PSYCHOLOGY – THE BIG PICTURE  What is Psychology?  Diversity of Professions  Psychological Theories

What is Psychology?

 What is Psychology Etymology (literal origin) ‘Psyche’ – greek for mind or soul ‘Logos’ – greek for study of Syllabus Definition: the scientific study of how we think, feel and act the scientific study of behaviour and mental processes Note: disagreements about the definition, what and how research should be conducted still exist among psychology practitioners.

KEY TERMS  WHAT IS BEHAVIOUR?  Includes actions, thoughts and feelings  WHAT ARE MENTAL PROCESSES?  Processes that are based in the brain and directly affect one’s behaviour such as perception, memory, reasoning, logic, attention, decision-making

Contemporary Psychology POPULAR  Fads and fashions  Based on common sense  Common practice – widely held beliefs and expectations of behaviour  Staple of media, constantly in public view SCIENTIFIC  Based on empirical evidence  Cumulative body of knowledge obtained from theory-driven application of the scientific method  Findings published in professionally reviewed scientific journals - too technical for the general population!

Is ‘Common Sense’ good Psychology? Popular beliefs are usually based on common sense or intuition. How accurate are the following popular beliefs? (See Ans on p490 Txtbk) 1. Psychics have special insights and can help police solve crimes. ( True/False) 2. Looking after children at home is always better for them than daycare. ( True/False) 3. Playing violent video games makes children aggressive. ( True/False) 4. Males are more aggressive than females. ( True/False) 5. Older people are a burden to their families and society. ( True/False)

Non-Psychology Careers that apply knowledge, methods and techniques from Scientific Psychology Professional: Technical:  Police investigator  Police negotiator  Intelligence officer  Animal trainer  Recruitment officer  Public relations officer  Hospitality staff  Sales person  Sports coach  Personal trainer  Web designers  Game designers  Anthropologist  Medical Practitioner  Sociologist  Social worker  Market researcher  Nurse  Teacher  Speech pathologist  Criminologist  Managers  Financial Analyst  Advertising Executives

PSYCHOLOGIST PSYCHIATRIST Training 4yr uni degree Postgraduate study or 2-yr supervised training Therapy Used Counselling Therapy Behaviour Modification Techniques Professional Practice Registered with the State or Territory Registration Board of the Australian Psychological Society (APS) Training 6 yr university degree in medicine 2 yrs internship or residency 5 yrs postgraduate training in psychiatry Therapy Used Perform medical procedures e.g. surgery Prescribe medication with therapy Professional Practice Fellow of the Royal Australia & New Zealand College of Psychiatry Psychology versus Psychiatry

DIVERSITY OF PSYCHOLOGY: Areas of Specialisation in Psychology  Academic psychologist – conducts research in areas of interest in psychology combined with teaching and supervision of graduate students  Clinical psychologist – assess, diagnose, treat and/or prevent mental health problems  Clinical neuropsychologist – assess and diagnose brain impairments and how it affects thinking, emotions, behaviour and personality; also involved in rehabilitation and management of people with brain impairments

DIVERSITY OF PSYCHOLOGY: Areas of Specialisation in Psychology  Community psychologist – concerned with community issues such as recreation, homelessness, social or mental health  Counselling psychologist – help people deal with personal and relationship problems  Educational and developmental psychologist – provide assessment, intervention and counselling to address developmental and educational issues.  Forensic psychologist – apply psychological knowledge to assess, intervene and research in the legal system and correctional services.

DIVERSITY OF PSYCHOLOGY: Areas of Specialisation in Psychology  Health psychologist – works on the promotion and maintenance of health-related behaviour, prevention and treatment of psychologically based illness, analysis and improvement of the healthcare system  Organisational psychologist – help people function effectively in their work environments  Sports psychologist – provide counselling and therapy to help athletes achieve peak performance and develop personal well-being and life adjustment skills.

PSYCHOLOGY CONCEPTS SELF Biological Influences Cognition Developmental Psychology Psychology of Personality OTHERS Social Psychology Relational Influences Communication SOCIETY Culture Social Values and Practice Social, Historical and Political Influences RESEARCH METHODS Planning and Conducting Psychological Research Processing and Evaluating Psychological Research Refer to 3A/3B syllabus Refer to 3A/3B syllabus