Psychology Family Tree

Christians viewed the human mind as an unsolvable mystery, and that view remained until 17th century.

French philosopher Rene Descartes stated that human behaviors/sensations were due to activity in nervous system. Despite these new ideas, it took two revolutionary ones to make modern psychology possible. This leads to the five root systems of modern psychology.

Five Root Systems of Psychology

• Emerged in mid-1800s
• Founded by Wilhem Wundt, who wondered if mind could be dissected into structures like periodic table
• Therefore, founded institute for psychological research and began conducting studies
• Began technique called introspection: subjects described how they felt
• His ideas and methods were criticized greatly at first

• Came from Germany
• Ideas were opposite of structuralists
• They focused much more on perception as a whole, rather than the individual structures
• Relied on introspection

• Disagreed with everybody
• Leader of behaviorist movement: John B. Watson
• Believed that psychology should be completely objective; events need to be observable
• No introspection
• Therefore, Behaviorism: science of behavior, not mind

• Founder: Sigmund Freud
• Pioneered psychoanalysis, which asserted that mental disorders arise from conflicts in the unconscious mind
• Expanded the idea that psychology should include the unconscious mind
• Outlasted other roots of psychology

• Psychological changes result from interaction between heredity and the environment around us
• Originally focused purely on childhood, now study entire lifespan

• Actions are influenced by way we process information
• Mental processes are seen as "cognitions"

• Motivations are caused by energy of irrational desires generated in unconscious mind
• Furthers Sigmund Freud's ideas

• Actions are largely influenced by self concept/nned for personal growth
• Emphasizes positive side of human nature
• Leader: Carl Rogers

• Finds source of actions in environmental stimuli, not mental processes
• Avoids all introspection

• Emphasizes importance of social interaction, social learning, and cultural perspective
• Shapes psychological ideas in new ways by examining all cultures

• Looks at behavior as both adaptive and hereditary
• Applies theories of Charles Darwin

• Views behavior and personality as products of enduring physical characteristics
• Identifies five major personality dimensions

• Do basic research in psychology
• Most work at colleges/universities
• Also called "research psychologists"

• Teach psychology in a classroom setting
• Many research psychologists are also teachers

• Use knowledge developed by experimental psychologists to tackle human problems, such as training, equipment design, and psychological treatment
• Work in a variety of settings, such as schools, factories, clinics, airports, hospitals, etc.

Psychology Family Tree

What is Psychology?

Fundamentally, psychology is the scientific study of behavior and mental processes

3 Branches of Psychology

Historic Roots of Psychology

9 Major Psychological Perspectives

Modern psychology developed from several conflicting traditions, including structuralism, functionalism, Gestalt psychology, behaviorism, and psychoanalysis

Nine main perspectives characterize modern psychology

The first ideas of humans' behavior mental processes dates back very far. We can look as far back to the ancient Greeks beginning to form ideas of psychology

Broadly speaking, psychology can be split into three major branches

Experimental Psychologists

Ancient Greeks

Biological View

Structuralism: Founding of Scientific Psychology

Teachers of Psychology

• Emphasizes how physical makeup and operation of brains influences our personality, preferences, behavior patterns, and abilities
• Look for causes of behavior in heredity and nervous system

Greek philosophers began contemplating ideas of cognition, sensation, perception, and attaining knowledge. These philosophers include:

• Plato (380 B.C.) - began quest for knowledge and understanding, delved into cognition of mind
• Aristotle - after Plato, he began forming theories of sensation, perception, cognition, memory, etc.

Many of their ideas were extremely basic/false, but still set the course of developing psychology.

Applied Psychologists

Developmental View

Asian/African Societies

Functionalism: Focus on Function

Other than the Greeks, Asian and African societies were also developing new ideas regarding the mind

• Asia - Yoga and Buddhism were exploring consciousness, practicing meditation
• Africa - Other explanations for personality/mental disorders were emerging due to spiritual beliefs

• Founded by William James, American psychologist
• Said that structuralism didn't work, research should be on function of consciousness
• Ideas became known as functionalism: studied processes in terms of purpose/function

Cognitive View

Psychodynamic View

Gestalt Psychology: Focus on the Whole Instead of the Parts

Humanistic View

Behaviorism: Eliminate the Mind and Focus on Behavior

Behavioral View

Psychoanalysis: Focus on the Unconscious Mind

Sociocultural View

Evolutionary/Sociobiological View

Trait View