An Introduction to Human Behavior and Psychology

Course Overview

• Course Name: Human Behavior
• Focus: Understanding human behavior, methods of study, and the need for studying human behavior.
• Core Idea: Human behavior is unpredictable unlike chemical or physical sciences.
• Goal: Learn methods, problems, techniques to understand human behavior.

Definition and Study of Human Behavior

• Psychology: The scientific study of behavior and mental processes.
  • Derived from psyche (soul/mind) + logos (knowledge).
• Behavior: Observable actions and reactions of humans.
  • Influenced by past experiences, personality, and cognitive processes.
• Mental Processes: Internal processes such as thinking, problem-solving, and perception.

Challenges in Studying Human Behavior

• Unlike physical sciences, human behavior is not governed by universal laws.
• Human behavior is probabilistic, can only make predictions based on observations.

Introduction to Psychology

• Historical Context: Started from philosophy focusing on the mind and soul.
• Shift: Moved towards scientific study of observable behavior and mental processes.

Motivational Example

• 20th Century Case: Pizza reward system for school students to improve study performance.
  • Initial success in motivating students with rewards (pizza slices).
  • Decline in performance once the reward was withdrawn.
  • Insight: External rewards can motivate behavior, but intrinsic enjoyment is more sustainable.

Important Psychological Concepts

• Behavior and Mental Processes: Study not only behavior but also why and how it happens.
• Consciousness: Awareness of external environment and self.
• Mind: Manifests the soul’s desires, studied through behavior.
• Science of Psychology: Observing, replicating, verifying, and falsifying behaviors and processes.

Methods and Fields in Psychology

• Experimental Design: Used to understand psychological processes, e.g., reaction times, perception, and more.
• **Schools of Psychology: Historical Overview:

Structuralism

• Founded by Edward Titchener (student of Wilhelm Wundt).
• Focused on breaking mental processes into basic components (e.g., sensations).

Functionalism

• Influenced by William James.
• Emphasized the purpose of behavior and mental processes in adapting to the environment.

Behaviorism

• Founded by John Watson.
• Focused entirely on observable behavior (stimulus-response relationships).

Gestalt Psychology

• Founded by Max Wertheimer, Kurt Koffka, and Wolfgang Köhler.
• Focused on perception and problem-solving as holistic processes (whole is greater than the sum of its parts).

Psychoanalysis

• Founded by Sigmund Freud.
• Emphasized the role of the unconscious mind in influencing behavior.

Modern Developments in Psychology

• Information Processing Model: Viewing humans as information processors (like computers).
  • Developed by Herbert Simon; awarded Nobel Prize.
• Study of Language: Mental structures involved in language development and processing (Norm Chomsky).
• Neuropsychology: Examining the relationship between brain activity and mental processes.
  • Techniques: fMRI, EEG, PET scans.

Scope of Psychology

• Broad Field: Management to neuropsychology.
• Future Topics in Course: Memory, learning, perception, sensation, consciousness, social influences, personality, intelligence.

Key Takeaways

• Psychology scientifically studies human behavior and mental processes.
• It accounts for both innate (nature) and experiential (nurture) influences.
• Different perspectives offer unique insights into understanding human actions.

Next Steps

• Future lectures will tackle specific problems from various psychological perspectives.
• An in-depth look at psychological research methods.

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