Psychology is one of the human sciences that studies the patterns, mechanisms, conditions, factors and features of the development and functioning of the psyche.
The word psychology comes from the Greek psyche - soul and logos - teaching. Therefore, science received its first definition as “the study of the soul.” Modern scientific psychology includes all mental manifestations of a person, or psyche. The term “psychology” is preserved as a tribute to the contribution of ancient scientists to the development of ideas about human mental life.
Subject of psychology
The subject of psychology is the psyche or mental life of a person.
Psyche is the property of highly organized living matter to reflect and interact with objects of the surrounding reality. Currently, there are three groups of facts of mental life :
- mental processes;
- mental states;
- mental properties.
Mental processes (also mental functions)
are the primary regulators of human behavior.
These include: cognitive (cognitive) and emotional-volitional. Cognitive processes include: sensations, perception, memory, thinking, imagination. To the emotional-volitional – emotions, feelings, will.
Mental conditions
These are relatively stable mental formations.
Examples of mental states are vigor, anxiety, fatigue, depression, euphoria. Mental states are characterized by duration, direction, stability, intensity.
Mental properties
Subjective characteristics of a person that determine his activities and behavior.
These include: sociability, emotionality, perseverance, responsibility, etc.
Among all branches, the main place belongs to general psychology, since it acts as a theoretical and methodological basis for other branches. The subject is general patterns, trends, features of the development of the psyche in phylo- and ontogenesis, as well as theoretical methods and principles of psychology, its basic concepts and categorical apparatus. The tasks of general psychology include the development of problems in the methodology and history of psychology, theory and methods of studying the most general laws of the emergence, development and existence of mental phenomena. Based on the subject of general psychology, the subject of other branches of psychology is determined. For example, the subject of social psychology is the peculiarities of the manifestation of mental processes, properties and states in social conditions (for example, facilitation, conformism, etc.), the subject of medical (clinical) psychology is the manifestation of mental processes, properties and states of patients, etc.
The emergence of psychoanalysis
As you may have noticed, early psychology was focused on the study of the conscious mind. But in the late 19th century, the Austrian physician Sigmund Freud theorized about the importance of the unconscious, thereby undermining faith in the rational nature of the mind.
According to Freud, behavior is largely determined by past experiences (including early childhood memories) and internal impulses that a person is not even aware of. The unconscious is formed through repression, a process in which anxious experiences and repressed feelings move from the conscious mind into a reservoir, becoming part of the unconscious. To explore its contents, the father of psychoanalysis relied on hypnosis and dreams in an attempt to decipher the hidden meanings within them.
Although Freud's theory caused an avalanche of criticism in its time and is still perceived with skepticism, its influence on psychology is undeniable. We don’t know whether Freud was right, but we are sure that understanding the basics of psychology is simply necessary. What motivates us? Why do we act this way and not otherwise? How to understand the motives of other people's behavior? Our free online course “Human Psychology” will help clarify the situation. Read and be amazed at how beautiful this science is and how deep the human psyche is.
History of ideas about the subject of psychology
The history of psychology goes back more than two thousand years. In the historical development of psychology, there are 4 main periods that correspond to changes in ideas about its subject:
First. Psychology as the science of the soul. Originated in the ancient world. Ancient thinkers tried to explain certain phenomena in human life by the existence of the soul.
Second. Psychology as the science of consciousness. Appeared in the 17th century. The subject of psychology was considered to be the facts of consciousness, and the main method of research was introspection (self-observation).
Third. Psychology as a science of behavior. It arose at the beginning of the 20th century. The subject of psychology was considered to be facts of behavior, i.e. something that can be directly observed both under normal conditions and in laboratory experiments.
Fourth. Psychology as a science about facts, patterns and mechanisms of the psyche. This is a modern understanding of the subject of psychology and it was formed in the mid-late 20th century.
