Skip to main content

What is Psychology?

APSARA KATUWAL DANGOL

 What is Psychology?

Simply, Psychology is the study of mind and behavior (APA). It deals with the study of mind, how it works and how it affects behavior.

Main points of Psychology

  • a scientific study of the mind and behavior,
  • the mental or behavioral characteristics of an individual and group (Merriam - Webster),
  • includes many subfields (abnormal, anomalistic, behavioral genetics, biological, clinical, cognitive, community, counseling, development, educational, environmental, forensic, health, etc),
  • the scientific study of all forms of human and animal behavior, sometimes concerned with the methods through which behavior can be modified (Collins Dictionary).


Goals of Psychology

  • to describe behavior which helps in understanding and gaining a better perspective on behavior,
  • to explain behavior and what influences it?
  • to predict human behavior about how one thinks and act,
  • to change behavior which can be constructive in nature.


Stages of Psychology
Philosophical Stage

  • Related to soul and mind
  • Major contributors: Aristotle (384-322 BC), Plato (427-347)

Structural stage

  • Related to consciousness
  • Major contributors: Wilhelm Wundt (1832-1920), Edward Titchener (1867-1927)

Behavioral Stage

  • Related to behavior
  • Major Contributor: J.B. Watson (1878-1958), Ivan P. Pavlov, Charles Darwin(1809-1882), Francis Galton (1822-1911).

Modern Stage

  • Related to science, behavior and mental process


Application of Psychology

 Counseling deals with the solution of personal and emotional problems, educational problems and vocational guidance.

Exploring Diversity deals with multicultural issues and global topics like racial, ethnic, gender, prejudice and cultural diversity

Industrial Application deals with designing of equipment, carrier orientation, screen people for jobs.

 Develop Human relationship deals with knowing one's and other's characteristics.

 Cure abnormal disease deals with removing many problems of mental health.

 Solving political problems deal with peace, positive psychology and international concern.

Training of organism deals with molding organism's behavior.

Basic Areas of Psychology
Developmental Psychology
Basic Features

  • study of changing abilities from conception to old age and death
  • study of quantitative and qualitative changes in human
  • study of human characteristics


 Child Psychology
Basic Features

  • study of children from the prenatal period to adolescence
  • describes the particular period of life (infancy, pre-school years, adolescence)


Social Psychology
Basic Features

  • studies what influences people
  • studies the way people perceive others, and world

Abnormal Psychology
Basic Feature

  • studies neurotic, psychotic, and other abnormalities

Cognitive Psychology
Basic Features

  • Associated with intelligent actions like thinking, learning, perceiving, planning, imaging, creating, etc
  • focuses on how thoughts occur,
Applied Field of Psychology

  • Clinical Psychology
  • Counseling and Guidance
  • Health Psychology
  • Industrial Psychology
  • Educational Psychology

About Writer

Apsara Katuwal Dangol, is writer, educator, and psychosocial counselor. She writes articles which covers topics related to general and developmental psychology. She teaches to MA Clinical Psychology students as Developmental Psychology Mentor at Tri-Chandra College, and General Psychology at Shubhashree College of Management.









References:

Niraula, S. (2011). General Psychology. Budhha Academic Publishers and Distributors Pvt. Ltd.

Psychology
 https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/psychology

Psychology Definition and meaning
https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/psychology

Subfields of psychology
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subfields_of_psychology

What are the four major goals of psychology
https://www.verywellmind.com/what-are-the-four-major-goals-of-psychology-2795603

What is Psychology?
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/154874.php


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Brief Description on "Self Concept "

APSARA KATUWAL  DANGOL Self Concept deals with describing own self and believing own self. Both Eastern and Western cultures have different views regarding Self Concept. According to Baumeister (1999), Self Concept is the individual's belief in himself or herself, including the person's attributes and who and what the self is. Within the development of Self Concept, there are different views and categories. According to Michael Lewis (1990), there are two categories of self-concept. i. The Existential Self: When a child is two to three months, he starts to have an existential self. He feels that he is a separate entity. He starts responding to other objects. ii.The Categorical Self: It is the sense of feeling of being an object to the world. Slowly child starts to connect himself to the world. And development related to internal traits start to develop. Carl Roger (1959) has claimed that self-concept has three component which includes self-image, self-esteem, and ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Behavioral approach in Clinical Psychology

APSARA KATUWAL  DANGOL Behavioral approach is based on the belief that behavior can be learned. It focuses on a scientific and objective method of investigation. It is also concerned with observable Stimulus-Response behaviors. This approach also focuses on learning's role in developing both normal and abnormal behavior. Early theorist Ivan Pavlov discovered classical conditioning (associative learning). He conducted a famous study using dogs. It focused on the effects of a learned response to a stimulus. For example, a dog started salivating when it heard the bell. Here, the sound of the bell would symbolize the message of getting food. Another behaviorist, Edwar L. Thorndike discovered Operant Conditioning and later B.F. Skinner analyzed operant conditioning. It is based on rewards and punishment to shape people's behavior. Edward L. Thorndike discovered Animal Intelligence. He found that punishment didn't weaken S-R connections but inhibited their expression. ...
Post a Comment
Read more

History of Counselling in Nepal

APSARA KATUWAL DANGOL During 1947, Psychology was introduced in Tri-Chandra Multiple Campus affiliated to Indian University as an intermediate level as a part of philosophy. Tribhuvan University was established in 1959 and other college came into existence.Four more colleges introduced psychology in the academic subject in intermediate and bachelor level in 1966. During the 1960s, Psychology grew slowly and outside Kathmandu Valley, introduced in two colleges. In 1980, Master's level course was introduced.At present, psychology is taught in eight campuses. Psychosocial Counselling is in the infancy stage in Nepal.Due to many problems related to social issues, it has impacted in mental health so to deal with this issues psychosocial counseling is a major component of that care. Psychosocial Counselling was introduced by Training of Trainee (TOT) to help victims. Nowadays, many organizations are involved in it. Even The School of Psychology (TSOP) is part of it. In 1991, Tra...
Post a Comment
Read more