AP Psychology Unit 1 History and Approaches

1. AP Unit 1
Approaches and History
of Psychology

2. 1.1 Why Study Psychology?
Psychology provides tools to help us gain
insight into our own behavior, as well
as our relationships with others.
Definition of Psychology: the
scientific study of behavior and mental
processes.
Psychology falls under the Behavioral
Science.
2

3. Psychological Needs are things
like love, comfort, security
Physiological Needs are
physical Needs are things you
have to have like food, water,
sleep.
3

4. 4 Goals of Psychology:
1. Description: the kid at the candy
aisle is having a melt down.
2. Explanation:he wants the pretty
candy
3. Prediction:He will get the candy
4. Influence:
Wal-Mart knows that moms have already lost
patience with their kids by the time they get to the
checkout line so they put the candy there to get the
kids to wear mom down to buy the candy.
4

5. Learning about psychology can help
you gain…
– a better understanding
of your own behavior.
– knowledge about how
psychologists study
human and animal
behavior.
– practical applications
for enriching your life.
Example: The child throws a fit
every time he goes to Wal-Mart
and his mom says no by the
candy aisle.
fotosearch.com
5

6. Empirical that
meansinformationis
obtainedthrough
observationand
experimentationnot
commonsenseor
guessing.
6
moisiadis.com
http://lewweb.net/science/images/SMflowchart.jpeg

7. By accumulating knowledge we are able to predict what people or
animals will do or think in certain situations and predict future
behaviors.
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8. Scientist seek to influence behavior in “helpful”
ways.
8
knychfamily.blogspot.com
Chains like Wal-mart have done these scientific observations and place candy as
you check out because when your kid is screaming sometimes it is easier to just
buy the candy bar.

9. Basic
Science/Research:
Research Ex. Research on drug
effects on the brain.
Applied
Science/Research:
putting that research to use for a
purpose Example: Using research
on how drugs effect the brain to
come up with a new antidepressant
to help people suffering from
depression. 9
There are two types of science
that influences psychology.

10. Take a 2 minutes to
check your phone
2 minutes
End

11. EmpiricalScience: knowledge originates in experience
and that science should rely on observation and
experimentation
Who pioneered this approach?
The scientific method is used to reduce errors
and biases, objectively analyze Phenomenon.
A theory is a proposed explanation. In
Psychology we will be studying different
theories.
Hypothesis is predicting a Relationship between
variables 11

12. Pseudoscience
Greek for “False Science” Examples:
Horoscopes, Astrology, Phrenology
12
scienceandsociety.emory.edu
24medialabs.com
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pxHni1ggM1E
Randy million dollar challenge

13. 13
Phrenology
led scientists to study
the bumps on the head
to determine human
behavior Phrenology
is considered a
pseudoscience (False
Science)
sparkmuseum.com

14. Chapter 1.2:
Historyof Psychology
14
Aristotle and Plato (384-322
BCE.)
Started asking how the mind
and the body were related??
Were the separate or related??
Are ideas inborn or is the mind a
blank slate filled by experience?en.wikipedia.org

15. Dualism“Rene”Descartes “IthinkthereforeI
am”
15plato.stanford.edu http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BaKLrqxC70c
Dualism: the concept of the mind and body are separate and distinct.
• Mind (Soul) is not the only driver of behavior Automatic response
mechanism
Wanted to explore how the separate Mind and Body communicated
Besties for the
resties!!!

16. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lEr8hnvzeHU 16

17. Theory of natural selection (1859)
Darwin’s theory encouraged scientific inquiry
Very controversial
17
(1809-1882)

18. 18
John Locke
1. One of his major contributions was to the field
of psychology and he is often called the
“Father of English Psychology.”
2. Wrote Tabula Rasa. Locke proposes that we
are all born with certain knowledge and
principles that helps us to become part of
society. He states that it is through
experience, of the world around us, this is
how one forms ideas. He further states that
human knowledge is gathered in 2 distinct
ways through sensation and reflection.
3. Innate: Being born with it.

19. 3 Things you need to remember about
Within Wundt:
1. Wilhelm Wundt opened the first
psychology laboratory in Germany.
2. Changed psychology from a
philosophy to a science.
3. Studied introspection. Introspection
means looking within yourself. How
do you feel about this or that. How
does that rose make you feel?
19http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lWv3tQUY-9k

20. William James
(1842-1910)
Broke down consciousness to basic
thoughts.
Introspection - self-observation
of one’s own conscious experiences
Investigate the function, or purpose
of consciousness rather than its structure
James thought that we developed useful habits, such as
washing our hands before eating because they help us function
more effectively in our daily lives.
Structuralism vs.
Functionalism
Wilhelm Wundt
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Picture a blade of grass. A structuralist might have lingered over
the intensity of the green color of the blade of grass, the clarity of
its texture, and the roughly rectangular shape of the blade and
ask what does this tell us about the elements that make up
consciousness?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTD3NxUyPvs

21. William James What
youhavetwodaddies? Yes,
oneisyourAmericanDaddy.
KnownastheFatherof
AmericanPsychology. You
alsoneedtoknowhe wrote
the1st PsychologyBookand
FatherofFunctionalism.
21

22. alexbinetti.wordpress.com
Gestalt Psychology
22
Max
Wertheimer
(1880-1943)
“The whole is different than
the sum of its parts.”

