Chapter 1 Introduction to Psychology

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Chapter 1Introduction to Psychology
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KEY POINTS - CHAPTER 1

• What is psychology?
• What are the primary perspectives that guide
  modern psychology?
• What are the main career specialties?

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Definition of Psychology

• The scientific study of behavior and mental
  processes

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Current Psychological Perspectives

• Psychoanalytic/psychodynamic
• Behaviorism
• Humanistic
• Cognitive
• Neuroscience/Biopsychology
• Sociocultural

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Psychoanalytic/ psychodynamic

• Emphasizes unconscious processes and early life
  experiences
• Freud

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Behaviorism

• Studies objective, observable, environmental
  influences
• Skinner, Pavlov

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Humanistic

• Focuses on self-concept, free will, and human
  nature as positive
• Carl Rogers
• Abraham Maslow

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Cognitive

• Emphasizes conscious thought, perception and
  information processing

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Evolutionary Psychology

• Focuses on natural selection, adaptation, and
  evolution of behavior patterns

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Neuroscience/Biopsychology

• Focuses on genetics and physiological processes
  in the brain and nervous system

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Sociocultural

• Focuses on social interactions and cultural
  determinants

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What do psychologists do?

• Teach and conduct research in colleges and
  universities
• Provide mental health services (direct service)
• Conduct research or apply its findings in
  nonacademic settings
• Combination of the above

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Specialties in Psychology

• Variety of perspectives
• All add to our understanding of psychology
• Diversity allows for a wide range of career
  options

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Popular specialties in psychology

• Experimental psychologists - conduct lab studies
  of learning, motivation, emotion, sensation and
  perception, and cognition
• Educational and school psychologists - study the
  process of education focus on the intellectual,
  social and emotional devt of children in the
  school environment

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Popular Specialties

• Clinical psychology - specialize in the
  evaluation, diagnosis and treatment of mental
  and behavioral disorders
• Counseling psychology - overlaps with clinical,
  but work with less severe problems

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Popular Specialties

• Developmental - studies the course of human
  growth and development from conception to death
• Cognitive - examines higher order mental
  processes thought, memory, intelligence,
  creativity and language

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Popular Specialties

• Gender and/or cultural psychology - examines
  similarities and differences between men and
  women and between people of different cultures
• Industrial/organizational - applies psy to the
  workplace personnel selection and evaluation,
  job satisfaction, group motivation

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Popular Specialties

• Social - investigates the role of social forces
  and interpersonal behavior, including aggression,
  prejudice, love, attitudes