Introduction to Psychology PDF

Learning objectives At the end of this lecture, students will be able to: define psychology describe the perspectives in psychology discuss the psychology’s subfields discuss methods of psychology discuss the importance of psychology for nurses  INTRODUCTION ❑“............. No...

Learning objectives At the end of this lecture, students will be able to: define psychology describe the perspectives in psychology discuss the psychology’s subfields discuss methods of psychology discuss the importance of psychology for nurses  INTRODUCTION ❑“............. No one can be a nurse, even if they wish, if they cannot absorb even the simplest theory about nursing care, and because it requires a patient to learn how to care for and connect with patients, which involves a thorough knowledge of oneself, otherwise known as self- awareness” (Salgado, 2009, p.2).  INTRODUCTION…cont ❑The study of psychology is a key part of nursing training. ❑The psychology of nursing care is built around nursing themes and focuses on those areas of psychology with direct relevance to nursing practice. WHAT IS PSYCHOLOGY? ❖ Psychology comes from the root words psyche, or mind, and logos, or study ❖ Psychology is defined as the ‘scientific study of behavior and mental processes’. Why is Psychology a Science? Psychology is an objective and systematic study of how people behave and think. Its goals are to describe, explain, predict, and control behavior and mental processes.  Types of science Basic Applied “pure” “technology” science Behaviors ❑ Physical actions: generally things that we can observe though they may be internal as well Eg: standing up, laughing, dancing, yelling, fighting, digestion or neural activity Mental Processes the internal workings of our minds Eg: thoughts, feelings, and dreams PERSPECTIVES IN PSYCHOLOGY Psychodynamic Approach Behavioral Approach Cognitive Approach Biological or Behavioral Neuroscience Approach The Phenomenological or Humanistic Approach The Sociocultural Approach The Evolutionary Psychology Approach Psychodynamic Approach Developed by Sigmund Freud States that “much of our behavior stems from unconscious processes, conflict between biological instincts & society’s demands, and early family experiences. Basis for the therapeutic approach called psychoanalysis Behavioral Approach John B. Watson: father of Behaviorism Behaviors are activities of people or other organisms that can be observed by others. States that “when we attempt to understand an event, we need to look at the observable behaviors & their environmental determinants”. Cognitive Approach Concerned with mental processes, such as perceiving, remembering, reasoning, deciding, and problem solving. States that “Only by studying mental processes can we fully understand what people do.” Biological Approach Concerned with how the brain and nervous system underlie behavior & mental processes. Attempts to relate behavior to electrical and chemical events taking place inside the body The Nervous System (brain) and the Endocrine System are studied to determine the biological causes of behavior. Phenomenological or Humanistic Approach Focuses on the subjective and personal experience of events (Individual Phenomenology) , and on the need for personal growth. Concerned with describing the inner life and experiences of individuals, rather than developing theories or predicting behaviors.  Sociocultural Approach Studies the ways by which social and cultural environments influence behavior A person’s cultural context should be considered in order to understand behavior. Focuses on comparing behaviors across countries as well as across cultures within a country. The Evolutionary Psychology Emphasizes the importance of adaptation, reproduction, and survival of the fittest in explaining behavior. Focuses on the conditions that allow people to fail or survive. SUBFIELDS OF PSYCHOLOGY Clinical Community Psychologist psychology Psychiatry Counselling psychology ▪ Counseling psychology : Branch of psychology that assists people with problems in living (often related to school, work, or marriage) and in achieving greater well- being. ▪ Clinical psychology : Branch of psychology that studies, assesses, and treats people with psychological disorders. ▪ Psychiatry : Branch of medicine dealing with psychological disorders; practiced by physicians who sometimes provide medical (for example, drug) treatments as well as psychological therapy. ▪ Community psychology : Branch of psychology that studies how people interact with their social environments and how social institutions affect individuals and groups. Fields/Specializations in Psychology Social Psychology: focuses on how people think, influence, and relate with one another, and on the ways interactions with other people influence attitudes and behavior. Experimental Psychology: employs the behavioral and cognitive perspectives, as well as the experimental method in studying how people react to sensory stimuli, perceive the world, learn and remember, and respond. School and Educational Psychology: deals with the evaluation of learning and emotional problems of individuals in schools. Fields/Specializations in Psychology Industrial-Organizational Psychology: deals with the application of psychological principles and research methods in the