PSYCHOLOGY & PSYCHOLOGISTS Chapter 1

1. PSYCHOLOGY & PSYCHOLOGISTSChapter 1 Ms. Bowman

2. Behavior and Mental Processes • Psychology- Scientific study of behavior and mental processes • Behavior- any action that other people can observe or measure • What is an example of a behavior? • Cognitive Activities- private mental processes • What is an example of a cognitive activity? • Emotions- a state of feeling • What is an example of an emotion? • Psychologists also study people’s emotions and how they affect behavior and cognitive activities

3. Goals of Psychology • Observe, describe, explain, predict, and control events or behavior • Psychology is a social science but has been approached like biology, chemistry, etc • Psychologists follow the scientific method to conduct scientific research to advance the field of psychology • Research is used to create theories and principles. • Theory-statement that attempts to explain why things are the way they are • Principle-rule or law about behavior, mental processes, or biological processes

4. What do Psychologists Do? • With a partner, create a job advertisement for the branch of psychology chance gives you. • Include the job requirements and setting. • HINT: pages 8-11 • Clinical • Counseling • School • Educational • Developmental • Personality • Social • Experimental • Other • Industrial and Organizational • Environmental • Consumer • Forensic • Health

5. Specialties in Psychology • Clinical: • largest group of psychologists • help people with psychological problems like anxiety, depression, or severe disorders like schizophrenia. • work in a hospital, prison, college, or private practice. • Counseling: • work with people who have adjustment issues rather than serious psychological issues. • help clients clarify goals and meet challenges. • employed by a business, college, or testing center.

6. Specialties in Psychology • School: • work with students who have problems that interfere with learning such as family issues or learning disorders. • make recommendations as to the placement of students in certain classes or programs. • work for a school or school district. • Educational: • help develop course planning and instructional methods for an entire school system. • concerned with theoretical issues that relate to measurement of abilities, learning, and child and adolescent development. • work for a school district, state department of education, or a company that creates standardized tests.

7. Specialties in Psychology • Developmental: • study the changes that occur throughout a person’s lifetime. • attempt to sort out the relative influences heredity and the environment have on development. • research may impact the practice of other types of psychologists. • Personality: • identify characteristics or traits. • interested in the origins of psychological problems and disorders. • interested in anxiety, aggression, and gender roles.

8. Specialties in Psychology • Social: • study how people behave in social situations. • focus on the external influences of behavior. • Experimental: • conduct research into basic processes such as body systems, sensation and perception, or learning and memory. • concerned with the relationship between biological changes and psychological events. • findings of research are often put into practice by other psychological specialties.

9. Other Specialties in Psychology • Industrial and Organizational: • focus on people and work or within an organization. • may be employed by business firms to improve working conditions and increase worker output. • may create tests for job applicants or counsel workers who have problems on the job. • Environmental: • focus on the ways people influence and are influenced by their physical environment. • concerned with the ways cities serve or fail to serve human needs. • investigate the psychological effects of extreme weather or environmental conditions.

10. Other Specialties in Psychology • Consumer: • study the behavior of shoppers to explain and predict their behavior. • may work with advertisers, store managers, or companies to help market and merchandise product. • Forensic • work with the criminal justice system. • testify about the psychological competence of defendants. • may also work with police departments to select, train, or counsel police officers.

11. Other Specialties in Psychology • Health • look at the ways in which behavior and mental processes are related to physical health. • study the effects of stress on health problems such as headaches and heart disease. • help people adopt healthful behaviors.