PS102 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Gustav Fechner, Wilhelm Wundt, Psychology Today
Document Summary
Psychology definition: the scientific study of mental processes and behaviour. Mental processes= things happening in our minds that no one else would be able to observe. Behaviour= actions that can be observed by someone else. E. g. using language, accessing memory, problem solving, using language, etc. Mental processes and behaviour can be studied at multiple levels of analyses. How bright does a light have to be for us to see it? how much louder does tone b have to be than tone a for there to be a noticeable difference? . Psychology"s early roots were in philosophy and psychophysics. Philosophy= the study of knowledge and reality. By the 1600"s, modern science began to thrive. Psychophysics= the study of the relationship between physical stimuli and their psychological effects. Opened the first psychology lab in 1879. First psychology lab in north america (1883); launched the first psychology journal (1887); helped establish the apa (1892) Sought to understand the basic elements of consciousness.
