...Foundations of Psychology Paper PSY/300 November 7, 2009 Foundations of Psychology Paper This paper will discuss the major schools of thought in psychology and examine their major underlying assumptions. The paper will also identify the primary biological foundations of psychology linked to behavior. According to our reading in psychology is the scientific investigation of mental processes and behavior. Mental processes include how a person thinks, feels, remembers as well as a person’s behavior. When a doctor needs to understand a person they need to know the person’s biology, psychological experience, and cultural context. What people experience during their life from birth to adulthood is what shapes how they feel and think. Early psychologists established several approaches and schools of thoughts of psychology. They came up with these by research and study which will be discussed throughout this paper. * Biopsychology perspective: Is a school of thought in psychology. Biopsychology is the field that examines the physical basis of psychological phenomena such as motivation, emotion, and stress; also called behavioral neuroscience, (Kowalski & Westen, 2009). In other words, Biopsychology is a form or branch of psychology that analyzes how the brain and neurotransmitters influence how we are motivated, what our emotions are, and how we handle stress or feelings. In this field of psychology it can be considered a...
Words: 279 - Pages: 2
...Foundation of Psychology Name PSY/300 Date Instructor Foundation of Psychology There are many ideas regarding why humans think, have the feelings, or behave in the way that they do. According to Kowalski and Westen (2009), psychology is “the scientific investigation of mental processes (thinking, remembering, feeling, ect.) and behavior” (Chapter 1). This paper will work to identify the major schools of thought in psychology and examine their major underlying assumptions. This paper will also work to identify the primary biological foundations of psychology linked to behavior. Psychology first came to be in the 1800’s. Doctors found it interesting that people suffering from severe head trauma were affected by memory and language difficulty. This showed there is a connection between one’s brain and his or her behavior. According to Kowalski and Westen (2009), William Wundt, often described as the "father of psychology" opened the first psychological laboratory in 1879, in Leipzig, Germany (Chapter 1). One of Wundt’s most common methods was introspection. Introspection is “the method in which trained subjects verbally reported everything that went through their minds when presented with a stimulus or task” (Kowalski & Westen, 2009, Chapter 1). Edward Titchener, a student of Wundt, began the first school of thought known as structuralism. Structuralism “attempted to use introspection as a method for uncovering the basic elements of consciousness and the way they combine...
Words: 759 - Pages: 4
...Social Psychology Paper Kimbaly Franzer PSY 555 June 21, 2015 David King Social Psychology Paper Social psychology is the given information of how individuals interact, learn, and develop his or her personality that is based upon their relationships that are developed over time. Social psychology is all about the way individual’s interaction within the world. Individuals get a better understanding he or she interacts with others and different situations that are based upon the actions of individuals and environment around them. Within the context of this paper, it will define social psychology; examine the conceptual foundations of social psychology and last analyzing the four characteristics of social psychology. The paper will also define what situationism and the role it plays within social psychology by explaining the five core social motives and explain how each effect social psychology. Social Psychology Defined Myer (2008) believed that social psychology is the study scientific on the effects of social and the process the way individuals influence and how individuals can relate to others. Individuals are able to influence each other by the way he or she acts, behaves, talks, and walks, which can influence an individual by affecting career choices and the way he or she talks. Bandura said it best: “Parents have an influence on his or her child’s behavior” (Bandura (1986). Individuals are shaped by their environment, individuals around them, and other events...
Words: 1064 - Pages: 5
...WK 1 Prepare a 700- to 1,050-word paper in which you examine the foundations of psychology. In your paper be sure to address the following components: • Identify the major schools of thought in psychology and examine their major underlying assumptions. • Identify the primary biological foundations of psychology linked to behavior. Format your paper consistent with APA guidelines. WK 2 Prepare a 1,050- to 1,400-word paper in which you discuss phobias and addictions as related to classical and operant conditioning. Phobias and addictions are two emotional difficulties which learning theorists can account for. Be sure to include the following: • Explore how phobias can be developed through classical conditioning. • Explore how addictions can be developed through operant conditioning. • Distinguish between classical and operant conditioning. • Explain what extinction means and how it is achieved in both classical and operant conditioning. Format your paper consistent with APA guidelines. WK 3 Prepare a 1,050- to 1,400-word paper in which you discuss the type of environment that facilitates the attention and perceptive processes of each Learning Team member. In order to prepare your report, perform the following activities: • Conduct an open dialogue about each team member’s threshold for auditory stimuli. • Compare the experiences and comfort levels of each team member with dichotic listening, or the “cocktail party” phenomenon. • Discuss...
