Unit1 Introduction of psychology

PSYCHOLOGY
1st UNIT: INTRODUCTION OF
PSYCHOLOGY

Outline
1. Introduction of psychology
2. Define psychology
3. Scope of psychology
4. Branches of psychology
5. Methods of psychology
6. Significance of psychology in nursing
7. Applied psychology to solve everyday
issues.
8. Importance of psychology in nursing

INTRODUCTION
Psychology: The study of mind, behavior,
emotions, and thought processes.
Psychology assists health professionals with
understanding their patients and
themselves.
The word of psychology made up of
two Greek words – ‘psychi’ and ‘logos’.
‘Psychi’ means ‘soul’ and ‘logos’ means the
‘study of’ or ‘knowledge’—study of soul.

DEFINITIONS OF PSYCHOLOGY
1. Psychology is the science of human and animal
behavior; it includes the application of behavioral
science to human problems.
2. Psychology is the science of human behavior.
(Walter Bowers Pillsbury—1911)
3. Psychology is a science, which aims to give us
better understanding and control of the behavior of
the organism as a whole.
(William Mc Doughall—1949)
4. Psychology is the investigation of human and
animal behavior and of the mental and physiological
processes associated with the behavior.
(Jackson—1976)

HISTORY
The successes of the experimental method in the
physical sciences encouraged some philosophers to
think that mind and behavior could be studied with
scientific methods.
• In 1879, the first psychological laboratory was
established at the University of Leipzig by the
German philosopher and psychologist Wilhelm
Wundt (1832 – 1920).
• Wundt was the first to measure human behavior
accurately and is known as the ‘Father of
Psychology’.

Modern Psychology
1. Wilhelm Wundt (1832- 1920) a. He was
considered as the “Father of Modern
Psychology. He noted that mental process
could be investigated with objective technique
similar to other scientific fields.
2. G. Stanley Hall (student of Wundt) - He
established the first American psychology
laboratory at Johns Hopkins University in
1883.

SCOPE OF PSYCHOLOGY
• The scope of a subject can usually be discussed
under the following two headings:
1. The limits of its operations and applications.
2. The branches, topics and subject matter with
which it deals. The field of operation and
applications of the subject psychology is too vast.
• It studies, describes and explains the behavior of
living organisms.
• It describes all types of life activities and
experiences — whether conative (intentional),
cognitive or affective, implicit or explicit, conscious,
unconscious and subconscious of a living
organism.

Branches of psychology
1. Pure psychology 2.Applied psychology
i. General psychology
ii. Abnormal psychology
iii.Social psychology
iv.Physiological psychology
v. Parapsychology
vi.Geo psychology
vii.Developmental
psychology
viii.Experimental
psychology
i. Educational psychology
ii. Clinical psychology
iii. Industrial psychology
iv. Legal psychology
v. Military psychology
vi. Political psychology

APPLICATIONS OF PSYCHOLOGY
In the Field of Education
Theories of learning, motivation and personality, etc.
have been responsible for shaping and designing the
educational system according to the needs and
requirements of the students.
In the Field of Medicine
A doctor, nurse or any person, who attends the
patient, needs to know the science of behavior to
achieve good results.
Psychology has contributed valuable therapeutic
measures like behavior therapy, play therapy, group
therapy, psychoanalysis, etc. for the diagnosis and
cure of patients suffering from psychosomatic, as well
as mental diseases.

CONTI…
In the Field of Business and Industry
It has highlighted the importance of knowledge of
consumer’s psychology and harmonious
interpersonal relationship in the field of
commerce and industry.
In the Field of Criminology
It has helped in detection of crimes and in
dealing with criminals.
In the Field of Politics
It has proved useful to the politicians and leaders
to learn the qualities of leadership for leading the
masses.

CONTI…
In the Filed of Guidance and Counseling
It has provided valuable help in relation to guidance
and counseling in educational, personal as well as
vocational areas.
In the Field of Military Science
Psychology helps in the selection, training, promotion
and classification of defense personnel. In fighting the
enemy, the morale of the defense personnel and of
citizens must at all costs be high and this can only be
achieved by providing suggestions, insight and
confidence.

