Raquel Q.
Andilab
Brief History of Psychology
Psychology – A scientific study of human behavior and
mental processes.
Etymologically, it came from the Greek words, Psyche
which means “soul” or “mind”, and Logos which means “the
study of.”
Behavior:
*Overt can be directly observed
*Covert cannot be directly observed
Mental Processes:
Internal experiences such as sensations, dreams,
thoughts, and feelings.
Goals of Psychology
TO DESCRIBE (What is Happening?)
-Observing a behavior and taking note of everything that
is happening.
TO EXPLAIN (Why is it happening?)
-Behavior is being understood by explaining it.
TO PREDICT (Will it happen again?)
-Determining what will happen in the future
TO CONTROL (How can it be changed?)
-To change a behavior from an undesirable one to a
desirable one.
THEORIES: General explanation of a set of observations or
facts
Important People in the Development of Psychology
Aristotle (384 –322 BC)
– He made assumptions out of observation regarding human
behavior. He believed that all beings, humans included,
have souls, which animate them. Humans, however, compared
to other animal, have rational souls. Thus, humans are
not only, physical, but also rational. He also theorized
about learning, memory, motivation, emotion, perception
and personality.
Rene Descartes (1596 – 1650)
- supported the view that humans enter the world with an
inborn store of knowledge. He argued that some ideas
(such as God, the self, perfection and infinity) are
innate. He is also notable for his conception of the body
as a machine that can be studied.
John Locke (1632–1704)
- Believed that at birth the human mind is a “tabula
rasa” or a blank slate, on which experience “writes”
knowledge.
Charles Darwin (1809 – 1882)
- He is the author of the Law of Natural Selection or
Theory of Evolution; inspired the Psychological school of
thought, Functionalism.
Francis Galton (1822–1911)
- He was concerned with the study of individual
differences. He was considered as the “Father of Mental
tests”
Ernst Weber (1795–1878); Gustav Fechner;Herman von
Helmholtz (1821–1894)
-German Physicians who started experimenting with
behavior through scientific methodologies.
Wilhelm Wundt
– Considered as the “Father of Modern Psychology.” He
established the first experimental laboratory for the
study of Psychology, in Leipzig, Germany, 1879. He
created a machine that measured the time lag between
people’s hearing a ball hit the platform and their
pressing a telegraph key. Wundt has seeking to measure
the “atoms of the mind” – the fastest and simplest mental
processes.
Hermann Ebbinghaus
- A German who reported on the first experiments on
memory, 1885.
Schools of Thought
Structuralism (Edward Titchener)
– Study of the parts of conscious experiences through
introspection. Conscious experiences are composed of
sensations, feelings, and images. Introspection is a
process of studying the self, or self- examination.
Introduced by St. Thomas of Aquinas.
Functionalism (William James)
– Defines behavior or the mental phenomena in terms of
their functions in man’s adjustment to his environment.
It is very much influenced by Darwin’s Theory of
Evolution.
Gestalt Psychology (Max Wertheimer, Wolfgang Kohler, Kurt
Koffka)
-Believed that the human mind imposes meaning to related
experiences. It advocates that the study of human
behavior should be holistic. “The whole is greater than
the sum of its parts.”
Behaviorism (John B. Watson)
- Emphasized the need to study what is observable. Its
objective was to predict and control behavior. S-R
Psychology.
Psychoanalysis (Sigmund Freud)
– Much of our behavior is governed by unconscious motive
and primitive biological instincts. It considered all
humans basically would like to gain pleasure and avoid
pain.
Contemporary Approaches
Neuroscience
- Views behavior from the perspective of biological
functioning
Psycho-dynamic
- Believes behavior is motivated by inner, unconscious
force over which a person has little control
Behavioral
- Focuses on observable behavior
Cognitive
- Examines how people understand and think about the
world
Humanistic
– Contends that people can control their behavior and
that they naturally try to reach their full potential
The Scientific Method
The approach used by psychologists to systematically
acquire knowledge and understanding about behavior and
other phenomena of interest.
-Identifying questions of interest,
-Formulating an explanation, (Theories and Hypotheses)
-Carrying out research designed to support or refute the
explanation.
Methods Used in Psychology
Descriptive Research
– An approach to research designed to systematically
investigate a person, group, or patterns of behavior.
Naturalistic Observation
- Research in which an investigator simply observes some
naturally occurring behavior and does not make a change
in the situation
Directed Observation (Survey)
- Research in which people chosen to represent a larger
population are asked a series of questions about their
behavior, thoughts, or attitudes
Archival Research
- Research in which existing data, such as census
documents, college records, and newspaper clippings, are
examined to test a hypothesis.
Case Study
- An in-depth, intensive investigation of an individual
or small group of people.
Correlational Method
- The correlational method involves systematically
measuring the relationship between two or more variables
Correlation Coefficient : +1.00 to -1.00
-Positive Correlation
-Negative Correlation
Experimental Method
- Considered as the most scientific of all methods. The
researcher investigate a phenomenon by preparing 2
identical groups and altering the conditions of one of
the groups; afterwards, measuring the difference.
-Independent Variable
-Dependent Variable
Fields in Psychology
1. Developmental Psychology
– The study of human development and the factors that
shape behavior form birth to old age.
2.Social Psychology
– The study of how people think about, influence, relate
with one another, and the ways interaction with other
people influence attitudes and behavior.
3. Personality Psychology
– The study of individual differences.
4. Clinical Psychology
– The study of the diagnosis and treatment of emotional
and behavioral problems (mental illness, drug addiction,
marital and family conflict).
5. Counseling Psychology
– The study that deals with personal problems such as
academics, social or vocational problems; counseling
psychologists deal with less serious problems compared to
clinical psychologists.
6. School and Educational Psychology
– The study that deals with the evaluation of learning
and emotional problems of individual in school.
7. Industrial/Organizational Psychology
– The study involving the selection of people most
suitable for particular jobs, the development of training
programs in organization, and the identification of
determinants of consumer behavior.
8. Environmental Psychology
– The study that deals with the relationship between
humans and the environment.
9. Behavioral Neuroscience
– The study that employs the biological perspective,
seeking to discover the relationships between biological
processes and behavior.
10. Experimental Psychology
– The study that employs the behavioral and cognitive
perspective as well as the experimental method in
studying how people react to sensory stimuli, perceive
the world, learn and remember, and respond.
11. Forensic Psychology
– the study that applies psychology to the law and legal
proceedings.
12. Sports Psychology
– The study that applies theories and knowledge in
psychology to enhance athletes’ and coaches’ performance.
15. Health Psychology
– The study of the cognitive, affective, behavioral, and
interpersonal factors affecting health and illness.
16. Cross-Cultural Psychology
- investigates the similarities and differences in
psychological functioning in and across various cultures
and ethnic groups.
17. Behavioral Genetics
- studies the inheritance o f traits related to behavior.
18. Cognitive psychology
- focuses on the study of higher mental processes.
19. Evolutionary psychology
- considers how behavior is influenced by our genetic
inheritance from our ancestors.
20. Psychology of Women
- focuses on issues such as discrimination against women
and the causes of violence against women
