History of Psychology Intro Notes

Unit 1 Notes

History, Perspectives

AP Psychology

Week #1

Slides 1-10 (History)

Slides 11-18 (Modern Perspectives)

Psychology is

• The scientific study of behavior

and mental processes:
– Behavior
– Mental Processes
– Scientific

• Goals of Psychologists

– Observe, Describe, Explain,

Predict, Control

Drag and Drop

Psychology is defined as the ​ ​

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study of ​

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and ​

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processes.

Drag these tiles and drop them in the correct blank above

scientific

behavior

mental

History

• 135 years old in its

more modern form as
defined today

• Earlier?

– Plato, Aristotle,

Descartes

– Medical doctors and

physiologists also
interested

Structuralism

•Wilhelm Wundt (physiologist)
– 1879 Germany – 1st Lab
– Students from all over – wanted to study structure of mind
– About what research reveals, not just common sense

•Edward Titchener (Wundt’s student who came to US)
– INTROSPECTION – looking within (example…)
– Structuralism – every experience broken down into

elements

– Example:

• Consciousness – broke into 2 categories (Objective

Sensations and Subjective Feelings)

• Apple Example...

•Legacy: Lab, science of psych, Margaret Floy Washburn 1st
woman PhD in Psychology / 2nd woman to lead APA (after Mary
Whiton Calkins) - Whiton Calkins also earned a PhD but
Harvard refused to grant it to her (both 1894)

Titchener

Open Ended

There are no "structuralists" around today in the field of psychology. So why do we care? What did Wundt and Titchener contribute to the study of psychology?

William James – “Functionalism”

• Harvard late 1800s
• Interested in important of consciousness in

everyday life rather than just analysis –
scientific study still not possible – referenced
“stream of consciousness” (practice)

• Focus: How the mind allows people to

“function” in the real world

• Influenced by Darwin
• Legacy

– Principles of Psychology 1890
– Mary Whiton Calkins – 1st female pres of APA

Gestalt (“Gesh talt”)

• Max Wertheimer
• Objected to structuralism – different

reasons – iPhone example

• The whole is greater than the sum of

its parts

• Learning is active and purposeful /

not mechanical.

• Context is important when studying

anything

• Legacy: Still large part of cognitive

psychology today

Poll

What do you see first?

• An Old Woman

• A Young Woman

Psychoanalysis

• Sigmund Freud 1856-1939,

Austrian Physician

• Cause of mental disorders –

nothing physical?

• Unconscious mind where we

repress urges / desires

• Stressed early childhood

<6yrs old

• His method of research?
• Controversy / Debate?
• Influence / Significance?

Behaviorism

•Ivan Pavlov – Russian Physiologist –
Reflex

•Salivating Dogs

•Early 1900s: John B. Watson

•Challenged views of the others – Focus
should be on scientific inquiry

•Ignore consciousness issue

•All behavior is learned

•Phobias: Freud vs Watson

–Rosalie Rayner / Watson and Little Albert

•Legacy: Still present today

•Office Clip example…next slide

Match

Match the following

• Ivan Pavlov

• John B. Watson & Rosalie Rayner

• Sigmund Freud

• Edward Titchener

• William James

Russian Physiologist / Salivating Dogs

Little Albert / Fear Conditioning

Psychoanalysis / Unconscious mind / repression

Structuralism / Introspection

Functionalism / 1st Psych Textbook

• Russian Physiologist / Salivating Dogs

• Little Albert / Fear Conditioning

• Psychoanalysis / Unconscious mind / repression

• Structuralism / Introspection

• Functionalism / 1st Psych Textbook