23. This is bcuseae the huammn
mnid deos not raed ervey
lteter by istlef, but the word
as a wlohe. Amzanig, huh?
Gestalt Psychology looks at how things are
interpreted by the mind and the
construction of meaning from the outlide
world

24. Whatisit?? Weliketofillinthegapssothatwesee
objectsaswholes.Thisideawasfirstproposedby
FrancesBacon.Ishecorrect?
24

25. ContemporaryPsychology
 Psychology’s Perspectives
 A lot depends on your viewpoint
 Eclectic means that you use several of the theories
to describe behavior.
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1.Psychoanalysis that is
now called
Psychodynamic
2.Cognitive
3.Behavioral
4.Biological
5.Socio-cultural
6.Humanistic known also
has Positive Psychology
7.evolutionary

26. tumblr_m41cmraCxR1qdj7w9
Problem:The hulk is constantly suffering from explosions of anger.

27. Focuses on Darwinism.
We behave the way we
do because we inherited
those behaviors.
Thus, those behaviors
must have helped ensure
our ancestors survival.

29. Psychodynamic Psychology
Also called Psychoanalytic.
Study of unconscious motives and conflicts that determine
behavior.
Unconscious are motives that you are not aware of. For
instance if someone with brown hair rejects you, then you
might not talk to people with that color hair.
Conscious are motives that you are aware of.
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30. Psychoanalytic Psychology
Study of unconscious motives and conflicts that
determine behavior.
Freud used the technique called free association He
would say a word and you would say the first word that
popped in your head and he would then analysis what
is going on in your unconscious.
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zz80yYvnWg4

32. sciencedaily.com
Cognitive Approach
32
Cognitive Psychologists return
to the study of learning,
memory, perception, language,
development & problem
solving Example: Is your boyfriend
dumping you traumatic or do you just think it is
therefore you are depressed? Or..your ability to
do math compared to a 5 year old. You can
understand abstract thinking that goes along
with statistics.
Cognition is the mental processes
involved in acquiring, processing,
storing & using information
child-development-guide.com

33. Cognitive Approach
33

34. JEAN PIAGET
1896 – 1980
Worked in France
administering Binet’s IQ
test.
Children do not think like
adults. Why?
Created 4 stages of
cognitive ability that
accurately explain the
behavior of children.
Influenced teachers and
school system.
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35. 35

36. Biological Approach
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Focus
How the body and brain create
emotions, memories,
and sensory experiences.
Sample Issues
• Depression and antidepressants. Problems with
thyroids.
• How are messages transmitted within the body?
• How is blood chemistry linked with moods and
motives?

38. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P4Rb9n_sQDg&feature=related
Behavioral Approach
38
Scientific Psychology
should focus on
observable behavior.
John Watson
(1878-1958)
Ivan Pavlov
B.F. Skinner

40. Social-Cultural Approach
40
Focus
How behavior and thinking vary
across situations
and cultures.
Sample Issues
• How are we, as members of different races and
nationalities, alike as members of one human family?
• How do we differ, as products of different social contexts?
• Why do people sometimes act differently in groups than
when alone?

42. Humanistic Approach also called
Positive Psychology
You have the potential to be
great.
Self Actualization.
Feel Goodapproach.
ClientCentered Therapy
Hierarchy of needs.
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Carl Rogers believed in “client centered therapy”
Abraham Maslow came up with the Hierarchy of needs

44. Fields of Psychology
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Psychologist is someone who is trained to
observe and influence behavior in people.
Psychiatrist is a medical doctor that can
prescribe medicine.

45. Psychometrics
Basic Research
Developmental psychology
Educational psychology
Personality psychology
Social psychology

46. Applied Research
Industrial/organizational psychology
Human factors psychology
Counseling psychology
Clinical psychology
Psychiatry

47. Psychology’s Big Debate
Nature Versus Nurture
Where you born that way or
did your environment make
you that way?
Superman?

48. SQ3R Survey, Question, Read,
Rehearse, Review.
Study Tips
Distribute your study time
Learn to think critically
In class, listen actively
Overlearn
Be a smart test-taker

49. Homework:
#1. Go to:
http://collegesearch.collegeboard.com/apcredi
tpolicy/index.jsp
Pick three colleges you are interested in and
find out what you need to make on your AP
exam to get credit. On one of your choices
research how much a 3 credit class it.
#2