PSYC 100 Chapter Notes - Chapter Module 1 Topics: Gustav Fechner, Phycology, Psychophysics

• School: Queen's University
• Department: Psychology
• Course: PSYC 100
• Professor: Jordan Poppenk

Document Summary

Many people presume that all psychologists are therapists who treat people with mental problems. It is i(cid:374)deed the (cid:272)ase that (cid:373)a(cid:374)(cid:455) ps(cid:455)(cid:272)hologists a(cid:396)e(cid:863) (cid:272)li(cid:374)i(cid:272)al(cid:863) ps(cid:455)(cid:272)hologists a(cid:374)d thei(cid:396) jo(cid:271) i(cid:374)(cid:272)ludes diag(cid:374)osi(cid:374)g and treating people with mental disorders. However, many other kinds of psychologists have little or no connection with therapy. Other non-academic, non-clinical psychologists work in various industries, including advertising, communications, business and human resources, and governmental and community service organizations. Rationalism: ancient greek philosophers examined many questions, such as whether humans have free will, through rationalism the pu(cid:396)suit of t(cid:396)uth th(cid:396)ough (cid:396)easo(cid:374) a(cid:374)d logi(cid:272). Early psychologists (mid-19th to mid-20th century) were often members of university philosophy departments. They used similar reason and logic to help explain human actions. This 19th-century scientific approach revolves around what we can observe and measure. Much of the drive to use a scientific, as opposed to a philosophical, approach arose from the influence of physiologists, or scientists who study the function of living systems.