Chapter 1

What is Psychology?
Psychology Then and Now
 COURSE TEXTBOOK
• Introduction to Psychology 12th Edition, James
W. Kalat, Introduction to Psychology, 12th
Edition, Cengage.
• The use of the textbook is mandatory.
• ALLWAYS HAVE IT WITH YOU!

2
A QUICK RVIEW OF THE PREVIOUS CLASS
An introduction to the Course
PSY120 Elementary Psychology
Objectives & Purposes of the Course
(personal/professional)
How is this course different? Should you be
worried?
Attendance, APA, MOODLE, BANNER
Course Evaluation
Textbook (Power Point slides and
additional course materials)
 CHAPTERS OBJECTIVES
After completing this chapter, you should be able to:
1. Discuss three major philosophical issues important to psychology.
2. Distinguish psychology from psychiatry and psychoanalysis.
3. Give examples of specializations in psychology, for both research and
practice.
4. Explain why early psychologists were eager for a “great man” or great
theory to revolutionize the field.
5. Describe the research interests of the earliest psychologists.
6. List differences between psychology in its early days and psychology
today.
7. Explain why early psychologists avoided the study of conscious
experience.
Icebreaker: Pair-Share
In groups of two or three discuss the following:
1. When you think about the field of psychology, what comes to mind?
How is psychology used in research and practice?
2. From where did those perceptions come? How accurate do you
think they are?
3. Can you identify different problems one might encounter when
using psychological research to make decisions about
organizations or policies that affect people?
General Points about Psychology
Psychology: The systematic study of mind, behavior and experience.
General statements about psychology that are reoccurring:
• Aspects of behavior depend on a variety of things, such as age,
health, past experience, and even whether one is asleep or awake.
• Progress in research depends on good measurement.

• Confidence in the conclusions should depend on the strength of the

evidence.
 Major Philosophical Issues in Psychology
Free Will vs. The Nature-Nurture
Determinism The Mind-Brain Problem Issue

• Determinism: Every • Dualism: The mind is How behavior

event has a cause. separate from the brain differences relate to
but controls it, and heredity and
• Free will: Behavior is therefore, the rest of environment differences.
caused by independent the body.
decisions.
• Monism: Conscious
experience is
inseparable from the
brain.
 Discussion Activity 1
As a class, brainstorm a list of evidence that supports the following:
a. Determinism

b. Free will

c. Dualism

d. Monism

e. Nature

f. Nurture
 What Psychologists Do

Psychologists work in
many occupational
settings.

While psychologists
work in a variety of
settings, some are more
common.
 Service Providers to Individuals
Other Mental Health
Clinical Psychologists Psychiatrists Professionals

• Advanced degree in • MD degree plus 4 years • Psychoanalysts

psychology (MS, PhD). residency training,
PsyD. • Clinical social workers
• Specialty in helping
people with • Deal with emotional • Counseling
psychological disturbances. psychologists
problems. • Forensic psychologists
• Can prescribe drugs.
 Service Providers to Organizations (1 of 2)
Industrial/organizational (I/O) psychology: Study of people at work
• Hiring the right person for the job

• Providing feedback to employees to improve performance

• Structuring the work to aid productivity and satisfaction

Human Factors: Also referred to as ergonomics, tries to facilitate the

operation of machinery to increase efficiency and safety.
 Service Providers to Organizations (2 of 2)
Community
Military Psychologists School Psychologists Psychologists

• Specialists who provide • Specialists in the • Professors,

services to the military. psychological condition researchers, program
of students. directors or policy
• Similar to I/O. developers.
• Identify and plan for
• Leadership about educational needs. • Promote mental health
strategies, enemies, and well-being for a
culture, and difficulties community.
of battle.
 Psychologists in Teaching and Research
(1 of 2)
Developmental
Psychology Learning and Motivation Cognitive Psychology
• How behavior changes How behavior is shaped • Cognition: Thought and
with age. by outcomes of past knowledge.
behaviors and current
• May include areas of • How people make
motivations.
language, memory, decisions, solve
taste preference. problems, and convert
thoughts into language.
 Psychologists in Teaching and Research
(2 of 2)
Social and Cross-Cultural
Biological Psychology Evolutionary Psychology Psychology
• Explains behavior in • Explains behavior in • Social psychologist: Study
terms of biological terms of the history of how an individual
factors. the species. influences others, and
how others influence an
• Explains activities of • Attempts to explain individual.
the nervous system. why we tend to act in
particular way occurs. • Cross-cultural: Compares
• Effects of drugs and behavior of people from
hormones, genetics, different cultures.
and evolution.
Knowledge Check Activity 1
Which type of psychologist might help a department store redesign the
store layout, help choose flooring, lighting, placement of mirrors and other
design elements to improve help increase sales?