Words: 611 - Pages: 3
...Social Science | | |PSY/300 Version 5 | | |General Psychology | | |Group MU13BSP04 | | |8/6/13-9/3/13 | | |Louis Battistone M.A., LMFT, RAS | | |909-239-2496 | Copyright © 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2006 by University of Phoenix. All rights reserved. Course Description General Psychology is a survey course which introduces the student to the major topics in scientific psychology as applied to human behavior. Applications of these principles will be made to the human experience. Policies Faculty and students/learners will be held responsible for understanding and adhering to all policies contained within the following two documents: • University policies: You must...
Words: 2133 - Pages: 9
...In our recent lectures, we discussed numerous ethical foundations that exhibit day to day life and its meaning. Christianity ethics is the ethical foundation that I most discussed in the previous paper. The reason I stressed this ethical issue is because I feel it can be implemented by many in all career and success. My future career is in psychology, which is a field that deal majority with behavior. The ethical issue that would most likely happen in my career is a confidentiality breech. If and when I am a psychologist I will deal with a lot of confidential information with my clients/patients. I'm sure there will be a time when I am accused of leaking this information to others, betraying my clients/patients privacy. How is it that my ethical foundation can be used to solve such a situation? Christianity ethics are base solely on morals. In my previous paper I discussed the good in the higher power, such as God, that we believe in. In order to resolve the issue with confidentiality I would start with morals. Most Christians use prayer as well. Within prayer, we feel that if we call on a higher being such as God, all conflicts will be resolved; not when we want them to, but right on time. The Holy Bible is like a guide for the ethical foundation in which I practice. It gives regulations of a holy life; if you follow these regulations then you are liable to live a structured, successful life. Therefore I would use prayer and the structure given from the Bible. ...
Words: 655 - Pages: 3
...Foundations of Psychology Robert Irvine PSY/300 November 29, 2010 Robert J. Martinez Foundations of Psychology Psychology and all its complex schools of thoughts, developed by numerous individuals involved in breaking down the human mind and how it functions and operates, will be explained in this paper. Along with the schools of thought, and their underlying assumptions, this paper will also attempt to identify the primary foundations of psychology, and how they are linked to behavior. Edward Titchener initiated his own school of thought known as structuralism. A student of Wilhelm Wundt, often described as “the father of psychology,” Titchener adopted the use of Wundt’s introspection in experiments, with the hope of devising a periodic table of elements of human consciousness. He believed that his experimentation was the only appropriate method to achieve results scientifically, and that Wundt’s concepts of attention implied too much free will to be useful for scientific research. Structuralism was one school of thought that was dominant in the early years, the other was functionalism. Functionalism is the thought that emphasizes the role of psychological processes that help individuals adapt to their environment, rather than focusing on the contents of the mind. One of the founders of functionalism was William James. A psychologist from Harvard University, he penned the first textbook in 1890. He believed the knowledge of Human psychology could come from many sources...
Words: 827 - Pages: 4
...Foundations of Psychology This paper will identify the major schools of thought in psychology and examine their major assumptions. The two beginning schools of thought were structuralism and functionalism. The major schools of thought in psychology are the psychodynamic, behaviorist, cognitive, and evolutionary perspective. This paper will also identify the primary biological foundation of psychology linked to behavior. These primary biological foundations are the central nervous system and the behavioral genetics. Psychodynamic Perspective The Psychodynamic perspective is a school of thought that was initially developed by Sigmund Freud. This perspective focuses on three main points. The first point is that an individual’s actions are determined by the way thoughts and emotions are connected in the individuals mind. The second point is that most of the mental events happen outside of conscious awareness. The third point is that the mental events that happen tend to conflict with each other. Many psychologists disagree with this theory because there is nothing that relates scientifically. The psychologists that agree with this theory are working on incorporating the concepts into scientific psychology (Kowalski & Weston, 2011). Behaviorist Perspective The behaviorist perspective focuses on what is common between the environmental events and the actual observable behaviors. “According to behaviorist, scientific knowledge comes from using experimental methods to study...
