit a conditioned response (salivation)
• Skinner is known for operant conditioning, where behaviors are learned through trial and error and consequences of actions
• Skinner used a Skinner box to test operant conditioning, reinforcing behaviors with positive or negative consequences
• Skinner also demonstrated shaping, where complex behaviors are taught through reinforcement of successive approximations
• Operant conditioning involves reinforcement (adding or removing stimuli to increase behavior) and punishment (decreasing behavior)
• Primary reinforcers are inherently rewarding (food, water), while secondary reinforcers are paired with primary reinforcers (money)
• Variable ratio reinforcement, seen in behaviors like gambling, is resistant to extinction and can lead to compulsive responses
• Behaviorist research has led to the development of therapies and ways to influence behavior through reinforcement techniques
• Ethical considerations arise from the use of classical and operant conditioning in various industries and practices
• Behaviorist approach is deterministic, focusing on environmental determinants of behavior and rejecting the idea of free will
• Behaviorist research primarily conducted on animals, making generalization to human behavior complex due to human intelligence and complexity
• Social learning theory highlights that learning for humans occurs in a social context
• Humans learn from exposure to other people's behavior, who act as models for our own behavior
• Models can be real people or symbolic models like TV or movie characters
• Likelihood of imitation is influenced by how much we identify with the model, based on characteristics like gender, age, education, and ethnicity
• Reinforcement and punishment play a role in social learning theory
• Behaviors are more likely to be repeated if rewarded directly
• Observation of models being rewarded leads to vicarious reinforcement and increases the likelihood of behavior imitation
• Behaviors are less likely to be repeated if punished directly or if a model is punished, known as vicarious punishment
• Internal mental processes are essential in social learning theory
• Mediational factors are mental cognitive processes that occur between the stimulus, model, and response
• Four mediational factors: attention, retention, motivation, and reproduction
• Attention: the observer must pay attention to the model's behavior
• Retention: the behavior must be remembered to be imitated
• Motivation: influenced by anticipated rewards or punishments for the behavior
• Reproduction: ability to reproduce the behavior
• Research by Albert Bandura on social learning theory
• Children who observed aggressive adult behavior were more likely to imitate aggressive behaviors towards a Bobo doll
• Observation of same-gender models led to stronger identification and imitation