A widely accepted view is to divide the history of psychology into two main periods:
- The first period is from antiquity to the second half of the 19th century. This is the so-called “pre-experimental” period in the development of psychology, when psychology was considered a branch of philosophy, and its main method was the method of introspection (self-observation). The main subject of psychology was considered to be the facts of consciousness.
- The second period is from the second half of the 19th century to the present. The beginning of this period is considered to be 1879, when Wilhelm Wundt opened the first experimental psychology laboratory in Leipzig. Therefore, this period is also called “experimental”. Behavior began to be considered the main subject of psychology during this period.
Psychology in the Middle Ages
The Middle Ages period is often associated with witch hunts, superstition and demonic possession. In many ways this is true, but this is not the whole truth. Let's find out how things were in those days with the study of the mind and the development of psychological science.
In the Middle Ages, researchers sought to understand the connection between man and God, so theological views extended to psychology. Western European theologians held the idea that God was the creator, towering above all beings, and humans, being the pinnacle of his creation, possessed a soul that connected them with the divine. According to Christian beliefs, man was endowed with an inner spirit that was separate from the soul and body, reflecting the belief in the tripartite nature of God.
The most prominent representative of psychological thought of that time was Aurelius Augustine, who became the first philosopher who suggested that a person has an “inner self”: if he is one with it, then he is healthy, but internal disunity leads to the development of illnesses.
Augustine came to the following conclusions from various areas of psychology:
- Babies are self-centered and socially unaware. Fear of punishment is a barrier to learning because it inhibits curiosity.
- Memory is the most important aspect of the mind and the command point of mental functioning; all skills and habits depend on its state.
- Thoughts and impulses suppressed during wakefulness can manifest themselves in sleep. At the same time, a Christian should not experience pangs of conscience, since it is impossible to sin in dreams.
- All people experience an internal struggle between self and God. This conflict leads to chaos in the outside world.
- Love is the basis of happiness, and the desire to possess what a person cannot have is the source of suffering. It is necessary to develop the ability for unconditional love, which changes the nature of thinking for the better.
Augustine also coined the term “original sin” and believed that all people are born sinners. This view influenced the church for several centuries and did much to hinder the study of reason until the Renaissance.
K. Jung
Carl Gustav Jung is perhaps one of the most popular and ambitious scientists who devoted his life to psychology and psychiatry. Moreover, the figure not only tried to understand psychological phenomena, he also opened a new direction - analytical psychology.
Jung carefully worked out the archetypes or structures (patterns of behavior) that come into being with a person. The scientist carefully studied each character and temperament, connected them with one link and supplemented them with new information by observing his patients. Jung also proved that several people, being in a single team, can unconsciously perform similar actions. And it was thanks to these works that the scientist began to analyze the individuality of each person, to study whether it exists at all.
It was this figure who suggested that all archetypes are innate, but their main feature is that they develop over hundreds of years and are passed on from generation to generation. Subsequently, all types directly influence our choices, actions, feelings and emotions.
Who is a psychologist today?
Today, a psychologist, unlike a philosopher, must obtain at least a bachelor's degree from a university in order to practice and research. He is a representative of his science and is called upon not only to provide psychological assistance, but also to contribute to the development of his activities. What does a professional psychologist do:
- Reveals archetypes and establishes the character and temperament of the individual.
- Analyzes the behavior of his patient, identifies the root cause and eradicates it if necessary. This allows you to change your lifestyle, get rid of negative thoughts and help you find motivation and purpose.
- Helps to get out of a depressed state, get rid of apathy, discover the meaning of life and start looking for it.
- Struggling with psychological trauma that occurred either in childhood or throughout life.
- Analyzes the patient's behavior in society and also finds the root cause. As a rule, in many cases, the family situation, relationships with peers, relatives and just strangers play an important role.
A psychologist should not be confused with a psychiatrist. The second is a scientist who has received a medical degree and has the right to engage in diagnosis and treatment. It identifies, analyzes and examines mental disorders from the most minor and subtle to the most aggressive. The psychiatrist's task is to determine whether a person is sick or not. If a deviation is detected, the doctor develops a unique technique that can help the patient, relieve his symptoms or completely cure him. Despite widespread controversy, it has been concluded that a psychiatrist is not a medical specialist, although he works directly with patients and various medications.
