...Foundation of Psychology Paper Psychology is the deep study of the human mind and their behavior. The roots of psychology can be traced to both philosophy and physiology. Philosophy provides how interesting the study oft the mine is. Physiology refers to the scientific method or the tools used to explain mind and behavior. Psychology is used for the following; understanding the behavior of people, their thoughts, and feelings. In the world of psychology there are several schools that make up psychology, they are referring to the theories or thoughts of psychology. In this paper, the author will address the most important schools of psychology and their importance. These include structuralism/functionalism, Gestalt psychology, behaviorism, psychoanalysis, human psychology, and cognitive psychology. In addition, the author will briefly discuss primary biological foundations of psychology linked to behavior and what drives people. In order to understand the different schools of psychology, it is important to consider analyzing the brain and understand its terms that it serves as a function. The first school of psychology is structuralism. Structuralism is a theory came from the ideas of Edward Titchner, “his theory that the mind's functions -- action, affection, association, attention, imagination, memory, perception, recognition, sensation, and thought -- could be categorized as systematically as an elemental chart in chemistry.” ("NNDB Edward Titchner", 2014) This mean he focused...
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...while others sometimes completely oppose each other. None however, seem to do both like the Psychoanalysis and Behaviorist perspectives, both of which ask the same questions but use very different methods to find the answers. Psychoanalysis was said to be the most influential system of psychology and was pioneered by Sigmund Freud, an Austrian psychologist in Vienna, during the 19th century. Freud was influenced by several significant individuals such as Josef Breuer, Jean-Martin Charcot and Rudolf Chrobak. All of these people shared similar views about behaviours which most people thought were absurd and unprovable. As a result behaviorism was born. The development of Behaviorism was largely influenced by the dissatisfaction of John B. Watson with a number of theories which were in place at the time, especially Psychoanalysis. Behaviorism was created in an attempt to make psychology a science like Biology or Physics which focused only on observable data. Behaviorism was developed from a utilitarian school of thought. It was designed to predict and control behavior and focused on the study of overt behavior. Both perspectives have differing theories about personality. Burrhus Frederick Skinner was an American psychologist who was influenced by the work of John B Watson. He proposed that our differences in our learning experiences are the main reason behind our individual differences in our behavior, and we learn these patterns of behavior either directly through reward as...
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...The Science of Psychology Chapter 1 Chapter 1 Learning Objective Menu • • • • • • • • • • • • • • LO 1.1 LO 1.2 LO 1.3 LO 1.4 LO 1.5 LO 1.6 LO 1.7 LO 1.8 LO 1.9 LO 1.10 LO 1.11 LO 1.12 LO 1.13 LO 1.14 Definition and goals of psychology Structuralism and functionalism Early Gestalt, psychoanalysis, and behaviorism Modern perspectives Skinner, Maslow and Rogers Psychiatrist, psychologist, and other professionals Psychology is a science; steps in scientific method Naturalistic and laboratory settings Case studies and surveys Correlational technique Experimental approach and terms Placebo and the experimenter effects Conducting a real experiment Ethical concerns in conducting research Principles of critical thinking LO 1.1 Definition and goals of psychology What is Psychology? • Psychology - scientific study of behavior and mental processes. • Behavior - outward or overt actions and reactions. • Mental processes - internal, covert activity of our minds. • Psychology is a science • Prevent possible biases from leading to faulty observations • Precise and careful measurement Menu LO 1.1 Definition and goals of psychology Psychology’s Four Goals 1. Description • • • What is happening? Why is it happening? Theory - general explanation of a set of observations or facts Will it happen again? How can it be changed? 2. Explanation 3. Prediction • • 4. Control Menu LO 1.2 Structuralism and functionalism Structuralism • Structuralism - focused...
