Psychology’s Roots and Core Issues PSYC 2618 Chapter 1

A Brief History of a Young Science 1879: Wundt conducts first psychological experiment 1900: Freud publishes The Interpretation of Dreams

A Brief History of a Young Science (cont’d) 1920s-1960s: The rise of behaviorism

Behaviorism The view that psychology should be an objective science that studies behavior without reference to mental processes

A Brief History of a Young Science (cont’d) 1960s: Humanistic psychology 1960s: Cognitive psychology

What Psychologists Do Some psychologists conduct research. Some psychologists test & treated troubled people. Some psychologists teach.

The nature-nurture issue The controversy over the relative contributions that genes and experience make to the development of psychological traits and behaviors

Animal Research Approximately 7% of psychological studies involve animals. Most animal studies do not harm or cause pain for subjects.

Ethical Perspectives on Animal Research Animals have no rights. Animals have the same rights as humans do.

Ethical Perspectives on Animal Research (cont’d) Human life should be given priority over animal life, but animals should be spared from needless suffering and inhumane living conditions.