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Psychology's History and Foundations

This document provides an overview of Unit 1 of AP Psychology, which covers psychology's history and approaches. It defines psychology as the science of behavior and mental processes like thoughts and feelings. It then discusses some of the early philosophical bases of psychology from thinkers like Plato, Socrates, and Rene Descartes, who debated questions about the relationship between mind and body and how ideas are formed. The document also notes that while psychology emerged as a science in the late 1800s, concepts about the mind have existed for much longer, dating back to practices like trephination in ancient times.

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19 views12 pages

Psychology's History and Foundations

This document provides an overview of Unit 1 of AP Psychology, which covers psychology's history and approaches. It defines psychology as the science of behavior and mental processes like thoughts and feelings. It then discusses some of the early philosophical bases of psychology from thinkers like Plato, Socrates, and Rene Descartes, who debated questions about the relationship between mind and body and how ideas are formed. The document also notes that while psychology emerged as a science in the late 1800s, concepts about the mind have existed for much longer, dating back to practices like trephination in ancient times.

Uploaded by

api-327653481
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

AP PSYCHOLOGY

Unit 1:
Psychology’s History and Approaches
What is Psychology?
Psychology
What is it?

▪Definition of Psychology
▪ The science of behavior (what we do) and mental
processes (sensations, perceptions, dreams,
thoughts, beliefs, and feelings)

Do our feelings always match our behaviors?

If you call me dumb, But I will


I may feel sad inside. still act
tough.
What is Psychology?

z Historical Bases: Biology and Philosophy


z One of the first psychological ideas was
phrenology – bumps in the head reveal mental
abilities and character traits (not true, obviously)

5
History of Psychology
 Although the science of psychology started in the late 1800’s,
the concept has been around a lot longer.
 There was evidence of trephination (cutting holes into a skull to
let evil spirits out) back in the stone age.
Prescientific Psychology 7

Socrates (469-399 B.C.) and Plato (428-348 B.C.)

[Link]

[Link]
Socrates

Plato
Socrates and his student Plato believed the mind
was separate from the body, the mind continued to
exist after death, and ideas were innate.
Prescientific Psychology 8

Rene Descartes (1596-1650)

[Link]

[Link]
Descartes, like Plato, believed in soul (mind)-body
separation, but wondered how the immaterial
mind and physical body communicated.
Psychology’s Roots
Prescientific Psychology
• Rene Descartes
• Francis Bacon
• John Locke
– TabulaRasa
(blank slate)
• Empiricism
Empiricism

» the view that knowledge


originates in experience and that
science should, therefore, rely on
observation and experimentation.
Prescientific Psychology 11

What is the relation of mind to the body?

Mind and body are Mind and body are


connected distinct

The Hebrews Socrates

Aristotle Plato

Augustine Descartes
Prescientific Psychology 12

How are ideas formed?

The mind is a blank


Some ideas are inborn
slate

Socrates Aristotle

Plato Locke

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