Lesson One Handout PDF

LESSON ONE HANDOUT Learning Objectives The learner shall be able to: 1. Acquire a basic introduction to psychology and its importance to the study of personal development. 2. Share one’s unique characteristi...

LESSON ONE HANDOUT Learning Objectives The learner shall be able to: 1. Acquire a basic introduction to psychology and its importance to the study of personal development. 2. Share one’s unique characteristics, habits and experiences relevant to his/her development. 3. Evaluate his/her thoughts, feelings and behaviors. 4. Show the connection between thoughts, feelings and behaviors in actual life situations. Learning Topic I. Introduction To Personal Development A. What is personal development -Perdev as a Branch of Psychology -development of psychology -distinctions between personal and human development B. Holistic Development A Man as A Whole Being: The Meaning of Wholeness B. Aspects of Holistic Development Learning Content Would you be interested if someone tells you that he or she can determine your personality by merely looking at your signature? What if an individual points out to you that your right career path can be ascertained by simply asking for your date of birth? Humans had been asking the questions: “Why do I think this way?” “Why do I act like this?” “Why does a certain thing interest me while some people don’t?” To provide answers to these queries, different approaches had been used in trying to explain how our mind works. The ancient Greeks explained through myths that our emotions are controlled by the gods. Aphrodite and his son, Eros, incite the feeling of love among humans. Mental illness is even regarded as arising from the deities’ tinkering or manipulation of the human mind. In one story, Hercules became mad because of goddess Hera’s jealousy for Zeus’ relationship with hero’s mother. The ancients also believed that heavenly bodies affect one’s behavior. They thought that just as the moon causes the changes of tides, it can influence our moods as well. These started the concept of astrology, wherein one’s personality is determined by the arrangement of the stars or the alignment of the planets on the time of person’s birth. Now obviously, astrology was unable to give an accurate explanation about a person’s character. How many people do you know who share the same zodiac sign possess two opposite personalities? That is why Hippocrates, considered as the Father of Medicine, proposed that a person’s mental condition is physiological, meaning it can be explained through the body. Hippocrates believed that inside our bodies are liquids that control different emotions. He called this liquids “humors” They are: 1. Blood- Blood makes a person warm, friendly and even passionate. 2. Yellow Bile- Yellow bile causes a person to become irritable, aggressive and even angry. 3. Phlegm, - causes a person to be laid back, apathetic or even lazy. 4. Black Bile- makes a person pensive, sad and depressed. For Hippocrates, the body must always maintain a balanced amount of these liquids. Any form of excess or deficiency may cause an abnormal behavior. Hippocrates’ ideas persisted for such a long time. It was not until 1879 when the German Wilhelm Wundt set up a laboratory that would study human behavior. He used a method called Introspection, wherein he said that it is possible to understand a person’s behavior by observing one’s self through a systematic and scientific process. This is considered as the birth of Psychology. At last, human behavior can now be explained in scientific manner and not as something superstitious. Psychology comes from two Greek words. Psyche meaning “the spirit” or “the soul”. And Logia which means “the study of”. Psychology is best defined as the study of mental and behavioral process (Kleinman, 2012). It tries to explain how the mind’s internal processes affects our bodies external functions. So why is there a need to study Psychology? What is it used for? In the book “General Psychology” by Sevilla et al. the 4 goals of Psychology were enumerated and they are as follows: 1. Describes behavior- we observe human behavior and determine if it is healthy or unhealthy. 2. Predicts behavior- predict the possible outcomes or the next action of an individual based on the observed behavior. 3. Explains behavior- understand why a certain individual manifests such behavior. 4. Controls behavior- if the behavior is healthy what shall we do to maintain it or improve it. If a person is exhibiting unhealthy behavior, what must be done to correct it. Try to find a picture of yourself when you were still in Grade 1. Then look at yourself at the mirror right now. You might say that the person on the picture is different from the person at the mirror. You have obviously changed. You have undergone a process of development. You have learned a lot of things by now and how you understand or create ideas has changed. Personal Development is a process where one can reflect about himself or herself. It will help you have a better understanding and acceptance of yourself. It will help you learn, unlearn and relearn values that would make you a better human person. Personal development is a continuous process. Think of it as a journey that has many stopovers or stations. Three psychologists Max Wertheimer, Kurt Koffka and Wolfgang Kohler proposed that a person’s experience, his behavior and mental processes must not be treated separately. This holistic approach, which they call Gestalt Psychology, explains that a person is defined as whole. That is why in the following lessons we will discover how your experience through different stages in your life were able to define currently who you are. References: 1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humorism 2. Kleinman, Paul Psych 101. A Crash Course in the Science of the Mind. (2012) 3. Benson, Nigle. Psychology: A Graphic Guide. (2007) 4. Santos, Ricardo Rubio. Personal Development (2016) 5. Understanding Psychology Fourht Edition (1986) Mc Graw Hill 6. Sevilla, Consuelo. Punsalan, Twila. Et al. General Psychology With Values Development Lessons. (2006). 7. https://www.archspm.org/faith-and-discipleship/prayer/catholic-prayers/st-augustine-lord-jesus- let-me-know-myself/