Fundamentals of Psychology: Behavior and Mental Processes
Introduction to Psychology
Today, behavior is influenced by biological influences, psychological influences, and social-cultural influences.
Etymology and Definition
- Psyche: Mind
- Logos: Knowledge or study
Definition: The scientific study of behavior and mental processes.
Behavior and Mental Processes
- Behavior: Overt (i.e., can be directly observed, such as crying).
- Mental Processes: Covert (i.e., cannot be directly observed, such as remembering).
Psychology is both a science and a profession.
Psychology is about understanding yourself and others. It encompasses topics such as love, stress, therapy, persuasion, hypnosis, memory, death, and creativity.
Thinking Like a Psychologist: The Scientific Method
Six Basic Elements of Psychological Research
- Making observations.
- Defining a problem: Using operational definitions.
- Proposing a hypothesis: An educated guess that can be tested.
- Gathering evidence and testing the hypothesis.
- Publishing results.
- Building a theory.
Clinical Psychology vs. Psychiatry
- Clinical Psychologist (Ph.D.): Studies, assesses, and treats troubled people using psychotherapy.
- Psychiatrist (M.D.): Medical professionals who use treatments like drugs and psychotherapy to treat patients with psychological diseases.
Psychology is diverse and encompasses more than a dozen different areas beyond just counseling and therapy.
Foundational Schools of Thought in Psychology
Early Pioneers and Structuralism/Functionalism
- Wilhelm Wundt (1832–1920): Established the first laboratory in experimental psychology. Considered the Founder and Father of Psychology. Developed Structuralism (focused on the elementary contents—structures, sensations, and feelings—of the human mind).
- William James (1842–1910): Taught the first psychology course in 1875 at Harvard. Considered the Father of American Psychology. Developed Functionalism (How and why does the mind work?) and Pragmatism (if something works well, then it is true). Functionalists admired Darwin and his theory of natural selection, noting that animals keep features through evolution that help them adapt to environments.
Behaviorism: Focus on Observable Actions
- Key Figures: Ivan Pavlov, John B. Watson (founder), B. F. Skinner.
- Behaviorists kept the scientific approach but rejected subjective experience.
- Goal: To discover the fundamental principles of learning—how behavior is acquired and modified in response to environmental influences.
Key Behaviorist Studies and Concepts
- John B. Watson: Famous for the “Little Albert” experiment. Studied the relationship between stimuli and responses.
- B. F. Skinner (1904–1990): Known for the “Skinner Box.” Believed actions are controlled by rewards and punishments.
Gestalt Psychology
Gestalt psychology was contemporary with behaviorism, originating in Germany.
Core Principle: Humans organize their perceptual experience; ‘the whole is more than the sum of the parts.’ This involves top-down and bottom-up processing.
We make very quick judgments that seem to be influenced by memory and generic knowledge.
- What we see or remember is not the world itself, but an organized experience.
- Perception is guided towards generic, ‘typical’ interpretations (meaning memory and knowledge must be involved).
Cognitive Behaviorism
- Combines cognition and conditioning to explain behavior.
- Cognitive Behaviorists: Albert Ellis and Albert Bandura.
- Principle: Thoughts influence behaviors.
- Treatment Applications: Used for issues like overeating, depression, unrealistic fears, or temper tantrums.
Sigmund Freud and the Psychoanalytic Perspective
- Core Idea: Our behavior is largely influenced by our unconscious wishes, thoughts, and desires, especially those related to sex and aggression.
- Freud was among the first to appreciate that childhood experiences affect adult personality.
- Freud created psychoanalysis (a specific form of therapy).