Psychology Lecture 1
True or False:
1. The bigger the reward the more likely someone is to do a task
(T)
2. People work harder when they are in a group rather than by
themselves (F)
3. If someone is assaulted on the street, it is more likely that if 3
people see the person will get help, rather then one onlooker (F)
4. Opposites attract (T)
5. A “schizophrenic” is someone w multiple or spilt personality (F)
Psychology:
-The science of behaviour and mental processes
I. Scientific- uses systematic methods
II. Behaviour- observable, recordable events
III.Mental Processes- (un)conscious states
Roots of Psychology:
Philosophy- ideas about how knowledge can be acquired
Natural science- process in understanding nervous system
Brief History:
-Humans + Gods above all else because they can reason and
understand concepts
-Aristotle: knowledge is gained through experience (Expiricism)
Enviro & upbringing shape cognitive abilities
-John Locke: Tabula Rasa-destiny of person is undetermined,
destiny determined by experiences
-Charles Darwin: Natural selection
• Nothing special about humans- treat them all the same (study
them)
• Humans can be studied scientifically as animals are
, -Ivan Sechenov: All complex behaviour can be explained by
reflexes (not true)
-Willhelm Wundt: Founder of structuralism (structure of the mind)
• Contents of the concious mind
• Sensations, feelings and images- components that allow mind to
function
• Introspection- main way he studied cognition (ex.thoughts)
• What they were thinking when the were experiencing a particular
thing- ex. what they were thinking while smelling a roast
• This is unreliable as everyone has different perspectives, and
everyone describes it different.
• To describe and express, you need some form of vocabulary
(young kids can’t talk yet) and those w/o sufficient intelligence are
left out of this equation
-William James:
• Functionalism- why something happens the way it happens. How
do things come together to allow for greater function and
adaptation
-John Watson: Behaviourism- Observable, quantifiable aspects of
behaviour
• Don’t need to study humans anymore, animals can be studied
easier (no language needed)
• Stop study cognition as thought for ex. is not easily observable
-Wolfgang Kohler: Gestalt Psychology
• The whole > the sum of its parts (need the whole picture)
• ex. Making a cake- need all the ingredients to make it better
-Sigmund Freud: focused on mental disorders
• importance of unconcious processes
• impact of unresolved past conflicts
True or False:
1. The bigger the reward the more likely someone is to do a task
(T)
2. People work harder when they are in a group rather than by
themselves (F)
3. If someone is assaulted on the street, it is more likely that if 3
people see the person will get help, rather then one onlooker (F)
4. Opposites attract (T)
5. A “schizophrenic” is someone w multiple or spilt personality (F)
Psychology:
-The science of behaviour and mental processes
I. Scientific- uses systematic methods
II. Behaviour- observable, recordable events
III.Mental Processes- (un)conscious states
Roots of Psychology:
Philosophy- ideas about how knowledge can be acquired
Natural science- process in understanding nervous system
Brief History:
-Humans + Gods above all else because they can reason and
understand concepts
-Aristotle: knowledge is gained through experience (Expiricism)
Enviro & upbringing shape cognitive abilities
-John Locke: Tabula Rasa-destiny of person is undetermined,
destiny determined by experiences
-Charles Darwin: Natural selection
• Nothing special about humans- treat them all the same (study
them)
• Humans can be studied scientifically as animals are
, -Ivan Sechenov: All complex behaviour can be explained by
reflexes (not true)
-Willhelm Wundt: Founder of structuralism (structure of the mind)
• Contents of the concious mind
• Sensations, feelings and images- components that allow mind to
function
• Introspection- main way he studied cognition (ex.thoughts)
• What they were thinking when the were experiencing a particular
thing- ex. what they were thinking while smelling a roast
• This is unreliable as everyone has different perspectives, and
everyone describes it different.
• To describe and express, you need some form of vocabulary
(young kids can’t talk yet) and those w/o sufficient intelligence are
left out of this equation
-William James:
• Functionalism- why something happens the way it happens. How
do things come together to allow for greater function and
adaptation
-John Watson: Behaviourism- Observable, quantifiable aspects of
behaviour
• Don’t need to study humans anymore, animals can be studied
easier (no language needed)
• Stop study cognition as thought for ex. is not easily observable
-Wolfgang Kohler: Gestalt Psychology
• The whole > the sum of its parts (need the whole picture)
• ex. Making a cake- need all the ingredients to make it better
-Sigmund Freud: focused on mental disorders
• importance of unconcious processes
• impact of unresolved past conflicts
