The Science of Psychology
The Science of Psychology
The Science of Psychology
Definition of Psychology
Derived from the Greek word “psyche” (soul) and “logos” (study).
Defined as the scientific study of the human behavior.
The science seeking to describe, understand, and predict the behavior.
Deals with the study of mind and body.
Gathers facts systematically, organizes them into general principles and formulates theorie out
of these factual data.
Behavior
Classification of Behavior
Goals of Psychology
1. To explain or understand
2. To predict
3. To control
Pre-historic or Traditionally
- Gods and spirits were attributed the power to direct or cause such activities.
Greek Influence
- Democritus believed that the human body and mind is composed of atoms which could
circulate freely. According to him, atoms from our environment enter through our send
organ enabling us to perceive the world among us.
- Plato said that the mind or soul has a distinct power and is God-given.
Soul is composed of three parts:
1. Head – exerts reason
2. Heart – noble impulses
3. Diaphragm – own passions and desires
- Aristotle distinguished three functions of the soul
1. Vegetative – basic maintenance of life.
2. Appetitive- motives and desires.
3. Rational – governing function
4. Common sense
- Galen believes that differences in behavior is attributed to the vital fluids of the body:
1. Blood: Sanguine – cheerful
2. Phlegm: Phlegmatic – sluggish or flat effect
3. Black Bile: Melancholic – sad
4. Yellow Bile: Chloric – bad temper
Medieval Period
- St. Agustine introduced and used the method of Introspection (description of one’s own
conscious process)
Pre-Modern Period
Scientific Psychology
Structuralism (1875-1930)
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 prime importance but the
“function”.
Functionalism was the study of functions, use and adaptability of the mind changing in
environment.
To understand human behavior process, the functional psychologist developed the technique of
longitudinal research, which consists of interviewing, testing and observing one person over a
long period of time.
Kurt Koffka, Wolfgang Kokler and Max Wertheimer founded that 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 sensation are
assembled into meaning perceptual experiences.
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
subconscious mind, which result in abnormal behavior.
Freud asserted that the sex urges in the unconscious constitute the main human drive, known as
the libido theory.
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.
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.
James Olds and Roger Sperry theorized that much of human and animal behavior can be
explained in terms of bodily structure and biochemical processes.
Purposivism
Psychobiological Approach
- Focuses on how our genes, hormones and nervous system interact with our environment to
influence learning, personality, memory, motivation, emotions, and coping techniques.
Cognitive Approach
- Examines how we process, store and use information and how this information influence
what we notice, perceive and remember.
Behavioral Approach
- Studies how organisms learn new behavior or modify existing one depending on whether
events in their environment rewards or punish these behavior.
Psychoanalytic Approach
- Stresses the influence of unconscious fears, desires and motivations on thoughts, behaviors
and the development of later personality traits and psychological problems.
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 self-fulfillment.
Cross-Cultural Approach
- Examines the influence of cultural and ethnic similarities and differences in psychological
functioning.
Branches of Psychology
General Psychology – presents the basic and fundamental principles of human behavior.
- It explains “how” and “why” of person’s behavior from a scientific viewpoint.
Comparative Psychology – deals with the behavior of mental process of the different species.
Genetic or Development Psychology – study regarding human development and the inheritance
and development of traits and abilities.
Dynamic Psychology – mental phenomena are studied in terms of internal drives and motives as
causes behavior.
Physiological Psychology – studies the functions of the nervous system and other bodily
structures in the behavior of organism.
Abnormal Psychology – deals with behavioral disorders like physical handicaps, nervous
disorders, speech impairments, mental aberrations and others.
Educational Psychology – concerned with the application of psychological principles to the
problems of education like teacher preparation, motivation and teaching process, evaluation of
teaching.
Industrial or Personnel Psychology – deals with the psychological principles applied to human
problems of industry and business, government and military service, occupational selection and
job training, morale and placement, forms or test and plant management
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.
Therapy and Counseling – includes the use of principles to the task of alleviating and preventing
mental illness.
Human Engineering – adapts machines and processes to the capabilities and limitations of
human beings, the reverse of fitting men to work conditions.
Clinical Psychology – 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 mental disorders.
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.
Legal Psychology – deals with the application of psychological knowledge in the field of law
relating to the study of human behavior.
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