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...FREUDIANISM VERSUS BEHAVIORISM This paper will compare the psychological worldviews of Freudianism and Behaviorism. The Freudian perspective stems from the work of Sigmund Freud (1856-1939), the founder of psychoanalysis. The origin of Behaviorism is found in the work of B. F. Skinner (1904-1990). Both of these men had “scientific” worldviews and they both believed that there are forces that influence the lives of human beings. However, they differed in their view on what the most important influences are Freud emphasized the role of the unconscious mind, which cannot be directly observed. In contrast, Skinner emphasized the role of environmental reinforcements and their impact on observable behaviors. The worldview of Freudianism is based in part on Freud’s scientific orientation and his rejection of religious and metaphysical assumptions (Stevenson 72). Freud claimed that the mind is divided into two major parts, the conscious and the unconscious. According to Freud, the conscious part of the mind is merely “the surface of the mental apparatus” (Freud 11). Although people interact with the world through the use of their conscious minds, their unconscious minds have a powerful influence on their feelings and actions. In his book Seven Theories of Human Nature, Leslie Stevenson claims that Freudianism sees the mind as being like an iceberg, “with only a small proportion of it visible above the surface, but a vast hidden bulk exerting its influence on the...
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...discipline. Conscious experience and building blocks, trained many early psychologists 2. Identify the following, and the one or two main names (if applicable): Structuralists, Functionalists, Gestalt Psychology, Behaviorism Psychoanalysis, Humanistic Psychology, Cognitive Psychology b. Structuralists: Titchener- Wundt’s student. Wanted to examine the structure of mind and organization of basic elements of sensations, feelings, and images. “Structure of the mind” Example: I see a square as composed of four separate lines. Introspection: observing ones own conscious reactions. c. Functionalism- William James- first American psychologist. “Mental associations allow us to benefit from previous experience.” Deals with function, what does consciousness does to us, what is the purpose etc. d. Gestalt psychology- Max Wertheimer. Objects are well-organized structures, whole objects instead of parts. Ex. A square is a Square e. Behaviorism psychoanalysis – Sigmund Freud. Founded psychoanalysis in early 1900s, focused on unconscious thoughts in determining behavior. Psychoanalysis- feelings come from a hidden place in your mind called unconscious. f. Behaviorism- John Watson, B.F. Skinner. We can predict behaviors using behaviorism. Found that you can get animals to do things if you feed them. Skinner was Watsons student. g. Humanistic psychology- Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow. Assumes people have positive values, free will, and deep inner...
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...Foundations of Psychology Larry Eckel PSY 300 December 5, 2011 Liz West Foundations of Psychology According to “Foundations of Psychology” (1948), “psychology is the study of human nature. It is the study of man, man as a living being, acting in an ever-changing world, responding to things and events and other people. If you know what man is, if you know the full answer to the question about the nature of man, then you know what human nature is and what psychology comprises” (Chapter 1, Para. 1). Many varying thoughts have changed over time to the study of psychology. These thoughts include functionalism, behaviorism, structuralism, psychoanalysis, and humanistic. According to Kowalski, R., & Westen, D. (2009), structuralism was introduced by Edward Titchener because of his interest in the study of structure in consciousness. He believed that with experimenting in psychology to be the best attempt for science to understand psychology. Titchener states that “attention implied too much free will” to be an accurate and useful. Later, psychologists continued to study the consciousness with feelings and sensations that could only be told by only the person reporting them. This was one of the thoughts that were most prominent in the early years of psychology. The other thought that was also prominent was functionalism. Unlike structuralism that focused on the mind, the work of functionalism looked at the function, or role, that psychological actions can help people...
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...the 1960's, Americans John B. Watson and B. F. Skinner led the school of psychology known as behaviorism, focusing on the observation of people's behaviors. * Humanistic psychology, led by Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow, countered behaviorism during this period by focusing on the personal growth and well-being of people. * In the 1960's, psychology shifted back towards a focus on how the brain approaches information. Recently, cognitive neuroscience studies how brain activity causes mental activity. * To combine the study of both the internal mental activities and observable human behaviors, psychology became the science of behavior and mental processes. TERMS * ------------------------------------------------- cognitive neuroscience An academic field concerned with the scientific study of biological substrates underlying cognition, with a specific focus on the neural substrates of mental processes. It addresses the questions of how psychological/cognitive functions are produced by the brain. Cognitive neuroscience is a branch of both psychology and neuroscience, overlapping with disciplines such as physiological psychology, cognitive psychology and neuropsychology. Cognitive neuroscience relies upon theories in cognitive science coupled with evidence from neuropsychology, and computational modelling. * ------------------------------------------------- behaviorism An approach to psychology focusing on behavior, denying any independent significance for...
