Chapter 1

Psychology: The Science of

Behaviour

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Game of Death
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 Critical thought – taking an active role

 What’s the claim?

 Is the source credible?
 What’s the evidence?
 Are there other explanations?
 What’s the appropriate conclusion?

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 Mind-body dualism
 Mind = spiritual entity
 Not subject to physical laws
 Cannot be studied
 Monism
 Mental events are a product of physical events
 Can be studied
 E.g., Chemical reactions in brain produce emotions;
decisions etc.

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 “Functions” of consciousness (‘whys’ not the
‘whats’)
 No longer exists as school of thought
 Tradition endures in cognitive psychology &
evolutionary psychology

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 Perspectives
 Guides to understanding
 Viewpoints to understanding behaviour
 Each considers different components to be important
 Provide history & context for study of psychology
 Behaviour has diverse causes
 Differing perspectives enrich our understanding

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 Causes of behaviour are within
 Freud
 Psychological problems are
result of:
 Motives in part of mind we are
unaware of = ‘unconscious’
 Unresolved past conflicts
 Broadened study and treatment
of psychological disorders Freud Museum

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 Watson; Skinner
 Observable behaviour was important
 not mental events
 Therefore study only the behaviour
 Behaviour controlled by environment
 Control environment then control behaviour
 Beginning of behavioural modification therapy

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 But human beings are ‘thinking’
creatures
 Do not just ‘react’ to environment
 Cognitive behaviourism
 Link between behaviour & cognitive
perspective
 Learn new behaviours by observing
actions of others
 But is two-way
 Environment influences us – we influence
environment

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 Emphasizes:
 Conscious motives
 Freedom
 Choice
 Self-actualization
 Reaching one’s
individual potential

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 How do we make sense of world around us?
 Gestalt = “Whole is greater than sum of its parts.”
 How elements of experience are organized
into wholes
 Interested in perception
 mind is studied in terms of large meaningful units
instead of small units of structuralism

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 Designing information displays
 Computer analogy – information processing
concepts
 Language acquisition
 Child development – Jean Piaget

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Elizabeth Loftus research
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 Focuses on physical side of human nature
 Roles of:
 Brain structures & function
 Biochemical processes
 Genetic factors
 Neuroscience Canada

 Karl Lashley
 Damage to various areas of brain affect behaviour
 Inspired mapping of brain regions

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 Mental abilities, behaviours
evolved
 Sociobiology
 Complex social behaviours are
product of evolution
 Aggression, competition, nurturing
 E.g., Sex Differences in
Reproduction Legacy of Darwin
Natural selection:
 Females have greater investment Characteristics that
in reproductive process increase likelihood of
survival will be
 Research at McMaster
maintained
University

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 Cognitive

• Social forces, culture

Biological

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Canadian Psychological Association
American Psychological Association

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