Psychology is relevant and important in the life of each of us. This science is a vivid example of human evolution, when, asking ourselves countless questions, we developed and each time stepped to a new stage. She studies the type of people, the phenomena when in different situations they unite in groups, disperse and lead a lonely lifestyle, show aggression, or, conversely, experience emotional overexcitation and happiness. Motivation, goals, depression and apathy, values and experiences - this is only a small part that is studied by such a unique science as psychology.
What it is
Psychology as an independent science studies mental processes, human interaction with the outside world and behavior in it. The main object in the teaching is the psyche, which translated from ancient Greek means “spiritual”. In other words, the psyche is the realized actions of a person, which are based on primary knowledge about reality.
Brief theses defining psychology:
- This is a way of knowing yourself, your inner and, of course, the world around you.
- This is a “spiritual” science, because it forces us to constantly develop, asking eternal questions: who am I, why am I in this world. That is why there is a subtle connection between psychology and sciences such as philosophy and sociology.
- This is a science that studies the interaction of the external world with the psyche and its influence on others. Thanks to numerous studies, a new branch was created - psychiatry, where scientists began to identify pathologies and psychological disorders, as well as stop them, treat them, or completely destroy them.
- This is the beginning of the spiritual path, where great psychologists, together with philosophers, sought to study the connection between the spiritual and material world. Despite the fact that today the awareness of spiritual unity is just a myth that came from the depths of time, psychology reflects a certain meaning of existence - ordered, cultivated, organized thousands of years later.
Behaviorism
At the beginning of the 20th century, scientists' approach to psychology changed dramatically. They abandoned the emphasis on the conscious and unconscious, directing their attention to the study of behavior. This is how behaviorism appeared. The goal of its proponents was to study only completely objective and observable processes: no introspection and no discussion of mental concepts.
One of the most ardent proponents of behaviorism was the American psychologist John Watson, who, adhering to a purely scientific approach, sought to study behavior without making any assumptions beyond the scope of experience available to the senses.
Watson was of the opinion that the context and environment in which a person finds himself completely determines his behavior. This idea was later developed by Berres psychologist Frederick Skinner. He introduced the concept of operant conditioning and demonstrated in rats how punishment and reinforcement affect behavior.
Q: What kind of testing can be done for false memories?
Read Elizabeth Loftus, it's very cool.
For everyone: a false memory is an event that you think happened to you, you are sure that you remember it, but in fact it did not happen. Elizabeth Loftus is a psychologist, memory researcher, and the person who has contributed most to the development of the study of false memories; It is very interesting to read about her, even if you are not interested in psychology.
The story with false memories goes like this: when you find yourself, for example, witnessing an accident, the way you are asked a question will influence what answer you give and in what way. If you ask different people how fast the car was SPEAKING and how fast the car was DRIVING before the accident, then, statistically, those people who were asked with the word “rushed” will give higher estimates of speed than the second group. Elizabeth Loftus worked a lot (and works, it seems to me) with the system of prisoners and people in pretrial detention, and this influenced the change in interrogation protocols in the United States.
What is the psychological mechanism of self-awareness?
Personal self-awareness is an individual’s understanding and assessment of himself as an individual and a subject of cognitive and practical activity.
In other words, a person distinguishes himself from the entire surrounding world and determines his place in it. The formation and development of personality is important in this concept.
This concept has a direct connection with society and human activity , since it does not arise in a person immediately, but develops in the process of his development under the influence of many social factors.
It is worth noting that the definition in question is also closely related to reflection , which acts as its psychological mechanism.
Reflection is understood as a person’s thoughts about himself, about his life and his purpose.
However, its levels can be very different . So, this can be a simple understanding of oneself or deep thoughts about the content and meaning of one’s existence.
