GENERAL PSYCHOLOGY

UNIT – I
INTRODUCTION TO PSYCHOLOGY

Deepak R, M.Sc.,
Assistant Professor,
PSG CAS
SYLLABUS
DEFINITION OF PSYCHOLOGY
▪ Psychology is the scientific study of BEHAVIOUR and
COGNITION or mental processes.
▪ Psychology = science + behavior + cognition.
WHY SCIENCE?
Subject matter of psychology:
▪ Psychology studies about Behaviour and Cognition.

Behaviour
▪ Behaviour include all our activities.
▪ Anything we do like eating, talking, reading, watching T.V can be called as
behaviour.
▪ Cognition
GOALS OR OBJECTIVES OF PSYCHOLOGY
As a science, psychology has the following goals:
▪ a) Description of behaviour
▪ b) Explanation of behaviour
▪ c) Prediction of behaviour and
▪ d) Control of behaviour
▪ Description of behaviour– What aspect?
▪ poor hand writing, spelling mistakes, not completing home work,
but intelligent
▪ Explanation of behaviour—Why aspect?
▪ Learning disability– dyslexia– a psychologist by giving
psychological tests
▪ Prediction of behaviour—When aspect?
▪ The teacher can predict the future behaviour of the child regarding
studies
▪ Control of behaviour- How aspect?
▪ by using teaching methods like multisensory learning dyslexia can
be controlled
PSYCHOLOGY AS A SCIENCE
▪ Arts- no experiment
▪ Science- experiment
▪ Psychology as arts under philosophy
▪ From 400 B C Aristotle more than 2000 years
PSYCHOLOGY AS A SCIENCE
▪ Experimentation is possible
▪ Experimental psychology
NATURE OF SCIENCE
▪ A) Empiricism

Science uses an empirical approach. Empiricism (founded by John

Locke) states that the only source of knowledge comes through our
senses – e.g. sight, hearing etc.
▪ Empirical Evidence
▪ Refers to data being collected through direct observation or
experiment.

▪ Empirical evidence does not rely on argument or belief.

▪ Objectivity:
Researchers should remain totally value free when
studying; they should try to remain totally unbiased
in their investigations.
▪ I.e. Researchers are not influenced by personal
feelings and experiences.
▪ Predictability:
We should be aiming to be able to predict future
behavior from the findings of our research.
▪ Replication:
This refers to whether a particular method and
finding can be repeated with different/same people
and/or on different occasions, to see if the results
are similar.
HISTORY AND ORIGIN OF SCIENCE OF
PSYCHOLOGY
• Psychology have a long past but short history.
• Like other sciences psychology have developed
from philosophy.
STAGES OF HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT
• Origin of the term psychology
• Philosophical root of psychology

• Scientific root of psychology

• Birth of psychology as a science
• Schools of psychology
• Development of psychology in India
 ORIGIN OF THE TERM
▪ Derivation
▪ The term psychology is derived from
two Greek words “psyche” and “logos”.
▪ Psyche means “mind” and logos means
“course of study”
SYMBOL
▪ The symbol for psychology is
▪ psi ( pronounced as sy ) the 23rd letter of Greek
alphabet
▪ Evolution of the term
▪ Aristotle first used the term psyche in his book “De
Anima”
▪1506 GREEK NAME PSICHIOLOGIA
▪ Book with the title “psychologia”
▪ Rudolf Göckel a German philosopher in 1590
published the book “ Psychologia hoc estde
hominis perfectione anima orbu”
▪ The word psychology in English was
by Steven Blankaart in 1693 in The Physical
Dictionary which refers to "Anatomy, which
treats of the Body, and Psychology, which
treats of the Soul.
 PHILOSOPHICAL ROOT OF PSYCHOLOGY
▪ Psychology began with the contribution of following
philosophers;
▪ 1)Aristotle
▪ 2)Rene Descartes
▪ 3)John Locke
▪ 1) Aristotle
▪ He first used the term psyche.
▪ In his book De Anima he describes thinking,
sensations, imagination and dreaming.
▪ 2) Rene Descartes
▪ French philosopher who discussed the relationship
between body and mind.
▪ His popular one line philosophy is “I think therefore
I am”
▪ 3)John Locke
▪ British philosopher who described mind as blank
slate- “tabula rasa” at birth.
SCIENTIFIC ROOTS OF PSYCHOLOGY
▪ Hermann von Helmholtz
▪ Wilhem Wundt
▪ Weber
All three were From Leipzig university Germany
BIRTH OF PSYCHOLOGY AS A SCIENCE
▪ From the beginning for more than 2000 years psychology
was a branch of philosophy.
▪ In the year 1879 psychology was separated from
philosophy and made as an independent science.
▪ Wilhelm Wundt's first psychology lab:
▪ Scientific study of psychology starts with the
establishment of world’s first psychology laboratory by
Wilhelm Wundt in Leipzig university Germany in 1879.
 FIRST PSYCHOLOGY LAB 1879
• The year 1879 is the date of birth for scientific study of psychology.
• Wilhelm Wundt is the “father of scientific study of psychology”
APPARATUS USED BY WUNDT
GRAVE STONE OF WUNDT IN LEIPZIG
FIRST PSYCHOLOGY LAB WILLIAM JAMES - USA

