Everything about psychology

Everything about psychology

Content 

  1. Introduction
  2. Psychology as a Science
  3. Historical Development of Psychology
    1. Structuralism 
    2. Functionalism
    3. Gestalt Psychology
    4. Behaviorism
    5. Psychoanalysis
    6. Humanistic Perspective 
    7. Cognitive Perspective 
    8. Sociocultural Prospective 
    9. Evolutionary Perspective 

Introduction

If you are reading about psychology or have taken Psychology as your subject in your degree then this will blog will help you to understand everything about psychology. Are you aware that the term "psychology" comes from the Greek terms "psyche" and "logos"? Psyche is the Greek word for soul (life), and logos is the Greek word for knowledge (explanation) or the study of the soul. Both philosophers and psychologists were the founders of psychology, and both sought empirical answers to philosophical concerns such as the separation between nature and nurture, the reality of free will, and so forth. Although the term 'psychology' (Psychologia in Latin) dates all the way back to the 16th century, it was popularised in German by Christian Worff in the early 18th century. Herbert Spencer, who published the first book of his Principles of Psychology in 1870, was one of the most important early English adopters of the phrase. Psychologists favored the term "mind" over "soul." In the nineteenth century, psychology was one of the last specific sciences to break away from philosophy. Nowadays, psychology is extremely popular among students and has permeated our daily lives. As such, we will discuss fascinating facts and information regarding the origins of psychology in this lesson. This lesson will define psychology and describe the various ways psychologists use to study human behavior. The unit will expand on many subfields of psychology and the research methodologies utilized in psychology. Additionally, it will discuss the varied fields in which psychologists work. Finally, we shall analyse the evolution of psychology in India.

It's tough to define psychology because it encompasses such a large field. As the discipline developed, lengthy discussions over what should be studied in psychology and how should it be researched raged. The most widely accepted definition is that it is the science of human and animal behavior, as well as the application of this science to various human situations. Today's most widely recognised definition of psychology is that it is the study of behavior and mental processes. As a result, the definition is composed of three components. To begin, psychology is a science because it makes systematic attempts to collect data by carefully observing and recording human and animal events or behaviors under controlled experimental conditions. Thus, behavior measurement in psychology is as objective as feasible. The knowledge gathered from experimentation and other techniques of observation is then applied to real-world challenges.

Second, the term "behavior" indicates overt acts and reactions in the definition.

Whatever animals or humans do that is noteworthy can be documented, including their activities, thoughts, emotions, and attitudes. Finally, the phrase mental processes encompass all covert or internal processes, including thinking, emotion, and remembering.

Simply said, psychology is a science concerned with the study and prediction of human and animal behavior (Morgan, King, & Robinson, 1984).

Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. The discipline embraces all aspects of the human experience — from the functions of the brain to the actions of nations, from child development to care for the aged. In every conceivable setting from scientific research centers to mental health care services, “the understanding of behavior” is the enterprise of psychologists. -American Psychological Association

 The ancient Greek philosophers were interested in how human beings perceive and understand the universe.

This is referred to as epistemology (the Greek words episteme and logos mean knowledge and discourse, respectively). If we look back at the history of psychology, we will see that it arose as a result of the merger of physiology, a branch of biology (natural science), and epistemology, a part of philosophy known as the theory of knowledge, or the theory of knowledge.

As a result, while the philosophical origins of psychology can be found in philosophy, it was biology that spurred the development of psychology as a distinct science. The early \spsychologists believed that psychology could be created through a systematic \sframework by doing research in experimental settings. Darwin's (theory of evolution), Newton's (conceptualization of physical laws), and Mendeleev's (Periodic Table of Elements) contributions to psychological study helped to strengthen the systematic approach to psychological research. So psychology began as a synthesis of physical science, physiological science, and mental philosophy, and psychological research was limited to the study of the links between the mind, the body, and the physical world. 

Psychology as a Science 

Later, as the subject grew in popularity, social, cultural, and interpersonal concerns of human behavior were included as topics of study. To this point, it should be noted that the theoretical orientations of psychologists, such as physiological psychologists (whose research focuses on the nervous and glandular systems) or social psychologists (whose research focuses on the social aspects of human behavior), are extremely important in understanding human behavior. There have been numerous viewpoints as to whether psychology should a part \sof natural sciences or social sciences. For psychology to be considered as a natural \sscience, the main assumptions are, natural monism (also known as reductionism, \swhere a theory or a phenomenon is reduced or simplified to its simplest part), \soperationism (validity of the finding depends on the validity of the procedures \semployed in arriving at that finding), and determinism (all actions are subject to \snatural laws and must be explained in terms of causative factors in individual’s heredity \sand environment). In order for psychology to be classified as social science, the researcher must conduct experiments, adhere to all scientific observation and control procedures, and analyze the data using quantitative or statistical approaches. 

Although there are no assumptions in the design of tests or studies, there are assumptions in the interpretation of findings. As a result, psychology is a discipline that investigates human and animal behavior with great care and in a systematic manner. It is just as objective as any other discipline of research in terms of evaluating it. It is based on empirical evidence. By conducting experiments and observations, gathering information or data is obtained. Data is then analyzed, and conclusions are drawn within a framework that can be duplicated and confirmed, rather than relying on other people's ideas, belief systems, or conversations.

