Transcript The History of Psychology

History of Psychology
Modern Psychology’s
Roots
What is Psychology?
The science of behavior and mental processes
Behavior—observable actions of a person or animal
Mind—thoughts, feelings, sensations, perceptions,
memories, dreams, motives and other subjective
experiences
Science--an objective way to answer questions based on
observable facts/data and well-described methods
• Separated from philosophy in 19th century
– influences from physiology remain
Philosophical Developments
•A
Question: How are mind and
body related?
• René Descartes (1596–1650)—Interactive
dualism
• The mind and body interact to produce
conscious experience
Philosophical Developments
• Another
Question: Nature vs. Nurture
• Are abilities determined by our genes or our
experiences?
• What are the interactions between genetics and
environment?
• What effect does it have on behavior?
Wilhelm Wundt
–Leipzig, Germany
–The “father of psychology”
–Founder of modern psychology
–Opened the first psychology lab in
1879
–applied laboratory techniques to
study of the mind
Wilhelm Wundt
(1832–1920)
E.B. Titchener
•Wundt’s student,
professor at Cornell
University
•Analyzed the intensity,
clarity and quality of the
parts of consciousness
•Founder of structuralism
E. B. Titchener
(1867–1927)
Structuralism
• Studied the basic elements (structure) of
thoughts and sensations.
– identify ‘atoms’ of the mind
• focused on basic sensory and perceptual
processes
• measured reaction times
William James
•First American psychologist
•Started psychology at Harvard
in 1870s
•Opposed Wundt and
Titchener’s approach
•Author of the first psychology
textbook
•Founder of Functionalism
–functionalism – influenced by Darwin
to focus on how behaviors help us
adapt to the environment
William James
(1842–1910)
Functionalism
• Emphasized studying the function of
consciousness and how consciousness
helped people adapt to their
environment
DAILY
DOUBLE
Explain the difference between
Structuralism & Functionalism.
Structuralism – basic parts of a
person’s thoughts and feelings.
Focus on basic senses &
perception.
Functionalism – how our
consciousness helps us to function
or adapt to our environment.
John B. Watson
•Founder of Behaviorism
•Studied only observable
and objectively described
acts
•Emphasized objective
and scientific
methodology
John B. Watson
(1878–1958)
Ivan Pavlov (1849-1936)
• Behaviorist
• Russian Physiologist
• Studied learning
through associations in
animals
• Emphasized the study
of observable
behaviors
B.F. Skinner
•Behaviorist
•American psychologist at
Harvard
•Focused on learning
through rewards and
observation
•studied learning and
effect of reinforcement
B. F. Skinner
(1904–1990)
Sigmund Freud
(1856-1939)
• Austrian physician that
focused on illness
• Founder of the psychoanalytic
perspective
• Believed that abnormal
behavior originated from
unconscious drives and
conflicts
Freud’s Influence
• Influence on “pop culture”
– Freudian slips
– Anal-retentive
• Influence on psychology
– Psychodynamic theory
– Unconscious thoughts
– Significance of childhood experiences
Psychodynamic Approach Assumptions
* Our behavior and feelings are powerfully affected by unconscious motives.
* Our behavior and feelings as adults (including psychological problems) are rooted in
our childhood experiences.
* All behavior has a cause (usually unconscious), even slips of the tongue. Therefore
all behavior is determined.
* Personality is made up of three parts (i.e. tripartite). The id, ego and super-ego.
* Behavior is motivated by two instinctual drives: Eros (the sex drive & life instinct)
and Thanatos (the aggressive drive & death instinct). Both these drives come from the
“id”.
* Parts of the unconscious mind (the id and superego) are in constant conflict with the
conscious part of the mind (the ego).
* Personality is shaped as the drives are modified by different conflicts at different
times in childhood (during psychosexual development).
Carl Rogers & Abraham Maslow
(1902-1987)
(1908-1970)
• Helped to create Humanistic Psychology
• Stressed the study of conscious experience and an
individual’s free will
• Healthy individuals strive to reach their potential.
Wolfgang Kohler
• Created Gestalt
Psychology
• The whole is different
from the sum of its parts.
• Integrate pieces of
information into
meaningful wholes.
Wolfgang Kohler
(1865-1965)
What do you see?
You See the whole picture first rather than the
individual dots that make it up. – Gestalt Psychology