▪ William James of USA Harvard University established the

first psychology laboratory in 1875 four years before of
Wundt’s laboratory in 1879 – FOUNDING FATHER OF
AMERICAN PSYCHOLOGY
▪ But his laboratory produced no original research data and
used mainly for lecture demonstration unlike Wundt’s
laboratory which generated original psychological data
and became the first psychology laboratory in the history.
EARLY HARVARD PSYCHOLOGY LAB
 KEY PERSPECTIVES IN PSYCHOLOGY
▪Schools of psychology/ approaches/perspectives

▪School refers to school of thought

which includes the founder, basic
ideas, method and application.
• Historical development of schools;
• 1)Structuralism
• 2)Functionalism
• 3)Psychoanalysis
• 4)Humanistic psychology
• 5)Behaviourism
• 6)Gestalt psychology
1)Structuralism;
First school of psychology and known as mental
chemistry
Founder:
American psychologist E.B.Titchner and the student
of Wundt
Meaning:
Structuralism is the first school of psychology which
focused on the structural elements of mind.
Basic ideas:
Psychology must study the conscious mind by breaking them into
structures.
Conscious mind have three structures:
a) sensations
b) images
c) feelings
Method
Psychology must use introspection method
Application
Structuralism school laid the foundation for scientific
study of psychology.
2)Functionalism:
Founder.
American psychologist William James.
Meaning.
Functionalism is the school of psychology which
proposed that psychology must study the functioning of
conscious mind.
Basic ideas.
Psychology must study the conscious mind like
structuralism
But it has to study the functioning of the conscious
mind
James called the conscious mind as “stream of
consciousness”.
Method.
Introspection method.
Application.
Functionalism laid the foundation for applied
psychology.
3)Psychoanalysis
Founder.
Sigmund Freud- Austrian psychiatrist.
Meaning.
The school of psychology which propose that
psychology must study UNCONSCIOUS MIND.
Basic ideas
• Psychoanalysis has negative view of human being
and first force in psychology.
• It must study UNCONSCIOUS MIND.
• Unconscious mind contains sex motive—Libido and
aggression motive—Thanatos.
• Infantile sexuality
• Early childhood experience plays a major role in the
development of behaviour,personality, and mental illness.
• Method
• Psychoanalysis used case study method.
• Application
• Psychoanalytic therapy-talking cure- is used for the
treatment of mental illness.
• 4)Humanistic psychology
• Founders
• Abraham Maslow and Carl Rogers- American
psychologists
• Meaning
• The school of psychology which studies the
positive qualities of human beings,( humane means good
and kind)
• Basic ideas
• Humanistic psychology has positive view of human
being. FREE WILL
• Maslow give more importance to self actualization
• Carl Rogers give more importance to self concept.
FORMULA
• Method
• Introspection and experiment.
• Application
• Carl Rogers developed client centered therapy or non
directive counselling.
• 5)Behaviourism
• Founder
• J.B. Watson- an American
psychologist.
• Basic ideas
• Psychology must study only external and observable
BEHAVIOUR only.
• All behaviours are learned through classical and
operant conditioning.
• Concepts like conscious mind, unconscious mind, self
concept, and introspection must be removed from
psychology.
• By studying animal behaviour in the laboratory we can
study human behaviour..
• Psychology is a science like physics and chemistry.
• Radical behaviourism
• American psychologist B.F. Skinner made
behaviourism more experimentally oriented and called is
as radical behaviourism.
• Method
• Psychology as a science must use only
EXPERIMENT.
• Application
