Concept Application Practice
Apply psychological concepts to scenarios with precise terminology, explanation, and distinction between similar concepts.
A lesson of AP Psychology, in AP Psych Exam Readiness, about 10 minutes.
History of Psychology and Research Methods
By the end of this lesson, you will be able to describe the major schools of psychological thought, explain the scientific method as applied to psychology, and distinguish experimental from correlational research designs.
What Is Psychology?
Psychology: the scientific study of behavior and mental processes.
- Behavior: observable actions (talking, running, crying)
- Mental processes: internal, subjective experiences (thinking, dreaming, feeling)
Psychology is both a science (uses empirical methods) and a profession (clinical practice).
Major Perspectives in Psychology
1. Structuralism (Wilhelm Wundt, 1879; Edward Titchener): The first school; used introspection (self-examination of conscious experience) to identify the basic elements (structures) of consciousness. Wundt opened the first psychology laboratory (Leipzig, 1879). Declined because introspection is unreliable.
2. Functionalism (William James): Focused on the function of consciousness — how mental processes help us adapt to the environment. Influenced by Darwin's evolution. James's Principles of Psychology (1890).
3. Psychoanalysis (Sigmund Freud): Behavior is driven by unconscious conflicts, desires, and memories (especially sexual and aggressive). The iceberg model: conscious, preconscious, and unconscious mind. Methods: free association, dream analysis. Highly influential; largely unscientific by modern standards.
4. Behaviorism (Watson, Skinner): Focus only on observable behavior; mental processes are unobservable and unscientific. Classical conditioning (Pavlov, Watson); operant conditioning (Skinner). Dominated American psychology 1920s–1960s.
5. Humanistic Psychology (Maslow, Rogers): Reaction to psychoanalysis and behaviorism; emphasizes human potential, free will, and self-actualization. Maslow's hierarchy of needs; Rogers' client-centered therapy.
6. Cognitive Revolution (1960s–present): Mental processes (perception, memory, thinking) are legitimate scientific subjects. The mind as an information processor. Chomsky's critique of Skinner; computer metaphor.
7. Sociocultural Perspective: Behavior is shaped by social and cultural contexts; Vygotsky's work on culture and cognitive development.
8. Biological/Neuroscience Perspective: Behavior is rooted in biology — genes, brain structures, neurotransmitters. Modern fMRI, genetics.
9. Evolutionary Perspective: Behavior shaped by natural selection; adaptations that increased survival and reproduction. Evolutionary psychology applies Darwinian thinking to behavior.