Introduction to Psychology

Psychology is the scientific study of the mind and behaviour. The term "psychology"
derives from the Greek terms "psyche," which means "life," and "logos," which
means "explanation." It aims at explaining the links and intertwining between the
mind and behaviour.

TABLE OF CONTENT
 Psychologys Origins and Approaches
 Branches of Psychology
 The Psychodynamic View
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.