...Psychology Paper Historical Roots of Psychology Psychology as defined in the Merriam Webster dictionary is the science of mind and behavior. It has been around for 130 years in the realms of science. In the history of psychology, there are different people who studied different aspects under this topic. One of those people were Plato who was Aristotle’s teacher. He stated that the soul could exist even when away or separated from the body. This concept is known as “dualism”. “In dualism, ‘mind’ is contrasted with ‘body’” (http://plato.stanford.edu/archives/win2012/entries/dualism). Another person is René Descartes. He agreed with Plato about the concept of dualism and he believed that the “pineal gland” which is the small organ at the base of the brain involved in sleep was the “seat of the soul” (Saundra K. Ciccarelli, 2012). “The pineal gland played an important role in Descartes' account because it was involved in sensation, imagination, memory, and the causation of bodily movements” (http://plato.stanford.edu/archives/sum2011/entries/pineal-gland/). By this information we can connect the pineal gland being the seat of the soul by it being involved in sensation, imagination, memory, and the cause of bodily movements. It is said to be the seat of the soul because it is where the soul from being “individual”, becomes one with the body. Gustav Fechneris who was a physician and a physicist, often credited with performing some of the first scientific experiments that...
Words: 2123 - Pages: 9
... For Examiner’s Use | Examiner’s Initials | Question | Mark | 1 | | 2 | | 3 | | 4 | | 5 | | 6 | | 7 | | TOTAL | | General Certificate of Education Advanced Subsidiary Examination January 2013 Psychology (Specification A) PSYA1 Unit 1 Cognitive Psychology, Developmental Psychology and Research Methods Thursday 10 January 2013 1.30 pm to 3.00 pm You will need no other materials. Time allowed 1 hour 30 minutes Instructions Use black ink or black ball-point pen. Fill in the boxes at the top of this page. Answer all questions. You must answer the questions in the spaces provided. Do not write outside the box around each page or on blank pages. Do all rough work in this book. Cross through any work you do not want to be marked. Information The marks for questions are shown in brackets. The maximum mark for this paper is 72. Question 7 should be answered in continuous prose. You may use the space provided to plan your answer. In Question 7, you will be assessed on your ability to: – use good English – organise information clearly – use specialist vocabulary where appropriate. (JAn13psyA101) G/T87042 6/6/6/ PSYA1 Section A Cognitive Psychology and Research Methods Answer all questions in the spaces provided. Total for this question: 4 marks 1 Research has suggested that the encoding and capacity of short-term memory are different from the encoding and capacity...
Words: 1451 - Pages: 6
...Clinical Psychology is a combination of science, knowledge and theories which together formulate a scientific approach which enables a clinical psychologist to ask questions about the human experience and life and how these experiences affect people in order to treat them (Plante, 2010). The services of clinical psychologists and therapists are required when individuals are suffering with anxiety, depression, trauma, relationship and marital issues and deeper mental health issues which alter and have a negative effect on psychological well-being (Hunsley & Lee, 2010). Mental health statistics show that one in four people will experience a mental health problem at some course in a year with anxiety and depression being the most common in the UK so it is therefore no wonder that waiting lists for therapists and clinical psychologists are very long (Foundation, 2011). There are many debates as to whether clinical psychologists are simply expensive therapists because it has been argued that therapists and clinical psychologists offer very similar treatments, both of which are successful but with the only different being the price. This essay will investigate and aim to answer the question as to whether clinical psychologists are simply expensive therapists. This essay will look at what clinical psychologists do and who they work with and also what therapists do. It will focus on key differences between the two and the reasons why clinical psychology is more...
Words: 523 - Pages: 3
...Personality Theory Paper Andre Williams PSY/405 January 29, 2012 Jerry Mote Personality Theory Nearly daily we explain and review the personalities of the community around us. Whether we understand it or not, these every day musings on how and why individuals act as they do are comparable to what personality psychologists do in general. Whereas our casual evaluations of personality are inclined to concentrate more on people, personality psychologists as an alternative use the beginning of personality that can be relevant to everybody. Personality study has led to the expansion of a number of theories that lend a hand to explaining how and why particular personality character develops. Whereas there are several dissimilar theories of personality, the primary step is to comprehend precisely what is meant by the term personality. A concise meaning would be that personality is made up of the trait patterns of feelings, thoughts and behaviors that make an individual only one of its kind. In addition to this, a personality starts from within the individual and remains quite reliable all the way through life. According to both Warren and Carmichael, "Personality is the entire mental organization of a human being at any stage of his development. It embraces every phase of human character: intellect, temperament, skill, morality, and every attitude that has been built up in the course of one's life." (Warren & Carmichael, 1930, p. 333) Theoretical Approaches The examination...