Words: 757 - Pages: 4
...Syllabus College of Social Science PSY/300 Version 5 General Psychology Copyright © 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2006 by University of Phoenix. All rights reserved. Course Description General Psychology is a survey course which introduces the student to the major topics in scientific psychology as applied to human behavior. Applications of these principles will be made to the human experience. Policies Faculty and students/learners will be held responsible for understanding and adhering to all policies contained within the following two documents: • University policies: You must be logged into the student website to view this document. • Instructor policies: This document is posted in the Course Materials forum. University policies are subject to change. Be sure to read the policies at the beginning of each class. Policies may be slightly different depending on the modality in which you attend class. If you have recently changed modalities, read the policies governing your current class modality. Course Materials Kowalski, R., & Westen, D. (2011). Psychology (6th ed.). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley. All electronic materials are available on the student website. Week One: The Science of Psychology Details Due Points Objectives 1.1 Examine the major underlying assumptions of the various schools of thought in psychology. 1.2 Explain how psychological research applies to various aspects of personal and social life. 1.3 Determine what guidelines should be applied...
Words: 4795 - Pages: 20
...Foundation of Psychology There are many ideas regarding why humans think, have the feelings, or behave in the way that they do. According to Kowalski and Westen (2009), psychology is “the scientific investigation of mental processes (thinking, remembering, feeling, ect.) and behavior” (Chapter 1). This paper will work to identify the major schools of thought in psychology and examine their major underlying assumptions. This paper will also work to identify the primary biological foundations of psychology linked to behavior. Psychology first came to be in the 1800’s. Doctors found it interesting that people suffering from severe head trauma were affected by memory and language difficulty. This showed there is a connection between one’s brain and his or her behavior. According to Kowalski and Westen (2009), William Wundt, often described as the "father of psychology" opened the first psychological laboratory in 1879, in Leipzig, Germany (Chapter 1). One of Wundt’s most common methods was introspection. Introspection is “the method in which trained subjects verbally reported everything that went through their minds when presented with a stimulus or task” (Kowalski & Westen, 2009, Chapter 1). Edward Titchener, a student of Wundt, began the first school of thought known as structuralism. Structuralism “attempted to use introspection as a method for uncovering the basic elements of consciousness and the way they combine with each other into ideas” (Kowalski & Westen, 2009,...
Words: 292 - Pages: 2
...Foundations of psychology By: Ashley Chandler December 23rd, 2012 Abstract My goal during this essay are Identifying the major schools of thought in psychology and we will examine their major underlying assumptions. I will also identify the primary biological foundations of psychology linked to behavior. There are so many parts to psychology that are completely different it is important to know that psychology is a science. Theoretical science but still a science non-the less; each of the four schools of thought are different in many ways, and each school of thought has their own specialist like anything else. Example; “It’s like a doctor, it’s not any doctor its one you have to see specifically like an OB or a neurologist.” In psychology there are four major schools of thought evolutionary, psychodynamic, cognitive and Behavioral, along with the biological foundations...
