psychology homework help

psychology homework help

The Importance of Understanding Psychology

1. Introduction to Psychology

To achieve a fulfilling and effective lifestyle, it is important to firstly understand what psychology is. As highlighted in “The Importance of Understanding Psychology,” psychology is the study of behavior and cognitive processes. This section introduces various key concepts and the different approaches that psychologists use to study behavior. These approaches are the biological approach, the behavioral approach, the cognitive approach, and the psychodynamic approach. The section explains that the biological approach focuses on the body, especially the brain and the nervous system, and how these processes impact behavior. The behavioral approach suggests that all behavior is learned through the environment, for example through classical conditioning and operant conditioning. It further explains that cognitive psychologists study mental processes such as language, attention, and problem-solving. The section then moves on to exploring different types of research methods in psychology. There are two main types of research methods in psychology: experimental studies, where the researcher manipulates the environment and measures the effect on behavior, and correlational studies, where the researcher investigates the relationship between two variables and the impact of these variables on behavior. The scientific nature of psychology is also introduced. In order to be considered scientific, a discipline must be based on empirical data and research. It is highlighted that psychology is a very popular degree choice, with many students continuing on to study it at degree level. The section concludes by summarizing the key focuses of the main field of psychology, including biological, cognitive, and developmental, and then outlining the main areas of applied psychology. These include clinical psychology, counseling, and forensic psychology. All of these are introduced here because it is expanded upon in later sections of the book.

2. Key Concepts in Psychology

Most students begin their introduction to psychology with a study of the earliest psychological investigations, which focused on mental processes. Later in this section, we will see how behaviorism shifted the focus from the mind to behavior and how current advances are pushing the fledgling discipline of cognitive neuroscience. However, the first and most obvious key concept in psychology is the science itself. The scientific study of psychology became a discipline in its own right at the end of the nineteenth century, made so by Wilhelm Wundt. Wundt created a laboratory in Leipzig, Germany, in 1879, for the study of the various components of conscious experience, which was the first time that any research had been undertaken into understanding the workings of the mind. This placement in time as the start of psychological scientific investigation can be misleading. There are various ancient psychological investigations, both in terms of history and in terms of methodology such as the following. The concept of psychology as a branch of medicine was being used to explain illness and the use of treatments such as trepanning as early as neolithic times, as at the site of Banyoles in Spain. These ancient therapies link to that of the Greek physician Hippocrates, whose theories of the four temperaments laid the foundation of all psychological study. His belief that imbalances in the body were the cause of illness drove medical practice away from magic and religion and towards the scientific progress he himself championed. Galen, a Roman doctor who became one of the most influential medical thinkers of the ancient world, wrote a great deal about the four humors and their corresponding temperaments, and this laid down one of the fundamental beliefs of the branch of psychology that focuses on behavior as relative to an individual’s state of mind, that is the physiological response.

3. The Influence of Psychology on Behavior

As a social science, psychology examines a wide range of phenomena, but the key focus is often on understanding our behavior. Psychological research on behavior has generally shown that most human behavior is a result of multiple factors, making it a complex phenomenon to understand and assess. This is particularly the case when we talk about the behavior of people who are trying to make sense of other people’s behavior – a process known as attribution. Over the years, a number of different explanations for why people conform (i.e. go along with others) have been suggested. For example, information may be seen more clearly by others, and so in such kind of situation normative influence could be taking place. Nonetheless, conforming, at least in terms of going along with the crowd, doesn’t always feel comfortable and research has shown that people conform for different reasons. Some of this deeper study into human behavior may actually have practical applications in society – for example, in helping to reduce prejudice and discrimination. By learning more about how and why people develop prejudice and the psychological outcome of this, social psychologists have been able to work on ways to reduce discriminatory behavior. However, the psychological community is still engaged in researching this matter and many people have written accounts of prejudice and discrimination, but social change is a slow process that requires a large group effort. Understanding psychological research into behavior, and gaining an insight into why we do the things we do, is an important aspect of psychology. Writing about this study, one social cognitive psychologist pointed out that this kind of continuing investigation into human behavior is not only fascinating, but it could also be important in the development of coping strategies for the future. He also suggested that learning to ‘think carefully and critically about various behaviors’ and then attempt to relate these to our own actions encourages a kind of ‘enlightened self-interest’, because this awareness of why we do what we do will benefit us in our daily lives.

4. Psychological Disorders and Treatment

Some psychologists argue that research in this area makes a real difference to our everyday lives and understanding of the world. For example, understanding that repressed traumas from childhood can lead to psychological disorders, such as character fixes and anxiety, can help to make the role of early childhood experiences used in clinical psychology and even education more effective. This hints at the idea that applied psychology (using results of studies to solve everyday problems) and psychological research can be mutually beneficial to each other and society. This is something we shall explore in the next section.

Freud was one of the most well-known psychological theorists to explain the causes of psychological disorders. He believed that such disorders were due to repressed sexual traumas in early childhood. His theories led to the development of what we know as “psychoanalysis.” This type of therapy aims to help the patient discover the unconscious conflicts that are causing the disorder. Despite the fact that many of Freud’s ideas are now considered to be controversial and a large number of psychology students are taught about his cocaine addiction, this type of therapy is still very common.

Kempe explains psychological disorders as “deviant behavior due to a cause that is intrapsychic rather than purely physical,” such as “resentments harbored by the subconscious mind.” He is suggesting that the cause of many of these psychological disorders are, in fact, coming from within a person and not due to purely biological factors. This can have a significant impact on the effectiveness of treatments which focus mainly on biology and it can also help to explain why certain people develop a psychological disorder while others in similar circumstances do not.

Psychological disorders can have a significant impact on a person’s life. For example, depression can make simple activities such as going to work or playing with children extremely challenging. In more severe cases, depression can lead to suicide. The good news is that psychological disorders like these are highly treatable and many people do end up getting the help they need. The earlier therapy is started for most of these disorders, the more effective and efficient the treatment will be. In this section, we will be looking at the variety of common treatments available and whether many of these psychological disorders truly have physical causes.

5. Applying Psychology in Everyday Life

Secondly, the section “5. Applying Psychology in Everyday Life” also indicates another important quality of this guide. That is, the suggestions and advice provided in this guide are highly practical and constructive. They are not just theories built by psychologists in their ivory towers. In order to make readers understand better how psychology is applied to control and regulate our behaviors, the author introduces to us the “classical conditioning” and “operant conditioning”. While explaining the two types of conditioning, the author gives an example about how the principles of operant conditioning may be applied to help people develop a habit of recycling. This is a good example showing that the author does not limit to the academic side of psychology, but brings the studies in psychology to the actual behaviors of real life. As a result, readers will find the studies much more interesting because they are reading a really meaningful subject that has direct impacts on their lives. Last but not least, this guide is good for readers who have not been exposed to psychology. I have this opinion because in each and every example given in each and every chapter, the author will first clearly explain the case. Then, the author will explain the case with relevant psychological terminology. For instance, when Pavlov’s Dogs is first introduced to illustrate the classical conditioning, the author explains the entire process in detail. When the conditioned and the unconditioned responses are being explained, the author reminds readers the meaning of each terminology used. This is good because a reader without any knowledge in psychology will not be left alienated. By the end of the example, the reader should be able to have a very clear grasp on the concepts introduced in that example.