GE 101

Understanding One’s Self

by: Prof Mary Vincentia O. Beldia

Capiz State University Main Campus

College of Engineering, Architecture & Technology
 GE 101 UNDERSTANDING ONE’S SELF

PREFACE

To my students taking GE 101, Understanding One’s Self:

Greetings!

I am Prof. Mary Vincentia Olilang-Beldia, your instructor for the subject: GE 101,
Understanding One’s Self. You may call me Ma’am Peachy.

I understand that this is all new to you, to all of us. Nevertheless, due to this dreadful disease,
we are all trying to adapt what we all refer to as the new normal. We, in the education sector
also adapt a new mode of learning – modular and online. The most important thing right now
is to be mindful of our responsibilities as Filipino citizens, especially as Capiznons—as humans,
in helping minimize the rate of being infected with Covid-19. That is why we are all doing this,
to help each other, and to protect each other from it.

The risks of being infected is very high and the consequences, as you know, are worst.
Therefore, I would like to recommend that we cooperate and be responsible. With this, it
would be better for everyone to have PDF material capability. That is we do online class
(synchronous and asynchronous). That means, whether you have a PC, a laptop, a tablet, or
a cellphone, it would be best to have PDF reader such as WPS, Acrobat, or Adobe to view my
lessons. With these applications, you will be able to view and read the materials in this subject
that I am going to send in our group chat in the messenger. Along with data or WIFI
connectivity, you will be able to view and read the lessons in this subject even without
attending the online lecture.

These are the first two chapters; lessons will be given to you as scheduled therefore it is
important that you are updated through our GC.

The Evaluation is found at the end of every chapter — a reflective activity. This is an account
of how the concepts discussed are applied to you and its impact of creating significant
alterations in your specific patterns of habit that would improve the way you perceive things,
even in small ways. That, you would write on a piece of bond paper. Label with your name,
take a picture and private message it to me.

The following is Rubrics for Scoring your Reflective Activity.

by: Prof. Mary Vincentia O. Beldiall

Capiz State University Main Campusll
College of Engineering, Architecture & Technologyl
1
 GE 101 UNDERSTANDING ONE’S SELF

Criteria 1-5 POINTS 6-10 POINTS 11-15 POINTS 16-20

POINTS
OMG! Good Satisfactory Sana all!
Depth of The reflection The reflection The reflection The reflection
Reflection has had zero to slightly almost demonstrated
little demonstrated demonstrated understanding
understanding. understanding understanding and connection
There zero to and connection and connection to to what has
little connection to what has what has been been taken up.
to what has been taken up. taken up.
been taken up.
Examples and The examples The examples The examples The examples
Evidence and evidence and evidence and evidence are and evidence
are little to are slightly almost sufficient are sufficient
lacking. sufficient and and almost and relevant to
slightly relevant relevant to the the what has
to the what has what has been been taken up.
been taken up. taken up.
Explanation The explanation The explanation The explanation The explanation
displays zero to displays clarity, displays much displays clarity,
little clarity, coherence of clarity and much coherence of
coherence of ideas coherence of ideas
ideas ideas
Conclusion The conclusion The conclusion The conclusion The conclusion
presents zero to presents a presents an presents a
statement that rather weak almost strong strong and
relates has zero statement that and almost compelling
to little relation hardly relates compelling statement that
to the central with the central statement that relates with the
theme theme. relates with the central theme.
central theme

Rest assured that you can send me a message any time in my FB account: Mary Vincentia
Beldia. At the very least, please be patient since I will be able to attend to you and answer
your queries at night.

I wish you all the best of health and safety.

Please take care.

Sincerely,
Ma’am Peachy

by: Prof. Mary Vincentia O. Beldiall

Capiz State University Main Campusll
College of Engineering, Architecture & Technologyl
2
 GE 101 UNDERSTANDING ONE’S SELF

Chapter 1: Psychology and Science

Themes: Psychology Defined
Contemporary Psychology

Overview

The concepts and principles you are about to get acquainted with are one of the
most popular, though misunderstood by many. It will give you the door to
understanding human behavior in the perspective of Psychology.

Learning Outcomes

At the end of this chapter, you are expected to:

1. Define Psychology and explain what makes it a science
2. Identify the goals of Psychology
3. Trace the history of Psychology
4. Explain behaviors by using different contemporary approaches in Psychology

Indicative Content

What is Psychology?
How did Psychology evolve and come to be a part of human existence?
What are the different approaches to understanding behavior?

Preassessment

We can guarantee that if you just use common sense, you will not make it to the
end of this subject and all of your other subjects. That is because much of our
common sense about how humans behave is just plain wrong. To illustrate this,
decide if the following statements are true (T) or false (F) and provide a reason why.

