Module 1: What is Psych? Flashcards
How long has psych existed?
Less than 150 years
Psychology
Scientific study of mind and body
What philosophy and which philosophers started the ideas behind psychology?
Plato and Aristotle. Aristotle started the idea of the tabula rasa, which describes the mind as a blank slate at birth
What was one of the first publications to describe the brain’s neuroanatomy, mental illness and treatments?
“The Complete Art of Medicine” in the 10th century
Empiricism
Knowledge is obtained from experiences
Mind
The unobservable aspects of conscious experience (e.g. sensations, perceptions, thoughts and emotions)
Behaviour
- Observable action/activity that can be repeated, measured or affected by a situation
- Used to make inferences about the mind
Dualism
Philosophical belief that the mind and body are separate entities (not believed by most psychologists)
René Descartes
- 17th century french philosopher
- The mind is not physical and can’t be observed
- Mind can influence body through the pineal gland
- Reflex is the body acting unconsciously and is controlled by the spinal cord
- All animals behave unconsciously but human conscious behaviour is evidence of a mind/soul
Definition of the mind according to most psychologists
All brain activity
Main areas of work
Basic research, application and clinical work
Basic research
Work done in order to understand the fundamental aspects of behaviour and mind (how and why of behaviour)
Abnormal psych
The study of the development of unusual behaviours, emotions nad thoughts
Behavioural genetics psych
Studying genetics to explain behavioural differences
Cognitive psych
Study of mental processeses
Comparative psych
Studying animals and sometimes trying to find similarities w/ humans
Developmental psych
Study of how and why behaviours change throughout one’s life
Behavioural neuroscience psych
Study of how behaviour patterns are linked to underlying physical components/activities in the brain
Personality psych
Studying the differences between people and how these influence behaviour
Social psych
Study of how behaviour is influenced by social factors (communities, peers, other people, societal expectations)
Applied psych
Solving practical problems using psychology to influence behaviour or change the environment. Can be divided into research and practice
Applied research
Process of discovering new/more effective ways of approaching a problem
Applied practice
Applying research to solve problems
Translational research
Taking basic findings and turning them into solutions for problems
Clinical psych
Form of applied psych that focuses on identifying, preventing and relieving distress/dysfunction that originated psychologically
What is the difference between someone with a PhD or a PsyD in clinical psychology?
PhD = more research focused
PsyD = more practice focused
Psychiatrist
MD that assesses and treats psychological disorders, including through the prescription of drugs
Counselling psychologist
Psychologist that helps people deal with everyday life problems using applied psychology
Difference between counselling and a clinical psychologist?
Clinical typically = more severe mental illnesses
Counselling typically = everyday life issues
Scientific assumption
Physical entities must follow the natural laws of physics and can be understood, specific and used to for future predictions
Animism
Giving objects a soul
Cartesian dualism
Notion that humans are made of a separate machine and soul