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...Psychology Unit 1 SSCI206-1205A-21 Dr. Joanna Oestmann American Intercontinental University – Online November 18, 2012 Abstract This paper is going to discuss three of the various perspectives of psychology. It is going to explain their origins, how they are practiced, and have evolved over time. As with any form of science, there are many different theories and perspectives to Psychology. Among these forms are Cognitive, Functionalism, Psychodynamic and many others but the three that are considered to be the 'forces' of psychology are Behaviorism, Humanistic and Psychoanalysis. The Humanistic approach began as a movement in the 1950's meant to take a healthy, or holistic, method to understanding the nature of what it is to be human. This perspective addresses values important to humans: love, compassion, creativity, etc. It is considered the third force of Psychology, the first being Behaviorism and the second being Psychoanalysis. The founders of the Humanistic theory were Abraham Maslov and Carl Rogers. They concerned themselves with the psychological well-being of a person, it focused on being able to realize your full potential or 'self-actualization'. This concept had a huge impact on psychology as we know it today because it concerned itself with areas of human behavior that other theories ignored. "The humanistic perspective values the integrity of each individual" (Editorial Board, 2011). It is believed that you could lose yourself because you become preoccupied...
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...Psychoanalytic theory vs behaviourism: motivation Freud's psychoanalytic theory with its model of the mind and its central concepts provides a better interpretation of one's behavior and accounts for behavior on a wider scope of issues than does the radical behaviorist theory of B. F. Skinner. Skinner successfully explains human behavior in terms of operant conditioning and reinforcing agents. He changes the focus from Freud's internalized (mental) processes to the importance of the external environment. Skinner emphasizes the importance of the directly observable behavior. However, he fails to completely account for behavior, excluding the original motivational drive. In contrast, Freud succeeds in construing the origins of behavior and motivation, which makes the psychoanalytic theory of Freud more adequate as a theory of personality. Throughout history humans have been puzzled by human behavior, the reasons behind it, and have been faced with the consequences of their own as well as others' behavior. Many studies have been done and theories developed in an attempt to explain this fascinating area of human existence. Among many theories and theorists, Freud's psychoanalytic and Skinner's radical behaviorist theories have been selected and looked at throughout the following paper. Theory of personality that Freud introduced together with its concepts, many deemed romantic, unprovable and sometimes obscene, has shaped the way humans view themselves in many cases...
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...PSYCOLOGY Wilhelm Wundt is the man most commonly identified as the father of psychology. Why Wundt? Other people such as Hermann von Helmholtz, Gustav Fechner, and ErnstWeber were involved in early scientific psychology research, so why are they not credited as father of psychology? Because Wundt's formation of the world's first experimental psychology lab is usually noted at the official start of psychology as a separate and distinct science. By establishing a lab that utilized scientific methods to study the human mind and behavior, Wundt took psychology from a mixture of philosophy and biology and made it a unique field of study. Wilhelm Maximilian Wundt (16 August 1832 – 31 August 1920) was a German physician, physiologist, philosopher, and professor, known today as one of the founding figures of modern psychology. Wundt, who noted psychology as a science apart from biology and philosophy, was the first person to ever call himself a Psychologist. He is widely regarded as the "father of experimental psychology".[4][5] In 1879, Wundt founded the first formal laboratory for psychological research at the University of Leipzig. This marked psychology as an independent field of study *Introduction of Psycology Psychology is the scientific study of behavior, cognition, and emotion. Psychology is an academic and applied discipline involving the scientific study of mental processes and behavior. Psychology also refers to the application of such knowledge to various spheres...
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... | | |How Motivation Changes |Moves from basic to more advanced, from emotional |Work from simple to complex steps; | |For Elementary Versus |needs to more intellectual needs, the ability to |performance/feedback motivation and actualization | |Secondary Students |capture concepts that are more detailed, less static,|changes; amount of reward changes; kind and quality | | |and to analyze problems that have open-ended answers |of reward changes | |Similarities |Set of needs must be met, and to move to next level |Behavior affected by consequences; theory of operant | |/Differences |reward occurs; melding of layers of needs; primary |conditioning always manipulation of | | |human focus is establishing inner needs |reward/punishment; humans desire belonging, feedback | | | |important | |Miscellaneous |Set of complex inner needs to be filled |Set of complex rewards to be filled | | |...
