Nature & Scope of Psychology as a

Behavioral Science
Course Title: Principles of Psychology
Course Code: GED 207

Aysha Seddeque
Lecturer
Department of General Education
Northern University of Business &
Technology Khulna
 Outline
❑ Psychology
❑ History of Psychology
❑ Nature of Psychology
❑ Schools of Psychology
❑ Scope of Psychology
❑ Impact of Psychology
 What is Psychology?
Psychology, scientific discipline that studies mental states and processes and behavior in
humans and other animals. Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior, according to the
American Psychological Association. It is the study of the mind, how it works, and how it
affects behavior
The discipline of psychology is broadly divisible into two parts: a large profession of
practitioners and a smaller but growing science of mind, brain, and social behavior. The two
have distinctive goals, training, and practices, but some psychologists integrate the two.
•Psychology is the study of behavior and the mind.
•There are different types of psychology, such as cognitive, forensic, social, and developmental
psychology.
•A person with a condition that affects their mental health may benefit from assessment and
treatment with a psychologist.
•A psychologist may offer treatment that focuses on behavioral adaptations.
•A psychiatrist is a medical doctor who is more likely to focus on medical management of
mental health issues.
 History of Psychology
Early psychology evolved out of both philosophy and biology. Discussions of these
two subjects date as far back as the early Greek thinkers, including Aristotle and
Socrates.
The word "psychology" itself is derived from the Greek word psyche, literally
meaning "life" or "breath." Derived meanings of the word include "soul" or "self."
The emergence of psychology as a separate and independent field of study truly came
about when Wilhelm Wundt established the first experimental psychology lab in
Leipzig, Germany in 1879.
Throughout psychology's history, various schools of thought have formed to explain
the human mind and behavior. In some cases, certain schools of thought rose to
dominate the field of psychology for a period of time.
 Nature of Psychology
□ It has an organized and systematic body of knowledge, facts, principles and theories which
is subjected to change on the new discovery of new facts and emergence of new principles
and theories.
□ It believes in the cause and effect relationship. It declares that every behavior has its roots,
the factor of its causes and development.
□ It emphasizes the search for truth. It studies facts of behavior and describes the laws
governing them.
□ It adopts the method of systematic inquiry and scientific approach as used by sciences.
□ Psychology has its pure and applied aspects.
□ Doesn’t believe in hearsay, stereotype, or superstations.
□ Helps in predicting future developments.
□ Possesses a body facts and is able to support it through universal laws and principles.
 Schools of Psychology
The following are some of the major schools of thought in psychology.
•Structuralism: Wundt and Titchener's structuralism was the earliest school of thought, but others soon
began to emerge.
•Functionalism: The early psychologist and philosopher William James became associated with a
school of thought known as functionalism, which focused its attention on the purpose of human
consciousness and behavior.
•Psychoanalysis: Soon, these initial schools of thought gave way to several dominant and influential
approaches to psychology. Sigmund Freud's psychoanalysis centered on how the unconscious mind
impacted human behavior.
•Behaviorism: The behavioral school of thought turned away from looking at internal influences on
behavior and sought to make psychology the study of observable behaviors.
•Humanistic psychology: Later, the humanistic approach centered on the importance of personal
growth and self-actualization.
•Cognitive psychology: By the 1960s and 1970s, the cognitive revolution spurred the investigation of
internal mental processes such as thinking, decision-making, language development, and memory.
 Scope of Psychology
Psychology is a broad and diverse field that encompasses the study of human thought, behavior,
development, personality, emotion, motivation, and more. As a result, some different subfields and
specialty areas have emerged. The following are some of the major areas of research and application
within psychology:
✔ Abnormal psychology is the study of abnormal behavior and psychopathology. This specialty area is
focused on research and treatment of a variety of mental disorders and is linked to psychotherapy
and clinical psychology.
✔ Biological psychology (biopsychology) studies how biological processes influence the mind and
behavior. This area is closely linked to neuroscience and utilizes tools such as MRI and PET scans
to look at brain injury or brain abnormalities.
✔ Clinical psychology is focused on the assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of mental disorders.
✔ Cognitive psychology is the study of human thought processes including attention, memory,
perception, decision-making, problem-solving, and language acquisition.
✔ Comparative psychology is the branch of psychology concerned with the study of animal behavior.
 Scope of Psychology
✔ Developmental psychology is an area that looks at human growth and development over the
lifespan including cognitive abilities, morality, social functioning, identity, and other life
areas.
✔ Forensic psychology is an applied field focused on using psychological research and
principles in the legal and criminal justice system.
✔ Industrial-organizational psychology is a field that uses psychological research to enhance
work performance and select employees.
✔ Personality psychology focuses on understanding how personality develops as well as the
patterns of thoughts, behaviors, and characteristics that make each individual unique.
✔ Social psychology focuses on group behavior, social influences on individual behavior,
attitudes, prejudice, conformity, aggression, and related topics.
 Impact of Psychology
Psychology is both an applied and academic field that benefits both individuals and society as a whole.
A large part of psychology is devoted to the diagnosis and treatment of mental health issues, but that's
just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the impact of psychology.
Some of the ways that psychology contributes to individuals and society include:
•Improving our understanding of why people behave as they do
•Understanding the different factors that can impact the human mind and behavior
•Understanding issues that impact health, daily life, and well-being
•Improving ergonomics to improve product design
•Creating safer and more efficient workspaces
•Helping motivate people to achieve their goals
•Improving productivity
Psychologists accomplish these things by using objective scientific methods to understand, explain, and
predict human behavior. Psychological studies are highly structured, beginning with a hypothesis that is
then empirically tested.
Thank You…