GP 1

Page 6: What does Psychology deal with?

• Psychology is the scientific study of human behavior and mental processes

• A psychologist seeks to discover what makes people behave in certain ways and uses this understanding to solve problems

• You will learn the fundamental principles of psychology and gain a comprehensive understanding of the human mind

Page 7: What makes Psychology unique from other disciplines

• Psychology in Everyday Life

• Mental illness and health

• Psychology in sports, relationships, and advertisement

• Goal, rewards, supportive peers, motivation, encouragement, friendly environment

Page 8: What makes Psychology unique from other disciplines

• Leadership skills

• Decision making & problem solving

• Communication

• Emotional intelligence

• Personal growth

• Academics

Page 9: What do Psychologists do?

• Industrial/organizational psychology

• Recovery from mental disorders

• Reduce stress

• Cope with medical conditions

• Improve educational attainment

• Goal setting and relationships

• Increase self-esteem and confidence

• Health and wellness

Page 10: What do Psychologists do?

Subfield Description

• Behavioral genetics- inheritance of traits related to behavior

• Behavioral neuroscience- examines the biological basis of behavior

• Clinical psychology- deals with study, diagnosis and treatment of psy disorders

• Clinical neuropsychology- unites the areas of biopsychology and clinical psychology, focusing on relationship between biological factors and psychological disorders

• Cognitive psychology- study of higher mental processes

• Counseling psychology- educational, social and career adjustment problems

• Cross-cultural psychology- similarities and differences in psychological functioning in and across various cultures and ethnic groups

• Developmental psychology- how people grow and change from conception to death

• Educational psychology- teaching and learning processes such as the relationship between motivation and school performance

• Environmental psychology- relationship between people and physical environment

• Evolutionary psychology- how behavior is influenced by our genetic inheritance from our ancestors

• Experimental psychology- studies processes of sensing, perceiving, learning and thinking about the world

• Forensic psychology- legal issues, such as determining accuracy of witness memories

• Health psychology- explores relationship between psychological factors and physical ailments of witness memories

• Industrial/organizational psychology- psychology of workplace

• Personality psychology- consistency in people’s behavior over time and traits that differentiate one person from another

• Program evaluation- assessing large-scale programs, such as the Head start preschool program, to determine whether they are effective in meeting their goals

• Psychology of women- discrimination against women and causes of violence against women

• School psychology- counseling children in elementary and secondary schools having academic or emotional problems

• Social psychology- study of how people’s thoughts, feelings and actions are affected by others

• Sport psychology- applied psychology to athletic activity and exercise.

Page 11: Importance of Psychology in Our Daily Life

• Psychology helps us understand and embody our thoughts and feelings

• It allows us to build better relationships and improve communication

• Psychology helps us develop self-confidence and improve our self-image

• It enriches our career by providing a new perspective on mental illness

Page 12: Why Psychology?

• Psychology helps us understand ourselves and others better

• Greater understanding of human relationships

• It fosters critical thinking skills

• Psychology helps us stay motivated and achieve our goals

• It improves our communication skills

• Psychology provides a new perspective on mental illness

• It improves learning abilities and memory

• Psychology helps us deal with stress

Page 14: What is Psychology?

• Psychology- Psyche + Logos

• Psyche-soul/mind, logos- knowledge - greek

• Psychology is the scientific study of behavior and mental processes

• Behavior refers to outward or overt actions and reactions

• Mental processes

  - internal, covert activity of our minds/ internal subjective experiences

  that we infer from our behaviours such as sensations, perceptions, dreams, thoughts, beliefs, and feelings

Page 15: Psychology as a Science

• Psychology is the science of activities of the individual in relation to its environment

• Psychology is the scientific study of human and animal behavior

• Itis a science: prevents biases and ensures precise and careful measurement

Page 16: Goals of Psychology

• Description: observing and objectively describing behavior

• Explanation: understanding the reasons behind behavior

• Prediction: predicting future behavior

• Control: changing behavior to improve quality of life

Page 17: Myths and Truths about Psychology

• Psychologists cannot read minds or analyze individuals directly

• Acc to APA, psy is scientific study of mind and behavior, does not mean psys can read minds or are analyzing you

• through various assessments and interactions, they can gauge a person’s mental state and understand them but reading a person’s mind directly is not humanly possible.

