Introduction Flashcards
Psychology
Scientific investigation of mental processes (thinking, remembering, feeling), behaviour and the environment and interactions between these processes.
Types of psych
Biological, cognitive,developmental, engineering,personality,clinical,community, education, social, organisational
Biological Psychology
Use high-tech scanning devices to study how biological processes in the brain affect and are affected by behaviour and mental processes, (USE MRIS)
Cognitive Psych
study mental abilities such as sensation and perception, learning and memory, thinking and consciousness, intelligence and creativity (mentally manipulate information)
Developmental psychology
Describes the changes in behaviour and mental processes that occur from birth through old age and try to understand the causes and effects of those changes
Community Psychologist
Prevention of psychological disorders by promoting peoples resilience and other personal strengths.
Personality psychology
Unique features that characterise each of us.
Clinical Psychology
Conduct or apply research on the causes and treatment of mental health issues and offer services to overcome these.
Education Psychology
Conduct research and develop theories about teaching and learning, results of their work are applied in programs designed to improve teacher training, refine school curricula, reduce truancy rates and help students learn more efficiently and remember what they learn
Organisational psychology
Conduct research on leadership, stress, competition, pay rates and other factors that affect the efficiency, productivity and satisfaction of people in the workplace.
Social Psychology
Study the way people socially interact with those around them, how they think about themselves and others, and how people influence one another.
Wilhelm Wundt - structuralism
First formal psychology lab (1879) and responsible for basic elements consciousness
Helmholtz/Gustav Fechne
Study vision and responsible for sensation and perception concepts
Freud - Psychoanalysis
Behaviour and mental processes were caused by the Nervous system
William James - Functionalism
The role of consciousness in guiding peoples ability to make decisions, solve problems and so forth.
John. b watson, skinner - behaviourism
Psychology as the behaviourist views it. Psychologist should ignore mental health events, base psychology on what they can see in behaviour and response to stimuli.
Approaches to psych
Biological, evolutionary, psychodynamic, cognitive, humanistic
Biological approach
Behaviour, mental processes are largely shaped by biological processes. Psych study =effect of hormones, genes and NS activity
Evolutionary approach
Charles Darwin 1859 - natural selection, survival of the fittest. Individuals behaviour and mental processes were due to the natural selection.
Psychodynamic
Freud - our behaviour and mental processes reflect constant/unconscious psychological struggles within us. (adaptive for survival)
Behavioural
John b watson, skinner - observable behaviour and what is learnt. past experiences = rewards, punishments = raw material
Cognitive
How we take in, mentally represent and store information. Thought and memory as a role
Humanistic
Behaviour= persons capacity to think and act. e.g optomistic, friendly, non threatening. Individual motivation to reach goals
Career in psych
Oral written skills, numeracy, technology, practical research, gather in community settings, interpersonal awareness.
Graduates learn
social comm, interpersonal conflict, problem - solving, evaluate info, examine issues in broader perspective.
To be a psychologist
5 yrs undergrad and post grad studies, register national board.
National board
- be an intern, have completed a masters/postgrad or doctural and internship
- trainee psychologist OR masters or doctors and supervised prac
Paradigm
A broad system of theoretical assumptions is employed by a scientific community. Psychology lacks this.
Free association
Allow people to respond in automatic ways it allows unconscious processes to be revealed
Sociobiology
Natural selection is dependent on psychological functions and social behaviour physical function
Pathways for psychologist
- Pathway step 1: bachelors degree/grad dip 3 years
- Step 2: 1 year honours/postgrad dip
- Step 3: 2 years supervised practice (internship) or fifth year of psych and internship.
- Step 4: Registration 1- 2 years depending on area of practice. Professional masters = 2, combined masters in psych/PhD = 1.5, Professional Doctorate = 1 year.
