Introduction to Psychology

It encompasses societal pressures, environmental and other internal factors, feelings, and thoughts. Because we are constantly exposed to the work of psychologists in our daily lives, we all have a general understanding of what psychology is and what psychologists do in several ways. Psychologists operate in forensic domains and give counselling and treatment to those in distress. However, there are hundreds of thousands of psychologists around the globe, and the majority of them operate in locations where you are unlikely to be aware.

Most psychologists work in research labs, hospitals, and other field settings where they study human and animal behaviour. Other psychologists research issues such as alcohol and drug addiction, memory, emotion, hypnosis, love, what makes individuals aggressive or helpful, and the psychologies of politics, prejudice, society, and religion. Psychologists also work in schools and companies, and they employ a range of tools to assist them in understanding behaviour, such as observation, questionnaires, interviews, and laboratory investigations.

By using technology to examine human behaviour, the discipline of psychology has evolved from being more speculative in its approach to being more objective and scientific (Benjamin & Baker, 2004). Wilhelm Wundt is regarded as the founder of modern psychology, having established the first psychology laboratory in Germany in 1879.

Psychology’s Origins and Approaches

Wundt timed the time it took subjects to press a switch as soon as they heard and perceived a sound in his “first” psych experiment. The German psychologist was the leading proponent of structuralism. The origins of psychology may be traced back to the studies of intellectuals like Buddha, Confucius, and Hebrew, who philosophised on the functioning of the mind in a larger sense. Even the Greeks, such as Plato and Socrates, believed that the mind is distinct from the rest of the body and that we are all born with natural knowledge.

Much later, in the 1600s, Rene Descartes attempted to figure out the link or connection between the mind and body, for which he dissected animals to examine their nerves and brains. Francis Bacon performed experiments utilising scientific methodologies, for which he is sometimes recognised as the “Father of Modern Science.” According to John Locke, people’s brains are like a “blank slate” or tabula rasa. Anything we know is learned, which gives rise to the term “empiricism” – knowledge comes through experiences.

The work of Wilhelm Wundt, a German Psychologist (1832–1920), and William James, an American Psychologist (1842–1910) resulted in dramatic advances throughout the 1800s. Let us examine the numerous methods or schools of thought in psychology.

Wundt and his pupil Edward Bradford Titchener proposed the structuralism approach to psychology, emphasising the structure of the mind or investigation of the essential aspects of consciousness and their connection via introspection. The subjectivity of this method and the constraints connected with introspection made structuralism less popular.

Functionalism (1842-1910): 

William James was the founder of the Functionalism method, which concentrated on studying the functioning of mental processes rather than dissecting the structure of consciousness. His primary accomplishment was the establishment of a psych lab; however, the functionalism method had its limits.

The Biopsychosocial Method: 

According to this approach, all three major components—psychological, biological, and socio-cultural factors—influence human behaviour. We developed the following recent approaches to psychology from the biopsychosocial approach:

Psychology in the Modern Era:

Olds and Sperry championed the biological approach. According to the biological viewpoint, the brain and the body are the primary determinants of human behaviour.

Charles Darwin proposed his ‘Theory of Evolution’ in his book ‘Origin of Species’ in 1859. According to him, organisms develop or change through time due to changes in behavioural traits or heritable qualities.

Sigmund Freud emphasised the power of our unconscious memories, emotions, and ideas in shaping people’s behaviour. He did a comprehensive study on his patients who were being treated for melancholy, anxiety, or sexual dysfunction, all of which resulted from negative childhood events that they may have forgotten.

Behavioural Approach: 

Watson and Skinner believed that behaviour is impacted by both negative and positive reinforcement in the form of rewards or punishments. Behaviourists have made significant contributions to the study of learning principles and the relationship between input and response.

Chomsky and Piaget’s research proved that the human brain stores, analyses, and interprets information the same way as a computer does.

As proposed by Maslow and Rogers, the Humanistic Approach emphasises the impact of environmental influences on our daily behaviour.

Socio-Cultural Approach: 

Human behaviour and thinking vary due to cultural differences.

Branches of Psychology

Let us examine the enormous science of psychology by comprehending its numerous branches and regions of specialisation.

• Psychometrics is the study of attitudes, talents, and characteristics.
• Biological psychology studies the link between the mind, brain, and nervous system.
• Developmental Psychology: Attempts to investigate the changes from birth until death.
• Educational psychology studies psychological aspects linked with teaching and other learning processes.
• Personality psychology is the study of personality qualities.
• Social psychology is an attempt to analyse human behaviour in a social setting or how we interact.
• Industrial or organisational psychology is concerned with examining employees’ behaviour and mental processes to develop solutions to improve their job efficiency and overall production.
• Counselling Psychology and Clinical Psychology: Counselling Assistance

The Psychodynamic View:

In 1874, Sigmund Freud, a medical student, proposed the hypothesis. According to the Psychodynamic method, human behaviour results from the roles played by numerous psychological factors and early life experiences. He enlarged the notion of psychoanalysis by proposing that psychological processes occur due to the flow of psychosexual energy known as Libido in the complex brain. Later, in the mid-1940s and 1950s, the theory of psychoanalysis was well established, thanks to contributions from famous psychologists and academics such as Carl Jung, Adler, and others.

Conclusion

This article provides an introduction to psychology. Psychology is a thriving academic discipline and a vital professional practice dedicated to studying human behaviour (and the thoughts, feelings, and motivations behind it) through observation, measurement, and testing to form conclusions based on sound scientific methodology.

Society and our lives are better because of psychology. To better our knowledge of ourselves and the world around us, psychologists study the connections between brain function and behaviour, as well as the environment’s influence on conduct.