PSYCHOLOGY

U N I T- 1
(INTRODUCTION)

P A R T- 3 ( M E T H O D O F
PSYCHOLOGY)
METHOD OF PSYCHOLOGY

• Psychology is termed as the scientific study of

human behavior.
• Special tools and procedures help us in gathering
and organizing its subject matter for the essential
facts about behavior.
• These procedures are termed as methods which are
used to study human behavior.
METHOD’S

1. Introspection Or Self Observation Method

2. Observational Method
3. Experimental Method
4. Survey Method
5. Clinical Or Case History Method
6. Genetic Or Developmental Method
INTROSPECTION OR SELF
OBSERVATION METHOD
• This is one of the oldest method of psychology. Introspection
means to look within. It is not possible to understand the inner
feeling and experiences of other person. Here the subject is asked
to observe his own behavior and report the same which is
analyzed to understand behavior,
• Example, a patient after an operation may be asked to report how
he feels. The patient will try to look within and recall what
happened and how he is presently feeling. This information will help
for better treatment.
OBSERVATIONAL METHOD
• Observation is the object method of studying the behavior of individual. It
consists of the perception of an individual behavior under natural conditions,
its analysis and interpretation by the observer. In this method the observer
observe and collect the data,
• Example, in the hospital the nurse makes an observation of patients facial
expression, restlessness etc. To understand clinical condition of the patient.
• Steps in observation method
• Observation of behavior
• Noting of behavior
• Interpretation and analysis of behavior
• Generalization
EXPERIMENTAL METHOD
• Experimental method is considered as the most
scientific and objective method of studying behavior.
• In psychology, experimental study is used to study
the cause-and-effect relationship. To study the cause-
and-effect relationship the psychologist use
objective observation under controlled condition to
observe action or behavior of individual.
ESSENTIAL FEATURES OF
EXPERIMENTAL METHOD
Required two persons, the experimental and the
subject or the person whose behavior is observed
Experimentation should be done on living
organism.
All experiments are conducted under controlled
conditions.
SURVEY METHOD
• All problems in psychology cannot be studied by the
experimental and other method. Some problem like study
of opinion, attitude, healthcare need etc. Can be studied by
means of survey method. This is commonly employed in
social psychology.
• The survey method involved collection of information from
a large number of people by using questionnaires, checklist,
rating scale and interview.
CLINICAL OR CASE HISTORY METHOD
• It aims at studying the cause of people’s anxiety, fear’s and personal
maladjustments. Relevant data is collected to know about the
nature of the individual difficulty, problem, origin and course of
development.
• In this technique information is collected from the memory of the
individual, his parents, members of his family, friends, teachers and
all other available record and reports. The information include the
past history of the disease, treatment already taken, changes if any
like improvement, present condition, cause ,sign and symptoms etc.
GENETIC OR DEVELOPMENTAL
METHOD
• Psychologist study not only the behavior of an individual at
a particular time, but also his development from birth to
death, the influence of heredity and environment, condition
favorable and unfavorable, for normal and abnormal
behavior.
• Example, To understand the learning behavior of an adult,
the study will start from the childhood and adolescence.