a. Forensic

b. Industrial/organizational

c. Developmental

d. Biological
 Knowledge Check Activity 1: Answer
Which type of psychologist might help a department store redesign the
store layout, help choose flooring, lighting, placement of mirrors and other
design elements to improve help increase sales?

b. Industrial/organizational
An industrial/organizational psychologist helps the company evaluate its
options. They can help in planning an organizational structure and organize
the workplace (or a store) to increase productivity (sales). For example,
different types of flooring will cause shoppers to slow down, different
lights make things look more appealing, and mirrors will cause shoppers to
look at something.
Should You Major in Psychology? (1 of 2)
Psychology courses prepare people to:
• Evaluate evidence.

• Organize and write papers.

• Handle statistics.

• Listen carefully to what people say.

• Respect cultural differences.

 Should You Major in Psychology? (2 of 2)

• People with a bachelor’s degree in psychology enter a wide variety of careers

or continue their education in professional schools.
• Those with an advanced degree in psychology have additional possibilities
depending on their area of specialization.
 Discussion Activity 2
In groups of two or three, discuss the following:
a. What is your dream job? What type of education would you need to get
a job in that field?
b. How will a background in psychology help you succeed in that field?

c. What other training in the field of psychology will help you achieve your
work-related goals?
Psychology Then and Now The Early Era
Astronomy, physics, chemistry, and biology as sciences developed
gradually over centuries.
• Psychology began as a deliberate attempt to start a new science.

• Highly ambitious field with goals of amassing knowledge that would

quickly be comparable to other sciences.
Important Events in Early Psychology
Wilhelm Wundt and the
First Psychological Laboratory
Wundt created the first laboratory exclusively for psychological
research.
• Sensations and feelings were the elements of experience.

• Experience is partly under voluntary control; you can shift your

attention from one element to another and get a different
experience.
• To test his ideas about experience, he asked his subjects to engage in
introspection (to look within oneself).
Edward Titchener and Structuralism
The main question of psychology was the nature of natural
experiences, according to Titchener, Wundt’s student.
Structuralism: An attempt to describe the structures that compose the
mind.

Edward Titchener asked subjects to describe their sensations. For example, they might describe
their sensation of shape, their sensation of color, and their sensation of texture while looking at a
lemon.
William James and Functionalism
The Principles of Psychology (1890) defined many of the questions that
continue to dominate psychology.
Functionalism focuses on what the mind does rather than what it is, or
how we produce useful behaviors.
• How to strengthen good habits?

• Can a person attend to more than one item at a time?

• How do people recognize something they have seen before?

• How does one’s intention lead to action?

Knowledge Check Activity 2

Which of the following, attempts to describe the processes used in the

mind, particularly in the areas of sensations, feelings, and images?

a. Introspection

b. Structuralism

c. Functionalism

d. Systematic theories of learning

Knowledge Check Activity 2: Answer

Which of the following attempts to describe the processes used in the

mind, particularly in the areas of sensations, feelings, and images?

b. Structuralism
Titchener typically presented a stimulus and asked his subject to
analyze it into its separate features—for example, to look at a lemon
and describe its yellowness, brightness, shape, and other
characteristics. He called his approach structuralism, an attempt to
describe the structures that compose the mind, particularly
sensations, feelings, and images.
The Search for the Laws of Learning
• Early psychologists sought simple laws for predicting behavior and
learning.
• Few early theories of behavior endured.

