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Assignment 1 (Introduction to Psychology).docx
1. Introduction and History of
Psychology
Name: Usama Ryan
Reg# L2F22BSSE0288
Section: M5
Course:
Introduction to Psychology
Submitted To:
Mam Jahan-Ara-Rana
2. Introduction to Psychology Page 1
Definition:
“The scientific study of human mind and behavior is called
Psychology.”
Introduction:
Psychology is the scientific study of mind and behavior. The word psychology comes from
the Greek words “psyche” meaning life, and “logos” meaning study. It is the Study of mind so it
describes that what our mind does when we do different tasks. And behavior means that outwardly
observable acts of an individual, alone, or in a group. So, the term psychology is referred as the study of
life. Psychology is a popular major for students, a popular topic in public, and a part of our everyday
lives. It has become a most discussing topic in all over the world. It is all about the human mind and all
of his behaviors. It gives us new ways to look around us and to look the world and all its complexities. It
includes the study of conscious and unconscious phenomenon including feelings and thoughts. It is an
academic discipline of immense scope crossing the boundaries between natural and social sciences.
Psychology is science as it follows the laws of science. Its method to work is based on
steps which are defined by science, which make it a scientific knowledge.
History:
Firstly, it was the main question that why human suffers? There are many theories in history
about this topic. According to Buddha, he cause of human suffering is a mind that is not free from
desires. Before the invention of knowledge of psychology it was known as philosophy. Then in 1879,
Wilhelm Wundt founded the first psychological laboratory of the world in Leipzig, Germany, where he
mainly studied sensations and feelings by employing experimental methods. Wundt was the first person
who was called as psychologist. He was the first who performed experiments on human mind
scientifically. After his works his students takes the knowledge towards development.
Components:
Psychology is divided into two major components:
Pre scientific Psychology (Believed that mind and body were separate entities (dualism) and
that most ideas, thoughts, traits were inborn)
In this component of psychology the mental issues were solved by applying different believed
processes as Trephining. In this a hole is made in the skull to give a way to bad spirits. Using
hollow tube is also a treatment for these issues. Many intellectuals (Socrates, Plato, Aristotle,
Rene Descartes, Francis Bacon, and John Locke) had showed different theories and different
ideas in this regard. Everyone was the founder of new ways with new theories to explain his
3. Introduction to Psychology Page 2
mind and intellectual power. They all explained that the mind or soul and body both are
different from each other but they are connected naturally.
Scientific Psychology (Based on empirical evidences)
This component of psychology is based on evidences which are proved by the intellectuals.
Firstly, Wilhelm Wundt (Father of psychology) introduced first psychological lab in 1879. He created
an approach to the structuralism. It means that he was the first man who worked to find the
solution of this question that what structure of mind has? After Wundt his students took his work
toward more discoveries.
Psychology’s Roots:
Early History (Use of methods such as Trephining, Hollow tubes, and making bumps on the
head)
Gestalt Psychology (The whole is different from the sum of its parts)
Structuralism (Believes in reductionism and basic building blocks of mental structure)
Functionalism (Believes in functions of the mind instead of structure)
In reality, the psychologists were divided into many categories
Structuralism (1870-1900): (In structuralism, people analyze the problem by viewing structure
of brain and understanding its structure)
Functionalism (1880-Current): (In functionalism, people do treatment by checking functions of
brain and behavior of mind)
Behaviorism (1915-Couurnt): (In behaviorism, people do treatment by analyzing the behavior
of patient’s brain or normal brain. After 1920, both structuralism and behaviorism were merged
as a single term behaviorism)
Goals:
There are a few goals of psychology:
Observe (Helps the psychologist to understand the real thing behind the coming outcomes)
Explain (What the causes come in mind of normal humans)
Predict (That what is next to the current situation and time)
Evaluate and control mental process and behaviors (To control or change behavior to make the
next person good with good health, to solve the problems of person)
4. Introduction to Psychology Page 3
Fields:
There a few fields of psychology:
Clinical Psychology (Focused on study and treatment of mental illness)
Counseling Psychology (Focused on counseling people for their better choices for better future)
General Psychology (Focused on study of behavioral sciences)
Forensic Psychology (Study of interaction between legal system and psychology)
International Psychology (Focused on implementation of psychology on global scale)
Educational Psychology (Study of technology in learning based on psychological principles)
School Psychology (contact with parents and teachers to maximize student’s social potential)
Industrial Psychology (Concerned with the behavior and manner of human at work-place)
5. Introduction to Psychology Page 4
Key Issues:
There are a few key issues of Psychology:
Conscious VS Unconscious(How much of our activities are done by the forces we are well-
aware)
Free will VS Determination(How much of our activities are the result of our free will and how
are with our determination)
Nature VS Nurture(How much of our activities are results of our heredity or due to heredity and
how much are due to our environment)
Observable behavior VS Internal mental processes(Psychology believe on what it see or what is
exactly happened)
6. Introduction to Psychology Page 5
Over Lapping Term:
Basically there are two terms in this era which are usually supposed by people that both are one.
Means people mixed these terms. These are psychiatrists and other term is psychologist. There is a
great difference between these two terms that is psychiatrists are like physicians and they prescript
medicines. On the other hand, psychologist could not write the medicines in the most places.
Perspectives in Psychology:
1. Biological (Behaviorist)
2. Psychodynamic (Humanistic)
3. Cognitive
4. Behavioral
5. Evolutionary
A few are explained here
1) Biological Perspectives:
This perspective emphasizes the physical ad biological bases of behavior. It is also known as
biological-psychology, psychobiology, neuropsychology, or neuroscience.
7. Introduction to Psychology Page 6
Such as:
Neurons
Neurotransmitters
Brain Activity
Evolutionary Processes
2) Psycho-dynamic:
Oriented with the work of Sigmund Freud.
This perspective emphasizes:
Role of un-conscious mind
Early child hood experience.
It is famous about psychology that:
“It is the whole about all living things, especially humans
that are ready to face the world with its complexities”