1- Introduction To Psychology PDF

College of Applied Medical Sciences Department of Clinical Nutrition 1- Introduction to Psychology Presented by, Dr. Abeer Rasheed, Associate professor Imam Abdul Rahman bin Faisal Univ...

College of Applied Medical Sciences Department of Clinical Nutrition 1- Introduction to Psychology Presented by, Dr. Abeer Rasheed, Associate professor Imam Abdul Rahman bin Faisal University College of Applied Medical Sciences Department of Clinical Nutrition What Is Psychology? The term of psychology derives from the Greek roots psyche, meaning “soul” or “mind,” and logos, meaning “word.” Psychology is literally the study of the mind or soul, and people defined it that way until the early 1900s. Around 1920, psychologists became dissatisfied with the idea of studying the mind. First, research deals with what we observe, and mind is unobservable. Second, talking about “the mind” implies it is a thing or object. Mental activity is a process. It is not like the river but like the flow of the river; not like the automobile but like the movement of the automobile. Beginning in the early 1900s, psychologists defined their field as the study of behavior. let’s define psychology as the systematic study of behavior and experience. College of Applied Medical Sciences Department of Clinical Nutrition What Is Psychology? Today, the most acceptable definition of psychology is ‘the scientific study of all mental processes, as expressed in bodily behavior and as observed in direct experience’. Thus, psychology is not only the study of an individual’s physical reaction, which can be readily observed by another person, but also of his thoughts, feelings, attitudes, values and the like, which may not be always readily observable. Psychology concerns itself with the study of human as well as animal behavior. Email: [email protected] College of Applied Medical Sciences Department of Clinical Nutrition What Is Psychology? When most people think of psychologists, they think of clinical psychologists—those who try to help worried, depressed, or otherwise troubled people. Psychology also includes research on sensation and perception, learning and memory, hunger and thirst, sleep, attention, child development, and more College of Applied Medical Sciences Department of Clinical Nutrition What Is Psychology? College of Applied Medical Sciences Department of Clinical Nutrition Why Study Psychology? Often, students take their first psychology course because they are interested in helping others and want to learn more about themselves and why they act the way they do. Sometimes, students take a psychology course because it either satisfies a general education requirement or is required for a program of study such as nursing, applied medical science or pre-med. Many of these students develop such an interest in the area that they go on to assert psychology as their major. As a result, psychology is one of the most popular majors on college campuses across the United States. College of Applied Medical Sciences Department of Clinical Nutrition Why Study Psychology? Psychology students come to understand the complex factors that shape one’s behavior. They appreciate the interaction of our biology, our environment, and our experiences in determining who we are and how we will behave. They learn about basic principles that guide how we think, feel and behave. College of Applied Medical Sciences Department of Clinical Nutrition The Four Goals of Psychology Descripting : Accurately describing a problem, an issue, or a behavior is the first goal of psychology. Descriptions help psychologists to distinguish between typical and atypical behaviors and gain more accurate understandings of human and animal behaviors and thoughts. case studies, surveys, self- tests, and natural observation allow psychologists to pursue this goal. "What happened?" Explaining :The goal of explaining is to provide answers to questions about why people react to certain stimuli in certain ways, how various factors impact personalities and mental health, and so on. "Why did they do that?" College of Applied Medical Sciences Department of Clinical Nutrition The Four Goals of Psychology Predicting: By looking at past observed behavior (describing and explaining), psychologists aim to predict how that behavior may appear again in the future, to predict why, when, and how observed behaviors might happen in the future. By being able to predict patterns of behavior, psychologists can better understand the underlying causes of our actions. Prediction, at least gives psychologists the ability to change or control behavior. "What would happen if they did this?" Changing / Controlling: Psychology aims to change, influence, or control behavior to make positive, constructive, meaningful, and lasting changes in people's lives and to influence their behavior for the better. This is the final and most important goal of psychology. "What can they do next time to reach a different outcome?" College of Applied Medical Sciences Department of Clinical Nutrition Various Fields of Psychology College of Applied Medical Sciences Department of Clinical Nutrition Various Fields of Psychology Clinical psychology is the area of psychology that focuses on the diagnosis and treatment of psychological disorders and other problematic patterns of behavior. Clinical psychologists interest in understanding and helping people with psychological problems. Those problem range from depression, anxiety, and substance abuse to marriage conflicts, or difficulties making decisions. Social psychology focuses on how we interact with and relate to others. Social psychologists interest in a wide variety of topics that include prejudice, attraction, attitude, values, and how we resolve interpersonal conflicts. Social psychologists have also sought to determine how being among other people changes our own behavior and patterns of thinking. College of Applied Medical Sciences Department of Clinical Nutrition Various Fields of Psychology Developmental psychology is the scientific study of development across a lifespan. Developmental psychologists are interested in processes related to physical maturation. However, their focus is not limited to the physical changes associated with age, as they also focus on changes in cognitive skills, moral reasoning, and social behavior. Forensic psychologists, who provide advice and consultation to police, lawyers, and courts. Forensic psychologists are clinical or counseling psychologists who have additional training in legal issues. They advise on such decisions as whether a defendant is mentally competent to stand trial or whether someone eligible for parole is dangerous. Counseling psychology: Counseling is an interpersonal relationship in which one person (the counsellor) attempts to help another (the counselee) to understand and cope with his problems Whereas a clinical psychologist deals mainly with anxiety, depression, and other emotional distress, a counseling psychologist deals mostly with life decisions and family or career readjustments. College of Applied Medical Sciences Department of Clinical Nutrition Various Fields of Psychology Cognitive Psychology: Cognition means thought and knowledge. A cognitive psychologist studies those processes. Typically, cognitive psychologists focus on how people make decisions, solve problems, and convert their thoughts into language. These psychologists study both the best and the worst of human cognition (expert decision making and why people make costly errors). Cognitive psychologists seldom study anything related to food selection, but cognitions about food do enter into our food decisions. For example, people often refuse an edible food just because of the very idea of it Medical psychologists apply psychological theories, scientific psychological findings, and techniques of psychotherapy, behavior modification, cognitive, interpersonal, family, and life- style therapy to improve the psychological and physical health of the patient.