Studying sensation:
• The study of vision and other sensations garnered most attention by
the late 1800s and early 1900s.
• Early studies differentiated physical stimuli and psychological
perception.
• Psychophysical function is the mathematical description of the
relationship between the physical stimulus and its perceived
properties
Darwin and the Study of Animal
Intelligence (1 of 2)
Darwin’s theory of evolution by natural selection greatly impacted
psychology as well as biology.
Comparative psychologist compares different animal species.
• Early comparative psychologists set out to measure animal
intelligence by rank-ordering animals from the smartest to the dullest.
• They set various species to such tasks as the delayed-response
problem and the detour problem.
 Darwin and the Study of Animal Intelligence
(2 of 2)
Delayed-Response Problem Detour Problem

In the delayed-response problem, an animal sees or hears a signal In the detour problem, an animal is separated from food by a
indicating where it can find food. after the signal, the animal is barrier to see whether it takes a detour away from the food to
restrained for a delay to see how long the animal remembers the signal. reach it.
From Freud to Modern Clinical Psychology
• Most psychiatrists in the U.S. followed Freud’s methods by the mid-1900s.

• Freud’s influence in psychology has faded substantially since then.

• Focus shifted from treating mental illness to helping soldiers deal with
wartime traumas after WWII.
• Psychologists began providing therapy.

• Clinical psychology as we now know it began to develop.

Recent Trends (1 of 2)
Most psychologists today attempt to answer more limited questions.
• Basic research is study that seeks theoretical knowledge for its own sake.

• Applied research is study dealing with practical problems.

• Cognitive psychology (the study of thought and knowledge) has gradually

gained in prominence since the 1960s.
 Recent Trends (2 of 2)
Rapidly growing fields are:
• Neuroscience

• Evolutionary psychology

• Positive psychology, the study of the predispositions and experiences that

make people happy, productive, and successful.
New fields of application:
• Health psychology

• Sports psychology
Discussion Activity 3
As a class, discuss the following:
a. Do you agree with Galton’s idea that intelligence can be measured?
Why or why not?
b. What areas of intelligence do you think are the best indication of
overall intelligence?
c. Do you think other early pioneers in the field would support the
concept of positive psychology? Why or why not?
 Self- Assessment
• What areas might someone who has a degree in psychology work?

• What are the origins of psychology and the ambitions of early psychologist?

• Can you describe the limits of self-observation?

Summary (1 of 2)
By now, you should have learned how to:
• Discuss three major philosophical issues important to psychology.

• Distinguish psychology from psychiatry and psychoanalysis.

• Give examples of specializations in psychology, for both research and

practice.
• Explain why early psychologists were eager for a “great man” or great
theory to revolutionize the field.
 Summary (2 of 2)
By now, you should have learned how to:
• Describe the research interests of the earliest psychologists.

• List differences between psychology in its early days and psychology today.

• Explain why early psychologists avoided the study of conscious experience.

