Jobkey uNiversity

Lecture r: Amaanreer isak moh’ed

Cellphone : 0615381519Subject psychology

Date o8/05/2015

What is psychology ?The term psychology comes from two Greek words: psyche, which means “soul,” and logos, 'the study of.' These root words were first combined in the 16th century, at a time when the human soul, spirit, or mind was seen as distinct from the body.

What is psychology ?

The scientific study of behavior and mental

processes and how they are affected by an organism’s

physical, state, mental state, and external environment.

What is psychology ?

The study of our inner feelings and behaviors.

Do our feelings always match our behaviors?

If you call me a umbassd, I may feel sad inside.

But I will still act tough. (but I will be crying on the inside, so be

Contiue…•Scientific study requires several

things:

1.Theoretical framework

2.Testable Hypotheses

3.Empirical evidence

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Behavior and mental processes include overt, observable instances but

also include subtle kinds of instances, like brain activity.

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Humans and many other creatures included in the

scientific study of behavior and mental

processes

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Physical state relates primarily to the

organism’s biology - most especially the state of the brain and central nervous

system

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Mental state does not have to be conscious - can

study mental states in many creatures without

their conscious awareness - and can be studied in terms of brain activity.

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Most people think of psychology as the study of

differences between people, but it also includes the

study of similaritiesbetween people.

PsychologyThe scientific study of behavior and the mind. This definition contains three elements. The firstis that psychology is a scientificenterprise that obtains knowledge through systematic and objective methods of observation and experimentation.

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Second is that psychologists study behavior, which refers to any action or reaction that can be measured or observed—such as the blink of an eye, an increase in heart rate, or the unruly violence that often erupts in a mob.

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Third is that psychologists study the mind, which refers to both conscious and unconscious mental states. These states cannot actually be seen, only inferred from observable behavior.

Many writers agree that the birth of psychology as we now understand the

concept was in 1879 in Leipzig, Germany. At this time, Wilhelm Wundt founded the first laboratory

devoted to experimental psychology. Over the next 40 years, many

universities throughout Europe and the United States set up their own laboratories.

The main belief shared by these early pioneers was that human

psychological processes could be studied objectively using the same

experimental methods developed over the years by the natural sciences (for examp1e physics

and chemistry).

The first recognized book on psychology was written by William James and published in 1890.

Why do psychologists differ in their descriptions?

There are at least two reasons whypsychologists do not always agree on a

simple common description of psychology.

The first is that psychology is a relatively newdiscipline. Compared with sciences such

as chemistry and physics, psychology is in its

infancy and its theories and methods are stillbeing developed.

The second reason is that psychology already covers a diverse range of subjects, and psychologists working in different areas Psychology in slightly different ways. Educational psychologists will be mainly concerned with the way in which children learn, and how to help children who are not doing well at school.

Kinds of Psychologists

•Cognitive

•Social

•Developmental

•Health

•Clinical

•Human Factors

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•Cognitive Neuroscience

•Evolutionary

•Educational

Cognition

when you think or use a conscious mental process or process of knowing.

Cognition includes attention, perception, memory, reasoning, judgment, imagining, thinking, and speech.

Social Psychology

the scientific study of how people think, feel, and behave in social situations. This area of specialization draws on two disciplines: sociology, which focuses on groups; and psychology, which centers on the individual.

Developmental Psychology

Developmental Psychology

study of changes in human behavior and thought from infancy to old age. Developmental psychology is the study of how people change over time, but it also investigates how and why certain characteristics remain consistent over the life course.

Health psychology

Many psychologists in this area study psychophysiological disorders(also called psychosomatic disorders), conditions that are brought on or influenced by psychological states, most often stress. These disorders include high blood pressure, headaches, asthma, and ulcers.

Chapter Assignment1. From your understanding of our

discussion, how would you definepsychology?

2. State two reasons why psychologists donot always agree on a commondescription of psychology?

3. List and explain kinds of psychology?

(Do your own Swot please)