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Summary
Psychology is a field of study focused on understanding the mind and behavior. It examines how our mental processes, emotions, and actions interact and influence one another. Historically, psychology has evolved significantly, with its roots tracing back to ancient times. The term “psychology” originates from the Greek words “psyche,” meaning soul, and “logos,” meaning study or science. Initially defined as the study of the soul, this concept evolved as it was found insufficient for scientific inquiry. Over time, psychology has been redefined, eventually being recognized as the science of mind and later as the study of consciousness. Today, psychology is broadly defined as the scientific study of mental processes, experiences, and behavior in various contexts.
Psychology aims to understand individual differences in behavior, mood, and learning capabilities. Early psychologists attempted to define psychology as the study of the mind or consciousness, but these definitions were deemed too vague. Modern psychology is more comprehensive, encompassing the study of mental processes (such as thinking and problem-solving), experiences, and observable behavior.
Mental processes refer to internal states like thinking, problem-solving, and remembering. Although closely linked to brain activity, mental processes are distinct from purely physical brain functions. Experiences, on the other hand, are subjective and influenced by both external and internal conditions. For example, a person’s mood can affect how they perceive and experience their surroundings. Behavior, the most observable aspect of psychology, includes all the responses or actions of an individual. These can range from simple reflexes to complex activities and can be influenced by various stimuli in the environment.
The scope of psychology is vast, studying the causes and nature of human behavior. It considers human experiences, which involve cognition (knowing), conation (doing), and affection (feeling). Conscious and unconscious aspects of the mind both play crucial roles in determining behavior. Thus, psychology includes both these aspects in its scope of study. The field has expanded over time, leading to the development of many specialized branches.
Biological psychology focuses on the relationship between behavior and the body’s biological systems, such as the brain and nervous system. Developmental psychology studies the physical, social, and psychological changes that occur throughout a person’s life. Social psychology examines how individuals are influenced by their social environment and interactions. Environmental psychology explores the impact of physical surroundings on behavior, while clinical psychology deals with diagnosing and treating mental health issues. Child psychology focuses on the behavioral development of children, and educational psychology applies psychological principles to the field of education, helping to understand and improve teaching and learning processes.
Education and psychology, although distinct fields, are closely related and interdependent. Education is a normative science dealing with ideals and principles, while psychology is a positive science focusing on observable behavior and mental processes. Psychology aids education by providing insights into learning, memory, motivation, and other psychological processes essential for effective teaching. It also helps in developing new teaching methods and understanding the developmental stages of learners.
In modern educational systems, guidance and counseling have become essential for addressing academic, behavioral, and social issues. These services rely heavily on psychological knowledge to be effective. Furthermore, the development of psychology as a discipline has been significantly influenced by educational practices, highlighting the mutual dependence between the two fields. Psychological findings have become widespread through education, which has also contributed to the creation of new branches of psychology, such as child psychology and educational psychology.
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Textbook questions and answers
Essay type questions
1. Give a brief account of the conceptual development of Psychology as a branch of study.
Answer: The conceptual development of psychology as a branch of study has evolved significantly over time. Initially, psychology was defined as the science of the soul. However, this definition was rejected because the soul is not a tangible entity that can be scientifically studied. In the eighteenth century, psychology was redefined as the science of the mind. This concept was also criticized for being vague and not scientifically measurable.
Later, the concept of psychology evolved to focus on the study of consciousness, popularized by Vives, a philosopher from Spain. However, this too was criticized for being too narrow, as it ignored the subconscious and unconscious aspects of the mind, which play a significant role in mental functions.
In the nineteenth century, psychology began to be recognized as a scientific discipline, studying mental processes, experiences, and behavior in different contexts. This modern and formal definition is widely accepted today. Psychology now examines mental processes such as thinking, problem-solving, learning, and remembering, as well as experiences influenced by both external and internal conditions. It also considers behavior, which includes physical, motor, mental, intellectual, and emotional activities, and can be simple or complex, overt or covert.
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2. Of the various concepts of Psychology which one you support and why?
Answer: I support the modern and formal definition of psychology as a science that studies mental processes, experiences, and behavior in different contexts. This definition is comprehensive and inclusive of the various aspects of human life that psychology seeks to understand. It acknowledges the complexity of mental processes and behavior, and it uses scientific methods to study these phenomena. This approach allows for a more accurate and thorough understanding of the human mind and behavior, making it the most effective and reliable concept of psychology.
3. Write a brief note on the scope of psychology.
Answer: Psychology as a discipline or branch of knowledge has its own scope of study. Basically, it studies human experiences and behavior. It primarily looks into the factors that cause behavior and then makes efforts to study the nature of behavior.
Human experiences are characterized by three factors. Every experience involves these three characteristics, namely cognition or knowing aspects, conation or doing aspect, and affection or feeling aspects. Some psychologists put emphasis on one of it and some on the other. For example, psychologists like Herbert and Hume gave emphasis on cognition while considering the scope of psychology. They believed cognition always leads to conation and affection. On the other hand, the famous psychologist McDougall considers that cognition cannot originate without conation. Conation or doing aspects come first, cognition or knowledge follows it. The feeling aspect is also a result of conation, was the belief of McDougall and his followers. However, the majority of psychologists are of the opinion that our conscious mind has three important aspects – cognition, conation, and affection, and psychology must take these into consideration while dealing with its scope.
