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Writer's pictureLeonardo Emmer

Introduction to Psychology



What is Psychology?


Psychology is the study of mental processes and behavior. It also includes understanding how people think, act, and feel. The world is a vast, complex place and there are many things you may be wondering about. The field of psychology explores questions like "What is creativity?" and "Why do some people become homeless?" It also examines prejudice and discrimination, as well as consciousness. Psychology refers to the scientific study of the mind and behavior. To become a better scientist, you should always have an idea of what's going on before presenting your findings. The scientific method is just a helpful way of identifying the cause-and-effect relationship between things that happen and problems they may present. A scientific theory is a broad explanation or group of explanations that is consistently supported by evidence. A hypothesis should fit in with the context of the theory, which helps to increase its credibility. The researcher then makes observations or does an experiment to see if the hypothesis is valid. That data is then published in a journal and presented at a research conference so that other researchers can replicate that work.


The Beginnings of Psychology in America


The beginnings of psychology in America can be traced back to the late 1800s. The first American journal of psychological testing was published in 1884, and the first clinical research psychologist was hired by Harvard University in 1889. The first research laboratory in the United States was founded at Harvard University in 1898, but it wasn't until 1910 that the first American university department of psychology was established.In 1924, Leonard Carmichael and William McDougall founded the Psychological Corporation. This company eventually became a major resource for psychological testing and assessment.American psychologists during this time included B . F. Skinner, John Watson and Sigmund Freud.In the late 1800s, psychologists began to apply some of their science to education and to business management. This marked the beginning of human relations as a separate field in psychology that would eventually be known as organizational behavior. The first book about Organizational Behavior was "Principles of Industrial Psychology" by Irving L. Janis published in 1938. The field grew and expanded during World War II when the United States government began to recruit psychologists to investigate how organizations functioned and create new psychological tests for military use in order to increase efficiency and effectiveness in the workplace. After the war, a study was done on how scientists were able to work more effectively together, which is where the field of industrial-organizational psychology started. After World War II, the need for psychologists to work with organizations grew and expanded. The government created a test called the Belmont Report which suggested that there were three types of organizational structure: the bureaucratic, which is hierarchical; the functional, which is focused on efficiency and effectiveness; and the market-oriented.


The Developmental Model and Freudian Theory


Freudian theory is a psychodynamic theory of personality, developed by Sigmund Freud and based on the idea that human behavior is motivated by unconscious conflicts that arise from childhood experiences. Freud's developmental model consists of five stages: oral, anal, phallic, latency, and genital.


Abnormal Behavior and the DSM-5


Abnormal behavior is a term used to describe any behavior that is not considered normal. It can be defined as anything that deviates from what is considered socially acceptable. There are many mental disorders that are classified in the DSM-5 and there are many ways of diagnosing these disorders. The DSM-5, or Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, is a manual used by clinicians to diagnose mental disorders in patients. The DSM-5 was published by the American Psychiatric Association on May 18th, 2013.


Neuropsychology and Cognitive Behavior Therapy


Cognitive behavior therapy is a type of psychotherapy that focuses on changing negative patterns of thinking and behavior. Cognitive therapy for depression is based on the idea that thoughts play a big role in how we feel. Cognitive behavior therapists help their clients identify negative or irrational thoughts and replace them with more rational ones.


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