1.1 Introduction to Psychology

Lesson 1 1.1 Introduction to Psychology

 Essential Questions

What comes to mind when you hear the word psychology?  Do you believe that there is a connection between the mind and behavior?  Do you believe there is a soul?   

 Readings

Openstax Psychology

Chapter 1

• 1.1 Prelude to Psychology Links to an external site.
• 1.2 What is Psychology? Links to an external site.

 Objectives

Upon completion of this section, you will be able to: 

1. Understand the etymology of the word ‘psychology’.
2. Define ‘psychology’.

 Lesson Introduction

**A Dinner Scene**

Date:  Tuesday, June 1.  Location: Wayne Mansion   Time: 5:00pm

The dinner host, world-renowned journalist Suzy Smarts, has invited four guests to her party.  Each guest must travel through time, and bring one psychologist to the dinner. Let’s listen in on this intriguing dinner party….

Guest 1:  Please let me introduce Sigmund Freud.

Guest 2:  My idol, Ivan Pavlov.  

Guest 3:  Clearly the best psychologist ever created, Jean Piaget  

Guest 4:  I have certainly invited the greatest psychologist ever, Abraham Maslow.  

Suzy:  Greetings gentlemen.  As you may have heard, I’m writing an article on child development, and was wondering what makes a child ‘tick’?

Freud:  Simple.. Stimulation of different areas of the body is important as the child progresses through the important developmental stages. Too much or too little can have bad consequences later.  The most important stage is the phallic stage where the focus of the libido is on the genitals. During this stage little boys experience the 'Oedipus complex,' and little girls experience the 'Electra complex.' These complexes result in children identifying with their same-sex parent, which enables them to learn sex-appropriate behavior and a moral code of conduct.  If the child does not successfully pass this stage, then the child will be abnormal.

Pavlov:  Nonsense, Sigmund. People are controlled by their environment, and we are the result of what we have learned from our environment. Clearly, children do not have free will. It’s all about the environment.

Paget:  If we want to know what makes a child tick, then we must figure out what processes are actually going on in their minds. In other words, what is the mental act or process by which knowledge is acquired?  What are the child’s mental functions, such as memory, perception, attention? We all know that our minds are similar to computers, when it comes to processing information.

Maslow:  You are all missing the point!  A child’s behavior is connected to his/her inner feelings and self-image. A child is an unique individual, and has the free will to change at any time in his or her lives.  Sorry, Ivan, but children have the innate (i.e., inborn) capacity for self-actualization, which is our unique desire to achieve our highest potential as people. Does the environment affect a child?  Maybe, but nature is all powerful.

Suzy:  Thank you, gentlemen, for your different perspectives.  Each of you have contributed useful information. Now, for my esteemed colleagues, please do tell us why you have chosen these specific psychologists?

**End scene**

Of course this discussion is imaginary, but you might have recognized some of the names mentioned in this scene.  Since Psychology was first designated as a scientific field, it has captured the interest and imagination of both scientists and non-scientists alike.  Many schools of thought  in Psychology have been developed over the years, some of which have been deemed outdated and others that are still highly respected today.

In this lesson, you will explore key theories from the history of Psychology as well as contemporary aspects of the field.

 Origins of psychology: cupid and Psyche

Is psychology a science?  Historically, there has been debate around this question.  Psychology falls under a category of science, known as social science.  Psychologists use the scientific method to conduct research and understand animal behavior, cognition, consciousness, and the human condition.

Ancient mythologies contain a wealth of love stories.  The one that most directly influenced the creation of psychology was that of Eros (Cupid) and Psyche.  Psyche is Greek for the word “soul”.  We understand the soul to be the connection between the mind and behavior.  Ology” means “the scientific study of”.  Thus, psychology is “the scientific study of the mind and behavior”.