3 Major Field of
Psychology
1. Clinical Psychology
Clinical Psychology is
the branch of
psychology concerned
with the assessment
and treatment
of mental
illness, abnormal
behavior, and psychiatr
ic disorders.
Clinicians often work in
private practices. Others
work in hospital settings or
mental health clinics.
2. Developmental Psychology
Developmental
Psychology focuses on
how people change and
grow throughout the
entire lifespan. The
scientific study of human
development seeks to
understand and explain
how and why people
change throughout life.
Developmental psychologists often study
things such as physical growth, intellectual
development, emotional changes, social
growth, and perceptual changes that occur
over the course of the lifespan.
These psychologists generally specialize in an
area such as infant, child, adolescent, or
geriatric development, while others may study
the effects of developmental delays.
3. Experimental Psychology
• Experimental Psychology is the branch of
psychology that utilizes scientific methods to
research the brain and behavior. Many of these
techniques are also used by other areas in
psychology to conduct research on everything
from childhood development to social issues.
• Some of the methods used in experimental
psychology include experiments,
correlational studies, case studies, and
naturalistic observation.
Experimental
Psychologists work
in a wide variety of
settings including
colleges,
universities,
research centers,
government, and
private businesses.
STRUCTURE OF PERSONALITY
Consist of three parts :
1.Id
2.Ego
3.Superego
STRUCTURE OF PERSONALITY
Id:
• It is based on the pleasure principle.
• instant gratification for our wants and needs. If these
needs or wants are not met, a person becomes tense
or anxious.
Examples of Id
• Michael saw a ₱500 bill fall out of Nick’s backpack as
he pulled his books out of his locker. As Nick walked
away, Michael bent over, picked up the money, and
slipped it into his pocket, glancing around to make
sure no one was looking.
Ego:
• It is based on reality principle, It experiences the
reality of the external world, adapts to it and
responds to it.
• deals with reality, trying to meet the desires of the
id in a way that is socially acceptable in the world.
Examples of Ego
• Even though Michael needed money, he
decided not to steal the money from the cash
register because he didn’t want to get in
trouble.
Superego:
• It is based on the perfection principle, develops
between 3-6 years of age. Internalizes values and
morals from primary caregivers by rewards and
punishments. Has two components: ego-ideal and
conscience.
• is based on morals and judgments about right and
wrong.
Examples of Superego
• When Michael saw the ₱500 bill lying on the
floor with no one around it, he turned it into
the school office in case anyone came looking
for it. He wouldn’t want to lose ₱500 , and
hoped that whoever had lost it would ask
about it in the office.
DEFENSE MECHANISM
DEFINITION
Defense mechanism are the techniques or
mechanism used by an individual to
handle tension or reduce anxiety or
resolve conflict. These provide initial
protection for the personality.
PURPOSES
• Allows individuals to master changes in self-image
according to the change in reality.
• It can deflect or deny sudden increases in biological
drives.
• Help individuals to mitigate unresolved conflicts with
important people.
• It can keep anxiety, shame and guilt within bearable
limits during sudden conflicts with conscience and
culture.
TYPES OF DEFENSE MECHANISM
Compensation: covering up a real or perceived
weakness by emphasizing a trait one considers more
desirable.
Examples:
1. a physically handicapped boy is unable to
participate in football, so he compensates by
becoming a great scholar.
2. A student who fails in his studies may compensate
by becoming the college champion in athletics.
DENIAL
It is the refusal to acknowledge the existence of a real situation
or the feelings associated with it.
Examples:
1. The mother of a child who is fatally ill may refuse to admit
that there is anything wrong even though she is fully informed
of the diagnosis and expected outcome because she cannot
tolerate the pain that acknowledging reality would produce.
2. An alcoholic fails to acknowledge that he is addicted to alcohol
DISPLACEMENT
The transfer of feelings from one target to another that is
considered less threatening or that is neutral.
Examples:
1. a husband comes home after a bad day at work and
yells at his wife.
2. a person who is angry with his boss, but cannot show it
for fear of loosing the job may fight with his wife and
children on return from the office or kick his dog.
