Lesson 1: The nature and history of

psychology

1.1 Psychology
Psychology
Is the scientific study of Human Behaviors and Mental Processes

determine How we think, feel, and behave

understand Why we think, feel, and behave in specific ways during specific situations

apply this understanding to improve human lives

Behaviors
observable actions, reactions, and responses that individuals exhibit in their interactions with
the environment

can be both voluntary and involuntary, conscious and unconscious

Mental Processes

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 also known as cognitive processes, or the “inner workings of the mind”

internal activities of the mind that are not directly observable but play a crucial role in
shaping human behavior

1.2 History and Development of Psychological Thought and

Science
Science
A science is a systematic and organized body of knowledge that aims to understand, explain,
and predict natural phenomena through empirical observation, experimentation, and the
formulation of testable hypotheses.

Sciences are characterized by their commitment to objectivity, systematic inquiry, and the
use of rigorous methods to gather and analyze data.

How did Psychology Develop as a Field of

Science?

Philosophical Foundations

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 dualism vs materialism empiricism vs nativism
realism vs idealism determinism vs free will
(mind-body problem) (nature vs nurture)

dualism - is the view
that mind and body are
fundamentally different
things
realism - perceptions of
determinism - everything
the physical world are empiricism - all
that happens has a cause,
produced entirely by knowledge is acquired
or determinant, that
information from the through experience
someone could observe
sensory organs (we’re all blank slate)
or measure

materialism - is the idealism - perceptions of nativism - some

view that all mental the physical world are the knowledge is innate free will - behavior is
phenomena are brain’s interpretation of rather than acquired caused by a person’s
reducible to physical information from the (space, time, independent decisions
phenomena sensory organ causality, and number)

Physiological Foundations
Some german scientists started to apply experimental method to the mind

they were not intentionally starting a field of science

Used methods that emphasized careful, thorough collection of observable facts

Some influential contributors:

Hermann von Helmholtz (muscular neural impulse speed)

Ernst Weber (two-point thresholds and just noticeable differences)

Gustav Theodor Fechner (psychophysics)

Founding of the New field of Science

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 Wilhelm Wundt – Father of Modern
Psychology

He developed the subject matter

(philosophy) and methods (physiology)
to study the human mind

SUBJECT MATTER: Study of

Consciousness and Conscious
Experience

GOAL: Elements of consciousness

(sensations & feelings) and its organizing
capacity (apperception)

METHODOLOGY : Introspection (observation and reporting of our own mental

experiences in response to stimuli)

also established the first psychology laboratory in Leipzig, Germany, in 1879. His laboratory
provided a controlled environment for conducting experiments and collecting data related to
conscious experiences

Birth of Structuralism

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 Edward Bradford Titchener – extended
Wundt’s Psychology

Some distaste on Wundt’s method of

introspection

He believed that Wundt’s Psychology

was more focused on the organizing
capacity and process of the mind; the
elements should be broken down first

Structuralism: an approach to psychology that attempted to isolate and analyze the mind’s
basic elements

The Subject Matter and Goals were primarily focused on the structure and elements of the
mind (sensation, feelings, perceptions) and the organizing capacity was secondary
(association)

Method was still Introspection but was more systematic (focused on the elements of
consciousness)

Opposition of Functionalists
Heavily influenced by Darwin’s ideas on Evolution

Functionalists opposed the subject matter of Structuralism

Functionalism: focused on the functions and purposes of the mind and behavior; how mental
processes and behaviors adapted to help individuals interact with their environment and
ensure survival

William James, Chicago School (Founder)

Functional psychology is the psychology of mental operations, in contrast to

structuralism, which is the psychology of mental elements.

Functional psychology is the psychology of the fundamental utilities of consciousness

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 Functional psychology is the psychology of psychophysical relations (mind-body
relations) and is concerned with the total relationship of the organism to its environment

Led to the Birth of Applied Psychology

Psychoanalysis
SIGMUND FREUD – father of
Psycholoanalysis

Unlike the previous two schools of

thought, Freud’s ideas attracted the
attention of the whole world in
Psychology

Treated Hysteric patients through talking

Developed the Psychoanalytic Theory - a general theory that emphasizes the influence of the
unconscious on feelings, thoughts, and behaviors

the part of the mind that contains information of which people are not aware of
(Unconscious)

To cope from distress, anxiety, and trauma, some of our experiences are filtered and are
processed unconsciously through “REPRESSION”

Although not intentional, his theory reflected both the ideas of Structuralism and
Functionalism

Psychoanalysis - which is a therapy that aims to give people insight into the contents of
their unconscious minds

Behaviorism

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 JOHN WATSON – father of Behaviorism

Opposed the ideas of Structuralists,

Functionalists, and Freud

Behaviorism - an approach to psychology

that restricts scientific inquiry to
observable behaviors

Interested with Ivan Pavlov’s findings

(stimulus and response association)

BF SKINNER – opposed the idea that

learning behaviors are solely
consequences of the relationship of a
stimulus and a response

Added the principle of reinforcement

- any behavior that is rewarded will
be repeated and any behavior that
isn’t won’t

Skinner Box, "Project Pigeon”

Revolutionized the field for several years

Other Developments
Gestalt Psychology – the mind was brought back to life

an approach to psychology that emphasized the way in which the mind creates
perceptual experience (we see things as a whole)

Some criticisms towards behaviorists: Insufficient Emphasis on Insight, Ignored

Organism-Environment Interaction, Perception and Learning Connection

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 Humanistic Psychology – we are humans and we have a direction; opposed determinism of
Psychonalytic Theory and reductionism of Behaviorists

Abraham Maslow and Carl Rogers

Theory of Human Nature and Motivation

Developmental Psychology and Social Psychology

Sociobehaviorism – integrates elements of behaviorism as well as personal and social

factors

Cognitive Psychology – Our minds influence our behaviors; and they can be scientifically
studied

Cognitive Behavioral Theory – our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are interrelated

Contemporary Field of Interest

Neuroscience

Evolutionary Psychology

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