Introduction To Psychology PDF

# Introduction to Psychology ## What is Psychology? In general, psychology is defined as the scientific study of behavior and mental processes and how they are affected by an organism's: - **Physical state (biological)** - **Mental state (psychological)** - **External environment** ## Goals of P...

# Introduction to Psychology ## What is Psychology? In general, psychology is defined as the scientific study of behavior and mental processes and how they are affected by an organism's: - **Physical state (biological)** - **Mental state (psychological)** - **External environment** ## Goals of Psychology The main goals of psychology are to: - Describe how people and other species behave - Understand the causes of these behaviors - Predict how people and animals will behave under certain conditions - Influence behavior through the control of its causes - Apply psychological knowledge in ways that enhance human welfare. ## Basic Psychology Facts Psychology may seem like a vast and daunting topic, but understanding a few basic facts can make it easier to get started. - **Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior.** The term psychology comes from the Greek words *psyche* meaning "breath, spirit, soul" and *logia* meaning "study of." - **Psychology is a relatively modern discipline**, although as one eminent psychologist explained, it has a short past but a long history. - **Psychology emerged from biology and philosophy and is closely linked to other disciplines**, including sociology, medicine, linguistics, and anthropology. - **Psychology has grown to play a tremendous role in the world today.** Psychologists are employed in hospitals, mental health clinics, schools, colleges and universities, government agencies, private businesses, and private practice and perform a wide variety of tasks and roles ranging from treating mental illness to influencing public health policy. ## Psychology Relies on Scientific Methods One of the most common myths about psychology is that it is just "common sense". The problem with this is that psychological research has helped demonstrate that many of the things that we believe are just common sense are actually not true at all. Unlike common sense, psychology relies on scientific methods to investigate questions and arrive at conclusions. Psychologists use a range of techniques to study the human mind and behavior including naturalistic observation, experiments, case studies, and questionnaires. ## Psychologists Tackle Problems from Multiple Perspectives Topics and questions in psychology can be looked at in a number of different ways. For example, some psychologists may look at how biological influences contribute to violence, while other psychologists might look at how factors such as culture, family relationships, social pressure, and situational variables influence violence. **Some of the major perspectives in psychology include:** - **Biological perspective** - **Cognitive perspective** - **Behavioral perspective** - **Evolutionary perspective** - **Humanistic perspective** ## Psychology is About More Than Mental Health When you think of psychology, do you envision a therapist jotting down notes as a client recounts childhood experiences? While therapy is certainly a big part of psychology, it is not the only thing that psychologists do. In fact, many psychologists don't work in the field of mental health at all. Psychology encompasses other areas including teaching, research, and consulting: **Psychologists work in a wide variety of settings including:** - Colleges and universities - Private corporations - K-12 Schools - Hospitals - Government offices ## Mental health is certainly a major area of interest in psychology But psychologists also do things such as help athletes hone their motivation and mental focus, help design products that are safe and useful, and help businesses understand how to influence consumers. ## Psychology is All Around You Psychology is not just an academic subject that exists only in classrooms, research labs, and mental health offices. The principles of psychology can be seen all around you in everyday situations. - The television commercials and print ads you see every day rely on psychology to develop marketing that influence and persuade people to purchase advertised products. - The websites you visit on a regular basis utilize psychology to understand how people read, use, and interpret online information. ## Psychology can also play a role in improving your health and well-being For example, understanding some of the basic principles of behavioral psychology might come in handy if you are trying to break a bad habit and establish new routines. ## If You Have a Problem, There's Probably a Psychologist Who Can Help There are many different types of psychologists, and each one focused on solving different types of problems in the world. - **School psychologist** - **Developmental psychologist** In order to determine which professional is right for your needs, it helps to understand some of the different training and licensing requirements for different specialty areas. ## Psychologists Focus On Making Human Lives Better Among the major goals of psychology are to describe, explain, predict, and improve human behavior. ## Positive Psychology ### What is Positive Psychology? Positive psychology is the scientific study of the "good life" or the positive aspects of the human experience that make life worth living. The discipline of positive psychology focuses on both individual and societal well-being. Positive Psychology began as a new domain of psychology in 1998 when Martin Seligman chose it as the theme for his term as president of the American Psychological Association. ### Goals of Positive Psychology - **Describing, explaining, predicting and improving human behavior.** - **contributing to our basic understanding of how people think, feel, and behave.** - **solving real-world problems that have an impact on everyday life.** - **helping people who are struggling with psychological issues.** ### Basic Concepts of Positive Psychology - **Eudaimonia (the good life) or flourishing.** Living according to what holds the greatest value in life – The factors that contribute the most to a well-lived and fulfilling life. ### Definition Martin Seligman and Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi define positive psychology as "... the scientific study of positive human functioning and flourishing on multiple levels that include the biological, personal, relational, institutional, cultural, and global dimensions of life." ### Methods for Achieving Happiness **Make good social relationships.** Positive relationships with others are among the most important methods that increase happiness. - **Sharing other people's joy.** Having a good social bond helps reduce stress, anxiety, and depression. - **Treating others kindly.** - **Spending time with others.** **Helping others.** Helping others and having compassion for them is considered one of the most important means of finding good relationships with others. - **Giving to others.** It's proven that buying things and, giving them to others as aid, increases a person's happiness more than buying these things for oneself.. - **Social support.** - **Charity** **Forgive others** - Thinking for long periods of events or people who have offended us increases aggression, anger, and tension. - Forgiveness increases optimism, hope, compassion, and vitality. **Healthy childhood.** A balanced childhood full of love is one of the most important factors that can predict a happy life. **Positive thinking** - Increasing awareness of positive things and using character strengthens in doing something useful would raise the level of happiness. - Keep a notebook in which you write the blessings and the positives you encounter in your daily life. **Healthy environment** - The surrounding environment should include the presence of close people who can be relied upon, freedom, distance from corruption, generosity, peace, and the spread of values and ethics. **Money.** - The availability of money allows the individual to be able to buy things he wants. - Money enables an individual to buy things and give them to others as assistance, which increases a person's happiness. **Thankfulness.** - Thanksgiving to the Creator or to those who help us increases happiness. - Thankfulness improves a person's social relationships, increases his/her ability to solve problems, and improves his sleep. **Good breathing.** Controlling breathing contributes to well-being in general. **Meaningful life.** Having a meaningful life that can please the individual makes him/her endure the difficulties and bad feelings to achieve the goals and raise self-esteem. **Self-acceptance, independence and self-reliance.** Conflicts within oneself are among the most important and influential enemies of happiness. **Meditation** - It contributes to self-acceptance and the desire to communicate with the surrounding environment. - It helps get rid of negative emotions and increases desire in life. - Imagine yourself living in the best conditions he desires and describing it by writing and expressing the decent life that he can live.