Introduction in psychological theories
Lecture 1
Introduction & Evolutionary Foundations of Behavior
What is psychology?
Psychology is the study of the soul (Greek: Psykhe = soul and logia = study of). Humans
are intuitive psychologists. Soul = the mind and emotions and behaviour.
Psychology is the science of behaviour and mind = behavioural science aimed at
understanding and predicting of actions/behaviours, thoughts/cognitions and
feelings/emotions. Mind: individual’s sensations, perceptions, memories, thoughts, dreams,
motives, emotions, unconscious knowledge and other subjective experiences = not directly
observable.
Influence conscious behaviour = directly observable actions of people (can reflect) and animals.
Systematic collection/interpretation observable behaviour to collect data and logically analyse to
make conclusions about the mind.
History of psychology:
1. Behaviour & mental processes have a physical cause - are accessible for scientific analysis
2. Manner a person behaves, feels, thinks is influenced by his environment during his life
3. Human body (produce behaviour/mental proces) = result evolution through natural selection
● Dualism: separation of soul/mind (supernatural) and body (material can be controlled) -
Descartes. Domination of church = no room for doubt (mind/soul = from church). Most
complex behaviors result from physical mechanisms (machine, mechanistic basis) without
influence of the mind. Conviction that animals don’t have a soul (can’t think), but can
eat/run.
Materialism: all that exists is matter and energy, there is no soul/mind - Hobbes. Human
behaviours origin = physical processes of the body (in the brain).
● Empiricism: thoughts and knowledge reflect sensory experiences and are not from free-will.
Complex thoughts arise from linking of elementary ideas formed by sensory experiences =
everything gets written on a blank slate. Materialism leaded to empiricism. - Locke & Stuart
Mill. Association by contiguity is how we learn (nabijheid, twee sensaties kort na elkaar in
hersenen geassocieerd). Are we truly born as blank slates: blind and deaf don’t have access
to sensory experiences = instincts maybe.
● Nativism: we are born with certain capabilities that enable our learning = basis for for
example learning languages. - Kant: a priori = aangeboren, posteriori = ervaring, alleen
mogelijk door a priori. “There are very deep and restrictive principles that determine the
nature of human language and are rooted in the specific character of the human mind” -
Noam Chomsky. Aangeboren = Darwin: proces natuurlijke selectie aanpassing omgeving.
Evolution: focus on functions of behaviour; ways our behaviour helps us survive and reproduce.
Cognitivism: exploring mental process, influences by the progress in computer science.
Psychodynamic approach - nativist approach with focus of unconscious, dismissed and not
, taken serious in science, but the idea of unconscious is still there. The ideas of the Freudian
approach to unconscious drives are not validated. Mostly influential outside psychology like
popular culture, literature.
Scientific method: based on experience, observation, existing theories, etc. come up with a
question and a prediction - test that prediction against real measurement from the physical
world - make conclusions with regard to your questions, show support or lack of it for your
prediction - ‘?’ means it starts all over again like a loop - does it only apply to women etc.
● Demonstration 1: close your eyes and put up your hand when you are above average good
in driving = optimism bias - we tend to think we are better than others. “Vast majority of
drivers rated themselves as better than the median driver” - Svenson.
● Demonstration 2: our brain misleads us in what square is bigger and we are not used to
seeing human faces from upside down and our brain corrects what we see when the eyes
and lips are turned upside down.
● Demonstration 3: availability heuristic example of whether sharks or horses kill more people.
If something is easier to bring to mind/imagine/if we hear about something more often - we
judge it as more probable
● Demonstration 4: we think that things are unique to us (self-identity) and feel surprised when
others are the same, rare events given importance. On average it only takes 23 people to be
in the same room for there to be a 50% chance that 2 of them will share the same birthday -
Birthday paradox with difficulty in exponential growth.
The importance of the scientific method: common sense is often “not common”, nor does it
“make sense” - our intuitions and even perceptions are biased. This is what the scientific
method overcomes.
Critical thinking and psychology: how to consume psychological science? What is an amiable
skeptic? Contemporary psychology: what is new in psychology? Interdisciplinary influences (: it
crosses and mixes with other disciplines and levels of analysis), culture and biology (evolution)
Evolutionary psychology
Evolution = the change over time in organic (living) structure. Features passed on from the
parents to the child through inherited traits:
● Physical traits like height, hair and eye colour
● Behavioral tendencies like aggressiveness and depressions: this behaviour is inherited and
can be genetic
Evolution was not a new idea at that time and is not only Darwin, it is part of the thinking about
inheritance with thinkers like Jean Pierre Antoine de Monet de Lamarck (Giraffes necks) and
Wallace (independently conceived natural selection). In the book types of foxes with traits like
being aggressive etc. Distinction between:
● Artificial selection:
- Trait selection by humans, selective breeding and domestication
- Specific traits in animals targeted and then bred
Lecture 1
Introduction & Evolutionary Foundations of Behavior
What is psychology?