A controlled environment is provided for the experiments, and the experiments themselves are structured in such a way that they can be replicated by others if they choose to do so. For the purpose of understanding the sequence of events that take place, the data is collected in a fairly methodical and quantified manner. In today's world, the qualitative approach is also becoming increasingly popular. The data acquired as a result of this lead to the development of specific theories that aid in the prediction of behavior. Occasionally, theory can also serve as a direction for a research project. An approach that is nomothetic and idiographic in nature

In psychology, it is a method of describing the objectives, techniques, and theoretical perspectives of psychologists. Individuals are ignored by nomothetic psychologists, who strive to develop generic rules and principles controlling mental and behavioural processes without regard for the individual. An appropriate number of participants is chosen to serve as a representative sample of the general population in this approach. Following data collection and analysis, rigorous inferences and generalizations are drawn from the results of the experiment. This method is focused with the comprehension of an individual or event in its entirety. The inquiry is centered on the individual since this approach stresses that each individual is distinct and must be understood in the context of his or her psychosocial environment, which includes family and friends.

Historical Development of Psychology

This point should have clarified the definition of psychology as well as the reasons why psychology is regarded a scientific discipline. Psychology was formerly considered to be a branch of philosophy. It separated itself from philosophy and established itself as a separate discipline roughly 138 years ago. "Psychology has a short history but a long past," Hermann Ebbinghaus said more than a century ago, in a form of reflection on Greek philosophers who wrote on human nature, and it is still relevant today. Greek philosophers such as Socrates (428-348 BCE), Plato (428-347 BCE), and Aristotle (384-322 BCE) attempted to explain the nature of the human mind and its relationship to the physical body as early as the fourth millennium BCE.
The ancient Socratic maxim 'know yourself' highlighted the significance of knowing oneself and engaging in personal contemplation. Several centuries later, French philosopher René Descartes (1596-1650) regarded the pineal gland (body physiology) as the'seat of the soul,' or the location where all thoughts are conceived of.
Following the success of experimental methods in physics, a number of scientists have turned to using experiments to explore the mind and human behavior. 
  1. Gustav Theodor Fechner (1801-1887), a German physiologist who researched psychophysics, a type of psychology, was one of the first scientists to examine psychological processes. He was one of the first scientists to study psychological processes. Wilhelm Wundt, a German chemist, founded the world's first laboratory in Leipzig, Germany, in 1879. (1832-1920). G. Stanley Hall, a student of Wundt's, founded the first formal psychology laboratory in the United States in 1883 at John Hopkins University in Baltimore (1844-1924).
  2.  Although significant progress was made, the transition away from philosophy proved to be tough. The American Psychological Association (APA) was founded in 1892, and Hall was elected as its first president in that year. "The Principles of Psychology," written by William James (1842-1910), was the first textbook on psychology ever published.
  3.  The empirical approach used by psychologists to investigate thought, attention, imagery, and so on was pioneered by Albert Bandura. The tests were carried out in order to better understand the mind and mental experiences. Various schools of thought gradually developed differing perspectives on the nature of psychological inquiry as a result of this development. They emphasized that the study of conduct, rather than the study of the intellect, should be the primary focus.
We will examine the major schools of thought or major views in psychology that have contributed to the development of the subject in this section. These approaches progress from the traditional to the modern, and they are centered on defining behavior and doing research in accordance with the psychologist's leanings.

Structuralism:
The primary emphasis is on examining the fundamental structures of the human mind. This kind of view is referred to as structuralism. It is related with Wilhelm Wundt and Edward Titchener (who was Wundt's student), among other individuals. Wundt felt that consciousness could be broken down into its constituent parts, which included thoughts, experiences, emotions, and other fundamental elements.
Objective introspection was the term used to describe the process of objectively examining and measuring one's subjective experience. The term "objectivity" refers to a fair and unbiased approach, and this was the first attempt to introduce objectivity and measurement into the field of psychology. Edward B. Titchener (1867-1927) had an interest in learning more about the organization of the human mind. With structuralism arose a fervent desire to understand the fundamental components of consciousness. Structuralism was quite influential in the early 1900s, but it began to wane after that.
WILHELM WUNDT (1832-1920): Father of Experimental Psychology
In Neckarau, Baden-Württemberg, Germany, on August 16, 1832, Wilhelm Maximilian Wundt was born. Minister Maximilian Wundt and his wife, Marie Frederike, had four children, the youngest of whom was he. He began his official schooling at a Catholic gymnasium, but he despised it and struggled to do well there. He was transferred to another gymnasium in Heidelberg, where he completed his studies in 1851 and received his diploma. While studying medicine, Wundt made significant progress after getting off to a shaky start. Wundt was given the opportunity to work as an assistant to Hermann von Helmholtz. His seminal book, Principles of Physiological Psychology, was published in two volumes in 1873 and 1874, respectively. This study proposed the key concepts of his experimental psychology and served as an inspiration for scientists all around the world to pursue scientific psychology.

