Definition of Psychology Psychology is the science of human behavior and mental processes.

It was derived from the Greek words psyche and logos meaning soul and study. To the Greeks, there were two types of soul: 1. THYMUS- the soul which dies when the body dies. 2. PSYCHE- the soul which do not die even when the body dies. As a science, it uses scientific principles, carefully defined methods and precise procedures to present an organized body of knowledge and to draw inferences to make predictions about how people will behave in the future. Predicting behavior is important, it enables psychologists to help people anticipate their reactions to ascertains situations and learns how to express themselves in manageable and reasonable ways and this must be based on scientific researches. Behavior and Mental Processes. Psychologists observe many aspects of human functioning: 1. Overt actionsthese are directly observable and measureable movements or the results of such movements. Example: walking, talking, playing, gestures, and expressions. 2. Social Relationships- behaviors we engage in interacting with other people. 3. Mental Processes- thought and ideas, as well as more complex reasoning processes. 4. Emotional Responses- feelings such as anger, regret, happiness and depression we experience when we react to our environment. 5. Physiological Reactions- closely associated with emotional responses including increased heart rate when we are excited, biochemical changes when light stimulates our eyes and high blood pressure in response to stress. Soul according to: 1. SOCRATESthe central concern of psychology was the perfection of human character and achievement of moral excellence. You to know your nature to liberate yourself form the bandage of ignorance and base your conduct to conviction. According to him, soul is the capacity for intelligence and character and it is the persons consciousness.

2. PLATO he was a student of Socrates who stated that truth resides in ideas that has been learned, something that cannot be acquired through senses. He said that our souls are captive of our bodies experiencing conflicts created by tensions within us. 3. ARISTOTLEhe was a student of Plato who stated that everything around us has a purpose. He also said that soul is the capacity to think and create pain and hunger. According to him, our soul is dependent to our body, as well our body on it. The goals of psychology are: To describe/ to understand- to be empathetic to behavior of a person To predict- predict behaviors of a person, why people behave this ways To control/to influence- modifying ones behavior into a more desirable way.

Importance of Psychology Psychology helps us understand the nature and importance of human interactions. Furthermore, it contributes by helping educate our society to learn and think critically and sensitizing people to understand that there is a broad range of customs and lifestyles within our border and those we see in the other side of the world.

Methods of research used in Psychology

Experimental Methodthe most widely used scientific way of

gathering information. It was first used by Wilhelm Wundt, who considered himself as the first psychologist and first one to use this method. The psychologists usually treat two variables in this method- independent variable (the cause considered by the experimenter which he / she manipulates that can cause a change) and dependent variable (variables which serves as the outcome or result of the experiment). Observation Method--- A field study method of making observations of what is going on in the environment. The investigator goes in the field with a set of questions and makes observations. Survey Methodin this method, the investigator asks potential respondents about their attitudes, their fears or their reactions or

perceptions about incidence like failing in board examination. It can use tools such as questionnaires. Test Method- the test itself is the research instrument. It measures all kinds of abilities, interests, attitudes and achievements. Case histories-- the psychologist study behavior through using information found in anecdotal records or accounts stored in hospital, schools or municipal halls.

Subfields of Psychology

Counseling Psychology
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Developmental Psychology
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Focuses primarily on adjustment problems

educational,

social

and

career

Approaches Used In Studying Psychology There are different approaches to psychology and these are not mutually exclusively; rather they tend to focus on different aspects of a complex problem. There is no right or wrong approach to study of human behavior. Neurobiological Approach o Attempts to relate our actions to events taking place inside the body, particularly in the brain and nervous system. o Involves understanding the body and brain creates emotions, memories and sensory experiences. Behavioral Approach o Focuses on those external activities of the organism that can be observed and measured. o Behavior is the product of learning and associations, concern itself with the observable behavior of people and animals. Cognitive Approach o Concerned with the way the brain actively processes incoming information by transforming it in internally various ways. o Deals with mental processes like memory and problem solving. Psychoanalytic Approach o Emphasizes unconscious motives stemming from sexual and aggressive impulses repressed in childhood. o The individual is the product of unconscious, sexual and aggressive forces; it explains inner thoughts and feeling, conscious and sub-conscious which influence behavior. Phenomenological Approach o Also known as Humanistic Approach o Focuses on the persons subjective experiences, freedom of choice, and motivation toward self-actualization.

Environmental Psychology
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Examines how people grow and change from the moment of conception through death Concerned with the environmental issues, such as problems of noise, air, and water pollution, and other toxic agents that must be solved in planning for the future Considers the relationship between people and their physical environment The study of the behavior of individuals during the adolescent years, usually 12 to 20 Concerned with the behavior of individuals after their period of adolescence Study of human behavior from the pre-natal period through the developing years up to early adolescence Branch which investigates the functions of the different organs of the body, the brain and the nervous system; how these affect behavior and mental processes Psychology as applied in medicine Concerned with the treatment of mental diseases Study of social interaction and the ways in which individuals influence one another

Adolescent Psychology
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Adult Psychology
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Child Psychology
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Physiological Psychology
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Psychiatry
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Social Psychology

Schools of Thought BEHAVIORISMit was founded by John B. Watson who criticized both the structuralist and functionalist for their use of introspection as a technique. He insisted the use of objective methods in studying human behavior because their observations and measurement could be checked and verified by other psychologists. It stressed the importance of environment in shaping an individuals behavior.

GESTALTit is a German term which means pattern/configuration. It was founded by Max Wertheimer in 1912. They believe that The whole is greater than the sum of its parts. They stated that we often learn not the literal thing in front of us, but the relations between them. According to Gestalt view, thinking is a response to a problem-situation pressing for a solution. PURPOSIVISMit was founded by William McDougall who believed that objects, movement and behavior has definite purpose. In man, the ductless glands produce hormones which give him purpose.