Basic Concept of Psychology

Compiled by:
Prof. Dr. Mokaddem Hossain
Institute of Disaster Management and
Vulnerability Studies
University of Dhaka
Email: mokaddemdu@yahoo.com
• Hum 4561: Psychology
• This introductory course provides an overview of the
origins, growth, content and applications of
psychology, including the application of the scientific
method to the following topics : research
methodology; basic statistics; theories of physical,
cognitive, moral and emotional development;
sensation; perception; learning; motivation;
intelligence; memory; personality; coping processes;
abnormality; adjustment; and the individual in small
groups and pluralistic society.
• Psychology is the scientific study of mind and behavior.
Psychology includes the study of conscious and
unconscious phenomena, as well as feeling and thought. It
is an academic discipline of immense scope.
• According to the American Psychological Association,
Psychology is a multifaceted discipline and includes many
sub-fields of study such areas as human development,
sports, health, clinical, social behavior and cognitive
processes.
• according to the
American Psychological Association. Psychology is a
multifaceted discipline and includes many sub-fields of
study such areas as human development, sports, health,
clinical, social behavior and cognitive processes.
• Psychologists study everything about the human
experience from the basic workings of the human brain to
consciousness, memory, reasoning and language to
personality and mental health.
• Why is the study of psychology so important?
• Essentially, psychology helps people in large part because
it can explain why people act the way they do.
• With this kind of professional insight, a psychologist can
help people improve their decision making, stress
management and behavior based on understanding past
behavior to better predict future behavior.
• The Importance of Psychology in Modern World
• It’s existed since the ancient civilizations of Egypt and
Greece, mostly as a branch of philosophy, but broke
out as an independent branch of scientific study in the
1870s.
• The effects of psychological studies are more relevant
and respected than any period in the past, and new
discoveries and applications for psychology are always
being uncovered by top researchers.
• For example, consider the initial reaction to World War I veterans by
the psychological and medical professionals of the early 20th Century.
• An initial theory written by physician Charles Myers in 1915 posited
soldiers were experiencing “shell shock” due to exposure to repeated
concussive blasts, resulting in brain damage.
• When this theory was disproven, the prevailing wisdom at the time
was the people suffering from “shell shock” were simply weak or
cowardly, despite the fact that some estimates suggest nearly 20
percent of surviving WWI veterans developed the condition.
• There is near unanimous agreement among modern psychologists
that shell shock was in fact what we commonly refer to today as post-
traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
• Many of the primary modern applications for psychology revolve
around protecting people from emotional and physical harm while
providing them with the necessary mental bandwidth to handle the
psychological perils many people face daily.
• Issues like relationships, workplace stress and financial difficulties all
can be affected by psychological symptoms that require diagnosing
and managing, which is where modern psychology comes into play
and why it’s so important.
• Despite the popular stereotype of the private practice therapist
popularized by the media, psychology professionals actually have
access to a wide variety of industries and fields, from education and
criminal justice to marketing and politics.
• How Does Psychology Help People?
• Essentially, psychology helps people in large part
because it can explain why people act the way they
do. With this kind of professional insight, a
psychologist can help people improve their decision
making, stress management and behavior based on
understanding past behavior to better predict future
behavior.
• All of this can help people have a more successful
career, better relationships, more self-confidence and
overall better communication.
• Sub-Disciplines of Psychology
• The study of psychologically is so widespread today,
different sub-disciplines or branches of psychology are
widely recognized and frequently leveraged in an
array of industries. Some psychology sub-disciplines
include:
• Family – Family psychology, sometimes known as
family therapy, focuses on the interpersonal systems
found with the family.
• Sports – Sports psychology focuses on how
psychology factors can affect an athlete’s
performance.
• Business – Business psychology focuses on the
effectiveness of a workplace or organization through
the study of people and overall behavior in the
workplace.
• Media – Media psychology focuses on the complex
relationship between media and its effect on human
behavior.
• Forensic – Forensic psychology is the practice of
studying individuals who are involved in the legal
system, such as expert witnesses or those under
criminal investigation.
• How Psychology linked to Business
• Industrial and Organisational psychology is an applied discipline
within psychology which uses social scientific research methods to
study people, workplaces and organisations in order to create healthy
and productive relationships between people and organisations.
• Psychology helps managers at all levels of organizations select,
support, motivate and train employees. It also helps businesses
design products, build better workspaces and foster healthy behavior.
• Through scientific research, psychologists are discovering new ways to
increase productivity, identify training and development needs, and
implement policies proven to attract and retain the best employees.
By studying how people interact with technology and equipment,
psychologists can help make these tools more user-friendly and
prevent errors, whether we are using everyday products or life-critical
technologies.
