General Psychology Overview

General Psychology

• Definition: The scientific study of the mind and behavior.
• Areas of study: Biological, cognitive, social, developmental, and clinical.
• Research methods: Experiments, observations, surveys, and case studies.
• Key figures: Wilhelm Wundt (founder), William James, Sigmund Freud.

Cognitive Psychology

• Focus: Mental processes such as perception, memory, reasoning, and problem-solving.
• Key concepts:
  • Information processing model: Mind is likened to a computer.
  • Cognitive bias: Systematic patterns of deviation from norm or rationality.
  • Schemas: Frameworks for organizing information.
• Important topics: Attention, language acquisition, decision-making.

Developmental Psychology

• Focus: Growth and change throughout the lifespan.
• Key stages:
  • Prenatal: Conception to birth.
  • Infancy: Dependence on caregivers.
  • Childhood: Learning social and cognitive skills.
  • Adolescence: Identity formation and independence.
  • Adulthood: Relationships, career, and aging.
• Theories: Piaget’s cognitive development, Erikson’s psychosocial stages, Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory.

Social Psychology

• Focus: How individuals influence and are influenced by social behavior.
• Key concepts:
  • Social cognition: How we perceive, think, and remember about people.
  • Attitudes: Evaluative reactions toward objects or people.
  • Group dynamics: Influences of group membership on individual behavior.
• Important phenomena: Conformity, obedience, groupthink, social loafing.

Behavioral Psychology

• Focus: Observable behaviors and the principles of learning.
• Key concepts:
  • Classical conditioning: Learning through association (Pavlov).
  • Operant conditioning: Learning through reinforcement and punishment (Skinner).
  • Behavior modification: Techniques used to change maladaptive behaviors.
• Emphasis on environment’s role in shaping behavior.

Clinical Psychology

• Focus: Assessment and treatment of mental disorders.
• Key concepts:
  • Psychopathology: Study of psychological disorders.
  • Therapeutic approaches: Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), psychodynamic therapy, humanistic therapy.
  • Assessment tools: DSM-5 for diagnosis, interviews, and psychological testing.
• Key issues: Stigma, access to care, and ethical considerations.

Organizational Psychology

• Focus: Behavior in workplace settings and the study of how employees function.
• Key areas:
  • Employee motivation: Theories such as Maslow's hierarchy of needs, Herzberg’s two-factor theory.
  • Leadership styles: Transformational vs. transactional leadership.
  • Group behavior: Team dynamics, communication, and conflict resolution.
• Importance of enhancing productivity and workplace well-being.

General Psychology

• The scientific study of the mind and behavior.
• Areas of study include: biological, cognitive, social, developmental, and clinical psychology.
• Research methods include: experiments, observations, surveys, and case studies.
• Key figures include: Wilhelm Wundt (founder), William James, and Sigmund Freud.

Cognitive Psychology

• Focuses on mental processes such as perception, memory, reasoning, and problem-solving.
• Key Concepts:
  • The information processing model compares the mind to a computer.
  • Cognitive biases are systematic patterns of deviation from the norm or rationality.
  • Schemas are frameworks for organizing information.
• Important topics include: attention, language acquisition, and decision-making.

Developmental Psychology

• Focuses on growth and change throughout the lifespan.
• Key stages:
  • Prenatal: Conception to birth
  • Infancy: Dependence on caregivers.
  • Childhood: Learning social and cognitive skills.
  • Adolescence: Identity formation and independence.
  • Adulthood: Relationships, career, and aging.
• Theories:
  • Piaget’s cognitive development theory.
  • Erikson’s psychosocial stages theory.
  • Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory.

Social Psychology

• Focuses on how individuals influence and are influenced by social behavior.
• Key concepts:
  • Social cognition: How we perceive, think, and remember people.
  • Attitudes: Evaluative reactions toward objects or people.
  • Group dynamics: How group membership influences individual behavior.
• Important Phenomena:
  • Conformity
  • Obedience
  • Groupthink
  • Social loafing

Behavioral Psychology

• Focuses on observable behaviors and the principles of learning.
• Key concepts:
  • Classical conditioning: Learning through association (Pavlov).
  • Operant conditioning: Learning through reinforcement and punishment (Skinner).
  • Behavior modification: Techniques used to change maladaptive behaviors.
• Emphasizes the environment’s role in shaping behavior.

Clinical Psychology

• Focuses on the assessment and treatment of mental disorders.
• Key concepts:
  • Psychopathology: The study of psychological disorders.
  • Therapeutic approaches: Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), psychodynamic therapy, and humanistic therapy.
  • Assessment tools: DSM-5 for diagnosis, interviews, and psychological testing.
• Key issues: Stigma, access to care, and ethical considerations.

Organizational Psychology

• Focuses on behavior in workplace settings and the study of how employees function.
• Key areas:
  • Employee motivation: Theories such as Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, and Herzberg’s two-factor theory.
  • Leadership styles: Transformational vs. transactional leadership.
  • Group behavior: Team dynamics, communication, and conflict resolution.
• Emphasizes enhancing productivity and workplace well-being.

Explore the foundational concepts of general psychology, covering various areas of study such as cognitive, social, and developmental psychology. Learn about key figures, research methods, and important topics in the field. This quiz delves into the scientific understanding of the mind and behavior.