1. _____ You use only about 50% of your brain.

_____________________________________________________________________
2. _____ Boys are better in Math than girls.
_____________________________________________________________________
3. _____ IQ indicates how intelligent a person is.
_____________________________________________________________________
4. _____ Women are more emotional than men.
_____________________________________________________________________
5. _____ The best way to get over something you fear is to avoid it.
_____________________________________________________________________

by: Prof. Mary Vincentia O. Beldiall

Capiz State University Main Campusll
College of Engineering, Architecture & Technologyl
3
 GE 101 UNDERSTANDING ONE’S SELF

Good job! This chapter will introduce you to a discipline used to understanding
behavior.

Definition of Psychology

When you think of Psychology, you immediately think of mental disorders.

However, psychologists study a broad range of behaviors, from mental
disorders, personality, and memory. A broad definition would be:

Psychology is the systematic study of behavior and mental processes.

What is crucial in this definition are the concepts embedded in it. Behavior
refers to observable actions or responses in both humans and animals.
Mental processes, which are not directly observable, refer to a wide range
of mental activities such as thinking, imagining, studying, and dreaming.

The definition above is the result of many discussions and heated debates
among the first psychologists. Although broad, psychologists usually have
four specific goals in mind when they study some behavior or mental
process.
But before that, let’s try this little exercise…
Finish the following statement.

I wonder why people are

_________________________________________________________________.

Ever wondered why certain people behave in certain ways? I have a friend who
checks the door locks in the house three times before he leaves to work. It is rather
funny to me but normal for him. Your answer may be odd as this or can be
anything—that has bothered you or make you wonder.
Whatever the behavior is, before they begin to study, most psychologist have goals
in mind.

Goals of Psychology:
1. Describe. The first goal of Psychology is to describe or identify the specific
characteristics of the ways that organism behaves.
2. Explain. The second goal is to identify the reasons why organisms behave in a
certain situation.
3. Predict. The third is to anticipate or figure out in advance what they will be doing
next.
4. Control. The fourth is to let an organism behave in way they should. Positively
used, tis may be used to minimize or stop undesirable behavior. However, it can
have negative uses too since a person may be controlled without his awareness
or consent.

Having studied all that, the next question to ask is, ”How exactly did Psychology
begin?
You can imagine how life was in the 1800s and early 1900s when most of today
conveniences and technology were nonexistent And when most people die before they

by: Prof. Mary Vincentia O. Beldiall

Capiz State University Main Campusll
College of Engineering, Architecture & Technologyl
4
 GE 101 UNDERSTANDING ONE’S SELF

reach 30 years old. What an odd time, in fact scary time, to live in! This was the time
when Psychology broke away from philosophy and became a separate field of study.
The scholars of Psychology were not accepted—their ideas were criticized and were
thought to be irrational.
Here we begin to be introduced to these early psychologist and the approaches that
shaped the beginning of Psychology.

Structuralism: Elements of the Mind

Wilhelm Wundt (August 1832-August 1920)

Wilhelm Wundt is German physiologist, philosopher,

and professor. In 1879, at the University of Leipzig, Wundt
opened the first laboratory ever to be exclusively devoted
to psychological studies, and this event marked the official
birth of psychology as an independent field of study. The
new lab was full of graduate students carrying out research
on topics assigned by Wundt, and it soon attracted young
scholars from all over the world who were eager to learn
about the new science that Wundt had developed.

Wilhelm Wundt, the father of Psychology, established the first Psychology laboratory
in 1879, in Liepzig, Germany. Wundt and his followers thought that analyzing
sensations is the key to analyzing the structure of the mind. For this reason, they were
called structuralists and their approach was called structuralism.
Structuralism was the study of the most basic elements, primarily sensations and
perceptions that make up our conscious mental experiences . Wundt’s greatest
contribution was his method of introspection. This is a method in which a person is
asked to verbalize or say out loud his thought and feelings without control or
censorship. Whether the thought is embarrassing or trivial, it should be analyzed or
studied.

Let’s try. For 5 minutes, write down ALL things that go through your mind. Do not
censor or leave out anything. After which, analyze what you have written.

by: Prof. Mary Vincentia O. Beldiall

Capiz State University Main Campusll
College of Engineering, Architecture & Technologyl
5
 GE 101 UNDERSTANDING ONE’S SELF

It is possible that you will find this exercise rather hard or odd to do because we are
generally taught since childhood to speak only the things that will not hurt, cause
pain or embarrassment to others and to ourselves. But this may be worth a try.
Having done that, you have now experienced the first method of psychology.