• Behaviourism school developed “behaviour therapy or
behaviour modification” for the treatment of psychological
disorders.
• Gestalt psychology
• Founder
• Max Wertheimer- German psychologist.
• Meaning
• Psychology must study anything as a whole and not in
parts or structures.
• Basic ideas
• Psychology must study mind and perception as a
WHOLE and not in parts.
• Gestalt is a German word which means whole,
configuration, or form.
• Whole is more important than sum total of its parts.
• For example the below diagram is perceived as a whole
square and not four broken lines with four gaps.
• Method
• Introspection and experiment.
• Application
• Gestalt psychology is used in the form of Gestalt
therapy.
 MODERN PERSPECTIVES
• Psychodyanamic perspective
• Behavioural perspective
• Humanistic perspective
• Biopsychological perspective
• Cognitive perspective
• Sociocultural perspective
• Evolutionary perspective
• Psychodynamic perspective
Modern version of psychoanalysis of Freud developed by
Neo Freudians
Focus on unconscious mind and early childhood experience
Less emphasis on sex and aggression motives and focus
on other motives
Personality types
Birth order
• Archetypes
• Anima
• Animus
2. Developments in behaviorism
• a) Classical behaviorism
• b) Neobehaviourism
• Thorndike –non observable concepts like
personality and learning must be studied
objectively
C) Radical behaviourism
d) Cognitive behaviourism
• Bandura and Rotters
3.Biopsychological perspective
• Genetics, brain, neurotransmitters, and hormones
• Genetics
• Behavioural genetics
• Brain
• Temporal lobe- memory- amnesia
• Neurotransmitter
• Serotonin- normal level- feeling of good
• Low level- depression
• Very low level- suicide ideation
• Hormones
• Cognitive perspective
• Sociocultural perspective
• Social psychology
• Cultural psychology
• Evolutionary perspective
• The term evolutionary psychology was used by American
biologist Michael Ghiselin in a 1973 article published in
the journal Science.
• Jerome Barkow, Leda Cosmides and John Tooby
popularized the term "evolutionary psychology" in their
1992 book The Adapted Mind: Evolutionary Psychology
and The Generation of Culture.[
CONTEMPORARY PSYCHOLOGY
▪ Psychology is a tremendously diverse field—and quite a
large one.
1. psychology’s growing attention to diversity and
2. its focus on the possible role of evolution in human behaviour.
1. Multicultural perspective
Psychology is a science, many people reasoned; so the principles
and laws it establishes should apply to all human beings,
regardless of where they live, their personal background, or their
cultural identity
Must recognise key differences
2. Scientific Method
METHODS OF PSYCHOLOGY
▪ Methods refers to systematic procedure for
gathering the information objectively.
▪ all methods must only to gather objective
information
Some important methods of psychology
1) Introspection method
2) Observation method
3) Survey method
4) Experimental method
5) Case study method
6) Correlation research
7) Cross sectional research
8) Longitudinal research
• 1) INTROSPECTION METHOD: self analysis- NEXT
Meaning
Nature
Evaluation
Merits
Demerits
• 2) OBSERVATION METHOD: looking method
Types of observation
• Naturalistic observation
• Controlled observation
• Participant observation
• Nonparticipant observation
• 1) Naturalistic observation
• Meaning
• Example
• 2) Controlled observation
• Meaning
• Example
• 3) Participant observation
• Meaning
• Example
• 4) Nonparticipant observation
• Meaning
• Example
• Evaluation
• Merits
• Demerits
• observer bias
• observer effect
• 3) SURVEY METHOD: Asking method
• Meaning
• Types
• Interview
• Inventory method
• A) Interview
Meaning
• B) Inventory method
Meaning

