Introducing Psychology

What is Psychology
• Understanding about behavior
• Everyone wants to know about oneself and other
people around him.
• Psychology requires scientific approach
• Natural settings, laboratories, schools, colleges,
universities, parks, markets, organizations……. Every
social setting.

• Study about HOW, WHAT and WHY of human

behavior.
 Old definitions of Psychology
• Psychology………….. Psyche (soul/mind)
Logy (study)
• Psychology as a soul
• Psychology as a mind
• Psychology as mental processes
• Psychology as behavior
 Definition
The scientific study of behavior and mental processes. It
encompasses not just what people do but also their
thoughts, emotions, perceptions, reasoning processes,
memories, and even the biological activities that
maintain bodily functioning.

• Scientific study
• Mental processes
• Behavior
 Goals of psychology
• To Describe
The first goal of psychology is to describe how humans and
animals behave in different situations. Through continued
observation we can define what kind of behavior is considered
normal or healthy and what may be seemed as abnormal or
unhealthy.
• To Explain
• Why does this behavior occur? Under what circumstances
will it occur again? In order to explain a behavior,
psychologists must conduct experiments to ensure that the
behavior is not an anomaly. They have to consider which
factors trigger certain behavior, as well as formulate certain
theories which will help explain the same.
• To Predict
• Based on past observed behavior, a psychologist aims
to predict how that behavior will appear again in the
future and if other people will exhibit the same
behavior. Being able to correctly predict occurrences of
certain behavior is very important, as with this
understanding, models can be developed to encourage
positive behavior and find methods to modify or
control negative behavior.
• To Control
• The final goal of psychology is to control or modify
certain types of behavior based on observation.
 Example
• Someone did something that they weren't supposed to do that had
a negative impact on their life. You want to try to help/solve the
problem and naturally, the following questions might run through
your mind:
• "What happened?" (describing),
• "Why did she do that?" (explaining),
• "What would happen if she did this?" (predicting)
• "What can she do next time to have a different outcome?"
(changing).
• The main difference between us asking these questions and
psychologists and professional mental health professionals asking
these questions is that there is a high level of education and
training in the explaining, predicting and changing process that
facilitates lasting positive change for individuals.
 Importance of psychology
• Better understanding of your own self
(development, personality, thoughts and
behavior)
• Better understanding of people around you.
(building relationships)
• Better communicator
• Better leader (self confidence)
• Better friend
• Avoiding stressful situations
• Coping and resilience
 Difference between Psychologist and
Psychiatrist
• Psychologist: focus extensively on psychotherapy and treating
emotional and mental suffering in patients with behavioral
intervention.
• Psychologists obtain PsyD doctoral degree, Throughout their
education, psychologists study personality development, the history
of psychological problems and the science of psychological
research.
• Psychiatrist: are trained medical doctors, they can prescribe
medications, and they spend much of their time with patients on
medication management as a course of treatment.
• Psychiatrists attend medical school and are trained in general
medicine. After earning an MD, they practice four years of
residency training in psychiatry.
 The Subfields of Psychology:
Psychology’s Family Tree
• Clinical psychology deals with the study, diagnosis,
and treatment of psychological disorders.
• Clinical neuropsychology unites the areas of
biopsychology and clinical psychology, focusing on
the relationship between biological factors and
psychological disorders.
• Cognitive psychology focuses on the study of higher
mental processes including thinking, memory,
reasoning, problem solving, judging, decision making,
and language.
• Counseling psychology focuses primarily on
educational, social, and career adjustment
problems.
• Cross-cultural psychology investigates the
similarities and differences in psychological
functioning in and across various cultures and
ethnic groups.
• Developmental psychology examines how
people grow and change from the moment of
conception through death.
• Educational psychology is concerned with
teaching and learning processes, such as the
relationship between motivation and school
performance.
• Environmental psychology considers the
relationship between people and their physical
environment.
• Evolutionary psychology considers how
behavior is influenced by our genetic inheritance
from our ancestors.
• Experimental psychology studies the
processes of sensing, perceiving, learning, and
thinking about the world.
• Forensic psychology focuses on legal issues,
such as determining the accuracy of witness
memories.
• Health psychology explores the relationship
between psychological factors and physical
ailments or disease.
• Industrial/organizational psychology is
concerned with the psychology of the workplace.
• Personality psychology focuses on the
consistency in people’s behavior over time and
the traits that differentiate one person from
another.
• Behavioral neuroscience examines the biological
basis of behavior. It mainly examines how the
brain and the nervous system, other biological
processes determine behavior.
• Psychology of women focuses on issues such as
discrimination against women and the causes of
violence against women.
• School psychology is devoted to counseling
children in elementary and secondary schools
who have academic or emotional problems.
• Social psychology is the study of how people’s
thoughts, feelings, and actions are affected by
others.
• Sport psychology applies psychology to athletic
activity and exercise.
• Cyber psychology focuses on
the psychological phenomena which emerge as a
result of the human interaction with digital
technology, particularly the Internet
 Where do Psychologists work?
• Many doctoral-level psychologists are employed
by institutions of higher learning (universities and
colleges) or are self-employed, usually working as
private practitioners treating clients
• Other work sites include hospitals, clinics, mental
health centers, counseling centers, government
human-services organizations, businesses,
schools, and even prisons.
• Psychologists are employed in the military,
working with soldiers, veterans, and their
families, and they work for the federal
government Department to fight terrorism.
• Many psychology professors are also actively
involved in research or in serving clients.
• Whatever the particular job site, however,
psychologists share a commitment to improving
individual lives as well as society in general.
Thank You