INTRODUCTION TO PSYCHOLOGY

INTRODUCTION TO PSYCHOLOGY. Instructor Ms. Arshia Saif.

WHAT IS PSYCHOLOGY ?.  Greek word combination P s y c h o me a ns mind o r soul a nd l o g o m e a ns stu d y o f  Therefore the word psychology means “ study of mind” and it also includes studying emotions and behaviors of an individual or group of people  P s y cho l o g y stud i e s ment a l p r o c e ss su c h a s thoughts (c o g nit i o ns), feelings (emotions) and behaviors scientifically (using observation a nd m a king h y p oth e s i s)..

WHAT IS A BEHAVIOR?.  Any detectable and measureable bodily reaction to an external o r int e r nal st i m ulus i n the en v i r o nment i s b e havi o r  W al kin g , S l ee pi n g , D a n c i n g , C r y i ng  T al kin g , W r i t i n g , Lis t e ning  Physical movements and facial expressions (laughing, smiling, eye blinking).

Many factors influence behaviors Environmental level (Culture and society) Behavior.

HOW IS BEHAVIOR SHAPED?.  By Culture and Society V a l ues a nd No r ms Family System R el i gi o u s mo r al v al u es Education P ersonal s p a c e  By Heredity and Environment G e n e t i c s , ho r mo n es Experiences.

WHAT ARE COGNITIONS?. Thought related mental processes are cognitions such as  Emotions  Feelings  Thoughts  Dreams  Memories.

PSYCHOLOGY’S THREE MAIN LEVELS OF ANALYSIS. Biological influences • genetic predispositions • genetic mutations • natural selection of adaptive physiology and behaviors • genes responding to the environment Psychological influences • learned fears and other learned expectations • emotional responses • cognitive processing and perceptual interpretations Behavior or mental process Social-cultural influences • presence of others • cultural, societal, and family expectations • peer and other group influences • compelling models (such as the media).

PSYCHOLOGY AS A SOCIAL SCIENCE. Psychology has roots and connections with different disciplines of every day life such as 1. P h i l os op h y ( r ea s o n i n g and logi c s ea r c h ) 2 . P h y s io l o g y (Mi n d b r ain c o n n ec tio n ) 3. Biology and Medicine (genetics, hormones impacting our behaviors) 4. Anthropology (evolution in behaviors over time as per culture) 5 . So c io l o g y (i n f l u e n c e of n o r m s and v alues).

EMPIRICAL AND SCIENTIFIC STUDY. Psychology is a systematic scientific way of studying a behavior as it uses following steps.  Obs e r v a t i o n (E x a min e , I nqu ire o r Int e r vi e w)  Describe (Record frequency and intensity of behaviors)  Explain (Reason of what, why, how a feeling or behavior is experienced)  Predict (Based on above three steps we suggest that how a person will b e ha v e i n a future situation)  Control (Changing individual’s current behaviors, thoughts by teaching him to think in.

GOALS OF PSYCHOLOGY. Understanding, explaining and altering a behavior by identifying p o t e nti a l c a uses a nd p r e di ct i ng the future ac t i o n s . Ma i n C o n c e r ns : W ho a m I ? W h y d o I b e ha v e the w a y I d o ? What oth e rs p r o bab l y th i n k ? W h y d o th e y b e ha v e the w a y th e y d o ? T o su m mar i ze the g o a l i s to  Ga i n i nsi g ht i nto the m i nd  Und e rst a nd i ng o nese l f a nd o t hers.

PSYCHOLOGY’S SUBFIELDS: RESEARCH. Psychologist What s h e do e s Biological E x pl o r e t h e lin k s b e t w e e n b r ai n a n d mi n d. Developmental S t u d y c h a n gi n g a b iliti e s f r o m w o m b to to m b . Cognitive S t u d y h o w w e p e r c e i v e , t h in k , a n d sol v e problems. Personality I n v es t i g a t e o u r p e r sist e n t t r ai t s . Social E x pl o r e h o w w e vi e w a n d a f f e c t o n e a n o t h e r ..

PSYCHOLOGY’S SUBFIELDS: RESEARCH. B i o l og i c a l 9.9%.

PSYCHOLOGY’S SUBFIELDS: APPLIED. Psychologist What they do Clinical S t ud i e s , a ssess e s , an d t r ea t s peop le wi t h p s y ch o l o g ical d iso r de r s Counseling H e lps peop le co p e wi t h a ca d e m i c , v o catio n a l, an d m a ri t a l ch a lle n g e s . Educational S t ud i e s an d h e l p s in d i v i dua ls in sch o o l a n d edu catio n a l set t in g s Industrial/ Organizational S t ud ies an d a d v ises o n beh a v ior in t h e workplace..

PSYCHOLOGY’S SUBFIELDS: APPLIED. D a t a : A P A 199 7.

A clinical psychologist (Ph.D.) studies, assesses, and treats troubled people with psychotherapy. Psychiatrists on the other hand are medical professionals (M.D.) who use treatments like drugs and psychotherapy to treat psychologically diseased patients..