What is Psychology?
(The international symbol for psychology)
What is psychology?
· Psychology: the science of the mind
· How do psychologists study the mind?
· Human behaviour: the raw data of psychology
· Psychology and other disciplines
· Branches of psychology
Psychology: the science of the mind
The word psychology is actually derived from the Greek words psyche (soul) and logos (discourse), which literally means “study of the mind.” The human mind is the most complex machine on Earth. It is the source of all thought and behaviour.
How do psychologists study the mind?
There are many false notions about psychology and psychologists. One of these is the belief that psychologists can read your mind or estimate your character at a glance. There are many people without scientific training who use psychology to make a living out of gullible people; these “pop” psychologists will study a person’s head, facial characteristics, handwriting and so on. However, psychology is a science and properly trained psychologists are scientists, or at least a practitioner who uses scientific methods.
But how can we study something as complex and mysterious as the mind? Even if we were to split open the skull of a willing volunteer and have a look inside, we would only see the gloopy grey matter of the brain. We cannot see someone thinking. Nor can we observe their emotions, or memories, or perceptions and dreams. So how do psychologists go about studying the mind?
In fact, psychologists adopt a similar approach to scientists in other fields. Nuclear physicists interested in the structure of atoms cannot observe protons, electrons and neutrons directly. Instead, they predict (hypothesise) how these elements should behave and devise experiments to confirm or refute their expectations.
Human behaviour: the raw data of psychology
In a similar way, psychologists use human behaviour as a clue to the workings of the mind. Although we cannot observe the mind directly, everything we do, think, feel and say is determined by the functioning of the mind. So psychologists take human behaviour as the raw data for testing their theories about how the mind works. Since the German psychologist Wilhelm Wundt (1832-1920) opened the first experimental psychology lab inLeipzig in 1879, we have learned an enormous amount about the relationship between brain, mind and behaviour.
Psychology and other disciplines
Psychology lies at the intersection of many other different disciplines, including biology, medicine, linguistics, philosophy, anthropology, sociology, and artificial intelligence (AI). For example, neuropsychology is allied with biology, since the aim is to map different areas of the brain and explain how each underpins different brain functions like memory or language. Other 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 such as schizophrenia and depression.
Branches of psychology
Any attempt to explain why humans think and behave in the way that they do will inevitably be linked to one or another branch of psychology. The different disciplines of psychology are extremely wide-ranging. Some of the disciplines and topics we study include:
· Clinical psychology: Mental disorder
· Cognitive psychology: Memory
· Developmental psychology: Infant attachments
· Evolutionary psychology: Aggression and reproduction
· Health psychology: Stress management
· Neuropsychology: Biological explanations for abnormality
· Occupational psychology: Workplace stress
· Social psychology: Social influence
You can learn more about these disciplines reading introductory textbooks to psychology or the following websites are excellent: www.bbc.co.uk/health; www.bps.org.uk; www.s-cool.co.uk; www.bewell.healthgate.com; www.york.ac.uk/inst/ctipsych; www.psych.bangor.ac.uk/DeptPsych/InternetPsychology.html
What all these different approaches to psychology have in common is a desire to explain the behaviour of individuals based on the workings of the mind. And in every area, psychologists apply scientific methodology. They formulate theories, test hypotheses through observation and experiment, and analyse the findings with statistical techniques that help them identify important findings.
Information, in the form of nerve impulses, travels to and from your brain along your spinal cord. This allows your brain to monitor and regulate unconscious body processes, such as digestion and breathing and to coordinate most voluntary movements of your body. It is also the site of your consciousness, allowing you to think, learn and create.
Your brain is made of many parts, each of which has a specific function. It can be divided into four areas: the cerebrum, the diencephalon, the brain stem and the cerebellum.
Cerebrum
The cerebrum is the largest part of your brain. It sits on top of the rest of your brain, rather like a mushroom cap covering its stalk. The front section of your cerebrum, the frontal lobe, is involved in speech, thought, emotion, and skilled movements. Behind this is the parietal lobe which perceives and interprets sensations like touch, temperature and pain. Behind this, at the centre back of your cerebrum, is a region called the occipital lobe which detects and interprets visual images. Either side of the cerebrum are the temporal lobes which are involved in hearing and storing memory.
The cerebrum is split down the middle into two halves called hemispheres that communicate with each other.
Cerebellum
Your cerebellum is the second largest part of your brain. It is involved in coordinating your muscles to allow precise movements and control of balance and posture.
Diencephalon
Your diencephalon sits beneath the middle of your cerebrum and on top of your brain stem. It contains two important structures called the thalamus and the hypothalamus. Your thalamus acts as a relay station for incoming sensory nerve impulses, sending them on to appropriate regions of your brain for processing. It is responsible for letting your brain know what's happening outside of your body.
Your hypothalamus plays a vital role in keeping conditions inside your body constant. It does this by regulating your body temperature, thirst and hunger, amongst other things.
Brain stem
Your brain stem is responsible for regulating many life support mechanisms, such as your heart rate, blood pressure, digestion and breathing. It also regulates when you sleep and wake.
Brain protection
Your brain is arguably your most important organ, but it is made of soft delicate tissue that would be injured by even the slightest pressure. As a result, it is well protected:
· Three tough membranes called meninges surround your brain
· The space between your brain and the meninges is filled with a clear fluid, which cushions your brain, provides it with energy and protects it against infection
· Your skull encases your brain in a bony shell, cerebrospinal fluid and meninges