Functionalism: Functions of the Mind

William James (January 11, 1842 – August 26, 1910)

He was an American philosopher
and psychologist, and the first educator
to offer a psychology course in the
United States. James is considered to
be a leading thinker of the late
nineteenth century, one of the most
influential philosophers of the United
States , and the “Father of
American Psychology".

For twelve years, William James worked hard over a book called ‘Principles of
Psychology,’ published in 1890. It contained almost every topic that interests all of us
today: learning, memory, sensation, reasoning, attention, feelings, consciousness, and
emotions. While Wundt believed in mental activities composed of basic elements,
James believed that mental activities are natural in each person as developed through
ages of evolution and helped him in human survival. He was interested in the goals,
purposes, and functions of the mind.

Functionalism which was the study of function rather than the structure of
consciousness, was interested in how minds adapt to our changing environment.

Gestalt Approach: Sensations versus Perceptions

Max Wertheimer Wolfgang Kohler Kurt Koffka

by: Prof. Mary Vincentia O. Beldiall

Capiz State University Main Campusll
College of Engineering, Architecture & Technologyl
6
 GE 101 UNDERSTANDING ONE’S SELF

When you see Christmas lights, you think that that the lights are moving in one
direction. This motion however, is an illusion: the lights are stationary and are only
flashing on and off.

Three psychologists: Max Wertheimer, Wolfgang Kohler, and Kurt Koffka, first studied
the illusion of lights in 1912. They reported that they had created t e perception of
movement by briefly flashing one light and then, a short time later, a second light. The
light appears to move form one another. They called this the phi phenomenon —today
known as apparent motion. They believed that perceptual experiences resulted from
analyzing a ‘whole pattern’, not only individual parts or pieces of the pattern. This
concept is called Gestalt in German.

Behaviorism: Observable Behaviors

“Give me a dozen healthy infants, well-formed, and my own

specified world to bring them up in and I'll guarantee to take
any one at random and train him to become any type of
specialist I might select--doctor, lawyer, artist, merchant-chief,
and, yes, even beggarman and thief, regardless of his talents,
penchants, tendencies, abilities, vocations, and race of his
ancestors. I am going beyond my facts and I admit it, but so
have the advocates of the contrary and they have been doing it
for many thousands of years.”
-JOHN B. WATSON
JANUARY 9, 1878 – SEPTEMBER 25, 1958

That is spoken by John B. Watson, one of the greatest original thinkers in behaviorism.
He published a landmark paper in 1913, title ‘Psychology and Behaviorist Views.’ In it,
he rejected Wundt’s structuralism and what Wundt’s claim about mental elements and
consciousness processes. He rejected introspection as a psychological technique
because for him, it can be hard to verify the thoughts that a person under observation,
say. Instead he said that psychology should be the analysis of observable behaviors
and the prediction and control of these behaviors.

The behavioral approach emphasized the objective, scientific analysis of observable

behaviors.

Evaluation1A: Now that you have been properly introduced to what psychology is, it
is time to stop for a while and find out how much you have learned.

Fill in the missing concepts, terms or people in the following statements:

Psychology is the systematic study of 1. _____ and 2. _____. The four goals of
psychology are: 3. _____, 4. _____. 5. _____, and 6. _____ behavior.

The father of psychology is 7. _____.

The approach that analyzes sensations as the key to analyzing the structure of the
mind is called, 8. _____.

by: Prof. Mary Vincentia O. Beldiall

Capiz State University Main Campusll
College of Engineering, Architecture & Technologyl
7
 GE 101 UNDERSTANDING ONE’S SELF

He disagreed with Wundt and instead emphasized the functions, goals, and purposes
of the mind and its adaptation to the environment. He is 9. _____.

The whole is greater than the sum of the parts, is a concept that they claim. These
three gentlemen considered as pioneer advocates for gestalt approach are: 10.
_____, 11. _____ and 12. _____.

The American psychologist, 13. _____, emphasized that the objective, scientific
analysis of observable behaviors , which he called the 14. _____ approach . This
approach disagrees with the 15. _____ method developed by Wundt.

Good job! :D

Having done that, we are now ready to move toward an aspect of Psychology that you
are more likely in touch with or appreciate. But before we move on, I have a question.
Why do your hands sweat during exams? If you are like many others students, you
probably experience some degree of test anxiety. Test anxiety refers to a combination
of physical and emotional and cognitive components that are caused by the stress of
taking exams and that may interfere with one’s ability to think, reason, and plan. For
others, it is an unpleasant experience but doesn’t necessarily interfere with
performance in exams. For other students, test anxiety is not only unpleasant but also
seriously interferes with test performance.

