What is Psychology?
Definitions?
Definitions?
• Psychology is the scientific study of mind and behaviour
Psychological Concepts
• • • • • • • • Memory and recall Learning Perception and representation Thinking and cognition Creativity Attitudes and behaviour Individual differences and personality Intelligences
Schools of Thought…
• • • • • • • Psychodynamics Nativism (Rationalist/Biological) Behaviourism (S-R) Cognitive Psychology Humanistic Psychology Constructivist theories Social Psychology
A Brief History of Psychology
• Sigmund Freud (1865-1939): ‘I set myself the task of bringing to light what human beings keep hidden within them… the task of making conscious the most hidden recesses of the mind is one which is quite possible to achieve’.
A Brief History of Psychology
• Ivan Pavlov(1849-1936): Studied the conditioned and unconditioned responses of animals to stimuli. Concluded that learning occurred as an association (coupling) of one event with another. Stimulus-Response. • Classical Conditioning
A Brief History of Psychology
• B. F. Skinner (1904-1990): • Behaviourism • A behaviour followed by a reinforcing stimulus results in an increased probability of that behaviour occurring in the future. • Operant Conditioning • Extinction of behaviour
A Brief History of Psychology
• • • • Edward Tolman (1886-1959): Cognitive Shift Theory Cognitive Map Challenge to Behaviourism
A Brief History of Psychology
• Leon Festinger (1919-1989): • Cognitive Dissonance Theory • Describes conflicting thoughts or beliefs (cognitions) that occur at the same time, or when engaged in behaviours that conflict with one's beliefs.
A Brief History of Psychology
• Carl Rogers (1902-1987): • Humanistic approach to learning • Unconditional positive regard • Student centred learning (Client centred approach)
A Brief History of Psychology
• Abraham Maslow (19021987): • Hierarchy of Human Needs • Self Actualisation • Psychology of Being • ‘Peak experiences’
A Brief History of Psychology
• Lev Vygostsky (18961934): • Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) • Social learning • Co-operative learning
A Brief History of Psychology
• • • • Jean Piaget (1896-1980): The child as a solo scientist Discovery learning Assimilation and Accommodation • Schema Theory
A Brief History of Psychology
• • • • Jerome Bruner (1915-): Scaffolding The ‘spiral curriculum’ ‘Cognition is involved in everything a human being might possibly do…’
A Brief History of Psychology
• Howard Gardner(1943-): • Theory of Multiple Intelligences • ‘An important part of that understanding is knowing who we are and what we can do... Ultimately, we must synthesize our understandings for ourselves’.
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