workplace, in the interest of improving productivity & the quality of worklife. Developmental Psychology: involves the study of psychological, cognitive, and social dev’t & the factors that shape behavior from birth to old age (i.e. a person’s life span) Psychology specialties: Consumer Psychology: deals with the activities directly involved in selecting, obtaining, and using products, services, and ideas. Cognitive Psychology: study of human thinking and information-processing abilities. Cross-Cultural Psychology: study of culture’s role in understanding behavior, thoughts, and emotions. Engineering/Human Factors Engineering Psychology: study of how people and machines are related and how to improve this relationship. Psychology specialties: Environmental Psychology: deals with the relationship between humans and the environment. Forensic Psychology: applies psychology to the law and legal proceedings. Health Psychology: study of cognitive, affective, behavioral, & interpersonal factors affecting health & illness. Neuropsychology: deals with the diagnosis and rehabilitation of brain disorders. Peace Psychology: study of the psychological aspects of violence, social inequalities, peacemaking, and the pursuit of social justice. Psychology specialties: Personality Psychology: study of individual differences & the development of personality theories and tests for assessing personality traits. Physiological/Biological Psychology: employs the biological perspective & seeks to discover the relationships between biological processes & behavior. Political Psychology: interdisciplinary field studies the influence of psychological processes on political behavioral & the effect of the political system on the thoughts, feelings, and motives of individuals. Psychology specialties: Psychology of Women: emphasizes the importance of promoting research on women. Sports Psychology: applies theories and knowledge in psychology to enhance the performance of athletes and coaches. METHODS OF PSYCHOLOGY ❑ Experimental Method ❑ Quasi-experimental Method ❑ Correlational Method ❑ The Naturalistic Observation Method ❑ The Survey Method ❑ Standardized Tests ❑ Case Studies ❑ Archival Research Experimental Method The main objective of an experiment is to discover the effect of an independent variable (IV) on a dependent variable (DV). IV: variable to be manipulated; independent of what the participant does DV: variable being measured; depends on the IV Eg: Effect of Music on Memory Quasi-Experimental Method Similar to the experimental method except that random assignment of participants is not possible. Correlational Method The objective of this method is to determine whether two or more variables are associated or related to each other. The variables are first measured, after which a correlational analysis or technique (e.g. Pearson r) is conducted to determine the relationship. The Naturalistic Observation Method ❑Involves observing the phenomenon of interest as it occurs naturally ❑Eg: Observing primates in their natural environment, systematically observing the behavior of newborn babies, and observing couple’s public display of affection in the school campus. The Survey Method Employs either a written questionnaire or an interview schedule. Eg: Political opinions, product preferences Allows us to gather data about experiences, feelings, thoughts, and motives that are hard to observe directly. Standardized Tests Respondents are required to answer a series of questions and their responses scored to reflect something about their persons. A respondent’s score is compared with those of the others who took the same test. Eg : Stanford-Binet Test (IQ) CaseStudies Descriptive record of an individual’s experiences or behavior, or both, as kept by an observer. The main objective is to obtain a case history of the person being studied. Archival Research Written records (i.e. public and private documents), statistical archives, and physical traces of human beings are systematically studied in lieu of actual behaviors. Exs. Diaries, letters, paintings, books, poems, newspaper or magazine articles, movies, and speeches.  The importance of psychology in nursing ❖Physical and mental well being of a patient depends largely on the nurse ❖A nurse should know the science of behaviour for a better result in dealing with the patient ❖Psychology explains the relationship between psychological stress and physical disorders ❖After detailed study of the psychology, nurses can apply the principles of psychology in dealing with the patients ❖Psychology helps the nurse to accept the individual differences in terms of likings, disliking, emotions, response to stress, etc ❖Psychology also contributes to many therapeutic measures like - behaviour therapy, play therapy, psychoanalysis, etc ❖Psychology helps to understand the concept of self- awareness, self-esteem ❖It describes the coping abilities, defense mechanisms used by the patients and their relevance to diseased conditions ❖Psychology helps to understand herself ❖Psychology helps to understand other people ❖It will help her to improve situations by helping others ❖Make her understand the close relationship between body, mind and spirit SUMMARY Definition of psychology Perspectives in psychology Psychology’s subfields Methods of psychology Importance of psychology for nurses