FUNDAMENTAL basics OF PSYCHOLOGY-UNIT 1.pptx

Psychology

1. FUNDAMENTALS OF PSYCHOLOGY-UNIT 1 INTRODUCTION

2. PSYCHOLOGY The term Psychology is a derivation from the two Greek words, psyche (soul, mind, consciousness or awareness) and logos (a rational course or a study). It can be broadly defined as the systematic study of human mind ,mental processes, behaviour and experience. “Psychology is the scientific study of the mind and how it dictates and influence our behaviour, from communication and memory to thought and emotion. its about understanding what makes people tick and how this understanding can help us address many of the problems and issues in the society today.”

3. NATURE OF PSYCHOLOGY It is an accepted reality that the nature of the subject psychology is quite scientific .For emphazising it we can argue in the following manner: Possesses a body of fact which can be supported through universal laws and principles. It carries a well organized theories which is supported by relevant psychological laws and principles. Emphasizes the search for truth. Does not believe in mere hearsay or stereotypes. It uses scientific methods like observation and experimentation for the study of behaviours. It believes in cause and effect relationship by emphasizing that every behaviour has its roots, the factors of its causing and nurturing. Adopts the method of objective investigation, systematic and controlled observation and scientific approach. It helps in predicting the future development It enable to turn the theories into practice by having an applied aspect.

4. HISTORY OF PSYCHOLOGY Before 1870 psychology was not a separate discipline rather it was studied under philosophy. Wilhelm Wundt in 1879 opened first experimental laboratory in psychology at the University of Leipzig,Germany.He is considered as the father of psychology. American Psychological Association (APA) was established in 1892 and the founder was G. Stanley Hall. In 1896,John Dewey and William James supported the functionalism in psychology. In 1896,Sigmund Freud developed the theory of psychoanalysis. In 1905 IQ test was developed by Alfred Binet and Theodore Simon. In 1913 John B. Watson supported the behavioural aspects of Psychology. In 1921,Swiss Psychiatrist Hermann Rorschach devised a personality test based on patient’s Interpretation of inkblots which is named as Rorschach Ink blot test. In 1921 , Ivan Pavlov developed the theory of classical conditioning through the experimental approach.

5. BRANCHES OF PSYCHOLOGY PURE PSYCHOLOGY General Psychology Abnormal Psychology Social Psychology Physiological Psychology Para psychology Developmental Psychology APPLIED PSYCHOLOGY Educational Psychology Clinical Psychology Industrial Psychology Military Psychology Forensic Psychology

6. PURE PSYCHOLOGY It provides the framework and theory. Its contents deal with the formulation of psychological principles and theories. It suggests various methods and techniques for the analysis, assessment, modification and improvement of behaviour. General Psychology:- It is relatively a larger area or field of psychology which deals with the fundamental rules, principles, and theories of psychology in relation to the study of behaviour of normal adult beings. Abnormal Psychology:- It is the branch or field of psychology which describes and explains the behavior of abnormal people in relation to their own environment. The causes, symptoms and syndromes ,description and treatment of the abnormalities of behaviour form the subject matter of this branch.

7. Social Psychology:- The branch deals with the group behaviour and inter-relationships of people with other people. Group dynamics, likes and dislikes, interests and attitudes, social distance and prejudices of the people in their personal and social relationships. Physiological Psychology:- It describes and explains the biological and physiological basis of behaviour. The study of the internal environment and physiological structure of the body, particularly brain, nervous system and functioning of the glands in relation to the conative, cognitive and affective behaviour of human beings. Para Psychology:- Deals with extra-sensory perceptions, cases of rebirth, telepathy and allied problems. Development Psychology:- It describes and explains the process of growth and development in relation to the behavior of an individual from birth to old age.

8. APPLIED PSYCHOLOGY Educational Psychology:- It tries to apply the psychological principles, theories and techniques to human behavior in educational situations. It covers psychological ways and means of improving all aspects of the teaching/learning process including the learner, learning process, learning material ,learning environment and the teacher. Clinical Psychology:- It describes and explains the causes of mental illness or abnormal behavior of a patient attending the clinic or hospital and suggests individual or group theory for the treatment and effective adjustment of the affected person in society. Industrial Psychology:- It tries to seek application of the psychological principles, theories and techniques for the study of human behaviour in relation to industrial environment. It includes the topics or contents that are useful for improving the ways and means of knowing the taste and interest of consumers, advertising and sale of products, selection training and placing of personnel, solving labour problems ,strengthening morals of the workers and increasing the production etc.

9. Military Psychology:- It is concerned with the use of psychological principles and techniques in the world of military science. How to keep the morale of the soldiers and citizens high during war time, how to fight the war of propaganda and intelligence services, how to secure better recruitment of the personnel for the armed forces and how to improve the fighting capacities and organisational climate and leadership etc, Forensic Psychology:- It involves the application of psychological principles, theories and skills to the understanding and functioning of the legal criminal justice system.

10. EMOTION Emotion is defined as a complex psychological state that involves three distinct components: A subjective response, A physiological response and a behavioural or expressive response. It is a complex pattern of bodily changes including physiological arousal, feelings, cognitive process and behavioural responses to a personally significant situation. A strong feeling deriving from one’s circumstances, mood or relationships with others and can influence our thoughts, behavior and decision making. Emotion is associated with mood, temperament, personality, disposition and motivation.

11. INTELLIGENCE It is the general ability to solve intellectual problems on the basis of past learning and present grasp of essentials. Intelligence is the global or aggregate capacity of an individual to think rationally, act purposefully to deal effectively with his or her environment. It refers to the mental capacity to learn from experiences, adapt to new situations, understand and handle abstract concepts and use knowledge to manipulate one’s environment. It includes skills such as problem solving, critical thinking, learning quickly and understanding complex ideas.

12. ATTENTION Attention is the focus of consciousness on a particular object of idea at a particular time,to the exclusion of other objects or ideas. It is defined as a process which compels the individual to select a particular stimulus according to his interest and attitude out of the multiple stimuli of the environment. It is a selective mental activity which requires some motor and sensory adjustments on the part of the person being attentive. The heightened focus which we experience during attention increases our ability to respond speedily and accurately to interesting stimuli.

13. MEMORY Memory is the ability or power of our mind to store the past experiences of learning and utilizing them at a later stage. It refers to the psychological processes of acquiring, storing, retaining and later retrieving information. There are three major processes involved in memory:-encoding, storage and retrieval. It is the capability to retain information or representation of past experience, based on the mental processes of learning or encoding, retention across some interval of time, and retrieval of the memory.

14. PROBLEM SOLVING The term refers to the mental process that people go through to discover, analyze and solve problems. It is the act of defining a problem; determining the cause of the problem; identifying; prioritizing and selecting alternatives for a solution; and implementing a solution. The process by which individuals attempt to overcome difficulties, achieve plans that move them from a starting situation to a desired goal, or reach conclusions through the use of higher mental functions, such as reasoning and creative thinking.

15. ABNORMALITY Abnormality or abnormal behaviours are actions that are unexpected and often evaluated negatively because they differ from typical or usual behaviour. It is an inability to cope with day-to-day living and focuses upon personal distress, inappropriate behavior , unpredictability, irrationality, observer discomfort, violation of moral standards and unconventionality. “Abnormality or dysfunctional behaviour, in the vivid sense of something deviating from the normal or differing from the typical, is a subjectively defined behavioral characteristic, assigned to those with rare or dysfunctional conditions.