Page 18: Why opposites don't attract

• The idea that "opposites attract" in relationships is a myth

• People tend to be attracted to those who are similar to themselves

• could be because: personality contrasts tend to stand out and become bigger over time

• We seek out people similar to us in both attitude and personality (Univ of Iowa study) Similarity-attraction effect (SAE)

Page 19: The 10% brain myth

• The notion that humans only use 10% of their brain is a myth

• fMRI scans show that almost all of the brain is active during simple activities

Page 21: Memory is like a recorder: Memory isn't reproductive, it is reconstructive

• Memory is not an exact reproduction, but a reconstruction

• Eyewitness testimony can be shockingly unreliable

Page 22: Therapy duration: Once you start therapy you have to go forever

• Therapy duration depends on various factors such as the degree to which someone is struggling and the quality of the therapeutic relationship and can be adjusted

• sessions may be spread out if desired with a few booster sessions scheduled later if needed

• There is no requirement to go to therapy forever

Page 23: Bottling up emotions

• Bottling up negative emotions like anxiety and anger can disrupt the normal function of cortisol, a stress hormone.

• This disruption can result in lowered immune function and an increased risk of developing chronic illnesses.

• Not expressing your emotions can also be a gateway to developing mental health conditions.

• A 2021 study conducted in Italy during the first wave of lockdown demonstrated that regulating or ignoring emotions can lead to short-term mental and physical reactions.

• Suppressing emotions, whether they are anger, sadness, grief, or frustration, can place physical stress on your body.

Page 24: The idea of right-brained and left-brained people is a myth

• Differences in personalities and talents cannot be explained by brain dominance

Page 25: GENERAL PSYCHOLOGY

• A psychologist's role goes beyond listening and understanding

  • Psychologists ask questions to understand background and circumstances

  • Collaborative treatment and goal development with the psychologist

• Psychologists do more than just listen to people vent

Page 27: optional activity

• PES Debate: For & Against Science

  • Characteristics of a science:

    • A science relies on empirical evidence and systematic observation to uncover and explain natural phenomena.

    Three stages of the development of a science proposed by Kuhn:

    • Kuhn's model suggests that scientific fields go through phases of pre-paradigm, normal science, and scientific revolution, illustrating the evolution of scientific understanding.

    Arguments for psychology being a science:

    • Psychology employs the scientific method to formulate hypotheses, conduct experiments, and gather data, making it a science akin to other natural and social sciences.

    • It has produced valuable insights into human behavior, cognition, and mental processes, demonstrating its systematic and empirical approach.

    • Psychologists follow rigorous research methods, including controlled experiments and statistical analysis, emphasizing the scientific nature of their work.

    Arguments against psychology being a science:

    • Critics argue that psychology's subject matter, which includes complex human thoughts and emotions, is inherently subjective and cannot be measured or studied in the same objective way as natural sciences.

    • The lack of a unified theory or paradigm in psychology raises questions about its scientific status, as it lacks a universally accepted framework like physics or chemistry.

    • Psychology often faces difficulties in replicating experiments and achieving consensus, leading to skepticism about its scientific rigor.

    Desirability of psychology being a science:

    • Recognizing psychology as a science is desirable because it allows for a systematic and evidence-based understanding of human behavior and mental processes.

    • Scientific status enhances psychology's credibility and legitimacy as a field, promoting its acceptance and application in various domains, including clinical and educational settings.

    • As a science, psychology can contribute to solving complex societal issues by providing evidence-based interventions and strategies.