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...Introduction The goal of the life span perspective of development is to understand how and why all different kinds of people, everywhere, and of every age, change over time (Berger, 2011). Developmental psychologists study the constant changes we experience throughout life, including physical, emotional, social, and cognitive development. Psychologists also study how we are affected by, react to, and process the world around us (Stone, 2011). The first aspect of developmental science is to understand how and why people change. Another aspect of developmental science is to identify universal similarities and differences among people, and then use that information to unify humanity as well as distinguish us as individuals (Berger, 2011). The most important aspect of developmental science is to understand that people change over time. According to Berger (2001), “Change is systematic, ongoing, and dynamic throughout the entire life span.” Explain the life span perspective of development. According to Paul and Margret Baltes, life-span perspective views human development as multidirectional, multicontextual, multicultural, multidisciplinary, and plastic. Development is considered multidirectional because change occurs in all directions, in every part of life. Human characteristics can increase, decrease, or remain the same (Berger, 2011). Development is also multicontextual. It can occur in many different physical and social environments. We develop, regardless of where we are...
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...Cognitive Psychology Definition Paper Gina S Washington Psychology 360 May 28, 2014 Keisha Pou Cognitive Psychology Definition Paper Cognitive Psychology According to psychologist, cognitive psychology is associated with behaviorism due to the shrill differences of the perspectives (Willingham, 2007). While behaviorism neglects to deal with mental processes, cognitive psychology target to create a logical description of these processes typical to humanity. Opposed to other perspectives in psychology, cognitive psychology has a reputation founded in the scientific and experimentation technique (Willlingham, 2007). The key goal is clarify how humans convert ideas into actions and thoughts by the composite and frequent peculiar process of cognition (Eyesnck, 2004, Willingham, 2007). The human psyche nature is addressed through nature and observation through cognitive psychology while using abstracts to produce observable behavior and nature causing a further understanding of these processes (Willingham, 2007). Through the fall of behaviorism and by the help of technology, neuroscience and the application of concept abstract is when psychology essentially came to life (Willingham, 2007). The cognitive methodology has infused contemporary psychology by way of scientific interpretation of the convoluted human psyche, also the opportunity to infuse this knowledge in treatments of dysfunction and human disease (Eyseneck, 2004). Cognitive Psychology Defined Cognitive...
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...studying human behavior and how individuals think and feel. One of those perspectives is known as the Behavioral Perspective. The main focus of this perspective is behaviors that are learned. The difference between behaviorism and other perspectives is that its emphasis is placed on behaviors that can be observed, not on internal states (Cherry, 2014). There are many major thinkers that made contributions to the Behavioral Perspective, and their theories have been valuable, and serve as a basis for the schools of thought in modern psychology. In this paper, I will be comparing and contrasting the Behavioral Perspectives of John B. Watson and B. F. Skinner, with the perspectives of another major thinker known as Edward C. Tolman. The main focus of John B. Watson and of B. F. Skinner was behaviorism while Edward C. Tolman’s focus was Cognitive Behaviorism (Cherry, 2014). John B. Watson’s Perspectives John B. Watson was a major thinker and also a psychologist who was later known as the father of behaviorism. During part of the 20th Century, he dominated with his perspective of behavior. Watson’s theory of psychology was that it was based on behaviors that one could observe. Watson came to be a strong supporter of behaviorism, and was known for his famous quote “Give me a dozen healthy infants, well-informed, and my specified world to bring them up in and I’ll guarantee to take any one at random and train him to become any...
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...from the Internet, or other sources. I further agree that my name typed on the line below is intended to have, and shall have, the same validity as my handwritten signature. Student's signature (name typed here is equivalent to a signature): Maria D. Rodriguez __________ Perspective Paper Human beings by nature are inquisitive. Knowing where one comes from and what aspects separates one from other individuals has been in our nature since humans discovered having five toes on each foot. The approach of psychology basing the study on the fact that behavior can be researched without consideration of the inner state of the mind is known as behaviorism. Behaviorism is said to be both a philosophy as well as a psychological movement. Radical behaviorism Early in the 20th century, behaviorism initiated with the work of John B. Watson, an American psychologist. John B. Watson’s objective of his study was to base behavior on no mental life and no internal speech. He studied the adjustment of human beings and organisms to their respective environments. Therefore, it made sense to him that men could be studied objectively, like rats and apes. He’s approach put an emphasis on physiology in addition to the role of stimuli and...
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