Psychology is the study of the soul (Greek: Psykhe = soul and logia = study of). Humans
are intuitive psychologists. Soul = the mind and emotions and behaviour.
Psychology is the science of behaviour and mind = behavioural science aimed at
understanding and predicting of actions/behaviours, thoughts/cognitions and
feelings/emotions. Mind: individual’s sensations, perceptions, memories, thoughts, dreams,
motives, emotions, unconscious knowledge and other subjective experiences = not directly
observable.
Influence conscious behaviour = directly observable actions of people (can reflect) and animals.
Systematic collection/interpretation observable behaviour to collect data and logically analyse to
make conclusions about the mind.
History of psychology:
1. Behaviour & mental processes have a physical cause - are accessible for scientific analysis
2. Manner a person behaves, feels, thinks is influenced by his environment during his life
3. Human body (produce behaviour/mental proces) = result evolution through natural selection
● Dualism: separation of soul/mind (supernatural) and body (material can be controlled) -
Descartes. Domination of church = no room for doubt (mind/soul = from church). Most
complex behaviors result from physical mechanisms (machine, mechanistic basis) without
influence of the mind. Conviction that animals don’t have a soul (can’t think), but can
eat/run.
Materialism: all that exists is matter and energy, there is no soul/mind - Hobbes. Human
behaviours origin = physical processes of the body (in the brain).
● Empiricism: thoughts and knowledge reflect sensory experiences and are not from free-will.
Complex thoughts arise from linking of elementary ideas formed by sensory experiences =
everything gets written on a blank slate. Materialism leaded to empiricism. - Locke & Stuart
Mill. Association by contiguity is how we learn (nabijheid, twee sensaties kort na elkaar in
hersenen geassocieerd). Are we truly born as blank slates: blind and deaf don’t have access
to sensory experiences = instincts maybe.
● Nativism: we are born with certain capabilities that enable our learning = basis for for
example learning languages. - Kant: a priori = aangeboren, posteriori = ervaring, alleen
mogelijk door a priori. “There are very deep and restrictive principles that determine the
nature of human language and are rooted in the specific character of the human mind” -
Noam Chomsky. Aangeboren = Darwin: proces natuurlijke selectie aanpassing omgeving.
Evolution: focus on functions of behaviour; ways our behaviour helps us survive and reproduce.
Cognitivism: exploring mental process, influences by the progress in computer science.
Psychodynamic approach - nativist approach with focus of unconscious, dismissed and not
, taken serious in science, but the idea of unconscious is still there. The ideas of the Freudian
approach to unconscious drives are not validated. Mostly influential outside psychology like
popular culture, literature.
Scientific method: based on experience, observation, existing theories, etc. come up with a
question and a prediction - test that prediction against real measurement from the physical
world - make conclusions with regard to your questions, show support or lack of it for your
prediction - ‘?’ means it starts all over again like a loop - does it only apply to women etc.
● Demonstration 1: close your eyes and put up your hand when you are above average good
in driving = optimism bias - we tend to think we are better than others. “Vast majority of
drivers rated themselves as better than the median driver” - Svenson.
● Demonstration 2: our brain misleads us in what square is bigger and we are not used to
seeing human faces from upside down and our brain corrects what we see when the eyes
and lips are turned upside down.
● Demonstration 3: availability heuristic example of whether sharks or horses kill more people.
If something is easier to bring to mind/imagine/if we hear about something more often - we
judge it as more probable
● Demonstration 4: we think that things are unique to us (self-identity) and feel surprised when
others are the same, rare events given importance. On average it only takes 23 people to be
in the same room for there to be a 50% chance that 2 of them will share the same birthday -
Birthday paradox with difficulty in exponential growth.
The importance of the scientific method: common sense is often “not common”, nor does it
“make sense” - our intuitions and even perceptions are biased. This is what the scientific
method overcomes.
Critical thinking and psychology: how to consume psychological science? What is an amiable
skeptic? Contemporary psychology: what is new in psychology? Interdisciplinary influences (: it
crosses and mixes with other disciplines and levels of analysis), culture and biology (evolution)
Evolutionary psychology
Evolution = the change over time in organic (living) structure. Features passed on from the
parents to the child through inherited traits:
● Physical traits like height, hair and eye colour
● Behavioral tendencies like aggressiveness and depressions: this behaviour is inherited and
can be genetic
Evolution was not a new idea at that time and is not only Darwin, it is part of the thinking about
inheritance with thinkers like Jean Pierre Antoine de Monet de Lamarck (Giraffes necks) and
Wallace (independently conceived natural selection). In the book types of foxes with traits like
being aggressive etc. Distinction between:
● Artificial selection:
- Trait selection by humans, selective breeding and domestication
- Specific traits in animals targeted and then bred