CONTI…
In the Field of Human Relationship and
Self-Development
Finally it has helped human beings to learn
the art of understanding their own behavior,
seeking adjustment with their self and others
and enhancing, as well as actualizing their
potentialities to the utmost possible.

METHODS OF PSYCHOLOGY
• Special tools and procedures help us in gathering
and organizing its subject matter or the essential facts
about behavior.
• These procedures are termed as methods, which
are used to study human behavior.
1. Introspection or Self-observation Method
2. Observational Method
3. Experimental Method
4. Clinical or Case History Method
5. Survey Method
6. Genetic or Developmental Method

1. Introspection or Self-observation
Method
This is one of the oldest methods of
psychology. Introspection means ‘to look
within’. This is also known as self-observation
method.
It is not possible to understand the inner
feelings and experiences of other persons.
For example, a patient after an operation may
be asked to report how he feels. The patient
will try to look within and recall what happened
and how he is presently feeling.
• This information will help for better treatment

Merits Demerits
• Observation and
experimentation are based upon
introspection.
• It gives us direct, immediate
and exact knowledge of our own
mental processes.
• It enables us to fully
understand the behavior of an
individual.
• This method is inexpensive,
easy and does not require any
apparatus or laboratory.
• This method is not applicable
for children or animals or
mentally retarded people,
because they cannot introspect.
• It is a purely private affair and
cannot be verified by other
observers.
• In many cases, the patients
may not have the insight to
know about their conditions or
language to describe them
accurately.
• Introspection sometimes
involves attention to a mental
process.

2. Observational Method
1. Observation is the objective method of
studying the behavior of individuals.
2. It consists of, perception of an individual’s
behavior under natural conditions.

Merits Demerits
• It is economical, natural, as
well as flexible.
• The data, which is studied
through observation can be
analyzed, measured, classified
and interpreted.
• The results can be verified
and relied.
•Observation method is quite
suitable for observing
developmental characteristics
like children’s habits and
interests.
• There are chances of
subjective report and also
prejudices of observer may
creep in.
• Sometimes to observe the
natural behavior the observer
may have to spend more time,
energy and money.
• It lacks repeatability, as each
natural situation can occur only
once.
• Not being able to establish a
proper cause and effect
relationship.

3. Experimental Method
• Experimental method is considered as the most
scientific and objective method of studying
behavior.
• In psychology, experimental study is used to study
the cause and effect relationship regarding the
nature of human behavior, i.e. the effect of anxiety
on the human behavior.
• To study the cause and effect relationship the
psychologists use objective observations under
controlled conditions to observe actions or
behaviors of individuals.
• From these observations certain conclusions are
drawn and theories or principles established

Merits Demerits
• Scientific method.
• Finds out cause
and effect
relationship.
• Maximum control
of phenomena.
• Repetition is
possible
• All problems of psychology cannot
be studied by this method, as we
cannot perform experiments for all
the problems.
• Experimental method is a costly
and time consuming method.
• Handling of this method demands
specialized knowledge and skill.
• Experimental method fails to study
behavior in naturalistic conditions.

4. Clinical or Case History Method
• This method is used by clinical psychologists,
psychiatrists, psychiatric social workers in child
guidance clinics or mental hygiene clinics and
the allied institutions.
• It aims at studying the cause and basis of
people’s anxieties, fears and personal
maladjustments.
• A great deal of relevant data is collected by using
case histories, interviews, home visits and
psychological tests to draw valid inferences
about the nature of the individual’s difficulties and
problems, the probable origin and course of
development.

Merits Demerits
• Case histories will give
the clinician an insight into
the causes of the problem
and suggest possible
solutions.
• Case studies can be
productive sources of ideas
for further investigation by
other methods.
• The case history method
depends largely on memory
of incidents, which may have
been observed inaccurately
or over interpreted.

