INTRODUCTION TO PSYCHOLOGY

Week 2: Areas in Psychology

AREAS IN PSYCHOLOGY
Neurobiology

Developmental
Cognitive Social Clinical

NEUROBIOLOGICAL
Is the study of the biological substrates of behavior & mental processes. Concentrates on the chemical/physical reasons for behaviour What chemical reactions occur in our brains & bodies as a result of stimulations & what reactions do they cause

DEVELOPMENTAL
Focuses on the development of the human through the life span Seeks to understand how people come to perceive, understand, & act within the world & how these processes change as they age This may focus on cognitive, affective, moral, social, or neural development.

COGNITIVE
Cognitive psychology studies cognition, the mental processes underlying mental activity. Studies how we process information through Perception, attention, language, memory & thinking How they influence our thoughts, feelings behvaiour & ability to operate in our world Past experiences make the difference between one persons perception & anothers

Can you give an example to illustrate this?

SOCIAL
Is the study of how humans think about each other & how they relate to each other

Study such topics as the influence of others on an individual's behavior, & the formation of beliefs, attitudes, & stereotypes about other people

CLINICAL
Includes the study & application of psychology for the purpose of understanding, preventing, & relieving psychologically-based distress or dysfunction

Promotes subjective well-being & personal development

Central to its practice are psychological assessment & psychotherapy