o Rise of Behaviorism and Methodological Challenges

Detailed Summary…
● What is psychology? Psychology is the systematic study of mind, behavior and experience.
Psychologists deal with both theoretical and practical questions. (page 3)
● Three general themes. First, “it depends.” that is, almost any aspect of behavior varies as a function
of many influences, and a good psychologist becomes attentive to even subtle points that alter how we
act and think. second, research progress depends on good measurement. third, we need to distinguish
between strongly supported and weakly supported conclusions. (page 3)
● Determinism–free will. determinism is the view that every-thing, including human behavior, has a
physical cause. the scientific approach rests on the assumption of determinism. (page 4)
● Mind–brain. according to nearly all philosophers and neuro-scientists, mental activity and brain
activity are inseparable. (page 5)
● Nature–nurture. Behavioral differences relate to differences in both heredity and environment. the
relative contributions of nature and nurture vary from one instance to another. (page 5)
● Key Terms: biopsychologist (or behavioral neuroscientist) (page 10)
clinical psychologist (page 6) clinical social worker (page 7) cognition (page 9) cognitive psychologist
(page 9) community psychologist (page 9) counseling psychologist (page 7) cross-cultural psychology
(page 10) determinism (page 4)
 Detailed Summary…
● Psychology and psychiatry. clinical psychologists have a Phd, Psyd, or master’s degree. Psychiatrists are
medical doctors. Both clinical psychologists and psychiatrists treat people with emotional problems, but
psychiatrists can prescribe drugs and other medical treatments, whereas in most states, psychologists
cannot. counseling psychologists help people deal with difficult decisions, and less often deal with
psychological dis-orders. (page 6)
● Service providers to organizations. Nonclinical fields of application include industrial/organizational
psychology, human factors, military psychology, school psychology, and community psychology. (page 7)
● Research fields in psychology. subfields of psychological re-search include biological psychology, learning
and motivation, cognitive psychology, developmental psychology, and social psychology. (page 9)
● Job prospects. People with a bachelor’s degree in psychology enter a wide variety of careers or continue
their education in professional schools. those with an advanced degree in psychology have additional
possibilities depending on their area of specialization. (page 11)
Practice Time…
❑ In this activity, you will test your
understanding of the various specializations
in the field of psychology.
❑ Read the descriptions and say which
specialization in psychology matches the
following scenarios:
Someone to help uncover repressed
emotions and memories that
impact quality of life.
Psychoanalyst
Someone who provides treatment
for more severe psychological
symptoms.
Counseling psychologist
Someone who works with law
enforcement agencies to develop a
profile on criminals.
Forensic psychologist
Someone who focuses on the
behavior of employees in the
workplace.
Industrial or organizational
psychologist
Someone who conducts studies to
evaluate designs’ ergonomics.
Human factors specialist
Someone who assesses, diagnoses,
and treats mental and emotional
disorders for military personnel.
Military psychologist
Someone who helps identify issues
that lead to academic problems and
assists students with those
problems.
School psychologist
Someone who aims to protect the
health and wellness of individuals
and communities.
Community psychologist
Someone who studies how people
grow and adapt at different life
stages.
Developmental psychologist
Someone who studies internal
thought processes.
Cognitive psychologist
Someone who conducts research on
the brain to understand the effects
of brains injuries and mental illness.
Biological psychologist
Someone who studies mechanisms
of survival and reproductive
functions that might have served
over the course of history.
Evolutionary psychologist
Someone who studies interpersonal
and group dynamics.
Social psychologist
Someone who studies the
similarities and differences among
people from various cultures.
Cross-cultural psychologist
I want more Psychology…
Additional Resources
External Videos
• Developmental Psychology: Theory vs. Practice (2019). Tedx Talks (13 minutes).
o David Amiryan talks about outdated developmental psychology theories and what children actually need to develop healthily.
• Nature vs. Nurture (2018). 23andMe (4 minutes).
o Dr. Ruth Tennen explains which traits are influenced by nature, by nurture, or by both.
• Paul Bloom: The Psychology of Everything (October, 2012). Big Think (48 minutes).
o This video provides an overview of psychology, the disciplines within it, and its application to life using case studies of compassion, racism, and
sex.
• Psychologist vs Psychiatrist vs Doctors: What You Need to Know (2021). MedCircle (6 minutes).
o Dr. Domenick Sportelli explains the differences between the types of mental health specialists and how to choose the right one for different mental
health issues.
• Psychology at UCD (2010). (3 minutes).
o Professors at the University College Dublin explain the skills learned throughout one’s time as a student of psychology.
• Psychology: Career Opportunities (2009). (4 minutes).
o This video offers information on the various career opportunities for those who pursue degrees in psychology.
• The Birth of Psychology (2017). Neuro Transmissions (6 minutes)
o This video discusses the history of psychology as a scientific field, leading up to modern psychology.
• The Mind Body Problem (2017). The School of Life (5 minutes).
o This video explains one the biggest mysteries in philosophy and psychology, the mind-brain problem, and how it can affect everyday life.
• The Secret Life of Social Norms (2018). Tedx Talks (17 minutes).
o Michele Gelfand, a cross-cultural psychologist, explains how tight and loose cultures wire our world and how the evolution of culture has affected
human groups.
• What is Cognitive Psychology? (2013). James Cook University (4 minutes).
“Open your mind, challenge your beliefs,
and embark on the incredible journey of
learning about psychology”

"Remember, we're all just walking, talking

psychological experiments!"