Functionalism:

This theme was heavily influenced by Darwin's theory of natural selection (functionalists believed that the theory could be applied to psychological characteristics), and the focus of his research was on functions of mind and behavior (such as learning, memory, problem-solving, and motivation), rather than on biological characteristics. The functionalist theory was created by John Dewey (1859-1952), who focused on what the mind and behavior do, as well as on how they enable a person to adapt to new and difficult situations. Among the most important contributors was William James (1842-1910), who was interested in how the mind permits people to function in the real world. The term "functionalism" was coined to describe this approach. James was instrumental in establishing the psychology laboratory at Harvard University.

Gestalt Psychology:
Later psychologists conducted experiments to investigate sensations in order to gain a better understanding of how the mind works. Gestalt psychology was created in Germany in 1912 by Max Wertheimer (1880-1943), Kurt Koffka (1886-1941), and Wolfgang Kohler (1887-1967), who were all born in the same year. They placed a strong emphasis on the overall concept of sensory experience, relating the feelings to relationships and organisational structure as a whole. They investigated the mind by applying organizational ideas to the study of human behaviour.

Behaviourism:
This school of thought was founded by John B. Watson (1879-1958) and Burrhus Fredrick Skinner (1904-1990), who ignored the mind as a subject of research and emphasized that psychology should only examine obvious forms of behaviour, neglecting covert processes. They placed a greater emphasis on the study of behaviour and the activities that animals and humans participate in. Watson emphasised the importance of conditioned reactions, learnt behaviour, and animal behaviour in his presentation. It was Ivan Petrovich Pavlov (1849-1936), a physiologist whose studies of digestion earned him the Nobel Prize in 1904, who came to the conclusion that stimuli other than food may cause salivation. This led him to investigate the conditioned response in great depth.

Psychoanalysis:

Sigmund Freud, an Austrian psychiatrist, is credited with establishing psychoanalysis (1856-1938). Freud claimed that unconscious motivation plays an essential role in the development of nerve diseases and emphasized the relevance of early childhood experiences in the development of one's personality. Freud felt that the expression of desires and drives can be seen in both action and thought. The importance of unconscious thoughts, memories, and feelings is the primary topic of this paper. Psychoanalysis is a procedure in which unconscious thoughts and memories are disclosed through free-talking and dream interpretation, which is also known as psychoanalysis. Psychologists such as Carl Jung (1875–1961), Alfred Adler (1870–1937), Karen Horney (1855–1952), and Erik Erikson (1855–1952) were influenced by Sigmund Freud (1902-1994). The approach they took was known as the psychodynamic approach, and they were referred to as Neo-Feudians (New Freudians).

Humanistic Perspective:

In psychology, this concept is referred to as the 'third force,' and it is concerned with people's ability to steer their own life. The most important characteristics are free will, the ability to select one's own future, the pursuit of self-actualization, and the realisation of one's own potential. The two most important founders are Abraham Maslow (1908-1970) and Carl Rogers (1906-1990). (1902-1987).

Cognitive Perspective:

The gestalt approach, as well as the emergence of computers, sparked a renewed interest in the study of higher-order cognitive functions. This perspective, which gained popularity in the 1960s and emphasised memory, intelligence, language, problem-solving, and decisionmaking, was developed. Hermann Ebbinghaus (1850–1909), a German psychologist who pioneered the study of memory by investigating the formation of associations by learning serial lists of nonsense syllables, and the English psychologist Sir Frederic Bartlett (1886–1969), who investigated the cognitive and social processes of remembering, are among the most important contributors.

Sociocultural Perspective:

The main emphasis is on the social and cultural elements that influence human behaviour and decision-making. Research conducted from this perspective is significant because it can reveal the various affects of the environment, social norms, socioeconomic inequalities, ethnic identity, and other factors on individuals. Researchers in the field of sociocultural psychology have found that the norms of western cultures lean heavily toward individualism, whereas the norms of east Asian cultures lean heavily toward collective or interdependent behavior. Social psychologist Leon Festinger (1919-1989) proposed cognitive dissonance theory, which claims that a person is aware on some level if she or he acts in a way that is contradictory with her or his belief, attitude, or opinion. Festinger died in 1989.

Evolutionary Perspective

The idea of natural selection developed by Charles Darwin serves as an inspiration for this viewpoint. Darwin was the first to propose evolution, which he defined as consisting of three fundamental components: variation, inheritance, and selection. The internal processes are adaptations and products of natural selection that have assisted humans (and other living species) in their efforts to live and reproduce throughout the world. Evolutionary psychologists think that genetic predispositions or tendencies, such as 'aggression,' are determined by genes and that they are passed down from one generation to the next by natural selection. Investigating behaviour (aggression, mating, etc.) in different species from an evolutionary perspective might reveal how evolution may have influenced these behaviours in the past.
The importance of sociocultural elements that could have contributed to the actual behaviours is also emphasised by them. David Buss is considered to be one of the most important founders of evolutionary psychology.

Comments

Thank You