Chapter 8: The history of applied psychology Flashcards
Applied psychology
Application of psychological knowledge and research methods to solve practical problems
Neurologist
Physicians who treated milder forms of mental problems outside asylums using hypnosis and suggestion
Clinical psychology
Application of psychological knowledge to assessment and treatment of mental disorders
Client-centred therapy
(three characteristics)
Talking to a supporting therapist
- unconditional positive regard and support
- empathetic understanding
- congruence (genuine support)
Post-WWII developments
- antipsychiatry movement (due to controversial and invasive biological treatments like lobotomy)
- input from science
- increased preference for medicines as treatment
- societal changes and welfare state
- individualisation
- increased public knowledge and interest
Types of tests
- authenticity tests (guilt/innocence/honesty)
- qualifying tests (suitability)
- diagnostic tests (illness)
Hanson’s basic conditions for tests
- condition of intent (planned and purposeful)
- indication of other condition
- difference in status between test giver and taker
Implicit personality theory and individuation information
Implicit personality theory: stereotypes and information used to predict others’ behaviour
Individuation information: information known about a person through contact
These usually impact the decisions made during unstructured interviews
Alternatives to unstructured interviews
- structured interviews
- standardised tests - intelligence, achievement, personality
Personality tests
- Langer empirically tested the validity of his test by keeping questions that had different answers in psychiatric and non-psychiatric participants
- social desirability
- personality traits (Big Five)
Industrial psychology and scientific management
Scientific management: division of production into smaller and quicker stages
Industrial psychology - people would do any work as long as it’s simple enough and they get compensated, inspired by scientific management
Human relations movement
Stressed human nature of employees and their social relations in the workplace, inspired by studies that found value and esteem were more important in productivity than pay
Human resource management
Stressed desire for authority, autonomy and self-actualisation in employees
Pseudohistory of science
Attempting to increase enthusiasm in science by promoting simplified and heroic studies
