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Summary Psychology: Themes and Variations: Chapter 1
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PSYCHOLOGY psyche - “the soul”
logos - the study of a subject
psychology - the scientific study of the mind, mental processes
and behaviour.
mental processes – activities in the brain that are required to
produce a sequence of systematic actions, changes and functions.
study concepts using scientific methods
developed out of philosophy & physiology
psychology has evolved over time
DEVELOPMENT IN THE 19TH CENTURY
Wilhelm Wundt laid the foundation for the science of psychology
He established the first formal laboratory for research in psychology
He then established the first journal devoted to publishing research
on psychology
first two major theoretical frameworks: structuralism &
functionalism
STRUCTURALISM (‘parts’)
What is the structure of our consciousness?
Edward Titchener
Psychology must analyse consciousness into its basic elements &
investigate how these elements are related
Structuralists used introspection on themselves to examine
consciousness
Introspection - looking inwards & analysing (the examination or
observation of one's own mental & emotional processes)
Problems? - subjectivity
Is introspection scientific?
Conducted in the lab - very scientific
FUNCTIONALISM (‘whole’)
What is the function or purpose of consciousness?
William James
Psych is deeply embedded in a network of cultural and intellectual
influences
“stream of consciousness”
Problems? – structuralist’s analysis suggested consciousness was
static (never changed over time)
James argued that consciousness consists of a continuous flow of
thoughts
Conducted in the real world – behaviour
, THE EVOLUTION OF PSYCHOLOGY
Sigmund Freud (Austrian theorist)
One of the leading figures in psychology at the time, yet also controversial
Psychoanalysis – his method to treat people troubled by psychological
problems (irrational fears, obsessions and anxieties)
The unconscious
- thoughts, memories and desires that are well below the surface of
conscious awareness, but have a great influence on behaviour
- based this concept on observations
Freudian slip – someone says something that reveals their true feelings
about a situation
Eventually concluded that psychological disturbances are mostly caused by
personal conflicts existing unconsciously
Behaviour is greatly influenced by how people cope with sexual urges
Met with resistance
Carl Jung
Archetypal psychology
He introduced a no. of motifs (archetypes) that detail the essential features of
all human psychological processes
Humanity had very specific foundational patterns, diversified by culture &
personality
Collective unconscious
- the framework that we make use of to collect and interpret our experiences
BEHAVIOURISM (1913 – present)
A theoretical orientation based on the premise that scientific psychology
should study only observable behaviour
John B Watson
Watson proposed that psychologists abandon the study of consciousness and
focus on directly observed behaviours
To him, scientific method rested on verifiability
In principle, scientific claims can always be verified (or disproved) by anyone
who is able (and willing) to make the required observations.
In Watson’s view, mental processes aren’t a proper subject for scientific study
because they’re ultimately private events
Challenged nature vs nurture
Investigated stimulus-response relationships, the behavioural approach is
often referred to as stimulus-response (S-R) psychology
Behaviourism’s stimulus-response approach contributed to the rise of animal
research in psychology.
Experimental research is more productive if experimenters can exert
considerable control over their subjects (easier to control lab rat than human)
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