Introduction to Psychology Fall 2013

1. Introduction to PsychologyFall 2013 The systematic, scientific study of behaviors and mental processes With Ed Wohlmuth

2. True Education The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically... Intelligence plus character - that is the goal of true education -Martin Luther King Jr. (January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968)

3. Small Group Reflection • What is psychology? • What areas of psychology do you know about or have heard of? • How will knowing about psychology help you in… • your life? • your chosen field?

4. Greek Philosophy Temple of Apollo at Delphi (gnothi seauton) “Know thyself”

5. History of Psychology • Greek philosophy- Why begin here? Why not Orient, Sumerian, Egyptian etc.? First civilization that spawned a self critical perspective on one’s own beliefs, conviction and cultural values. Pythagoras- (572-490BC) first person to refer himself as a philosopher.

6. History of Psychology Socrates*(470-399BC)- quest to understand human nature (move from Cosmology) • Philosophy- love of “wisdom”- things that do no change, immutable, immaterial, transcendent knowledge (relative vs. absolute knowledge) • Socratic Questioning- thinking deliberately about their lives: Why do we believe something? Why do we do what we do? Why are things the way they are? • Finding truth was the quest- challenging lazy assumptions (holding shallow, untested, unquestioned beliefs) * Dialogues of Socrates by Plato

7. History of Psychology • Socrates taught that our thinking needed to be “water tight”. He used the analogy of pottery. • Everyone had the responsibility to think for themselves. • “The unexamined life is not worth living” -Socrates, in Plato’s Dialogues, Apology. • He taught the need to examine closely what we believe.

8. History of Psychology • Socrates' five step system of proving something true: • Offer a statement/idea • Exceptions? • If exceptions, we modify for more preciseness or prove false • Nuance (a subtle distinction or variation) statement • Truth- difficult to disprove • Virtues he studied- serenity, humility, sincerity, veracity (devotion/conformity with truth), equanimity (calm under stress), adaptability, tenacity, integrity, respect, magnanimous (courageous spirit), charity, and more. The Death of Socrates by Jacques-Louis David (1787)

9. History of Psychology • Plato (423-347 BC)- Socrates student- laid the foundation for Philosophy, logic, metaphysics, mathematics and other areas of study. • Aristotle- student of Plato- taught Alexander the Great, naturalistic, observational, senses (delight in), perception and study of the animal kingdom(much like modern psychology). • Hippocrates, the father of medicine, lived by the Hippocratic oath (probably written by Pythagoras) parts of which apply to us as helpers… “…I will prescribe regimens for the good of my patients according to my ability and my judgment and never do harm to anyone…” Hippocrates claimed that mental disease had a physiological and natural basis.

10. Wilheim Wundt First Psychology Lab Canadian and World Events in... PSYCHOLOGY 1970’s Aaron Antonovsky 1838- First course In Psychology taught at Dalhousie University Thomas McCulloch 1889 James Baldwin- First Canadian Lab at U of T 1990’s Martin Seligman 1950 Enters A. Maslow/ C. Rogers 1931 Enters B.F. Skinner 1879 ? Physiology 1912 ? 1913 ? Wertheimer Gestalt Watson- Behaviorism Philosophy 1890 ? 500 BC Ancient Greece Protagoras, Socrates, Plato, Aristotle 1895 Freud begins publishing 1846-1960 Importance of Psychology in Canada grows due to presenting issues in returning vets from WWII 1855- Halifax’s William Lyall- wrote the first basic psychology text to be published in Canada. William James- First textbook-Principles of Psychology p.12-13