Exploring what psychology means…

• Psychology - the study of behavior and mental processes, in humans and/or animals

  • Psychology hasn’t been around for a while and is a science that is used to Empirically predict how a person will behave.

  • Cognitive Process - the entire operation of the mind (thoughts, dreams, rationale, and memories)

• Goals of psychology

  • Explain

  • Predict

  • Influence

How does Psychology apply to Funeral Service?

• 1950 - Edward Martin wrote a book titled “Psychology of Funeral Service”

  • Only by having a diverse educational background can a funeral director begin to understand the people they serve

  • “The most important concept”

• Psychology is used most in Funeral services through

  • Counseling - advice is given as a result of consultation meant to help the person

  • Personal Exercise - Why are you choosing funeral service?

• Become familiar with Dr. Alan Wolfelt and his view on the funeral

  • Pay the funeral director or pay the psychologist, it’s up to you

Using research in Psychology

• Research - careful collection of information on a particular subject

• Through research, we can develop what is known as a Hypothesis which can lead to implementing a Theory

• Popular Research Methods Used in Psychology

  • Observations - Watching Behaviors without Interference

  • Case Studies - intense examination of the phenomenon with a complex explanation by utilizing multiple resources to draw a conclusion

  • Surveys - questionnaires or interviews aimed at gaining a subject insight in a relatively short time frame

  • Experiments - manipulating variables to note the impact on the subject (cause and effect)

Philosophy’s Influence on Psychology

• Ancient Greece

  • Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle worked to develop logic regarding how the human psyche operated but it was through a philosophical lens

• 1626 - Rene Descartes begins to write on the philosophy of the human mind

  • Dualism - the mind and body are separate but work together to form reality

  • Cogito, Ergo Sum - I think therefore I am

  • Automatic Reaction - Predecessor to reflex theory in that any sensation can cause a reaction from the body due to learned behavior

• During the Age of Enlightenment

  • John Locke wrote extensively on consciousness and proposed

    • Tabula Rasa - the human mind was blank at birth and is filled in with experiences and perceptions

    • Empiricism - Knowledge is derived primarily through experience

Major Players in Psychology

• Wilhelm Wundt

  • The Father of modern psychology

  • Developed the first series of psychological tests and began the first psychological research lab in 1879

  • Introspection - to look within; the subject self-reports, answering the question “How do you feel?”

• Edward Titchener

  • Proposed sensations have distinct characteristics

  • Developed Structuralism - theory based on identifying the most basic structures of the human mind

• Wiliam James

  • Authored the 1890 two-volume book, “Principles of Psychology”

  • Worked to discover how the mind, perception, habits, and emotions help you allow humans the ability to adapt and survive

  • Functionalism - theory focused on the anatomy of the mind

• Sigmund Freud

  • Viennese physician who is considered to be the most prolific psychologist in history

  • Used hypnosis to investigate the unconscious

  • Believed psychology offered only temporary answers to the human condition until neurology could explain the real cause

  • Developed many theories

    • Psychoanalysis

    • The Structure of Personality

    • The Psychosexual stages of development

    • Defense Mechanisms

  • John B. Watson

    • Psychologist and Advertising Executive

    • Focus was on what could be seen and measured, not unconscious

    • Behaviorism - the study of observable behavior since behavior is at the root of the reasons why a person acts in a certain way

    • Studied Child Rearing: The Little Albert Experiment

Differences between Practitioners

• Psychologist - has a doctoral level degree in psychology, focused on the clinical or counseling areas, investigating the workings of the mind and behavior.

• Psychiatrist - has a medical degree with a specialty in diagnosing and treating mental disorders, can prescribe medications

• Psychotherapist - practices in the clinical setting with individuals, groups, or families; attained a master’s degree; most common practitioner seen by a patient for therapy sessions

• Psychoanalyst - practices Freudian therapy techniques; for example: free association, dream interpretation, resistance, transference, and the division of the psyche

Perspectives and Subfolds of Psychology

• Cognitive - derived from the Latin word meaning to know; focus is on memory, thoughts, and reasoning

• Biological - focuses on the biological processes that underlie behavior; how biological characteristics are inherited & influence our behavior

• Behavioral - focuses on overt actions that can be measured and observed

• Evolutionary - focuses on the evolution of psychological mechanisms in conjunction with our behaviors; believe these mechanisms help or once helped in meeting basic survival needs

• Psychodynamics - focus on the role of the hidden, often unconscious processes

• Existentialism - dealing with the inner conflict of the individual due to the given fact of sheer existence

  • Focus on death, freedom, isolation, or meaninglessness

• Humanistic - suggests that people are in control of their lives and behavior

  • Able to develop higher levels of maturity through self-growth

  • Malsows Hierarchy of Needs

  • All people possess free will

  • Rejects the unconscious and focuses on the uniqueness of humanity

• Developmental psychology - studies how people change physically, cognitively, and socially over their entire lives

• Clinical Psychology - study diagnoses, causes, and treatments of mental health disorders

• Educational Psychology - all areas of the educational process; especially concerned with how students learn and develop, often focusing on subgroups

• School Psychology - applies principles of clinical psychology and educational psychology the the diagnosis and treatment of children’s and adolescents behavioral and learning problems

• Industrial/Organizational Psychology - the study of employees, workplace, and organizations

  • Study behaviors demonstrated in the workplace

  • Improve performance and well-being of employees

  • Develop better hiring, training, and feedback programs/practices

• Health, Sports, Forensic, Engineering, and Environmental Psychology