Besides consciousness, unconscious aspects of the mind also play an important role in determining human experience and behavior. Hence, today psychology puts emphasis on the role of both consciousness and unconsciousness in human life. Many new findings are coming out on mental processes and behavior. Consequently, the scope of studying psychology is also becoming wider day by day.
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4. ‘‘Education and Psychology are not contradictory but complementary’’. Explain the statement.
Answer: Education and psychology are distinct disciplines with separate aims and objectives. Education is called a normative science, dealing with ideas and principles that should be followed in the field of education. Psychology, on the other hand, is a positive science, dealing with what is visible, audible, and tangible in behavior shown by one in a particular situation. It uses methods like direct observation and experimentation to understand behavior instead of speculation.
Despite these differences, education and psychology are not contradictory but complementary. Psychology guides education in achieving set goals, and many educational theories are based on psychological findings. Effective classroom teaching requires knowledge of psychological processes like learning, memory, motivation, intelligence, and personality. Psychology has also contributed to innovative teaching methods like the project method and learning by doing.
Furthermore, motivation and communication skills are essential in education, and these require an understanding of psychological processes. Guidance and counseling, necessary in modern education, are also grounded in psychology.
Education helps psychology by applying psychological findings in practical settings, contributing to the development of new branches like child psychology and educational psychology. Thus, psychology and education are interdependent, each enhancing the other.
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Short type questions
1. State how the word psychology has originated?
Answer: The word “psychology” is derived from two Greek words namely “psyche” and “Logos”. “Psyche” means soul and “Logos” means talks of, study of, or science of. Hence, the derivative meaning of psychology is the study of ‘soul’ or “Atma” of a person.
2. Why psychology is called the science of behaviour.
Answer: Psychology is most commonly defined as the “science of behaviour”. The term “behaviour” refers to the responses or reactions we make or activities we do in a particular situation. It includes physical, motor, mental, intellectual, and emotional activities.
3. Scope of psychology is very wide. – Justify the statement.
Answer: Psychology as a discipline or branch of knowledge has its own scope of study. Basically, it studies human experiences and behaviour. It primarily looks into the factors that cause behaviour and then makes efforts to study the nature of behaviour. Human experiences are characterized by three factors: cognition or knowing aspects, conation or doing aspects, and affection or feeling aspects. Besides consciousness, unconscious aspects of the mind also play an important role in determining human experience and behaviour. Consequently, the scope of studying psychology has also become wider day by day.
4. Name two important branches of psychology and explain them.
Answer: (a) Biological psychology: This branch of psychology gives importance to the relation between behaviour and men’s biological systems. According to it, there is a relation between behaviour and physical organs like the brain, the nervous system, the immune system, and genetics.
(b) Developmental psychology: From conception in the mother’s womb till death, an individual passes through different ages and stages of development in life. Developmental psychology is the branch that studies physical, social, and psychological changes that take place in different ages and stages of human life. In the past, developmental psychology put emphasis on the study of child and adolescent development. But today it is showing increasing interest in adult and aged development too.
Objective type questions
1. Psychology is a positive science.
Answer: True
2. Psychology can determine aims of education.
Answer: False
3. Psychology is called the science of behaviour.
Answer: True
4. Child psychology studies adolescent’s behaviour.
Answer: False
5. Laboratory experiments are not necessary in studying psychology.
Answer: False
6. Psychology is a means, not an end in education.
Answer: True
7. Psychology and education have similar aims and objectives.
Answer: False
Write whether correct or incorrect
1. Psychology determines the theories of education.
Answer: Incorrect
2. Education and psychology are contradictory to one another.
Answer: Incorrect
3. Psychology studies only the conscious aspect of the mind.
Answer: Incorrect
4. Psychology is not related to the classroom environment.
Answer: Incorrect
5. Psychology does not study abnormal behaviour.
Answer: Incorrect
6. The scope of psychology is narrow.
Answer: Incorrect
Match the following
| Column I | Column II |
|---|---|
| (1) Psychology helps in | (5) Counselling students. |
| (2) Educational psychology is a branch of | (4) Applied psychology |
| (3) Clinical psychology helps in | (2) Understanding psychological disordering |
| (4) During 18th century psychology was defined | (1) As the study of mind. |
| (5) Human experience is | (3) Subjective in nature |
Extra fill in the blanks
1. Psychology is most commonly defined as the “science of ______.”
Answer: behaviour
36. The branch of psychology focused on helping people achieve personal well-being and life satisfaction is known as ______ psychology.
Answer: positive
Extra questions and answers
1. What are the roots of the word “psychology”?
Answer: The word “psychology” is derived from two Greek words, namely “psyche” and “Logos”. “Psyche” means soul, and “Logos” means talks of, study of, or science of. Hence, the derivative meaning of psychology is the study of the ‘soul’ or “Atma” of a person.
34. Why is the knowledge of psychological processes important for effective teaching?
Answer: The knowledge of psychological processes is important for effective teaching because it helps understand the learner’s intelligence and interests at various stages of development. This understanding is crucial for adapting teaching methods to suit the needs of students, making education more effective and impactful. Psychological insights into motivation and communication skills are also essential for successful teaching, as they help engage students and facilitate better communication between educators and learners.
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