Psychology

MUHAMMAD HUSSAIN
What is Psychology?

•Psychology derived from a Greek word Psycho

mean “soul or mind”, Logy mean “Knowledge”.
• Psychology can be defined as the scientific
study of Mind, Behavior and Mental processes.
Psychology as a Science
• It is systematized knowledge that is gathered
by carefully observing and measuring events.
• Psychologist conduct researches, and
experiments by collecting empirical evidence
in order to identify and solve the problem
through scientific method.
.
Beginning of scientific
Psychology
 In late 19th Century, William Wundt set up the first
laboratory and used Introspection method.
 Introspection refers to observing and recording the nature
of one’s own perception, thoughts and feelings.
 The Purpose of
Psychology
 Psychology seeks a general understanding of
how human beings function, the inner workings
of the mind and how that effects behavior.
Psychology and Other Fields
 Behavioral Sciences…such as education and
environmental design use psychology to train or
shape surroundings.
 BiologicalSciences…researchers team with
psychologists in researching brain processes and
bio-chemical bases of behavior
 Computer sciences…questions
concerning the human mind made by
psychologists assist those in the computer
science and mathematics field
 Health
Sciences…psychology seeks to
improve the quality of life of individuals
 Goals of Psychology
 Description
• Identifying and classifying behaviors
and mental processes
•Explanation • Proposing reasons for behaviors and
mental processes
•Prediction • Offering hypotheses about how a
condition or set of conditions will affect behavior
and mental processes
•Influence • Using research results to solve
practical problems
Goals of Psychology
 Two types of research are done to
accomplish psychologists’ four goals
 Basic research: Research that seeks new
knowledge to advance general scientific
understanding
 Applied research: Research conducted to
solve practical problems and improve the
quality of life
A Brief History of Psychology 
 ‘Psychology has a long past, but its real
history is short.’ E.bbinghaus (1908)
  Certainly it was shaped by Enlightenment
philosophy (e.g. Descartes, Locke, Hobbes)
 However, others also asked about human
nature, for example theologians and
educators.
 Wilhelm Wundt: “Father” of
Psychology • 1879: Set up first lab to
study conscious experience
 Psychology emerged as an emerging
filed by using science, instead of
philosophy, to find answers
Schools of Thought in
Psychology
  Themajor schools of thought in psychology
include:
 Behaviorism
 Psychoanalytic psychology
 Humanistic psychology
 Cognitive psychology
 The sociocultural approach
How do behaviorist explain
behavior and mental process

 Behaviorists view observable, measurable

behavior as the only appropriate subject matter
for psychology • Behaviorism also emphasizes
the environment as the key determinant of
behavior
What do Psychodynamic
believe about the role of
the Unconscious?
 Sigmund Freud’s theory of personality and
his therapy for psychological disorders is
called Psychoanalysis • According to this
theory, an individual’s thoughts, feelings,
and behavior are determined primarily by the
unconscious
According to Maslow and Rogers, what
motivates behavior and Mental Processes?
 Humanistic psychology: Focuses on the
uniqueness of human beings and their capacity
for choice, growth, and psychological health
 Abraham Maslow’s theory of motivation The
need for self-actualization is the highest need in
the hierarchy of needs.
What is the focus of cognitive
psychology? 
 Cognitive psychology focuses on mental
processes such as memory, problem solving,
decision making, perception, and language
 Information-processing theory
 An approach within cognitive psychology
that uses the computer as a model for human
thinking
What is the main idea behind
evolutionary psychology?


 Evolutionary psychology focuses on how
human behaviors necessary for survival have
adapted in the face of environmental pressures
over the course of evolution.
How do biological psychologists
explain individual differences in
behavior and mental processes?
 Biological psychologists look for connections
between specific behaviors (such as
aggression) and specific biological factors
(such as hormones) to help explain individual
differences
What kinds of variables
interest psychologists who
take a sociocultural approach?


The sociocultural approach focuses on how
factors such as cultural values affect
behavior • Proponents of this approach
believe that these factors are as important as
evolutionary and physiological factors in
affecting behavior and mental processes
Fields of Psychology
 ClinicalPsychologists: Assess and treat
mental, emotional and behavioral disorders.
 Counselling Psychologist: Provide
counseling services to individuals, groups
and organizations (schools, hospitals) to
help people cope with problems.
 IndustrialPsychologists: Apply psychological
research and principles to the workplace to
improve productivity and quality of work life.

 Neuropsychologists: Explore relationships

between brain systems and behavior,
including issues of memory, brain injuries,
diseases and brain function.
Fields of Psychology

 School Psychologists: Study how teaching

and learning take place.
 Health Psychologists: Examine how
various factors affect health and illness, as
well as effective ways to control pain or
change habits.
 Forensic Psychologists: Apply
psychological principles to legal issues.
 Sports Psychologists: Work with athletes
on issues of anxiety, fear of failure, focus,
motivation, and competition.