Foundations of Psychology: history, approaches, and research methods

Notes

Chapter 1 Psychology- the study of behavior and mind Behavior vs mental processes Behavior- Any observable action, including words, gestures, responses, and biological activity. Mental processes- internal experiences that cannot be observed Basic vs applied research Basic research - to understand the fundamental principles of behavior and mind Ex. Measuring the brains electrical signals Applied research- Research done in an effort to discover a new or more effective way to solve a specific practical problem. Ex. Optimizing keyboards to decrease error rates and typing time Historical roots- Wilhelm Wundt- established the first psychological laboratory in 1879 at the University of Leipzig in Germany. Was the first person to self identify as a Psychologist and was known as “father of modern psychology”. Structuralism- an approach of breaking conscious experience into elementary parts, the first major movement in psychology Introspection- a method refined by Wundt to understand the components of mental processes by relying on trained participants’ self-reports of their thoughts, feelings, and mental images. William James- an American physician and philosopher, and he was the first pers...