Introduction to. psychology .pptx

Introduction

1. PSC 422 Introduction to Behavioural Sciences H. Zwide 2015

2. Introduction Behavioral science is the study of human habits, actions, and intentions; it spans the fields of psychology, social work, human resources, economics, sociology and organizational behavior. The field is versed in psychometric methods and the social sciences, and who uses this expertise and interest to examine the observable actions of living beings.

3. Introduction cont’d Behavioural science also focuses on psychometric methods and the social sciences and uses this expertise and interest to examine the observable actions of living beings. In general, behavioural science falls into two main categories: neural-decision and social-communication. Neural-decision science studies the way humans make choices or decisions, while social-communication science looks at how humans communicate, both verbally and non-verbally

4. Introduction cont’d Behavioural sciences includes two broad categories: neural — Information sciences and social — Relational sciences. Behavioral science as a field of study helps people make positive changes to society, and further the empirical and theoretical knowledge base in this regard. It involves the systematic analysis and investigation of human and animal behaviour through the study of the past, controlled and naturalistic observation of the present, and disciplined scientific experimentation.

5. Introduction cont’d It attempts to accomplish legitimate, objective conclusions through rigorous formulations and observation. Examples of behavioral sciences include psychology, psychobiology, and cognitive science. The term behavioral sciences is often confused with the term social sciences.

6. Introduction cont’d Though these two broad areas are interrelated and study systematic processes of behavior, they differ on their level of scientific analysis of various dimensions of behaviour. Behavioral sciences abstract empirical data to investigate the decision processes and communication strategies within and between organisms in a social system. This involves fields like psychology, social neuroscience ethology, and cognitive science.

7. Introduction cont’d In contrast, social sciences provide a perceptive framework to study the processes of a social system through impacts of social organization on structural adjustment of the individual and of groups. They typically include fields like sociology, economics, public health, anthropology, demography and political science. Many subfields of these disciplines cross the boundaries between behavioral and social sciences. For example, political psychology and behavioral economics use behavioral approaches, despite the predominant focus on systemic and institutional factors in the broader fields of political science and economics.

8. Main focus of behavioural science course Some of the key areas of focus in behavioral science as it related to the study of medicine Mind–body interactions in health and disease Patient behavior Physician role and behavior Physician–patient interactions Social and cultural issues in health care Health policy and economics

9. Main focus cont’d Close link between behaviour and health Adverse health effects can be created or exacerbated by harmful behaviors (smoking, poor diet, sedentary lifestyle, excessive alcohol consumption, and risky sexual behaviors) Similarly, psychological, social, biological, and behavioral factors have been shown to influence disease risk and illness recurrence Similarly, psychological, social, biological, and behavioral factors have been shown to influence disease risk and illness recurrence.

10. Main focus cont’d Students should also graduate with an understanding of how their background and beliefs can affect patient care and their own well-being; how they can best interact with patients and their families; how cultural issues influence health care; and how social factors, such as health policy and economics, affect physicians' ability to provide optimal care for their patients. Because medical education is a continuum, it is neither necessary nor desirable for medical students to become experts in every topic in behavioral science but every students should be able to demonstrate competency and at a minimum have an understanding of behaviour and how it affects or is affected by health of a human being.

11. Psychology as a science Etymologically, the word psychology means the study the study of the soul on account of its derivation from two Greek words ‘ psyche ’ (soul) and ‘ logos ’ (study). Psychology - the scientific study of behaviour and mental processes . Scientific study means using systematic and objective techniques such as observation, description, and experimental investigation to collect information and then organising this information

12. Psychology as a science cont’d Psychology is one of the youngest sciences which did not emerge as a formal discipline until the late 19th century though its roots extend to the ancient past For centuries, philosophers and religious scholars have wondered about the nature of the mind and the soul. Thus, the history of psychological thought begins in philosophy.

13. Psychology – History Psychology is one of the youngest sciences which did not emerge as a formal discipline until the late 19th century though its roots extend to the ancient past For centuries, philosophers and religious scholars have wondered about the nature of the mind and the soul. Thus, the history of psychological thought begins in philosophy.

