PSYO 1011 Lecture 1: PSYO 1011-01 - Lecture #1 - What is Psychology?

• School: Dalhousie University
• Department: Psychology
• Course: PSYO 1011
• Professor: Leanne Stevens,Shelley Adamo,Kevin Duffy,Jennifer Stamp

Document Summary

Psychology: the science of behaviour and it"s causes. Goals of psychology: understanding the behaviour, why the behaviour occurs, ways to influence behaviour, rules that predict behaviour. Dualism: the idea that the body and the mind are separate from each other. The belief that the mind does not take physical form. Galen"s theory: galen was a roman physician in 200 a. d, realized the connection between nerves and the brain, thought that the nervous system was somehow controlled by the spirits of animals, concluded spirits flowed through our nerves. Evidence of the mechanical mind: certain regions of the brains were responsible for specific bodily functions, certain types of brain damage were associated with certain symptoms and certain types of brain damage could alter behaviour. B. f. skinner (1950s: believed that behaviour was not a reflex, learned that behaviour was determined by consequences, such as rewards for positive behaviour and punishments for negative behaviour.