Unit 1 Introduction To Psychology

UNIT 1
Introduction to
Psychology
Definition of Psychology
Derived from the Greek word psyche
and logos, meaning soul and study, to
the Greeks, psychology is simply a
study of soul.
Is defined as the scientific study of the

human behavior of living organism,
with special attention to human
behavior.
Definition of Psychology
The science seeking to
describe, understand and
predict the behavior of an
organism.
A science that deals with the
study of mind and behavior.
Psychology is a science that gathers
facts systematically, organizes
them into general principles and
formulates theories out of these
factual data. MFA
Behavior
Behavior psychologically,
refers to actions or
activities of the individual.
Classification of Behavior
Overt Obviously manifested
action, activities and
behavior.
Covert Hidden or those
actions, activities and
behavior not visible to
the naked eye.
M
A
F
Conscious Acts within the level of

one’s awareness.
Unconscious Acts that deeply

embedded in one’s
subconscious, unaware
actions. MFA
Simple Behavior that involves only
few neurons,
Complex Complicated and involves

more number of neurons.
MFA
Rational Exercised with sanityor

reason.
Irrational Committed for no

apparent reason or
explanation.
MFA
Voluntary Done with full volition, will
and control
Involuntary Processes within our body
that go even while we
asleep or awake without our
control and manipulation.
MFA
Fundamental Characteristics
of Human Behavior
Human behavior follows an orderly
pattern. Change in a person’s life
has a degree of order and regularity
in its nature.
Human behavior can be known.

Human behavior can be observed.
MFA
of Human Behavior
Knowledge of human behavior is
tentative but superior to ignorance. We
must pursue knowledge to be able to
improve human conditions.
Natural phenomena have natural causes.

Science rejects the beliefs in supernatural
forces to cause events.
of Human Behavior
Nothing is self-evident. Truth must only
be claimed and established when they
are demonstrated objectively.
Knowledge is derived from the

acquisition of experiences. Knowledge is
a product of experiences.
MFA
Goals of Psychology
To explain or understand why

organism behave in certain ways.
To predict how organism will behave in
the future.
To control behavior
MFA
Historical Background of
Psychology
Pre Historic /Traditionally
Gods and spirits were attributed the

power to direct or cause such events,
activities and behavior of men.
MFA
Psychology
Greek Influence
Democritus
Believed that the human mind and body is
composed of atoms which could circulate freely
and which enabled it to penetrate the whole
body.
According to him, atoms from our
environment enter through our sense organ
enabling us to perceive the world around us.
MFA
Psychology
Plato
The mind or soul has a distinct power
and isGod-given.
The soul is composed of three parts:
Head –exerts reason
Heart –noble impulses
Diaphragm –own passions and
desires MFA
Psychology
Aristotle
He believed that at birth, the mind is a tabula
rasa, a blank sheet and that the experiences one
encounters during one’s lifetime are impressed on the
mind.
Distinguished three functions of the soul:
1. Vegetative –concerned with basic maintenance of
life.
2. Appetitive –concerned with motives and desires.
3. Rational –governing function.
4. Introduces common sense, MFA
Psychology
Galen
Believes that differences in behavior is
attributed to the vital fluids / juices of the
body:
 Blood : Sanguine – cheerful
 Phlegm: Phlegmatic –sluggish / flataffect
 Black Bile: Melancholic – sad
 Yellow Bile: Choleric –bad temper
MFA
Psychology
Medieval Period
St. Agustine
He introduced and used the
method of Introspection(the
description of one’s own conscious
process).
MFA
Psychology
Pre –Modern Period
Rene Descartes
Formulated a theory of mind-body
interaction.
John Locke
Introduced the Idea as the unit into
which all experiences may be analyzed. MFA
Psychology
Scientific Psychology
WilhelmWundt
A German psychologist, founded his
Psychological Laboratory at Leizpeg, Germany which
earned for the title of “Father of Scientific
Psychology”
He first undertook through the experimental
approach, a systematic, scientific body of
knowledge about man’s interaction withMFA his
environment.
PREVIOUS
APPROACHES
TO
PSYCHOLOGY
MFA
STRUCTURALISM(1875 –1930)
Was developed in Germany in the 19thcentury.
Its main leaders were Wilhelm Wundt and later,
Edward Bradford Titchener.
The structuralist, were primarily concerned with
discovering the structure of the mind.
They believed that the mind is made up of building
blocks in the various types of sensation and
perception and that these building blocks could be
discovered through introspection or looking into
one’s own mind.
Introspection, which required subjects to look
inward and observe and report on the working of
their mind. MFA
FUNCTIONALISM (1890 - 1930)
John Dewey, William James, James Rowland and
Harvey Carr were the chief exponents of this school
of thought.
They held the view that it is not the “structure” that
should be of prime importance but the “function”.
Functionalism was the study of the function, use
and adaptability of the mind in changing
environment.
To understand human behavior processes, the
functional psychologist developed the technique of
longitudinal research, which consists of
interviewing, testing and observing one personMoFAver
a long period of time.
GESTALT (1912 –1940)
Kurt Koffka , Wolfgang Kokler and Max
Wertheimer founded the Gestalt school which
maintained that psychology should study the
whole pattern of behavior or experience or the
perception of organized configuration.
Emphasized that perception is more than the

sum of its parts and studied how sensationsare
assembled into meaning perceptual
experiences MFA
PSYCHOANALYSIS (1900 –present)
Sigmund Freud, a famous physician and psychiatrist
attempted to find the cause and cure of personality
disorder.
Psychoanalytic theory stressed the role of motives
and cravings, often hidden and repressed in the
subconscious mind, which result in abnormal
behavior.
Freud asserted that the sex urges in the unconscious
constitute the main human drive, this is known as
the libido theory
MFA
BEHAVIORISM (1913 –present)
Was founded by John B.Watson.
He rejected introspection as
psychological technique because its
results could not be scientifically verified
by other psychologist.
psychology shouldthat
Held the concept be the “objective
subject matterof
observable actions of the organism” MFA
HUMANISTIC (1950 –present)
Carl Rogers and Abraham

