ITP-Lecture-1-Notes 2.docx

INTRODUCTION TO PSYCHOLOGY History of Psychology ===================== Psychology originated from a blend of philosophical inquiry and scientific investigation into the nature of the mind and behavior. Ancient Philosophical Roots =========================== Greek Philosophy: Ancient Greek philos...

INTRODUCTION TO PSYCHOLOGY History of Psychology ===================== Psychology originated from a blend of philosophical inquiry and scientific investigation into the nature of the mind and behavior. Ancient Philosophical Roots =========================== Greek Philosophy: Ancient Greek philosophers such as Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle laid early foundations. Plato emphasized the importance of the mind and its realm of ideas. At the same time, Aristotle focused on empirical observation and categorized human experiences, contributing to early theories of the mind and behavior. **Renaissance and Enlightenment** Renaissance Revival: The Renaissance saw a renewed interest in human nature, with scholars such as René Descartes proposing dualism, the idea that the mind and body are separate entities. Empiricism and Enlightenment: Enlightenment thinkers like John Locke and David Hume promoted empiricism, the view that knowledge comes from sensory experience, laying the groundwork for scientific approaches to studying the mind. **19th Century Foundations** Wilhelm Wundt: Often considered the father of modern psychology, Wundt established the first experimental psychology lab in 1879 at the University of Leipzig, marking the formal beginning of psychology as a scientific discipline. He used introspection to study conscious experience. William James: In America, William James published \"The Principles of Psychology\" in 1890, emphasizing the functions of the mind and behavior (functionalism) and their role in adapting to the environment. **Early Schools of Thought**: Structuralism: Led by Wundt and his student Edward Titchener, structuralism aimed to analyze the basic elements of conscious experience through introspection. Functionalism: Influenced by James and Charles Darwin\'s evolutionary theory, functionalism focused on how mental processes help individuals adapt to their environments. **Psychoanalysis:** Sigmund Freud: Freud introduced psychoanalysis, which emphasized the role of the unconscious mind, early childhood experiences, and inner conflicts in shaping behavior. His theories on the structure of the psyche and defense mechanisms had a profound impact on psychology and psychotherapy. **Behaviorism:** John B. Watson and B.F. Skinner: In the early 20th century, behaviorism emerged as a dominant school of thought, rejecting introspection and focusing solely on observable behavior and its environmental determinants. Skinner\'s work on operant conditioning became highly influential. **Humanistic Psychology:** Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow: In the mid-20th century, humanistic psychology emerged as a reaction to both behaviorism and psychoanalysis. It emphasized personal growth, self-actualization, and the inherent goodness of people, focusing on individual potential and human experience. Cognitive Revolution in 1950s - 60s =================================== The cognitive revolution brought a renewed focus on mental processes, such as thinking, memory, and problem-solving. Researchers like Jean Piaget (cognitive development) and Noam Chomsky (language acquisition) played key roles in this shift, leading to the development of cognitive psychology. **Modern Psychology:** Diverse Sub-disciplines: Today, psychology is a diverse field encompassing various sub-disciplines, including clinical psychology, cognitive psychology, developmental psychology, social psychology, and neuroscience. It integrates advances in technology and interdisciplinary research to explore complex human behavior and mental processes. Neuroscience Integration: The integration of neuroscience has enhanced the understanding of the biological bases of behavior, linking brain function with psychological phenomena. Define Psychology ================= Psyche comes to represent the human soul's triumph over the misfortunes of life in the pursuit of true happiness (Bulfinch, 1855). The Greek word psyche means soul, and it is often represented as a butterfly. The word psychology was coined at a time when the concepts of soul and mind were not as clearly distinguished (Green, 2001). The root -ology denotes the scientific study of, and psychology refers to the scientific study of the mind. Since science studies only observable phenomena and the mind is not directly observable, we expand this definition to the scientific study of mind and behavior. PSYCHOLOGY: is the scientific study of human behavior and experience (mental processes). It involves the application of scientific methods to inquire into the biological, cognitive, affective, developmental, personality, social, cultural, and individual difference dimensions of human behavior. The Practice of Psychology ========================== I. Psychological Intervention: counseling and psychotherapy, psychosocial support, psychological debriefing, life coaching, group process, psychological consultation, trauma healing. II\. Psychological Assessment: gathering and integration of psychology-related data to make a psychological evaluation and assess diverse psychological functions and processes in support of psychological intervention. III\. Psychological Programs: the development, implementation, and evaluation of psychological treatment programs like - addiction rehabilitation treatment, behavioral management in correctional facilities, psychological/sensitivity training, mental health programs in disaster/emergency situations, and clinical supervision. Define Psychometrics ==================== PSYCHOMETRICS: is the branch of psychology that deals with the development, administration, and interpretation of quantitative tests for the measurement of psychological variables sich as intelligence, aptitude, and personality traits. FUNCTIONS: Administer and score objective and structured psychological tests; Interpret the results of these tests and prepare a written report on these results; Conduct preparatory intake interviews for psychological intervention sessions; Test design and construction: develop a table of specifications, item writing, and item analysis; Test validation and standardization: developing norm sampling plans; conducting item tryout data analysis; completing analysis and scale development. Writing the Technical Manual. Test Research and Statistical Studies. Goals of Psychology =================== Psychology isn't about reading minds or trying to control others, per se. There's no voodoo magic behind the science, and psychology professors aren't out to manipulate their students to get them to do what they want. The four main goals of psychology are to describe, explain, predict, and control the behavior and mental processes of others. Branches of Psychology ====================== General Psychology: studies human behavior principles and attempts to explain or interpret the reasons why people behave the way they do in certain situations. Experimental Psychology: entails much research and focuses on the methodology by which behaviors are observed, studied, and experimented. It also includes cognitive processes, sensation, perception, thinking and learning. Developmental Psychology: studies the stages of development from prenatal to old age. It focuses on the changes taking place as humans start to have a life and grow old. Comparative Psychology: examines differences in the behavior of multiple beings and creatures and attempts to discover similar and different traits among humans and animals. Educational Psychology: focuses on the field of education and psychological problems that affect students and how to improve educational methodologies or processes in the academic setting. Industrial-Organizational Psychology: studies the psychology of the workplace, the employees' motivation and productivity and satisfaction including leadership. Environmental Psychology: focuses on the relationship of individuals and their physical environment. Personality Psychology: studies the individual differences, traits, and characteristics in different situations. Clinical Psychology: deals with diagnosis and treatments to individuals that have mental disorders and emotional problems. Cognitive Psychology: studies cognitive or mental processes like learning, problem solving, and decision making. It has links to Computer Science which provide them information by the use of artificial intelligence. Forensic Psychology: focuses on the legal issues on the mental state of an individual that is on trial and has committed a crime or has broken the law. Community Psychology: focuses on the community's current mental health. As a whole, it examines the rehabilitation and problems of the community. Health Psychology: studies relationships of illnesses in psychological perspective. It promotes and ensures good health. Counseling Psychology: aims to identify everyday problems and how to cope with these problems as an individual. Assessment Psychology: assessment psychologists w trained in the process of evaluating behavior and/or characteristics of individuals or groups by integrating information from multiple data sources (i.e., tests, interviews, behavioral observations, surveys, and other techniques) to derive an in-depth understanding of an individual.