The History and Scope of Psychology
What does psychology as a discipline study?
Psychology is a discipline which studies biological, social, and psychological bases of both human and animal behavior.
Which aims does psychology hold in order to understand behavior?
In order to understand behavior, psychology holds five aims: to describe, to explain, to predict, to control, and to improve the behavior.
What do objective measures refer to?
Objective measures are those commonly used in research in psychology and have some standardized characteristics.
What is the study of humans’ culture and physical body in the past and present?
Anthropology is the study of humans’ culture and physical body in the past and present.
What does empiricism suggest?
Empiricism is a philosophical approach about how humans acquire knowledge. It suggests that humans come to the world with empty minds, which is called a tabula rasa or a blank slate. According to this approach, humans gain knowledge later in their life with their senses and through experience.
What does idealism emphasize while questioning how humans acquire knowledge?
While questioning how humans acquire knowledge, idealism not only emphasized the role of the senses as in empiricism, but also the role of the mind. It suggested that by combining and integrating the sensations, perceptions and observations, human mind plays an active role in the development of knowledge.
Which idea does Materialism reject?
Materialism is a philosophical approach, which rejects the idea of mind and body as separate entities. According to materialism, the mind is not something spiritual or nonphysical. The mind is just a part of the body. That is, the roots of the mind can be found in the body.
In the emergence of modern psychology, what was the introspection method used for?
Wilhelm Wundt believed that the human mind could be studied scientifically and conducted first experimental studies in psychology. In these experiments, Wilhelm Wundt and his colleagues used the method called introspection to address the psychological questions. This method was used to examine the processes underlying sensations of hearing, seeing, touching, tasting, and feeling. The mental processes underlying the perception and the reaction were also examined. With the method of introspection (looking within), trained participants described what they were immediately experiencing (toward the stimuli) inside or what were the contents of their consciousness.
Which approach emerged as an alternative to structuralism?
Functionalism (approach), emerged in the USA as an alternative to structuralism (approach). Functionalism suggested that psychology should study human mind by discovering the functions of consciousness. It suggested that psychology should question what consequences or functions the behavior has in a given environment or how it is useful in a particular condition.
Which approach is not valid today although its follower, behaviorism is still a crucial approach in psychology?
Functionalism is not valid today but its follower, behaviorism (and evolutionary psychology), is still a crucial approach in psychology.
What does the Psychoanalysis approach suggest?
Psychoanalysis approach, founded by Sigmund Freud (1856-1939), suggested that psychology should study human mind by discovering the unconscious processes.
What is the aim of the free-association technique?
Sigmund Freud proposed a free-association technique, which aims to make people with psychological problems aware of their anxious childhood experiences.
What did the Behaviorism approach emphasize?
It emphasized the relationship between behavior and the environment. It suggested that psychology should question what happens in people’s environment and how they behave accordingly. That is, how the environment shapes the behavior.
Which perspective particularly influenced the studies of psychotherapy in psychology?
The humanistic perspective particularly influenced the studies of psychotherapy in psychology.
What does Cognitive perspective suggest?
The cognitive perspective suggested that psychology should study how mental processes influence human behavior.
What are the well-known subjects which social psychology studies?
Social identities and group and inter-group dynamics, interpersonal relationships, family and close relationships, aggression, helping behavior, crowd behavior, conformity, attitude formation, and change, gender, ideological beliefs and voting behavior are some of the well-known subjects which social psychology studies.
What does Clinical Psychology aim to understand?
Clinical psychology studies the behavioral, emotional, and cognitive problems in humans. It aims to understand the determinants of psychological disorders such as stress, depression, anxiety, and phobia.
What does Developmental Psychology aim to understand?
Developmental psychology studies human behavior in the context of aging. It aims to understand how human behavior changes with aging through life.
What does Consumer Psychology examine?
Consumer psychology examines how motivation, perception, learning, attitudes, personality etc. influence people’s buying behavior and their use of products. Some researchers in consumer psychology work with marketers to help them to promote sales of their products.
What does Neuropsychology aim to understand?
Neuropsychology studies human behavior in the context of the brain and nervous system. It aims to understand the relationship between functions of the brain and nervous system and behavior.