PSYCHOLOGY
Introduction

The term "psychology" is derived from two Greek
words – psyche(soul) and logos(science or
study).

Literally it means study or science of soul.
Contd….

But now it is no more considered as science of
soul.

It has moved away from this focus and
established itself as a scientific discipline which
deals with the various processes and behaviour of
organism.
What is Psychology?????????

Psychology is the scientific study of
behavior and mental process.
(Feldman, 2011)
Contd…..

Psychology is the science of human and animal
behaviour which includes the application of this
science to solve human behaviour. It is defined
as a science about the phenomena of the mind,
conscious subject or self.
(Sir W Hamilton)
Contd…..

Psychology is the scientific study of mental
processes and behaviour. It is the study of mind
and how it works.
( Oxford American Dictionary)
Definition of psychology

Psychology is the science of the activities of
individual in relation to the environment.
(Woodworth)

Psychology is the positive science of behaviour.
(Watson)
Contd….

Psychology is the science of human behaviour
and experience.

Psychology is the science of mental activity of an
organism.

(Cruze)
(Guilford)
Psychology is the scientific study of behavior
and mental process of organism.

Scientific study means using techniques such as
observation, description, and experimental
investigation to collect information and then
organizing this information.

Mental processes refer to private and cognitive
process such as attention, perception,
remembering (memory), problem-solving,
reasoning, decision- making, feelings, thinking,
motives etc.
Contd….

Behaviour refers to all the actions or reactions
of an organism (person or animal) in response to
external or internal stimuli.

It is the product of the interaction of individual
and her/ his perceived environment.
Different Types/ Sub-fields/branches
of Psychology

Behavioral Genetics- studies the inheritance of
traits related to behavior.

Behavioral Neuroscience- examines the
biological basis of behavior.

Clinical psychology - integrates science, theory,
and practice in order to understand, predict and
relieve maladjustment, disability, and
discomfort.

Clinical psychology also promotes adaption,
adjustment and personal development.
Contd…

A clinical psychologist concentrates on the
intellectual, emotional, biological, psychological,
social, and behavioral aspects of human
performance throughout a person's life, across
varying cultures and socioeconomic levels.
Contd….

Clinical Psychology- Clinical psychology
deals with the study, diagnosis, and treatment of
psychological disorders.

Clinical Neuropsychology- Clinical
Neuropsychology unites the areas of
biopsychology and clinical psychology.
Contd….

Neuropsychology - studies the structure and
function of the brain in relation to clear behaviors
and psychological processes.

A neuropsychologist will use Neuropsychological
Evaluation - a systematic assessment procedure to determine the degree of any possible behavioral
problems following suspected or diagnosed brain
injury in a patient.
Contd….

Counseling Psychology- Counseling
Psychology focuses primarily on educational,
social , and career adjustment problems.

Cognitive Psychology- Cognitive psychology
focuses on the study of higher mental processes.

At the center of cognitive psychology is how
people acquire, process and store information.

Many say that cognitive psychology is the study of
intelligence.

Practical applications for cognitive research may
include how to improve memory, increase the
accuracy of decision-making, or how to set up
educational programs to boost learning
Contd….

Cross-cultural Psychology- investigates the
similarities and differences in psychology
functioning in and across various cultures and
ethnic groups.

Developmental Psychology- examines how
people grow and change from the moment of
conception through death.
Contd…..

Educational Psychology- is concerned with
teaching and learning processes, such as the
relationship between motivation and school
performance.

Environmental Psychology- considers the
relationship between people and their physical
environment.
Contd…..

Experimental Psychology- studies the processes
of sensing, perceiving, learning, and thinking
about the world.

Evolutionary Psychology- considers how
behavior is influenced by our genetic inheritance
from our ancestors.
Contd…

Evolutionary psychology looks at how human
behavior has been affected by psychological
adjustments during evolution.

An evolutionary psychologist believes, for
example, that language or memory perception
are functional products of natural selection.

Evolutionary psychologists hypothesize that
language learning is a capacity we are born
with, making language learning a virtually
automatic process - but not reading or writing.
In other words, they believe our ability to learn
language is inherited while our ability to read
and write is not (language learning will
happen automatically, while reading and
writing has to be taught).
Contd….

Forensic Psychology- focuses on legal issues,
such as determining the accuracy of witness
memories.

This involves applying psychology to criminal
investigation and the law. A forensic psychologist
practices psychology as a science within the
criminal justice system and civil courts.

Forensic psychology involves understanding
criminal law in the relevant jurisdictions in order
to interact with judges, lawyers and other
professionals of the legal system.

Forensic psychology involves the ability to testify
in court, to present psychological findings in legal
language to the courtroom, and to provide data to
legal professionals in a clear way.

Health Psychology- Health Psychology
explores the relationship between psychological
factors and physical ailments or disease.

Also called behavioral medicine or medical
psychology.

This branch observes how behavior, biology and
social context influence illness and health.

Occupational psychology (also known as
industrial-organizational psychology, work
psychology, organizational psychology, work and
organizational psychology, occupational
psychology, personnel psychology or talent
assessment) .

The aim is to increase the effectiveness of the
organization, and to improve the job satisfaction of
the individual.
Contd….

It studies the performance of people at work and
in training, develops an understanding of how
organizations function and how people and
groups behave at work.

The occupational psychologist aims to increase
effectiveness, efficiency, and satisfaction at
work.
Contd….