Structure of inventory– refer next slide

Types of inventory--refer
Other names-refer
Evaluation
Merits
Demerits
• Structure of inventory
• Types of inventory
• 1 Personality inventory
• 2 Adjustment inventory
• Bell Adjustment Inventory
• 3 Clinical Inventory
• 4 Interest Inventory
• 4) EXPERIMENTAL METHOD: Cause-
effect relationship
• Meaning
• Steps in experiment
• a) Statement of the problem
• b) Hypothesis formulation
• C) Independent and dependent variable
• D) Selection of subjects and experimental design
• E) Conduction of experiment
• F) Collection of data and analysis
• G) conclusion
• A) Statement of the problem
• Example
• What is the effect of hunger on
memory?
• B) Hypothesis formulation
• Tentative solution
• If hunger level increases then memory reduces.
• C) Independent and dependent variables
• independent variable is the cause and dependent
variable is the effect.
• D) Selection of subjects and experimental design
• experimental group and control group
• E) Conduction of experiment
• F) Collection of data and analysis
• statistical analysis
• G) Conclusion
• Hypothesis is confirmed
• diagram
 5) CASE STUDY METHOD
• Meaning
• Information gathered
• Example- refer next slide
• Evaluation
Example
• Case of HM
• 6) Correlation research
• Meaning – degree of relationship btwn
• Example
• TV watching and aggression
• 7) Cross sectional research
• 8) Longitudinal research
 SCOPE OF PSYCHOLOGY
• Meaning
• Other name
• Branches of psychology
• Fields of psychology
• Divisions of APA
• Most of the branches are divisions
1. Basic psychology
• General psychology
• Developmental psychology
• Social psychology
• Abnormal psychology
• Physiological psychology
• Cognitive psychology
• Experimental psychology
2. Applied psychology
• Clinical psychology
• Counselling psychology
• Health psychology
• Rehabilitation psychology
• Psycho oncology
• Educational psychology
• School psychology
• Industrial psychology
• Environmental psychology
• Community psychology
• Neuropsychology
• Pediatric psychology
• Forensic or criminal psychology
• Sports psychology
• Military psychology
• Aviation psychology
• BASIC PSYCHOLOGY
• General psychology
• Meaning
• Topics
• Developmental psychology
• Meaning
• Stages of life span
• Stages
• Prenatal period
• Infancy
• Babyhood
• Early childhood
• Laté childhood
• Puberty
• Social psychology
• Introduction
• Meaning
•
• Topics
• Socialization
• Group dynamics
• Leadership
• Attitude
• Prosocial behaviour
• Aggression
• Interpersonal attraction
• Abnormal psychology
• Meaning
• Other name-psychopathology
•
•
• Topics
• Causes of mental illness
• Classification
• Treatment of mental illness
• Some types of mental disorders
• Physiological psychology
• Meaning
• Example
• Other name
• Cognitive psychology
• Meaning
• Experimental psychology
2. APPLIED PSYCHOLOGY
• Meaning
• Clinical psychology
• Meaning
•
• Topics
• Causes of mental illness
• Models of mental illness
• Classification– DSM iv– ICD 10
• Psycho diagnostics
• Psychotherapeutics
• Activities
• Interviewing the client
• Psychological testing
• Providing psychotherapy
• Qualification
• Institutions
• Counselling psychology
• Meaning
• Health psychology
• Introduction-physical illness
• Meaning
•
• Rehabilitation psychology
• Psycho oncology
• Educational psychology
• Meaning
• Topics
• School psychology
• Industrial psychology
• Meaning
• Topics
•
• Environmental psychology
• Meaning
• Community psychology
• Meaning
• Neuropsychology
• Pediatric psychology
• Forensic or criminal psychology
• Sport psychology
• Military psychology
• Aviation psychology
• Cyber psychology