Psychology 11 Unit 1 - Understanding Human Psychological Development Chapter 1 – A Look at Psychology Having completed this unit you will be able to: Explain a definition of psychology. Understand the relationship of psychology to the other sciences. Describe a brief history of psychology. Identify several scientific and non-scientific psychological behaviour research methods. Describe procedures and problems related to psychological experiments.

What is Psychology? Despite some of the “old” names associated with psychology (i.e. Sigmund Freud ), psychology is considered a “new science” and has yet to have an established definition accepted by all. Not only does it lack a true definition, but it also has a multitude of branches, causing there to be a variety of approaches taken in regards to the study and implementation of psychology. However, a common thread held by all sections of psychology, is that psychology is the “science that deals with the behaviour and thinking of organisms.”

Psy·chol·o·gy (/sī ˈ käləjē/) “Psychology” is derived from the two Greek words “psyche” and “logos” Psyche = mind or soul Logos = study of Further to this definition, it should also be pointed out that there are four important words that must also be examined with respect to the realm of psychology, these words are: 1.Science 2.Behaviour 3.Thinking 4.Organism Study of mind or soul…

Psychology and Science… Science, defined as “a branch of study that is based on systematically conducted research…” Involves strict research procedures that are done to prove or disprove ideas. Science involves conducting research through the collection of information (data) in an organized fashion. The use of proper research methods are the only way to ensure sound and viable results; more on these methods later…

Psychology and Behaviour & Thinking… Next on the scale of “what to pay attention to” in the world of psychology is behaviour… Behaviour refers to the activities of people or animals that can be observed directly or measured by special techniques (they see results). i.e. When a teacher gives you a test to determine what you have learned – includes anything from a math test to a road test… Psychologically speaking, more complicated measuring techniques may be needed to study emotional behaviour. i.e. crying when sad, yelling when angry, or the anxiety levels created (heart rate or blood pressure).

Psychology and Behaviour & Thinking… Thinking refers to an unobservable activity in which an human or animal recognizes past experiences through the use of symbols or concepts. Thinking processes can only be tested through observed behaviour or psychological changes, i.e. heart rate IMPORTANT TO NOTE: Thinking is a very complex observation, and not easily measured…

Psychology and Organism… What is an organism? Any living person or animal While psychologists are mostly interested in human beings, studies also include chimpanzees, pigeons, rats, or other animals. Why study animals? Just as with most cosmetic and/or hair care products, its easier to perform experiments on animals vs human beings…

But, what does a Psychologist study? We have learned that psychologists/psychology deals with the behaviour and thinking of organisms, but there is more… Psychologists focus on both common and unusual activities. Psychologists are interested in common daily activities: Why do we eat when we eat? Does stress affect eating habits? Sleep patterns Speech patterns Ability to remember Also interested in certain everyday situations, i.e. a job interview: What role does your appearance, sex, or age play?

With “common” must also come “abnormal” Much of psychology is concerned with daily common activities, some psychologists study what isn’t so much daily as it is random… Why do people go berserk? Why do people who “look content” overdose on drugs or attempt to commit suicide? Abnormal behavioural psychologists try to diagnose the problem which will then hopefully diagnose the cause. Was Mr. or Mrs. Berserk recently fired, do they have marital problems, do they have a history of aggression? The goal is to help the person…

Another video to help in the intro to Psychology…