GENERAL

CHAPTER 1: THE NATURE AND SCOPE OF PSYCHOLOGY

PSYCHOLOGY
4. Natural phenomena have natural causes. Science rejects
the beliefs in supernatural forces to cause events.
INTRODUCTION 5. Nothing is self-evident. Truth must only be claimed and
established when they are demonstrated objectively.
6. Knowledge is derived from the acquisition of experiences.
Knowledge is a product of experiences.
Definition of Psychology
Goals of Psychology

Derived from the Greek word psyche and logos,

meaning soul and study,  to the Greeks, psychology is 1. To explain or understand why organism behave in
simply a study of soul. certain ways.
 2. To predict how organism will behave in the future.
Is defined as the scientific study of the human behavior
of living organism, with special attention to human 3. To control behavior
 behavior.
 Historical Background of Psychology
 
The science seeking to describe, understand and predict the
behavior of an organism.
A. Pre Historic / Traditionally
 
A science that deals with the study of mind and behavior. 
Gods and spirits were attributed the power  to direct or cause
such events, activities and behavior of men.

Science is defined as a branch of knowledge or study dealing
with a body of facts and truths systematically arranged. B. Greek Influence
  Democritus 
Psychology is a science that gathers facts systematically, Believed that the human mind and body is composed
organizes them into general principles and formulates theories of atoms which could circulate freely and which
out of these factual data. 
 enabled it to penetrate the whole body.
Behavior According to him, atoms from our environment enter
through our sense organ enabling us to perceive the

 world around us.

As defined psychologically, refers to actions or activities of  
the individual. Plato
The mind or soul has a distinct power and is God-
Classification of Behavior given.
The soul is composed of three parts:
Overt Obviously manifested action, activities and
1. Head – exerts reason
behavior.
2. Heart – noble impulses
Covert Hidden or those actions, activities and
behavior not visible to the naked eye. 3. Diaphragm – own passions and desires
 
Conscious Acts within the level of one’s awareness. Aristotle
Unconscious Acts that deeply embedded in one’s He believed that at birth, the mind is a tabula rasa,
subconscious, unaware actions. a blank sheet and that the experiences one
Simple Behavior that involves only few neurons, encounters during one’s lifetime are impressed on
Complex Complicated and involves more number of the mind.
neurons.
Distinguished three functions of the soul:
Rational Exercised with sanity or reason.
Irrational Committed for no apparent reason or 1. Vegetative – concerned with basic
explanation. maintenance of life.
Voluntary Done with full volition, will and control 2. Appetitive – concerned with motives and
Involuntary Processes within our body that go even desires.
while we asleep or awake without our 3. Rational – governing function.
control and manipulation. Introduces common sense, one of the mental
functions which ties perception and sensation
together.
Fundamental Characteristics of Human Behavior  
Galen

1. Human behavior follows an orderly pattern. Change in a Believes that differences in behavior is attributed to
person’s life has a degree of order and regularity in its the vital fluids / juices of the body:
nature. 1. Blood : Sanguine – cheerful
2. Phlegm: Phlegmatic – sluggish / flat affect
2. Human behavior can be known. Human behavior can
be observed. 3. Black Bile: Melancholic – sad
4. Yellow Bile: Choleric – bad temper
3. Knowledge of human behavior is tentative but superior to
ignorance. We must pursue knowledge to be able to
improve human conditions.

Prepared by: Mark Fredderick R. Abejo RN,MAN 1

GENERAL
CHAPTER 1: THE NATURE AND SCOPE OF PSYCHOLOGY
PSYCHOLOGY
C. Medieval Period 
 They held the view that it is not the “structure”
 that should be
St. Agustine  of prime importance but the “function”.
He introduced and used the method of 
Functionalism was the study of the function,  use and
Introspection (the description of one’s own  adaptability of the mind in changing environment.
conscious process). 
To understand human behavior processes, the
D. Pre – Modern Period functional psychologist developed the technique of
  longitudinal research, which consists of interviewing,
Rene Descartes testingand observing one person over a long period of
Formulated a theory of mind-body interaction. time.
 
John Locke
Introduced the Idea as the unit into which all GESTALT ( 1912 – 1940 )
experiences may be analyzed. 
Kurt Koffka , Wolfgang Kokler and Max Wertheimer
founded the Gestalt school which maintained that
E. Scientific Psychology psychology should study the whole pattern of behavior
 
Wilhelm Wundt or experience or the perception of organized
 configuration.
A German psychologist, founded his Psychological
Laboratory at Leizpeg, Germany which earned for 
Emphasized that perception is more than the sum of its
the title of “Father of Scientific Psychology”  are assembled into
parts and studied how sensations
He first undertook through the experimental meaning perceptual experiences
approach, a systematic, scientific body of
knowledge about man’s interaction with his PSYCHOANALYSIS (1900 – present)
environment. 
Sigmund Freud, a famous physician and psychiatrist
  
attemptedto find the cause and cure of personality
Two Theories of Mind disorder.
Faculty Psychology 
Psychoanalytic theory stressed the role of motives and
The mind had a few principle faculties such as cravings, often hidden and repressed in the
thinking, feeling and willing that accounted for  subconscious mind, which result in abnormal behavior.
its activities. 
Association Psychology Freud asserted that the sex urges in the unconscious
 human drive, this is known as the
constitute the main
They denied the inborn faculties of the mind. libido theory.
Instead, they limited the mind’s contents to
ideas coming by way of the senses, which then BEHAVIORISM ( 1913 – present)
 
become associated through principles such as  Was founded by John B. Watson.
similarity, contrast and contiguity 
He rejected introspection as psychological technique
  not be scientifically verified by
because its results could
other psychologist.
PREVIOUS APPROACHES TO PSYCHOLOGY / 
SCHOOLS OF THOUGHT Held the concept that the subject matter of psychology
should be the “objective observable actions of the
organism”