5. Survey Method
• All problems in psychology cannot be studied
by the experimental and other methods. Some
problems like study of opinions, attitudes, health
care needs, etc. can be studied by means of
survey method.
• It involves collection or gathering of information
from a large number of people by using
questionnaires, inventories, checklists, rating
scales and interviews.
Merits Demerits
• A large amount of data can
be collected in a shorter time.
• The behavior is not observed
directly.

6. Genetic or Developmental Method
• Psychologists study not only the behavior of an
individual at a particular time, but also his development
from birth to death, the influence of heredity and
environment in the development of the person and
conditions favorable and unfavorable for normal and
abnormal behavior.
• For example, to understand the learning behavior of
an adult, the study will start from the childhood and
adolescence.
• This can be done by two ways:
• Cross-sectional study in which, the children of
different age groups will be studied simultaneously.
• Longitudinal study in which, the same child will be
studied in different stages of life.

APPLIED PSYCHOLOGY TO SOLVE
EVERYDAY ISSUES
• Psychology is not just limited to mental
disorders, counseling and therapy
sessions; it is much more than that.
• The role of psychology comes into play
right from the moment you wake up in the
morning till you sleep at night.
• From just community communicating with
other to taking life’s toughest decisions
psychology finds its applications in almost
all aspects of our early life.

Motivation
• Health
• Advertisement
• Sports
• Relationships
• Healthy eating
• Leadership Skills
• Politics
• Decision Making and Problem Solving
• Communication
• Personal Growth
• Finance Management
• Workplace
• Academics

Significance of psychology in nursing
• Psychology has become necessary in every
profession including nursing today.
• This is because of increasing emphasis being
laid out on the interplay of body, mind and
spirit in the health status of every individual.
• The knowledge of psychology will help the
nurse to understand the problems and needs
of patients and attend to them.
• It will help the nurses to understand such
abnormal behaviors and help the patients in
the management and cure.

The learning of psychology helps a
nurse in the following ways:
1. To Understand Her Own Self.
2. To Understand Patients.
3. To Recognize Abnormal Behavior.
4. To Understand Other People.
5. To Provide Quality Care to Patients.
6. Help Patients Adjust to the Situation.

Why Nursing Students Study
Psychology
 Assists students to understand their own behaviors
and the behaviors of others.
 Assists students to understand the reason of their
behaviors.
 Develop insight on how the psychological
knowledge and procedures can be applied in the
problem solving of personal and social problems.
 Assists students to deal with different types of
patients & people in their future work.
 Helps gaining more insight in evaluating
psychological information those students read or
hear about.

IMPORTANCE OF PSYCHOLOGY IN
NURSING
1. Psychology is an applied science which is
useful in studying mental functions,
behavior and understanding of individuals
and groups.
2. Psychology and social psychology is of
great importance in nursing.
3. While psychology is the study of
individuals, their behavior and their mental
processes, social psychology is the study
about how individuals’ behavior or mental
states can be effected by social situations

CONTI..
1. In other words, social psychology emphasizes
more on how and why individuals behave under
the presence of social situations or norms.
2. Psychology in nursing is important because as a
health care professional, a nurse has to interact
with sick and ill people on one side and on the
other has also to interact with the relatives of the ill
people.
3. And most of the time, a nurse has to interact with
people coming from all walks of life. Most of all, a
nurse has to take care of individuals who are
suffering from diseases and this requires a
knowledge of psychology to understand the
various attitudes and behavior of people.

Unit1 Introduction of psychology

CONTI…
1. Psychology in nursing helps professional nurses
to understand patients much better.
2. One of the most important assumption in health
care is psychology of an individual plays an
important role either in the development of or
recovery from diseases.
3. For health care to be successful in controlling a
disease, it is absolutely necessary to identify not
only the disease but also the psychology of the
individual as well.
4. Apart from effective diagnostics, it is also
necessary to note that every individual is unique
in most respects.

Unit1 Introduction of psychology

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Unit1 Introduction of psychology