Words: 1338 - Pages: 6
...University of Phoenix Material Learning Personality Theories Matrix |Theory |Assumptions |Reliability |Validity |Application | |Behavioral Analysis Theory| Behavior is the result of exposure to | Behaviorism is used in research to | The theory was falsifiable and generated | | | |external (environment) and internal (self) |collect accurate data or information. |research. |The treatment method is simple and quick approach | | |stimuli. |Critics argue that behaviorism does not|The theory was well organized and presented |to utilize. Application to real world use is easy.| | | |have a complete understanding of |material which reflected the human personality.|The information can be applied in psycho therapy, | | | |individual personalities or the |The theory demonstrated accurate use of terms, |education, and training purposes. | | | |variances. The theory met the criteria |clear meaning which is...
Words: 586 - Pages: 3
...Social Psychology and Multicultural Psychology Paper This paper will describe how social psychology can be defined and expanded; by the influence it has social on others. Describing the primary research strategies used in social psychology that can involve variables and hypotheses, along with separating social and multicultural psychology in to two distinct fields. Social psychology can be defined as the scientific attempt to explain how the thoughts, feelings, and behaviors of individuals are influenced by the actual, imagined, or implied presence of other human beings (Fiske, 2010). These social influence can have an affects not only o our insignificant behavior but can also affects vital behavior, such as yielding to majority opinion over one’s own judgment, Fiske, Harris, & Cuddy, 2004)Our book gives us many example from the folding of paper to being in a cult. Any decisions a person makes can be based on the environment the y are in. The people you are around can have a great effect on who we because as a person and what your goals in life are. Most times when I watch the news I wonder why people choose to do crime and feel not remorse for what they do. Social psychology primarily analyzes what happens to people as individuals. When social scientists investigate the behavior of groups of people, they move toward the sociological end of social psychology; indeed, some social psychologists work in sociology departments. The primary research strategies used in these social...
Words: 739 - Pages: 3
...Foundation of Psychology Paper Psychology is the deep study of the human mind and their behavior. The roots of psychology can be traced to both philosophy and physiology. Philosophy provides how interesting the study oft the mine is. Physiology refers to the scientific method or the tools used to explain mind and behavior. Psychology is used for the following; understanding the behavior of people, their thoughts, and feelings. In the world of psychology there are several schools that make up psychology, they are referring to the theories or thoughts of psychology. In this paper, the author will address the most important schools of psychology and their importance. These include structuralism/functionalism, Gestalt psychology, behaviorism, psychoanalysis, human psychology, and cognitive psychology. In addition, the author will briefly discuss primary biological foundations of psychology linked to behavior and what drives people. In order to understand the different schools of psychology, it is important to consider analyzing the brain and understand its terms that it serves as a function. The first school of psychology is structuralism. Structuralism is a theory came from the ideas of Edward Titchner, “his theory that the mind's functions -- action, affection, association, attention, imagination, memory, perception, recognition, sensation, and thought -- could be categorized as systematically as an elemental chart in chemistry.” ("NNDB Edward Titchner", 2014) This mean...
Words: 983 - Pages: 4
...Social Psychology Psych/555 April 8, 2013 Dr. Anthony Social Psychology Human social behavior has been studied for the last 100 years, giving social scientists insight into the influence of thought on behavior. In this endeavor, scientists have also provided theories on the human need to obtain and maintain close attachments as well as the influence of human interaction. The development of social psychology as a discipline has provided insight into the precarious nature of human behavior and social interaction. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the conceptual foundations of social psychology. Within this analysis will be the definition of social psychology, an analysis of its four key characteristics, an explanation of the concept of situationism, and identification of the five core social motives and how these concepts affect the field of social psychology. Social Psychology Social psychology can be defined as the study of how an individual’s situations influence his or her behavior, emotions, thoughts, etc., with particular focus on how individuals perceive as well as affect on another (Myers, 2008). Furthermore, social psychology primarily focuses on social relations, social influence, and social thinking. According to Myers (2008), social relations refers to certain attributes such as aggression, helping others, prejudice, and attraction and intimacy. Social influence comprises factors such as pressure to conform, biology and culture, groups of people, and...
Words: 1278 - Pages: 6
...Clinical Psychology Paper The great evangelist D.T. Niles once said, “Christianity is just one beggar telling another beggar where to find bread” (Niles, 2010). At its most basic level, clinical psychology is the enterprise of one educated, licensed person using their knowledge of human behavior to address, assuage, or otherwise moderate the troubles and concerns of another person’s life—whether they be relational, affective, or physiological. Strictly speaking, clinical psychology is, “the assessment, treatment, and understanding of psychological and behavioral problems and disorders” (Plante, 2005, p. 7). Clinical psychology is a scientific endeavor, utilizing the instrument of the scientific method to inform the practice, procedures, and treatments used to address human problems. There is an interplay that exists between treatment outcome research and psychotherapy in clinical psychology—the science informs the art and the art informs the science (Plante, 2005). The point of this paper is to catalogue and compare the history and evolving nature of clinical psychology as well as to consider the specific case of counseling within the framework of clinical psychology. History Hippocrates—the original author of the Hippocratic Oath—formed the first complete, if naïve, physiological explanation of disease and dysfunction (Plante, 2005). He proposed that imbalances in the mixture and quantity of four fluids: black bile, yellow bile, phlegm, and blood, caused several emotions...
Words: 1130 - Pages: 5
...Cognitive psychology today has a huge influential role in determining how people think and how we learn. Cognitive psychology has been in existence since about the 1600’s. There are many interesting milestones in the development of cognitive psychology throughout the years. In the following paper I will discuss some of these milestones as well as discuss the importance of behavioral observation in cognitive psychology. According to Kendra Cherry (2012) “Cognitive psychology is the branch of psychology that studies mental processes including how people think, perceive, remember and learn”. Cognitive psychology dwells heavily in how people acquire, process and store information. This branch of psychology has several forms of treatment, which help to improve memory, decision making accuracy as well as enhancing learning (Cherry, 2012). Plato and other early Greek philosophers were created the foundation for what would be known as cognitive psychology (Anderson, 2005). Plato's principles of rationalism described how reality should be viewed. Plato states that reality is not in the concrete objects we perceive but in abstract forms that the objects represent (University of Arizona, 2008). Plato also believed that logical analysis is how knowledge is found. Aristotle had the same thought process with his belief that reality lies only in the concrete world of objects that our body can sense (University of Arizona, 2008)." Aristotle also believed that knowledge could be obtained...
Words: 846 - Pages: 4
...Women in Psychology Paper PSY/310- History and Systems of Psychology September 16, 2012 Laura Rolen Like women, members of minority groups have been on the outside looking in for most of psychology’s history. Unlike the case for women, however, significant gains for blacks and most other minorities were not made in the years following World War II, and minorities continue to be underrepresented in psychology (Goodwin & Wiley & Sons inc., Chapter 15, 2008). In this paper I will be discussing Mary Whiton Calkins (1863-1930), Calkins was an American philosopher and she was the first of her generation of women to enter into psychology. Calkins was born on March 30, 1963 in Hartford, Connecticut she was the eldest of five children who were born to Charlotte Whiton Calkins (mother) and Wolcott Calkins (father). Calkins father was a Presbyterian minister her and her siblings lived and grew up in Buffalo New York, and at the age of 17-years-old her and her family moved to Newton, Massachusetts. Calkins started taking college classes at Smith College in 1882 where she was a...
Words: 1465 - Pages: 6
...Final Paper PY 570 Sevena McClain University of West Alabama March 6, 2015 Abstract Behavior problems within our youth have become a major problem in today’s society. In one (1) out of every three (3) families there is at least one (1) family that suffers more than others with this problem. There is a demand for help at making a difference in our at-risk adolescents and individuals who are willing to provide services for those that are suffering with behavior problems. The goal is to modify a model that can assist them in what society needs to help prevent at-risk adolescents from making repeated mistakes through a therapeutic process. There are many homes and schools that are in an uproar, because nothing is being done to help families that cannot afford the proper therapy they need to help them. The detention centers are over crowed as well as the prisons. With this being said, this paper will provide the information needed to assist with at-risk adolescents behavior problems that are causing them to be labeled at such an early age. The Behavior Approach with at-risk teens Upon graduation from the University of West Alabama, The author plan to continue her education and obtain her doctorate degree in counseling. After she succeed in her educational endeavors and work in her field of studies to obtain skills and knowledge, she would like become an entrepreneur. She has always dreamed of being her own boss. She plans to open a group home for troubled female adolescents...
Words: 2402 - Pages: 10
...Social Psychology Paper Christina Bacon Psych/555 April 4, 2016 Dr. Dobier Social Psychology Paper This paper will attempt to analyze the foundations of social psychology, and to do so this paper will explain what social psychology is, what the four characteristics of social psychology is and how they are addressed. Situationism will be discussed as well as what role it plays, and what the five social motives are and how they affect the field of psychology. Defining Social Psychology Firstly, the definition of social psychology is simply people influencing other people. It is the attempt, or rather the scientific attempt to explain how the thoughts, feelings, and behaviors of other people are shaped by the presence of others. For instance, public speaking, now most people have a significant reaction to speaking in front of others. Usually they are nervous and scared or they are confident and comfortable. The role of social psychology would be trying to explain the reason the individual feels that way. Another example would be a professor in front of his or her classroom, if the teacher asked their students to remove their shoes and throw them into a nearby receptacle, most if not all of the students would comply. The role of the social psychologist would be to try and explain the different reactions that the students felt (Fiske, 2010). Analyzing the four characteristics There are four characteristics of social psychology and they are broad scope, cultural...
Words: 1435 - Pages: 6
...Gestalt psychology reflection Paper Barrie Bogatov Psy/310 14 March, 2015 Since its inception, psychology has taken many twists and turns from the theories of Skinner, Thorndike, experiments from Watson, Pavlov etc. and from them we have learned a great deal. Nevertheless, according to Schultz & Schultz (2012) “at approximately the same time the behaviorist revolution was gathering strength in the United States, the Gestalt revolution was taking hold of German psychology” (Schultz & Schultz, 2012 pg 262). When it comes to Gestalt psychology, one can say that this field had many influences from many different founders with many different views and theories. Max Wertheimer, Wolfgang Köhler, Ernst Mach, and Kurt Koffka are some of the ones that had a huge impact on the development of Gestalt psychology. Gestalt psychology as we know is “the study of perception and behavior from the standpoint of an individual's response to configurationally wholes with stress on the uniformity of psychological and physiological events and rejection of analysis into discrete events of stimulus, percept, and response” Max Wertheimer was a young scholar who was going to school to study law. But during his time at the University of Prague he decided to change his major to a field of study that he found rather interesting and that field was philosophy and psychology. As per different students, who took his lectures or had been to his office said that the way he saw...
Words: 656 - Pages: 3
...Health Psychology paper Dianna Norris HCA 250 July 19, 2013 Axia College Of University Phoenix Health Psychology Paper Forensic psychology has always been a fascination for me. Forensic psychology is psychological for the criminal justice system. The fascination for me was how the forensic psychologist is able to detect criminal tendencies. The psychological approach is the way the evidence could lead to certain criminal behavior. [ (psychology school guide, 2012) ]For criminal psychologists they have to look at all angles of a way a person commits a crime. The FBI has a behavior science unit and they help with the understanding of criminals and terrorists [ (Portland State University Careers in Criminology and Criminal Justice, 2012) ]. This unit has three other counterparts and they all play a very important part of the FBI, they are the crime analysts, criminologists and clinical psychologists. This is an example of how psychology and criminal justice can overlap. There are many different types of agrees and certifications as well as many paths that can be taken in forensic psychology(psychology school guide, 2012) [ (psychology school guide, 2012) ] . Example: Forensic psychology requires either a Bachelors or Masters Degree. I have thought of this degree ever since I was eleven years old. Family situations quashed me going back to school at that time. At the time I was thinking about this career choice on-line classes were not offered. I would have applied...
Words: 590 - Pages: 3
