Chapter 1 : Introduction The Nature of Psychology

Ailene C. Ygot Instructor

Psychology as a Science
psyche (mind) + logos (study)

actions, responses, behavior

How? objective and systematic study

Psychology is the scientific study of behavior and mental processes.

Psychology as a Science
Goals: describe, explain, predict and control behavior and mental processes
How can I control my fears? How can I learn to study?

History of Psychology
Nativist View some ideas are innate
17th century Rene Descartes

NATURE

Empiricist View knowledge is acquired through experiences and interaction with the world

NURTURE

History of Psychology
1879 first psychological laboratory University of Leipzig, Germany Wilhelm Wundt Father of Psychology
study on senses vision attention, emotions and memory

History of Psychology
1883 first psychology lab in the US John Hopkins University Granville Stanley Hall founded the first American Journal of Psychology

History of Psychology
19th century Titchener / Wundt Structuralism
mental structures perception, consciousness, thinking and emotions Introspection method of data collection

History of Psychology
1900s William James Functionalism
functions of the mind and behavior to adapt to the environment

History of Psychology
1900s (US) John B. Watson Behaviorism
challenged Functionalism observable behavior

History of Psychology
1912 (Germany) Max Wertheimer Gestalt Psychology
gestalt form , configuration the whole is greater than the sum of its parts experiences cannot be broken down into smaller units

History of Psychology in the Philippines

17th century Psychology was taught in the Phils. (UST & USC) 1926 first Department of Psychology (UP) UST first university to offer undergraduate, masters and doctoral degrees in Psychology

Pioneers in Psychology in the Philippines

Sinforoso Padilla established the first psychological clinic in the Philippines in UP in 1932 Jesus Perpina set up the FEU psychological clinic in 1933 Estefania Aldaba-Lim first Filipino to receive a doctorate in Clinical Psychology. In 1962, she set up the Philippine Psychological Corporation.

Perspectives in Psychology
Psychodynamic Approach Behavioral Approach Cognitive Approach Biological Approach Phenomenological or Humanistic Approach Sociocultural Approach

Psychodynamic Approach
Sigmund Freud behavior stems from the unconscious mind manifestations dreams, slips of speech (Freudian slip) , or mannerism Psychoanalysis therapeutic approach of Freud Carl Jung and Alfred Adler

Behavioral Approach
John B. Watson father of Behaviorism only by studying behavior could psychology be considered a science mind cannot be observed directly Stimulus-Response (S-R) psychology offshoot of behaviorism

Stimulus (environment) Response (responses to stimulus) - Rewards and Punishments following these responses

Cognitive Approach
mental processes perceiving remembering reasoning deciding problem solving how?
Focus on specific behaviors and then interpreting them in terms of underlying mental processes

Biological Approach
how the brain underlie behavior and mental processes physiological processes neurotransmitters chemicals produced in the brain that are believed to have an effect on the persons moods
serotonin norepinephrine

Phenomenological or Humanistic Approach

subjective and personal experience of events (phenomenology) and the need for personal growth the belief that an individuals principal motivational force is a tendency toward growth and self actualization Abraham Maslow Carl Rogers

Sociocultural Approach
the ways by which social and cultural environments influence behavior cultural context should be considered comparing behavior across countries; or within a country

Depression
Psychodynamic Behavioral Cognitive Anger turned inward Lack of positive reinforcers Interpretation of their ability to control events Genetic susceptibility to depression Self-esteem Culturally acceptable?

Biological
Humanistic Sociocultural

Group Activity
Brainstorm on how the emotion ANGER can be understood using the different approaches.