Week 1: Psychology, past, present and future

Question 1

Early BIOLOGICAL explanations of behaviour (nature):​

Answer 1

• Theory of evolution, natural selection (Darwin)​.
• Comparative psychology (compares humans to animals in things like brain size/encephalization quotient, behaviours, learning).
• 1879 – Wilhelm Wundt starts first experimental psych lab (Leipzig, Germany)​.
• Structuralism – Breaking down the ‘mind’ into basic components (earliest studies of cognitive processes)​.
• Functionalism – Examine functions, rather than components (William James)​.

Question 2

Psychodynamics – within the mind​:

Answer 2

• Freud and friends (incl. daughter, Anna)​.
• Emphasises unconscious processes and personality​.
• Psychoanalysis – id, ego, superego​.
• Modern – Move from childhood sexual drives to focus on childhood experiences/early relationships (e.g. attachment; Bowlby,

Question 3

Behaviourism (20th Century Psychology)

Answer 3

Behaviourism: Examines the role of external factors on behaviour (nurture):

Pavlov: Classical conditioning​.
Watson: Focus on ‘observable behaviours’​.
Skinner: Operant conditioning, behaviour modification, Skinner box​.
Move towards cognitive behaviourism – thoughts impact behaviour, not just external world​.
Bandura: Social cognitive theory​ (we will revisit these in Week 8)

Question 4

Humanism (20th Century Psychology)

Answer 4

Humanism: Free will, growth, and meaning​:

Hierarchy of needs (Maslow)​.
Person centred approach (Rogers)​.
Positive psychology! – Study of strengths and what is going ‘well’ rather than the medical approach to ‘fixing’ problems​.

Question 5

Biopsychosocial Model

Answer 5

The Biopsychosocial Model recognises that cognitions and behaviour might best be explained by the interaction of biology (e.g., genes/neurotransmitters), psychology (e.g., neuroticism, optimism/pessimism, rejection sensitivity) and social (e.g., identity, prior experience, social support) factors.