Words: 915 - Pages: 4
...Foundations of Psychology Camille Sere' PSY/300 September 25, 2012 Shari Tumlin Foundations of Psychology In this paper I will identify and discuss the major school of thought in psychology and their underlying assumptions. I will also identify the primary foundations of psychology linked to behavior. After reading this it is my hope for readers to have a better understanding of these points. There are four schools of thought or perspectives that I am going to discuss. These are the psychodynamic perspective, behaviorist perspective, the cognitive perspective, and the evolutionary perspective. According to the text book Psychology, Sixth Edition, perspectives are broad ways of understanding psychological phenomena, including theoretical propositions, shared metaphors and accepted methods of observation. The first perspective or school of thought I am going to discuss is the psychodynamic perspective. According to the book the psychodynamic perspective rests on three key premises, the first being that people’s actions are determined by the way thoughts, wishes, and feelings are connected in their minds. Next, many of our mental events occur outside of conscious awareness. Third, our mental processes may conflict with one another, causing people to compromise among competing motives. This means that people most likely do not precisely know the chain of psychological events that leads to their conscious thoughts, intentions, feelings, or behaviors. In the...
Words: 805 - Pages: 4
...Foundations of Psychology Dorothy Forrest June 8, 2012 Sarah Bihms Foundations of Psychology The miscellaneous condition of psychology is a scientific investigation of humankind mind, body, and behavior. Psychology includes different departments of psychology to apprehend and supervise observations on the mental technique of a person mind and behavior. Psychology is regularly used to establish the secrecy of the human behavior. Observation was the way to study a person mind to become aware of the mental conscious and unconscious states. As time went by psychology was established, alone with some major schools of thoughts. The paper below will examine the foundation of psychology, identify the major schools of thought in psychology, and examine their major underlying assumptions such as, behaviorism, psychoanalytic/psychodynamic, humanistic, and cognitive. In addition, it will identify the primary biological foundations of psychology linked to behavior such as, brain, central nervous system, peripheral nervous System, and genetics/evolution. Behavioral Theory Behavioral psychology, also known as behaviorism, is a learning theory established on the notion that behaviors are gathered by conditioning. Conditioning develops from influenced of the environment. There are two major types of conditioning classical and operant. Classical conditioning is a procedure used in behavioral training where a naturally stimulus is paired with a response. Operant conditioning...
Words: 1341 - Pages: 6
...Industrial and Organizational Psychology Paper Janeen Tipton PSY/435 September 3, 2012 Saakshi Malik Industrial and Organizational Psychology Paper In the realm of science there are many fields of psychology; clinical, abnormal, child development and industrial psychology. Out of those, industrial/organizational (I/O) psychology not only deals with the individual, but also the organizations that such individuals may be employed at. It is theorized that the early development began in 1885 but to better understand the development one must have a clear view of what an I/O psychologists is and what their main objectives are as well as how research and statistics play a crucial role. Industrial and Organizational Psychology Industrial and Organizational psychology (I/O) psychology is the study of organizations and how scientifically-based solutions to human problems in the work place (American Psychological Association, 2012, p.1. para. 1). Such areas that I/O psychologists would have knowledge due to some form of training done at the doctorial level are: • Assessment methods • Job Analysis • Career Development • Job Evaluation, Performance, and Work Motivation • Business Skills (American Psychological Association, 2012, p. 1) There are services that an I/O will and can provide to the company/organization for which one is employed. These services include aiding with the hiring process by forming...
Words: 1282 - Pages: 6
...Aspects of Psychology Arnecia Anderson American Intercontinental University Aspects of Psychology In this assignment we were to get a healthier understanding about psychology. In this paper I chose three perspectives to research. The three perspectives I chose were Behaviorism, Cognitive, and Psychodynamic theories .I answered questions relating to the perspectives such as, how they are even related to today’s Psychology .I hope this paper is as informative to my readers as it was to me. Aspects of Psychology In this assignment we were to get a better understand psychology in the present day. With doing so I researched the various theories of psychology. I chose three perspective to talk about in my paper Behaviorism, Cognitive, and Psychodynamic theories. The word behaviorism converses to the school of psychology founded by John B. Watson created on the belief that behaviors can be measured, trained, and changed. Behaviorism is also called behavioral psychology, which is a theory of learning established on the idea that all behaviors are learned through conditioning. What is conditioning? Conditioning transpires through interaction with the environment. Behaviorists trust that the environment around human beings forms our behaviors. For starters how a person was raised plays a big part in there...
Words: 914 - Pages: 4
