This document provides an overview of an AP Psychology course. It introduces psychology as both the science of behavior and mental processes. It discusses the roots of psychology from its prescientific beginnings to the establishment of the first psychology laboratory. It also outlines some of psychology's major issues and perspectives, as well as its subfields including basic research areas like cognitive psychology and applied areas like clinical psychology. The goal is to explore and utilize psychology resources, take notes on the history and introduction of the field, and ask questions.

1. Myers’ PSYCHOLOGY
Prologue:
The Story of Psychology

2. Starter #1: Contemporary
Psychology
 What is psychology?
 What is this?

3. Quizlet Screencast:
How to use it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xqafUoIgk0I

4. Objectives for today:
Explore and utilize AP Psychology Blog
Sign up for Quizlet
Print and use Quizlet flash cards
Return signed AP Psych agreement by
tomorrow
Take notes on Prologue lecture
Ask questions

5. Print Flash Cards (large)
for credit

6. Prologue:
Psychology’s Roots
Prescientific
Psychology
 Is the mind connected
to the body or distinct?
 Are ideas inborn or is
the mind a blank slate
filled by experience?

7. Prologue:
Psychology’s Roots

8. Prologue:
Psychology’s Roots
 Psychological Science Is Born
 Empiricism
 Knowledge comes from experience via
the senses
 Science flourishes through observation
and experiment

9. Prologue:
Psychology’s Roots
 Wilhelm Wundt
opened the first
psychology
laboratory at the
University of
Liepzig (c. 1879)

10. Prologue:
Psychology’s Roots
 Structuralism
used introspection
(looking in) to
explore the
elemental
structure of the
human mind

11. Prologue:
Psychology’s Roots
 Functionalism
focused on how
behavioral
processes
function- how
they enable
organism to
adapt, survive,
and flourish

12. Prologue:
Psychology’s Roots
 Psychological Science Develops
 Wundt--German philosopher and
physiologist
 James--American philosopher
 Pavlov--Russian physiologist
 Freud--Austrian physician
 Piaget--Swiss biologist

13. Prologue:
Psychology’s Roots
Figure 1- British Psychological Society membership

14. Prologue:
Psychology’s Roots
 Definition of Psychology
 The science of behavior (what we do)
and mental processes (sensations,
perceptions, dreams, thoughts,
beliefs, and feelings)

15. Prologue: Contemporary
Psychology
 Psychology’s Big Issues
 Nature-nurture controversy
 the relative contribution that genes
and experience make to
development of psychological
traits and behaviors

16. Prologue: Contemporary
Psychology
 Natural selection
 principle that those
inherited trait
variations
contributing to
survival will most
likely be passed on
to succeeding
generations

17. Prologue: Contemporary
Psychology
 Psychology’s Perspectives

18. Prologue: Contemporary
Psychology
 Psychology’s Perspectives
 A lot depends on your viewpoint

19. Prologue: Contemporary
Psychology
 Psychology’s Subfields
 Basic Research
 Biological psychologists explore the
links between brain and mind
 Developmental psychologists study
changing abilities from womb to tomb
 Cognitive psychologists study how we
perceive, think, and solve problems

20. Prologue: Contemporary
Psychology
 Psychology’s Subfields
 Basic Research
 Personality psychologists investigate
our persistent traits
 Social psychologists explore how we
view and affect one another

21. Prologue: Contemporary
Psychology
 Psychology’s Subfields
 Applied Research
 Industrial/organizational psychologists
study and advise on behavior in the
workplace
 Clinical psychologists study, assess,
and treat people with psychological
disorders

22. Prologue: Contemporary
Psychology
 Psychiatry
 A branch of medicine dealing with
psychological disorders
 Practiced by physicians who sometimes
use medical (for example, drug)
treatments as well as psychotherapy