PSYCHOLOGY Introduction to Psychology By Dr Abdullah ALZAhrani

PSYCHOLOGY Introduction to Psychology By Dr. Abdullah AL-ZAhrani

Introduction to Psychology What is Psychology, and Why is it a science? l What are the different branches of the field of psychology? l Where do psychologists work? l

Definition of Psychology l Psychology is the scientific study of behavior and mental processes. l Psychology attempts to explain, predict, modify, and ultimately improve the lives of people and the world in which they live.

The Branches of Psychology l 1. 2. 3. The major specialty areas in physical and mental health is that; Clinical psychology which deals with the study, diagnosis and treatment of abnormal behavior. Health psychology explores the relationship between psychological factors and physical aliments or disease (e. g. , stress can affect physical health). Counseling psychology which focuses primarily on educational, social and career adjustment problems.

The Branches of Psychology 4. 5. Educational psychology is concerned with teaching and learning processes. For example, concerned with ways of understanding intelligence, developing better teaching techniques, and understanding teacher-student interaction. School psychology, in contrast, is the specialty area devoted to assessing children in elementary and secondary

The Branches of Psychology schools who have academic or emotional problems and developing solution to teach problems. 6. Social psychology is the study of how people’s thoughts, feelings, and actions are affected by others. Social psychologists focus on such diverse topics as human aggression, liking and loving, persuasion, and conformity.

The Branches of Psychology 7. 8. Developmental psychology, is the branch of psychology that studies how people grow and change from moment of conception through death. Personality psychology, attempts to explain both consistency and change in a person’s behavior over time. Also, the individual traits that differentiate the behavior of one person from another when they confront the same situation.

The Branches of Psychology l What is psychology and why is it a science? - Although the definition of psychology- the scientific study of behavior and mental processes-is clear-cut, it is also deceptively simple, since “behavior” encompasses not just what people do, but their thoughts, feelings, perceptions, reasoning, memory, and biological activities.

The Branches of Psychology What are the different branches of the field of psychology? - Psychology includes a number of major specialty areas. Biopsychologists focus on the biological basis of behavior. While experimental psychologists study the processes of sensing, perceiving, learning and thinking about the world. Cognitive psychology, considers the study of higher mental processes, including thinking, language, memory, problem solving, knowing, reasoning, judging, and decision making. l