• Psychology can be applied to almost any people issue at work. Nonetheless, there
are several well established domains of Business Psychology, which include:
• Selection and assessment
• Organisational development
• Coaching
• Leadership development
• Learning and development
• Talent management
• Employee engagement
• Safe and user-friendly work environments
• Performance management and appraisal
• Culture
• Health and well-being at work
• Psychometric testing
• Psychology also plays a major role across departments from Human Resources to
production to finance to sales. All that are influenced by the psychological
requirements of the people involved.
• How Psychology linked to Technology?
• Technology has enabled people to obtain psychology materials easier
than ever before. Finding information is critical for research
development. Research that has been conducted in the past paves
the way for future studies that increase our knowledge and often fuel
treatment and assessment.
• How Psychology linked to Management?
• The psychology of management is the branch
of psychology studying mental features of the person
and its behavior in the course of planning,
organization, management and the control of joint
activity. The human factor is considered as the central
point in the psychology of management, as its
essence and a core.
• How Technology affect Behavior?
• The goal is for tech to have a positive effect on
their behavior and development, as opposed to a negative
one.
• Studies have found that our ability to identify key
information buried within a cluster of characters and visual
stimuli (advertisements) has increased as technology has
become more integrated in our lives.
• Moreover, social media and mobile devices may lead to
psychological and physical issues, such as eyestrain and
difficulty focusing on important tasks. They may also
contribute to more serious health conditions, such as
depression. The overuse of technology may have a more
significant impact on developing children and teenagers.
• Technology affects the way individuals communicate, learn, and
think. It helps society and determines how people interact with each
other on a daily basis. We are living in an era
where technological advances are common. The internet and cell
phones are some examples.
• Potential harmful effects of extensive screen time and technology use
include heightened attention-deficit symptoms, impaired emotional
and social intelligence, technology addiction, social isolation,
impaired brain development, and disrupted sleep.
• Technology has the ability to foster better communication skills, not
hinder them. Technology and communication are not mutually
exclusive. In the rise of digital communication, technology can
actually help communication skills because it allows people to learn
written communication to varying audiences.
• What are the Effects of Technology?
• Research has linked too much screen time or low-quality screen time to:
• behavioral problems.
• less time for play and loss of social skills.
• obesity.
• sleep problems.
• violence.
• All manner of technology surrounds us. From our personal laptops, tablets,
and phones to behind-the-scenes technology that furthers medicine,
science, and education.
• Technology is here to stay, but it’s always morphing and expanding. As each
new technology enters the scene, it has the potential to improve lives.
But, in some cases, it also has the potential to negatively affect physical
and emotional health.
• According to the American Optometric Association (AOA), prolonged use of computers,
tablets, and cellphones can lead to digital eye strain.
• Symptoms of digital eye strain may include:
• blurred vision
• dry eyes
• headaches
• neck and shoulder pain
• Contributing factors are screen glare, bad lighting, and improper viewing distance.
• The AOA recommends the 20-20-20 rule to ease eye strain. To follow this rule, try to take
a 20-second break every 20 minutes to look at something that’s 20 feet away.
• Musculoskeletal problems
• When you use a smartphone, the chances are that you’re holding your head in an
unnatural forward-leaning position. This position puts a lot of stress on your neck,
shoulders, and spine.
• A small 2017 study found a clear association between self-reported addiction to
smartphone use and neck problems.
• An earlier study found that among teens, neck-shoulder pain and low back pain rose
during the 1990s at the same time that the use of information and communication
technology was increasing.
• Overuse of technology can also lead to repetitive strain injuries of
the fingers, thumbs, and wrists.
• If you’re feeling the pain of technology, you can take the following
steps to reduce these issues:
• take frequent breaks to stretch
• create an ergonomic workspace
• maintain proper posture while using your devices
• Sleep problems
• Technology in the bedroom can interfere with sleep in a number of
ways.
• A 2015 study demonstrated that exposure to the blue light that
devices emit can suppress melatonin and interrupt your circadian
clock. Both of these effects can make it harder to fall asleep and result
in you being less alert in the morning.
• Having electronic devices in the bedroom places temptation at your
fingertips, and it can make switching off more difficult. That, in turn,
can make it harder to drift off when you try to sleep
• Emotional problems
• Using social media can make you feel more connected to the world.
But, comparing yourself to others can leave you feeling inadequate or
left out.
• A recent study looked at the social media use of more than 1,700
people between the ages of 19 and 32. The researchers found that
those with high social media use felt more socially isolated than those
who spent less time on social media.
• A 2011 cross-sectional surveyTrusted Source of high school students
in Connecticut found that internet use was problematic for about 4
percent of the participants.