14. History cont’d Psychology as a self-conscious field of experimental study began in 1879, when Wilhelm Wundt founded the first laboratory dedicated exclusively to psychological research in Leipzig. Modern psychology can be traced to the study of physiology and medicine During the first decades of psychology, two main schools of thought dominated the field: structuralism and functionalism

15. History cont’d Structuralism was a system of psychology developed by Edward Bradford Titchener, an American psychologist who studied under Wilhelm Wundt Structuralists believed that the task of psychology is to identify the basic elements of consciousness in much the same way that physicists break down the basic particles of matter. In contradiction to the structuralist movement, William James promoted a school of thought known as functionalism, the belief that the real task of psychology is to investigate the function, or purpose, of consciousness rather than its structure.

16. History cont’d In their efforts to understand human behavioural processes, the functional psychologists developed the technique of longitudinal research Alongside Wundt and James, a third prominent leader of the new psychology was Sigmund Freud, a Viennese neurologist of the late 19th and early 20th century. Through his clinical practice, Freud developed a very different approach to psychology – psychoanalysis Other approaches to Psychology such as behaviourist, humanistic and cognitive emerged.

17. Contemporary Psychology Before psychology became established in science, it was popularly associated with extrasensory perception (ESP) and other paranormal phenomena (phenomena beyond the laws of science). Paranormal – unable to be explained or understood in terms of scientific knowledge. Grounded in the conviction that mind and behaviour must be studied using statistical and scientific methods, psychology has become a highly respected and socially useful discipline

18. Contemporary Psychology cont’d Psychologists now study important and sensitive topics such as the similarities and differences between men and women, racial and ethnic diversity, sexual orientation, marriage and divorce, abortion, adoption, intelligence testing, sleep and sleep disorders, obesity and dieting, and the effects of psychoactive drugs In the last few decades, researchers have made significant breakthroughs in understanding the brain, mental processes, and behaviour

19. Contemporary Psychology cont’d Contemporary research includes topics such as the plasticity of the brain and nervous system, the nature of consciousness, memory distortions, competence and rationality, genetic influences on behaviour, infancy, the nature of intelligence, human motivation, prejudice and discrimination, the benefits of psychotherapy, and the psychological influences on the immune system.

20. Goals of Psychology The first goal of psychology is to describe the different ways that organisms behave. After describing behaviour, psychologists try to explain behaviour, the second goal. Third goal of psychology is to predict how organisms will behave in certain situations. The fourth goal of psychology is to control behaviour.

21. Nature of Psychology It is an acceptable reality that the nature of the subject psychology is quite scientific In general, the nature of a subject like psychology is scientific if it fulfils the following criteria: Possesses a body of facts and is able to support it through universal laws and principles Does not believe in hearsay, stereotypes or superstitions Emphasise on search for truth

22. Nature of Psychology cont’d Emphasise on search for truth Adopts the method of object investigation, systematic and controlled observation and scientific approach Stands for the generalization, verifiability and modifications of the observed deduced phenomena Helps in predicting the future developments Is able to turn its theory into practice by having its applied aspect On the above characteristics, it may be established beyond doubt that psychology is a science – a behavioural science

23. Scope of Psychology The scope of a subject can usually be discussed under the following two heads: The limits of its operations and applications The branches, topics and the subject matter with which it deals The field of operation and applications of the subject psychology is too vast as it studies, describes and explains behaviour Behaviour is to be used to include all types of life activities and experiences – whether conative, cognitive or affective; implicit or explicit; conscious, unconscious or subconscious

24. References Guilford, J.B. (Ed). (1966). Fields of Psychology . New York: Van Nostrand Mangal, S.K. (1998). General Psychology . New Delhi: Sterling Publishers Munn, N.L. (1967). Introduction to Psychology . Delhi: Oxford and IBH Woodworth, R.S. (1945). Psychology . London: Methuen