PSYCHOLOGY INTRODUCTION
Definition:
“ Study of behaviour and mental process scientifically is known as Psychology”
Word Psychology comes from the Greek “Psyche” meaning (life, breath, principle of life,
life soul) “Logos” m
eaning (explanation, speech, word, reason).
Why do we study psychology ?
➔ To understand ourselves.
➔ To know our reaction to other people.
➔ To know how your brain and body are connected?.
➔ To improve learning abilities, sharpens our memory and enhances our
perspectives.
➔ To know how to deal with stressful life and build critical thinking.
What do psychologists do?
A psychologist is someone who studies human behaviour, mental processes and by
observing, interpreting and recording how people relate to one another and with their
surroundings. Some psychologists work independently, doing research or working only
with patients or clients. Others work as part of the healthcare team, others
collaborating with physicians, social workers to treat illness.
SUBFIELDS OF PSYCHOLOGY
Behaviour genetics/Psychogenetic: Studies the inheritance of traits associated with
behaviour and to understand the origins and nature of individual behaviour.
Behavioural neuroscience/Biological psychology: It’s the applying of psychological,
genetic and developmental mechanisms of behavior in humans and other animals.
Clinical psychology: It is a branch of psychology involved with the treatment of mental
illness and assessment, psychiatric problems and abnormal behaviour.
Clinical neuropsychology: Specialty within clinical psychology, dedicated to
understanding the relationships between brain and behaviour.
Counselling psychology: It is a general practice and health service provider specialty in
professional psychology. It focuses on however individuals operate each in person and
in their relationships in the least ages.
Cognitive psychology: It is a scientific study of the mind as an information processor.
Cross-cultural psychology: It investigates the similarities and variations in psychology
functioning in and across varied cultures and ethnic groups.
Developmental psychology: It is essential to understanding how people grow and how
humans learn, mature and adapt at different stages of life.
Educational psychology: It is concerned with human maturation, school learning,
teaching ways, guidance and analysis of power.
Experimental psychology: It is concerned with testing theories of human thoughts,
feelings, actions, and beyond- any facet of being human that involves the mind.
Forensic psychology: It relates to the law. The major portion of this psychology is
involved with the criminal justice system.
Health psychology: It is a study of psychological and behavioural processes in health
care.
Industrial and organizational psychology: It is the study of human behavior in the
workplace.
Personality psychology: It is the branch of psychology that studies personality and its
variation among individuals.
Psychology of women: It focuses on problems like discrimination against women and
causes of violence against women.
School psychology: It general practice of health service psychology, is concerned with
children, youth, families and therefore the schooling method.
Social psychology: It is interested in all aspects of personality and social interaction,
exploring the influence of interpersonal and group relationships on human behaviour.
Sport psychology: Such psychologists are experts in helping athletes and professionals
overcome problems.
HISTORY OF PSYCHOLOGY
Pre-scientific psychology:
How are ideas formed?
● Socrates and Plato thought that ideas are inborn while Aristotle and John Locke
thought mind is a blank slate.
What is the relation of the mind to the body?
● Hebrews, Aristotle and Agustine thought that mind and body are connected
while Socrates, Plato and Descrates thought mind and body are distinct from
each other.
After the mid 9th century, a new science was born known as P
SYCHOLOGY by
combining two disciplines PHILOSOPHY+PHYSIOLOGY.
FATHER OF PSYCHOLOGY
● Wilhelm wundt was a founder of psychology.
● He set up the first research lab in 1879 in L
eipzig, Germany.
(Psychology considered as a scientific study distinct from biology and
philosophy because of wilhelm wundt formation of the world’s fisrt
Experimental psychology lab).
● Wundt argued that psychology should be the scientific study of
consciousness.
● His aim was to study structure/building blocks of mind and conscious experience.
● He established a first school of psychology called Structuralism and
Introspection method.
FATHER AMERICAN OF PSYCHOLOGY
● William James was the first American psychologist.
● He was greatly influenced by D
arwin.
● His aim was to study the function of behaviour.
(His goal was to examine why animals and humans have developed
the mental processes that they presently possess).
● He argued with wundt’s perspective.
(He believes that introspection is not an accurate method; we have
to focus more on the mind's functions rather than its structure).
He established a school of psychology called F
unctionalism.
( Although functionalism now not exists as a faculty school of
psychological science, its basic principles are absorbed into
psychological science and continue to influence it in many ways.
GESTALT PSYCHOLOGY
● Gestalt psychology was founded by M
ax Wertheimer.
● Started in the early 2
0th century and originated in 1
910.
● It was a H
olistic theory. Max studies the perceptions of motion.
Emphasizes that
“Whole of something is greater than its parts”.
● Gestalt psychology is that the mind actively organizes
information into a coherent whole or a form.
● In the 20th century a school of psychology was established called Gestalt
psychology.
SYCHOANALYSIS
P
● Sigmund freud was the founder of psychoanalysis.
(Psychoanalysis is both a theory of method of psychotherapy
personality).
● He believes that our childhood has a great influence on our
adult lives, shaping our personality.
● He developed his theories of the mind through
investigations of psychopathology.
● Freud’s theory is the concept of the unconscious-the
thoughts, attitudes, impulses, wishes, motivations and
emotions
of which we are unaware.
PSYCHOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE
Basically it is an approach, the simplest way of staring at topics at intervals in
psychological science.
Following are the major perspective in psychology:
Neuroscience perspective:
● It is also called Biopsychology.
● It views behaviour on biological basis, brain, biological functions and nervous
system.
(Most complex structure in the universe).
● Neuroscience perspective focuses on how the body and brain enable emotions
and sensory experience.
● How nerve cells are joined together in humans.
Psychodynamic perspective:
● Originating in the work of Sigmund freud.
● It emphasizes unconscious psychological processes.
● Treats psychological disorder.
Behavioural perspective:
● John B Watson w as the first pioneer of behavioural approach.
● It concerned how surrounding factors affect observable behavior.
● Examines how organisms learn or modify their behaviour based on their response
to events in the enviornment.
● It proposes two main processes: classical conditioning and operant conditioning.
Cognitive perspective:
● It is concerned with “mental” functions such as memory, perception, attention etc.
● It can be characterized as the scientific study of learning.
(The approach transpires partially because of the discontentedness with the
behavioural approach).
Humanistic perspective:
● Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow were the central figures in development of
humanistic perspective.
● The approach that suggests that all individuals naturally strive to grow, develop
and control their lives and behavior.
● It emphasizes the role of motivation in thought and behavior.
● Psychologists with a humanistic perspective focus on what drives humans to
grow, modification and develop their personal potential.