STRUCTURALISM (1875 – 1930) HUMANISTIC ( 1950 – present )

  Was developed in Germany in the 19th century.  
 Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow emphasized the
  Wilhelm Wundt and later, Edward
Its main leaders were unique qualities of humans, especially their freedom of
Bradford Titchener. choice and decision making, as well as their potential
 for personal growth.

The structuralist, were primarily concerned with discovering
 the structure of the mind.
 COGNITIVE ( 1950 – present )
They believed that the mind is made up of building 
blocks in the various types of sensation and perception

Jean Piaget, Noam Chomsky and  Herbert Simon focused on
thought and mental processes.

and that these building blocks could be discovered 
through introspection or looking into one’s own mind. 
 Human behavior cannot be fully understood without
Introspection, which required subjects to look inward and analyzing how people acquire , store and process
observe and report on the working of their mind. information.

FUNCTIONALISM (1890 - 1930) BIOLOGICAL ( 1950 – present )

 
John Dewey, William James, James Rowland and
 were the chief exponents of this school of
Harvey Carr
thought.
James Olds and Rogers Sperry theorized that much of
human and animal behavior can be explained  in terms
of bodily structure and biochemical processes.

Prepared by: Mark Fredderick R. Abejo RN,MAN 2

 GENERAL
CHAPTER 1: THE NATURE AND SCOPE OF PSYCHOLOGY
PSYCHOLOGY
PURPOSIVISM
 
 William McDougall is the proponent of this approach.
 Physiological
He believed that objects, movements and behavior have
a definite purpose and that the ductless glands
 produce hormones which give them purpose.
in people
 
Purposivism placed an importance on hormones in life.
MODERN APPROACHES TO PSYCHOLOGY
Psychobiological Focuses on how our genes, hormones
Approach and nervous system interact with our
environments to influence learning,
personality, memory, motivation,
emotions and coping techniques.
Cognitive Examines how we process, store and use
Approach information and how this information
influences what we notice, perceive and
remember.
Behavioral Studies how organisms learn new
Approach behavior or modify existing one
depending on whether events in their
environments rewards or punish these
behaviors.
Psychoanalytic Stresses the influence of unconscious
Approach fears, desires and motivations on
thoughts, behaviors and the development
oflaterpersonalitytraitsand
psychological problems.
Humanistic Emphasizes that each individual has
Approach great freedom in directing his or her
future, a large capacity for personal
growth, a considerable amount of
intrinsic worth and enormous potential
for self-fulfillment.
Cross – Cultural Examines the influence of cultural and
Approach ethnic similarities and differences on
psychological and social functioning.
BRANCHES OF PSYCHOLOGY
General Presents the basic and fundamental
Psychology principles of human behavior. It explains
How and Why of person’s behavior from
a scientific viewpoint.
Comparative Deals with the behavior and mental
Psychology processes of the different species
Genetic or This is a field of study regarding human
Development development and the inheritance and
Psychology development of traits and abilities.
Prepared by: Mark Fredderick R. Abejo RN,MAN
Dynamic Mental phenomena are studied in terms
Psychology of internal drives and motives as causes
of behavior
Studies the functions of the nervous
Psychology system and other bodily structures in the
behavior of organism.
Abnormal This deals with behavioral disorders like
Psychology physical handicaps, nervous disorders,
speech impairments, mental aberrations
and others.
Educational This concerned with the application of
Psychology psychological principles to the problems
of education like teacher preparation,
motivation and teaching process,
evaluation of teaching.
Industrial or Deals with psychological principles
Personnel applied to human problems of industry
Psychology and business, government and military
service, occupational selection and job
training, morale and placement, forms of
test and plant management.
Social Psychology The object of investigation of this area is
“the interaction of human beings and
man’s relation with family and the larger
social institutions with reference to
leadership and attitude formation.
Therapy and This study includes the use of principles
Counseling to the task of alleviating and preventing
mental illness.
Human This field adapts machines and processes
Engineering to the capabilities and limitations of
human beings – the reverse of fitting
men to work conditions.
Clinical Psychology This study uses concepts and methods in
the diagnosis and treatment of
maladjustment and mental disorders in
clinical setting – like behavior
abnormalities ranging from reading or
spelling to major mental disorders.
Psychometric Concerned with the application of
Psychology mathematical procedures to the problems
of psychology like testing, the use of
norms, central tendencies and the like.
Legal Psychology Deals with the application of
psychological knowledge in the field of
law relating to the study of human
behavior.
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REFERENCES:
1. Kahayon and Aquino, General Psychology 4th edition
2. Gaerlan, Limpingco and Tria, General Psychology 5th edition
3. Plotnik, Introduction to Psychology 3rd edition
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