RATIONALIZATION
• Attempting to make excuses or formulate logical
reasons to justify unacceptable feelings or behaviors.
Examples:
1. a student who fails in the examination may complain
that the hostel atmosphere is not favorable and has
resulted in his failure.
2. The women who overspends to buy a dress
explains its purchase to her husband and herself
that the dress was on scale and she may not get it
so cheap afterwards.
REACTION FORMATION
• Preventing unacceptable or undesirable thoughts or
behaviors from being expressed by exaggerating
opposite thoughts or types of behaviors.
Examples:
1. a jealous boy who hates his elder brother may show
exaggerated respect and affection towards him.
2. the mother of an unwanted child may feel guilt and so
becomes over indulged and overprotective of the child to
assure that she is a good mother.
REGRESSION
• Retreating in response to stress to an earlier level of development
and the comfort measures associated with that level of functioning.
Examples:
1. when his mother brings his new baby sister home from the
hospital, 4 year old Tommy, who had been toilet trained for more
than a year, begins to wet his pants, cry to be held and suck his
thumb.
2. when the nurse makes an error in giving medicines or nursing care
and then starts crying.
IDENTIFICATION
• An attempt to increase self-worth by acquiring certain
attributes and characteristics of an individual one
admires.
Examples:
1. a teenage girl emulates the mannerisms and style of
dress of a popular female rock star.
2. Girls identify with their mother. Later perhaps with
their teacher, and later still perhaps with a film star.
INTELLECTUALIZATION
• An attempt to avoid expressing actual emotions
associated with a stressful situation by using the
intellectual processes of logic, reasoning and analysis.
Examples:
1. a young psychology professor receives a letter from
his fiancée breaking off their engagement. He shows no
emotion when discussing this with his best friend.
Instead he analyzes his fiancée’s behavior and tries to
reason why the relationship failed.
2. A nurse, doctor or paramedical worker cannot
afford to become emotionally attached to each
patient. So they use the technique of detaching
themselves from emotions through calm abstract
statements about the situation
ISOLATION
• Separating a thought or memory from the feeling tone
or emotions associated with it.
Examples:
1. a young woman describes being attacked and raped
by a street gang. She displays an apathetic expression
and no emotional tone.
2. If a teenage boy got an accident with his bike he stops
riding bike and never talks about it.
PROJECTION
• Attributing feelings or impulses unacceptable to one’s
self to another person.
Examples:
1. a surgeon, whose patient does not respond as he
anticipated, may tend to blame the theatre nurse who
helped that surgeon at the time of surgery.
2. The student who believes that everybody cheats in
examination may also cheat in the same way.
REPRESSION
• Involuntarily blocking unpleasant feelings and
experiences from one’s awareness.
Examples:
1. a woman cannot remember being sexually assaulted
when she was 15years old.
2. A child may full angry with his mother because she
had punished him. If he feel too guilty about his anger
he may be shown by the accidental breaking of his
favorite things or in his bed wetting or refusal of food.
SUBLIMATION
• Rechanneling of drives or impulses that are personally
or socially unacceptable into activities that are
constructive.
Examples:
1. a teenage boy with strong competitive and aggressive
drives becomes the star football player on his high school
team.
2. A young man who has lost his lover may turn to write
poetry about love.
SUPPRESSION
• The voluntary blocking of unpleasant feelings and
experiences from one’s awareness.
Examples:
1. A young woman who is depressed about a pending divorce
proceeding tells the nurse,” I just don’t want to talk about the
divorce. There’s nothing I can do about it anyway”.
2. A student consciously decides not to think about her
weekend so that she can study effectively.
FANTASY
• Escapes stress by focussing on unreal mental images in
which his or her wishes are fulfilled
Examples:
1. I broke up with my girlfriend instead of moving on, I
played video games.
2. when one is having financial problem one can escape
from them temporarily by planning how to spend an
imaginary fortune.
DISSOCIATION
• Blocking off an anxiety event or period of time from
the conscious mind.
• People who have any kind of childhood abuse often
suffer from some form of dissociation
