Document 391042

• Psychology lies at the intersection of many other
different disciplines, including biology, medicine,
linguistics, philosophy, anthropology, sociology…
• Many branches of psychology are more closely
connected with medicine. Health psychologists
help people manage disease and pain. Similarly,
clinical psychologists help alleviate the suffering
caused by mental disorders.
Branches of Psychology
Industrial and
organizational
psychology
Educational
Biological
Social
Developmental
Clinical
Personality
General psychology
• the study of the basic principles, problems and
methods that underlie the science
of psychology. Includes human development,
emotions, motivation, learning,
senses, perception, thinking, memory,
intelligence and processing.
Physiological psychology
• This branch of psychology looks for
explanations of behavior in the physiological
structures of humans and animals.
• Some of the questions raised by physiological
psychologists include:
 What physiological changes occur in people
during sleep and dreaming?
 What is the relationship between the incidence
of motorway accidents and changes in the
physiological functions of the body at
different times of the day?
Developmental Psychology
• Its concern is about behavioral development
over the entire life span. It is also concerned
with psychological concepts, such as: learning,
memory, motivation and thinking.
• The following are questions raised by
developmental psychologists:
 How soon can babies perceive depth?
 How do children develop the concept of the
self?
 Is language acquisition only a question of
biological maturation, learning or it has any
relation to social interaction?
Personality Psychology
• Some people are highly competitive and hostile
•
Some people tend to be relaxed and don't feel the
pressure of time
• The study of the relation between personality and
behavior is an example of research in personality
psychology.
• It studies individual differences in behavior and why
people not react in a similar way to the same
situation.
• Social psychology is a wide-ranging field of
study. Among the topics that can be studied
are:
Friendship formation, Conflict, Perception of
other people, Aggressiveness
• The Particular interest of social psychologists
is on the relevance of their research to human
society , human problems in the group, the
community, the nation and the world.
Example:
• Research findings in social psychology
showed that delinquent boys who
watched aggressive or violent movies are
engaged in more acts of physical
aggression after seeing these movies
than delinquent boys who watched
neutral movies.
• It is the study, diagnosis and treatment of
abnormal behavior.
• It looks for possible biological, educational and
environmental causes of disorders.
• The aim is to change the environment that
leads to disorder.
• Clinical psychologists give advice to people how
to handle psychological problems
Industrial/Organizational
Psychology
• Industrial organizational psychology is an applied
area of psychology that involves using
psychological theories and principles to solve
problems related to the workplace and
organizations.
• Some of the issues that an I/O psychologist might
tackle include finding ways to increase worker
productivity, selecting the most qualified
employees for specific roles, and improving the
mental and physical well being of people in the
workplace.
What Are Psychological Perspectives?
Integrating the Perspectives
Evolutionary psychology
• Biological: aggression is associated
with low levels of serotonin.
• Evolutionary: we aggress against
people who challenge our status.
• Cognitive: we learn to be more
aggressive when we see aggression
rewarded.
• Social: we are more aggressive when
we are anonymous and
unaccountable.
• Developmental: aggressive behavior
decreases sharply from the mid-20s
on.
• Clinical: aggressive individuals tend
to have low impulse control.
• Personality: aggressive people tend
to have very high self-esteem.
• Psychiatry: the branch of medicine concerned
with the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention
of mental disorders. Most similar to clinical
psychology.
• Psychiatrist- a medical doctor who has
specialized in the diagnosis and treatment of
psychological disorders.
Psychologist
• Psychology: the scientific study of behavior
and mental processes. “Scientific”
means... beliefs are based on empirical
evidence—careful, systematic observations.
• Psychologist: a professional with an academic
degree and specialized training in one or more
areas of psychology
 Areas of specialization in psychology include
clinical, counseling, developmental, social and
personality, among others
Psychotherapist
• Psychotherapy: the treatment of psychological
disorders using psychological rather than
biological methods.
• Psychotherapist: eather a psychiatrist or
psychologist who special training in the some
theorie.
Universities &
Colleges
Elementary/
Secondary
Schools
Independent
Practice
Hospitals,
Counseling,
Clinics, etc.
Business,
Government or
Consulting