Andaya, Allysa Mae P. SOCSC 004 MWF 1:30 PM-2:30 PM

Andaya, Allysa Mae P.
SOCSC 004 MWF 1:30 PM- 2:30 PM
1. Define Psychology Using:

a. Etymological Definition
The Latin psychologia with psycho meaning ‘of the soul, spirit, psyche, or mind’ and logia
from the Greek word logos which ‘denotes the characters, actions, or departments of
knowledge’ that precedes the logos. A simpler translation would be ‘the study of’ Meaning
that psychology is the study of the soul, the spirit, the psyche, or the mind.
b. Formal Definition
The scientific study of the nature, functioning, and development of the human mind,
including the faculties of reason, emotion, perception, communication, etc.; the branch of
science that deals with the (human or animal) mind as an entity and in its relationship to
the body and to the environmental or social context, based on observation of the behaviour
of individuals or groups of individuals in particular (ordinary or experimentally controlled)
circumstances
2. Identify the different methods employed in Psychology.

 Psychoanalytic Approach
The father of psychoanalytic approach Sigmund Freud focused on unconscious libidinal
energy in describing the present state of the individual. He studied mind in terms of
hierarchical arrangements of experiences in the form of different layers of consciousness
(e.g. conscious, preconscious, and unconscious). Thus to understand the present human
behaviour the analysis of unconscious mental contents is considered most important.
 Humanistic Approach
Contrary to Freud, the father of humanistic approach Carl Rogers put greater emphasis on
conscious experiences of the present situation, role of interpersonal experiences across
the course of life, and people’s capacity to grow toward psychological maturity. This
approach basically assumes that a person is an active and self-actualizing agent and has
a choice in deciding his behaviour. As a part of the self-actualizing process a person seeks
to maintain a congruence between self and experience. However, because of past
experiences with conditional positive regard, he may deny or distort the experiences that
threaten one’s self-system. Such a self-system can be changed in the therapeutic setting
through genuineness, unconditional positive regard, and empathic understating of the
client’s problem by the therapist.
 Behaviorist Approach
The unit of analysis for this approach is explicit, objective and overt behaviour and its
relationship with environmental stimulation. The father of behaviorism J. B. Watson
emphasized on objective analysis of behaviour. He advocated that behaviour is largely
governed by the association between stimulus and response and the behaviour can be
shaped in a desired direction by manipulating this association.
 Cognitive Approach
The cognitive approach emerged as an alternative to the mechanistic paradigm of
behaviourism. This approach mainly focuses on the study of information processing
capacity of the individual in terms of perception, remembering, thinking, language,
reasoning, problem solving and decision making which are called higher mental
processes. It proposes that we look out for information in the world and our behaviour
depends upon the way we process this information. This approach largely relies on
computational models and assumes that behaviour and mental processes can best be
understood by treating them in terms of information processing.
3. Enumerate and identify the different branches of Psychology.

 Clinical Psychology
This treatment-oriented branch of psychology deals with scientific ways of handling
psychological problems. Also called counselling psychology or psychotherapy, it focuses
on the prevention, understanding and cure of psychological issues by way of psycho-
therapeutic treatment.
 Biopsychology
This branch of psychology looks at the role the brain and neurotransmitters play in
influencing our thoughts, feelings and behaviours. It combines neuroscience and the study
of psychology.
 Educational Psychology
Educational psychology is the scientific study of human behaviour in an educational setting
and, as such, it deals with issues such as learning disorders, adolescence behaviours, and
so on. These studies focus primarily on the different developmental stages of children and
teenagers.
 Cognitive Psychology
The branch of psychology that deals with mental processes, such as thoughts, memory
and problem solving, is called cognitive psychology. In essence, it is concerned with the
perception and problem-solving capability of the brain.
 Forensic Psychology
The application of psychology to law making, law enforcement, the examination of
witnesses, and the treatment of the criminal is the job of the forensic psychologist. Also
known as legal psychology, this branch of psychology is not dissimilar to cognitive and
clinical psychology, but involves a thorough understanding of the law.
 Social Psychology
Focused on the psychological aspects of individuals within a community environment,
community psychology explores characteristics such as interdependence, adaptation,
diplomacy, empowerment, social justice, and so on. It is also referred to as critical
psychology.
 Industrial Psychology
This branch of psychology addresses practical problems in the workplace through the
application of psychological principles. Industrial psychologists, also called organizational
psychologists, are employed by companies to administer tests which measure employee
aptitudes or skills in hiring and placement programs.
 Health Psychology
This branch of psychology observes how behaviour, biology and social context influence
illness and health. Health psychologists generally work alongside other medical
professionals in clinical settings.
 Experimental Psychology
Experimental psychologists work to understand the underlying causes of behaviour by
studying humans and animals. They work mainly in a laboratory environment, exploring
how different species interrelate and investigating the evolutionary significance of certain
behaviours.
 Developmental Psychology
Developmental psychology is a branch of psychology that attempts to explain the
development of humans over time, both in the micro sense, as they develop from babies to
mature adults, and in the macro sense, as the culture itself evolves through the years and
decades.

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Andaya, Allysa Mae P.

SOCSC 004 MWF 1:30 PM- 2:30 PM

1. Define Psychology Using:

2. Identify the different methods employed in Psychology.

3. Enumerate and identify the different branches of Psychology.

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