Can you recall the subjects that cause you to have test anxiety?

This discussion will try to explain test anxiety through contemporary approaches in
Psychology. It is important for us to know how students vary in their reactions to
test, test anxiety, and how to minimize the latter in the first place.

Contemporary Approaches in Psychology

Psychologists tried to investigate human behavior and mental processes. They use a
combination of different approaches, each of which has a different focus or perspective
and may use a different research method or technique. Approaches in understanding
behavior include the biological, cognitive, behavioral, psychoanalytic, humanistic, and
cross-cultural.

Biological Approach

Biological Approach focuses on how our genes, hormones, and nervous system
interact with our environment to influence learning, personality, memory, motivation,
emotions, and coping techniques.

by: Prof. Mary Vincentia O. Beldiall

Capiz State University Main Campusll
College of Engineering, Architecture & Technologyl
8
 GE 101 UNDERSTANDING ONE’S SELF

You’ve probably experienced one component of test anxiety called, ‘emotional

component’ which includes a variety of physiological responses such as increased
heart rate, drying of mouth, and sweaty palms. As you take an exam or even as
think about taking it, your stressful thought, triggers the emotional component and
can interfere with information processing and increase the chance of making
mistakes. One way to reduce the emotional and physiological component of test
anxiety is through stress-reducing activities. By engaging in relation activities
like breathing or imagining peaceful sceneries, studies shave shown that test
anxiety can be reduced.

Cognitive Approach
The Cognitive Approach focuses on how we process, store, and use information and
how this information influences what we attend to, perceive, learn, remember,
believe, and feel.

Student who experience test anxiety must deal with another component- cognitive
approach. Excessive worrying about how well you do on a test will interferes with
your ability to read accurately, understand what you read, and identifying important
concepts. If worrying cannot be avoided, it is suggested that students channel their
worry in to other activities. Studies have shown that students who transfer their
worrying into complaining how hard the exam will perform poorly compared to
students who transferred worrying in to studying. So the next time you are worried
about the exam, remember that complaining doesn’t help; studying does.

Behavioral Approach

Behavioral Approach analyzes how organisms learn new behavior or modify existing
ones, depending on whether events in their environments reward or punish these
behaviors.

One method to channel worrying in to studying more is to use a system of self-

management based on a number of behavioral principles. Researchers found that
the following management practices are related to increasing study time, and
achieving better grades:

1. Select a place that you use exclusively for study.

2. Reward yourself for studying.
3. Keep a record of studying time.
4. Establish priorities among projects.
5. Specify a time for each task.
6. Complete one task before going to another.

Psychoanalytic Approach

Psychoanalytic Approach is based on the belief that childhood experiences greatly

influence the development of latter personality traits and psychological problems.

Research has found that students with high test anxiety are more likely to be
procrastinators—those who have the tendency to put off a task to the point of

by: Prof. Mary Vincentia O. Beldiall

Capiz State University Main Campusll
College of Engineering, Architecture & Technologyl
9
 GE 101 UNDERSTANDING ONE’S SELF

feeling uncomfortable or anxious about the delay. The psychoanalytic approach

would look beneath obvious reasons students give for. Procrastination and look
deeper in to their unconscious. Based on personality tests, students who
procrastinate may have low self-esteem, too dependent on others, or have a strong
feelings of fear to fail that they do not start the task. The psychoanalytic approach
would also look at childhood experiences to explain procrastination. Research has
shown that procrastinators may be raised in an environment that is set on over-
achievement, people who set unrealistic goals for children or link achievement to
material rewards and parental approval or attention.

Humanistic Approach

Humanistic Approach emphasizes that each individual has great freedom in directing
his or her future, a large capacity for achieving personal growth, a considerable
amount of intrinsic worth, and enormous potential for self-fulfillment.

Psychologists have studied profiles of students whose academic performance range

from good to poor. Studies show that successful students feel competent about
meeting demands of each class they attend. They believe that they can handle test
situations. They are very good at organizing their study time and leisure activities.
They prepare for tests and projects and do no not procrastinate. The humanistic
approach would consider these students as having found ways to reach their
academic potential.

Cross-cultural Approach
Cross-cultural Approach studies the influence of cultural and ethnic similarities an
differences on psychological and social functioning.

An approach that started recently—1970s, this attempts to understand behavior by

comparing different cultures and establishing similarities and differences between
them.

Evaluation 1B: This time, write in 5 sentences, the most significant concept from
this module. Explain why this is significant to you.

Job well done! Now relax, before we move on to the next chapter.

by: Prof. Mary Vincentia O. Beldiall

Capiz State University Main Campusll
College of Engineering, Architecture & Technologyl
10