Personality Psychology- focuses on the
consistency in people's behavior over time and the
traits that differentiate one person from another

School Psychology- is devoted to counseling
children in elementary and secondary schools who
have academic or emotional problems.

Sport Psychology- applies psychology to athletic
activity and exercise.
(Feldman, 2011)

Social psychology uses scientific methods to
understand and explain how feeling, behavior
and thoughts of people are influenced by the
actual, imagined or implied presence of other
people.
Contd…..

A social psychologist will look at group
behavior, social perception, non-verbal behavior,
aggression, prejudice, and leadership.

Social perception and social interaction are seen
as key to understanding social behavior.

Social psychology studies the impact of social
influences on human behavior.

Developmental psychology - this is the scientific
study of systematic psychological changes that a
person experiences over the course of his/her life
span.

Developmental psychology is often referred to as
human development.

It used to just focus on infants and young children,
but also includes teenagers and adults today - the
whole human life span.

Developmental psychology includes any
psychological factor that is studied over the life of
a person, including motor skills, problem solving,
moral understanding, acquiring language,
emotions, personality, self-concept and identity
formation.

Cross-cultural psychology explores the
variations of behaviors and mental
processes across cultures.
A short history of psychology

Pierre Cabanis : Physiologist , created biological
psychology in 1802. (France)
-
He wrote a well known essay called "Relations
between the physical and moral aspects of man“.
-
He believed that sensibility and soul were parts of
the nervous system.

According to Leagans (1961), behaviour refers to
what an individual knows (Knowledge), what
she/he can do (skill –mental or physical), what she
/he thinks (attitude), and what s/he actually does.

Behaviour may be simple or complex, short or
enduring.

Human behaviour may be overt (expressed
outside)or covert (expressed inside).

1879, the birth date of psychology : Wilhelm
Wundt (Germany) founded psychology as a truly
independent experimental field of study.

Wilhelm Wundt is known today as the father of
psychology.

1900 - Sigmund Freud published “ interpretation
of dream” marking the beginning of
psychoanalytic thought.

1905- Alfred Binet’s intelligence test was
published in France.

1980 - Principles of Psychology, published by
William James. (an American philosopher).

Hermann Abbingaus (1850-1909), University of
Berlin, was the first psychologist to study
memory extensively.

Ivan Pavlov (1849-1936), researched the
learning process called "classical conditioning.
-
1906- Ivan Pavlov published the first studies
on classical conditioning.
Schools of psychology

Structuralism

Functionalism

Psychoanalysis : (Sigmund Freud)

Behaviorism ( John Watson , Ivan Pavlov, B.F
Skinner)

Cognitive psychology ( Jean Piaget, Edward
Tolman
Structuralism

Oldest schools of thought.

Wilhelm Wundt is the founder of structuralism.

Believed that psychology is the study of mind.

Goal- to find out the elements of units that
constitute the mind.

Used introspective method.
Contd….

They identified four basic skin sensations:
warmth, cold ,pain, and pressure.

Structuralists attempted to give a scientific
analysis of conscious experience by breaking it
down in to its basic components or structures.
Functionalism

William James , John Dewey, E.L Thorndike,
R.S Wood worth.

Greatly influenced by the Darwin’s theory of
evolution.

Thought : mind is the most important organ for
learning to adapt to the environment.

Found the connection between mind and
behaviour.

This school believes that thoughts flow
continuously in the mind , which is called as the
stream of consciousness.

Focus: functional aspects. It is called as
functionalism
Scope of psychology

Psychology as a scientific discipline consists of
many branches each focusing on the study of
behaviour at different situations and trying to
find the causes underlying behaviour.

Two major subfields :
1. Basic branches/ Pure psychology/research
psychology
2. Applied braches
Basic psychology/ pure
psychology

Emphasize investigating different types of
behaviour and finding the causes of behaviour.

Research psychology encompasses the study of
behaviour for use in academic settings, and
numerous areas.

It contains the areas of abnormal psychology,
developmental psychology, social psychology &
others.
Basic branches of psychology
General psychology
Abnormal psychology
Social psychology
Developmental
psychology
Experimental psychology
Physiological psychology/
biological
Para psychology
Comparative psychology
Cognitive psychology
General psychology

Deals with the study of psychological factors
such as sensation, perception, attention, thinking
and learning etc.

It is concerned with the fundamental rule
,principles and theories of psychology to study
the normal adult human being.

It constitutes the base for all other branches.
Abnormal psychology

Studies the nature of psychopathology and its
causes, and this knowledge is applied to treating
patients with psychological disorders in clinical
psychology.

Study of abnormal psychological behaviour to
describe, predict, explain and change abnormal
patterns of functioning.
Para psychology

Deals with extra sensory perceptions, cases of
rebirth, previous birth, telepathy and applied
problems.

This branch is also known as psychic research.

Telepathy – feeling at a distance, extrasensory
perception.

Telepathy is the direct transference of thought
and/or feelings from one person to another
person without using the normal five physical
senses of sight, hearing, touch, taste and smell.

It is the ability to communicate on another level
rather than using speech - You communicate
using only the power of your mind.
Applied psychology
Educational psychology
Clinical psychology
Industrial psychology
Counseling psychology
Legal psychology
Political psychology
Forensic psychology
Health psychology
Political , military, school
psychology