• The researchers said that there might be an association between
problematic internet use and depression, substance use, and
aggressive behavior. They also noted that high school boys, who,
according to the researchers, tend to be heavier users of the internet,
may be less aware of these problems.
• A 2016 systematic reviewTrusted Source produced mixed findings on
the relationship that social networks have
with depression and anxiety. The evidence suggests that social
network use correlates with mental illness and well-being.
• However, the researchers noted that whether it has a beneficial or
detrimental effect depends on the quality of social factors in the
social network environment.
• More research is necessary to make conclusions on cause and effect.
• If social media use makes you feel anxious or depressed, try cutting
back to see if doing so makes a difference.
• Positive effects of technology
• Technology plays a role in virtually every part of our lives, whether
we’re aware of it or not. These are just a few of the ways in which
technology may positively affect our physical and mental health:
• health apps to track chronic illnesses and communicate vital
information to doctors
• health apps that help you track diet, exercise, and mental health
information
• online medical records that give you access to test results and allow
you to fill prescriptions
• virtual doctor visits
• online education and ease of research
• enhanced communication with others, which can improve the feeling
of connection
• Ways to make the most of technology
• With each new advance in technology, it gets a bit easier to go overboard.
When we get too caught up in it, we can feel it in our minds and bodies. So,
how much is too much?
• The answer is as individual as you are. Here are some signs that you might
be leaning too heavily on technology:
• Your family or friends complain about your tech use.
• You’ve neglected relationships in favor of technology, which people
sometimes refer to as phubbing.
• It has interfered with your work.
• You’re losing sleep or skipping physical activities due to technology use.
• It’s causing you stress or anxiety, or you’re noticing physical side effects,
such as tension headaches, eye strain, muscle pain, or overuse injuries.
• Technology is a part of our lives. It can have some negative effects,
but it can also offer many positive benefits and play an important role
in education, health, and general welfare.
• Knowing the possible negative effects can help you take steps to
identify and minimize them so that you can still enjoy the positive
aspects of technology.
• The Psychologist Manager tries to cover a breadth of topics. It
introduces readers to psychologists who are in management and
executive positions and discusses career opportunities (a reader
might want to skip ahead to the final chapter, which offers practical
advice for psychologists seeking management positions and careers).
• It discusses the particular strengths that psychologists bring to the
world of management. It offers an overview of business management
principles, theories of leadership, and the practice of management.
• A psychologist–manager would carefully, using psychology as a guide
to build a library on leadership/management principles and practices.
• For example, a psychologist in an executive position might want to
add the encyclopedic Bass Handbook of Leadership (Bass & Bass,
2008), along with the more popular leadership books referenced by
the authors.
• A serious executive would also consider a leadership development
plan that might include executive education programs at a business
school as one’s career advances.
• There is no doubt that the information in this book should be read by
any psychologist who is, or will be, in a supervisory or leadership
position. For the novice psychologist, however, it is a tough read.
• The core message is so valuable that it needs to get out to all
psychologists and psychology students.
• Reducing human error in the workplace involves many factors,
including equipment design, selection and training of personnel,
design of the work environment, and organizational and decision-
making strategies. Industrial/Organizational (I/O) psychology studies
how individual behavior affects and is affected by the physical
environment and the organizational culture of the workplace.
• With the possible exception of sleeping, a person spends more time
at work than at any other single activity. Thus, finding ways to make
our jobs safer and more fulfilling is essential, and perhaps even
urgent.
• You have undoubtedly heard of cases where disgruntled workers
attack their bosses or co-workers in a fit of job-related rage. We even
have a new term for this behavior, coined as a result of several well
publicized cases involving postal workers: “going postal.” Reducing the
number of workers who “go postal” is one job of the I/O psychologist.
• I/O psychologists are frequently employed by business, industry, and
the government. Their focus is in three major areas: (1) human
factors psychology (improving the design and function of machines
and the work environment); (2) personnel psychology (recruitment,
testing, training, placement, and evaluation of workers); and (3)
organizational psychology (managerial style, worker motivation, and
job satisfaction).
• Industrial/Organizational (I/O) Psychology The study of how individual
behavior affects and is affected by the physical environment and the
organizational structure of the workplace.
• Humaa Factors Psychology The branch of I/O psychology that studies
ways to improve the design and function of machines and the work
environment to better meet the needs of human users.
• Personnel Psychology: The branch of I/O psychology involved with
recruitment, selection, training, and evaluation of workers.
• Organizational Psychology: The branch of I/O psychology, interested in
how interpersonal relations in the work-setting affect productivity.
Topics of interest include managerial style, worker motivation, and
job satisfaction.