Psychology 101 - Introduction to Psychology

Jul 20, 2024

Psychology 101 - Lecture Notes

Introduction to Psychology

  • Definition: Scientific study of human behavior and mental processes.
  • Includes:
    • Thoughts (cognitions)
    • Emotions
    • Perceptions
    • Reasoning and decision making
    • Memory (encoding, storage, retrieval)
    • Biological activities (instincts, needs)

Aspects of Memory and Biological Activities

  • Example: Hunger
    • Thoughts about food
    • Feelings towards food (e.g., preference for chocolate over vanilla)
    • Sensory perceptions of food (smell, taste, sound, sight)
    • Decision making (e.g., when to eat)
    • Memory (remembering where food is stored)

Subfields in Psychology

  • Forensic Psychology: Applying psychology in legal settings (e.g., CSI shows).
  • Clinical Psychology: Diagnosing and treating psychological disorders.
  • Health Psychology: Impact of mental health on physical health.

History of Psychology

  • Trepanation: Ancient practice of drilling holes in the skull to release demons.
  • Phrenology: 19th-century technique analyzing skull shapes to determine personality traits.
  • Roots in Philosophy:
    • John Locke: Tabula rasa (blank slate theory).
    • Plato & Descartes: Inborn knowledge.

Key Figures and Schools of Thought

  • Wilhelm Wundt: Father of psychology, studied conscious experience.
  • Structuralism: Breaking down conscious experience into components (Wundt, Titchener).
    • Introspection: Analyzing thoughts and perceptions about stimuli.
    • Example: Describing an apple in detail.
  • Functionalism: Focused on the function of the mind in adapting to the environment (William James).
    • Stream of Consciousness: Continuous flow of thoughts and feelings.
  • Gestalt Psychology: Perception and behavior as a whole.
    • Principle: The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

Five Major Perspectives in Psychology

  1. Neuroscience: Biological basis of behavior (brain, nervous system, etc.).
  2. Psychodynamic: Unconscious forces driving behavior (Sigmund Freud).
  • Focus on early relationships and conflicts.
  1. Behavioral: Observable behaviors and learning (Pavlov, Watson, Skinner).
  • Classical Conditioning: Learning through association.
  • Operant Conditioning: Learning through consequences.
  1. Cognitive: Processes of thinking, reasoning, and memory.
  • Influence of environment on thoughts and behavior.
  1. Humanistic: Striving for self-fulfillment and potential (Carl Rogers, Abraham Maslow).
  • Hierarchy of Needs: Basic needs must be met before higher needs.

Key Issues and Controversies in Psychology

  • Nature vs. Nurture: Biological inheritance (nature) vs. environmental influence (nurture).
  • Conscious vs. Unconscious Causes of Behavior: Awareness vs. hidden motivations.
  • Observable Behavior vs. Internal Mental Processes: Visible actions vs. thought processes.
  • Free Will vs. Determinism: Ability to choose vs. predetermination.

Summary Slide

  • Integrates five perspectives and key issues.
  • Highlights differences and commonalities between perspectives.