Prajol Shrestha

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Psychology: Scientific study of mind & behaviour

Scope

Method

  1. Main Method: Questionaries, Survey, Case Study Analysis, Recording of behaviour [Note: Types of Reasoning]
  2. Hypothetic-deductive approach -> Experiments -> Hypothesis Testing -> Adjust/Construct Theories -> New Hypothesis
  3. Experiments
                            (Independent variable eg. Music condition)
                                    -> Experimental Group ->
                                    |                      |    
Theory -> Hypothesis -> Experiment ->                       -> Results  
                                    |                      |  
                                    ->   Control Group    ->
                             (Dependent variable eg. No Music condition)

Example: Hypothesis: Music interferes number of word count memorization(dependent variable)
         Result: Control Group has better number of word count recall.

          Hence, It supports our hypothesis.

Theories

  1. Voluntarism: 
    Mind consists of elements assembled into higher cognitive components through "power of will".
             ie, "Will" or "voluntary effort of mind" shapes human behaviour & experience
  2. Structuralism: 
    What is mind? => Passive agent with "mental elements"(a basic element of mind), combining according to mechanistic laws.
               (ie, not affected through active will)
               [ Like in chemistry: - Multiple substance added to a mixture to produce particular chemical reaction.
                                    - 44000 sensation elements (33000 visual & 11000 auditory) ]
  3. Functionalism:
What is mind? => Stream of consiousness
                (ie, "Mental process & function" undergoing continuous flow or change (like flow of water) instead of "mental elements")
  1. Gestalt Psychology: Whole is greater than sum of its parts. Focus more on individual conscious experience & perception of world.
Concious whole cannot be reduced into "list or description of their parts".
        [Like in physics: Atoms organized when subjected to field of force]

Gestalt Principles of perceptual organization:
a. Proximity
b. Similarity
c. Closure
d. Pragnanz(symmetry and order)
e. Continuity
f. Symmetry

Contribution: Perception & Learning
  1. Psychoanalytic Psychology: Focus role of unconsious thoughts and feelings in shaping individual behaviour : Sigmund Freud
Mind consists of "miniature minds" that compete with eachother for control of behaviour.

3-tired of consiousness:
1. Consious Mind: Thoughts & feelings are aware & direct access [eg. Address where we live]
2. Pre-consious Mind: Thoughts & feelings are brought to awareness with effort. [eg. Trying to recall what he did on his birthday, past year]
3. Unconsious Mind: Thoughts & feelings are completely unaware. [eg. Memory of childhood abuse, traumatic experience]

ID -> Instincts (I want) (Immediate satisfiction)
EGO -> Reality (I will) (Rational solution to conflict)
SUPEREGO -> Morality (I should) (Control instincts)

Dynamic interplay between ID (impulse), EGO(Control) & SUPEREGO (Restrain).

ID tells to do it, SUPEREGO tells to restrain it & EGO fails to satisfy ether one. Welcome to the world of ANXIETY.

Q. How to reduce or redirect anxiety?
=> a. Repression: Push your thoughts and feelings out of consious awareness [ie, Try to be less aware] [but, Harmful in long term]
   b. Sublimation: Convert negative thoughts to positive [eg, Play sport hence, express your energy in positive way] [Not harmful but beware]
  1. Behaviourism: Study of behaviour
Mind is black box. [ie, too complex & incapable of being measured in an objective and scientific way]
Behaviour is action produced by organism.

Stimulus --> Mind --> Response
          (Blackbox)

Take away: 1. No benifits to study consiousness.
           2. Learn based on Reward & Punishment.

Conclusion: