Introduction to

Psychology
Why are you in a class on Introduction to
Psychology?
1. You want to know about your own self
2. You found the subject to be intriguing
3. You want to know more about relationships
4. You want to help people around you
5. You want to read people’s minds and scare them
6. Understanding why certain people behave the way they do
7. The disorders were what caught your eye
8. You want to learn tips and tricks to learn better
9. You want to live everyday better
What do you want to learn from psychology?/What
comes from to your mind when you hear the word
psychology
Bursting Psychological Myths
1. Psychologists can read minds.
2. Psychology is the same as Psychiatry.
3. Psychologist work only in hospitals.
4. There isn't any statistics in Psychology.
5. Psychology isn't a science.
6. Astrology and Psychology are the same.
Defining the Discipline of Psychology
Psychology is the systematic, scientific study of behaviors and mental processes.
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior, according to the American Psychological
Association. It is the study of the mind, how it works, and how it affects behavior. It is further
added, “embraces all aspects of the human experience, from the functions of the brain to the
actions of nations, from child development to care for the aged.”
Systematic:
Scientific: It follows the goals and values of science as well as scientific methodologies
Behaviors: behaviors refers to observable actions or responses in both humans and animals.
Behaviors might include eating, speaking, laughing, running, reading, and sleeping
Mental Processes: Mental processes, which are not directly observable, refer to a wide range of
complex mental processes, such as thinking, imagining, studying, and dreaming
More Definitions
According to Feldman, “Psychology is the study of human behaviour
and mental processes”
Eric Pettifor defines it, “as an art that presents itself as a science.”
Thus psychology is both a science and an art. (Discussed later)
Hamm defines psychology as, “scientific study of human and animal
behaviour” Thus, some of the first experiments in psychology
involved animals
Boiling defines psychology as a science of description and application
used for “interpretation, prediction, development and improvement
of human behaviour” which has it its roots in philosophy.
 Tracing the Definition of Psychology
It started with the soul - The word Psychology has its origin from two Greek words ‘Psyche’ and
‘Logos’, ‘psyche’ means ‘soul’ and ‘logos’ means ‘study’. Thus literally, Psychology means ‘the
study of soul’ or ‘science of soul’. However the inability to understand soul as a scientific and
measureable concept made psychology move from the science of soul to the science of
consciousness.
For a long period of time, the fields in psychology tried to understand the structure and function
of the consciousness and what lies beyond – the unconscious. Thus, also the study of mind and
mental processes
However, as field diversified, behavior which was observable
became important. and psychology became the science of
Mind and Behaviour

Soul Mind Consciou Behavio

sness ur
 Goals of Psychology The third goal of
psychology is to
predict how
organisms will
behave in certain
Predict
situations
The first goal of
psychology is to
describe the The second goal
different ways Goals of of psychology is to
that organisms Describe Psycholog Explain explain the causes
behave. y of behavior

the fourth goal of

psychology is to
control an
organism’s Control
behavior.
Psychology as a Natural Science
The Scope of Psychology
 Psychology and Everyday life
Making sense
Understanding of life
Relationships experiences

Workplace Critical Thinking,

Behaviour and Problem Solving
Impression and Decision
Management Making

Exploring Self
Motivation as and Making
well as living sense of
better life Emotion
Sport and performance psychology
Sport and performance psychologists use science to study human
behavior and abilities in sport, exercise, and performance. They help
people overcome psychological barriers that can impede their
achievements and professional success.
Social psychology
Social psychologists use psychological science to understand how we
perceive ourselves in relation to the rest of the world and how this
perception affects our choices, behaviors, and beliefs.
Rehabilitation psychology
Rehabilitation psychologists study individuals with disabilities and chronic
health conditions and help to improve their overall quality of life.
Psychology of teaching and learning
Psychologists working in education study how people learn and
retain knowledge. They apply psychological science to improve the
learning process and promote educational success for all students.
Industrial and organizational psychology
Industrial and organizational psychologists use science to study
human behavior in organizations and the workplace.
Human factors and engineering psychology
Human factors and engineering psychologists strive to make everyday
experiences easier, more comfortable, and less frustrating by applying the
psychological science of human behavior to the products, systems, and devices
we use every day.
Health psychology
Health psychologists use the science of psychology to promote health, prevent
illness, and improve health care. They get to the root of people’s emotions to
help them make healthy choices.
Forensic and public service psychology
Forensic and public service psychologists use psychological science to support
the judicial system and other organizations dedicated to public safety. Their
expertise and assessments are important in a range of issues that straddle the
psychology and legal fields, from mental competence to youth testimony.
Developmental psychology
Developmental psychologists study how people grow and adapt over the course
of their lives. They apply their research to help people overcome developmental
challenges and reach their full potential.
Counseling psychology
Counseling psychologists focus on facilitating personal and interpersonal
functioning across the lifespan.
Clinical psychology
Clinical psychologists integrate the science of psychology with the treatment of
complex human problems.
Climate and environmental
psychology
Climate and environmental psychologists use psychological science to improve
the interactions of people with the world around us.
Brain science and cognitive
psychology
Brain science and cognitive psychologists study how the human mind thinks,
remembers, and learns. They apply psychological science to understand how we
make decisions and perceive our world.
Activity: Can you read the jumbled
sentence given below?
Aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it
deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are,
the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat
ltteers be at the rghit pclae. The rset can be a toatl
mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit porbelm. Tihs is
bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter
by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe."
Thus, what can you learn from a class in psychology
that you would not learn from Instagram?
1. Be able to develop critical thinking
2. Learn ways to deal with everyday challenges better
3. Understand about healthy and unhealthy relationships
4. Deal with everyday stress and learn ways to be more
mentally healthy
5. Understand the social behaviours and how they govern
us
6. Understand yourself and others better
7. How to be more kinder to self and others
Thank You.

Questions?