Maslow emphasized the unique
qualities of humans, especially
their freedom of choice and
decision making, as well as their
potential for personal growth.
MFA
COGNITIVE (1950 –present)
Jean Piaget, Noam Chomsky and Herbert

Simon focused on thought and mental
processes.
Human behavior cannot be fully

understood without analyzing how people
acquire , store and process information.
MFA
BIOLOGICAL (1950 –present)
James Olds and Rogers

Sperry theorized that much
of human and animal
behavior can be explained
in terms of bodily structure
and biochemical processes
MFA
PURPOSIVISM
William McDougall is the proponent of
thisapproach.
He believed that objects, movements and

behavior have a definite purpose and that
the ductless glands in people produce
hormones which give them purpose.
Purposivism placed an importance on

MFA
hormones in life.
MODERN
APPROACHES
TO
PSYCHOLOGY
MFA
Psychobiological Approach
Focuses on how our genes,
hormones and nervous system
interact with our environments
to influence learning,
personality, memory,
motivation, emotions and
coping techniques.
MFA
Cognitive Approach
Examines how we process,

store and use information and
how this information influences
what we notice, perceive and
remember.
MFA
Behavioral Approach
Studies how organisms learn
new behavior or modify
existing one depending on
whether events in their
environments rewards or punish
these behaviors.
MFA
Psychoanalytic Approach
Stresses the influence of
unconscious fears, desires and
motivations on thoughts,
behaviors and the development
of later personality traits and
psychological problems.
MFA
Humanistic Approach
Emphasizes that each individual
has great freedom in directing
his or her future, a large
capacity for personal growth, a
considerable amount of intrinsic
worth and enormous potential
for self-fulfillment.
MFA
Cross –Cultural Approach
Examines the influence of

cultural and ethnic similarities
and differences on
psychological and social
functioning.
MFA
BRANCHES OF
PSYCHOLOGY
MFA
General Psychology
Presents the basic and

fundamental principles of
human behavior.
It explains How and Why of
person’s behavior from a
scientific viewpoint.
MFA
Comparative Psychology
Deals with the behavior and

mental processes of the
different species
MFA
Genetic or Development
Psychology
This is a field of study regarding

human development and the
inheritance and development
of traits and abilities.
MFA
Dynamic Psychology
Mental phenomena are

studied in terms of internal
drives and motives as causes
of behavior
MFA
Physiological Psychology
Studies the functions of the

nervous system and other
bodily structures in the
behavior of organism.
MFA
Abnormal Psychology
This deals with behavioral

disorders like physical
handicaps, nervous disorders,
speech impairments, mental
aberrations and others.
MFA
Educational Psychology
This concerned with the applicationof

psychological principles to the
problems of education like teacher
preparation, motivation and
teaching process, evaluation of
teaching.
MFA
Industrial or Personnel
Psychology
Deals with psychological principles

applied to human problems of
industry and business, government
and military service, occupational
selection and job training, morale
and placement, forms of test and
plant management.
MFA
Social Psychology
The object of investigation of this

area is “the interaction of human
beings and man’s relation with
family and the larger social
institutions with reference to
leadership and attitude
formation.
MFA
Therapy and Counseling
This study includes the use of

principles to the task of
alleviating and preventing
mental illness.
MFA
Human Engineering
This field adapts machines and

processes to the capabilities
and limitations of human
beings –the reverse of fitting
men to work conditions.
MFA
Clinical Psychology
This study uses concepts and

methods in the diagnosis and
treatment of maladjustment and
mental disorders in clinical setting –
like behavior abnormalities ranging
from reading or spelling to major
mental disorders. MFA
Psychometric Psychology
Concerned with the

application of mathematical
procedures to the problems of
psychology like testing, the use
of norms, central tendencies
and the like.
MFA
Legal Psychology
Deals with the application of

psychological knowledge in
the field of law relating to the
study of human behavior.
MFA

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UNIT 1

Is defined as the scientific study of the

Conscious Acts within the level of

Unconscious Acts that deeply

Complex Complicated and involves

Rational Exercised with sanityor

Irrational Committed for no

Human behavior can be known.

Natural phenomena have natural causes.

Knowledge is derived from the

To explain or understand why

Pre Historic /Traditionally

Gods and spirits were attributed the

Emphasized that perception is more than the

Carl Rogers and Abraham

Jean Piaget, Noam Chomsky and Herbert

Human behavior cannot be fully

James Olds and Rogers

He believed that objects, movements and

Purposivism placed an importance on

Examines how we process,

Examines the influence of

Presents the basic and

Deals with the behavior and

This is a field of study regarding

Mental phenomena are

Studies the functions of the

This deals with behavioral

This concerned with the applicationof

Deals with psychological principles

The object of investigation of this

This study includes the use of

This field adapts machines and

This study uses concepts and

Concerned with the

Deals with the application of

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