...COMMUNITY AND HEALTH PSYCHOLOGY | ASSIGNMENT 1 | | | TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. Outline of community psychology and public health approaches. 2 2. Similarities and strengths of (CP) and (PH) 3 3. Differences and weaknesses of (CP) and (PH) 4 4. Conclusions 4 Critically compare and contrast the Community Psychology and Public Health approaches to social problems. OUTLINE OF COMMUNITY PSYCHOLOGY AND PUBLIC HEALTH The identification of the limitations of mainstream, curative individual therapy (Seedat, Cloete & Shochet, 2002: p. 221) and recognising the need for further community development, social policy and planning; many South African psychologists just as the Americans did in 1960 turned to Community Psychology (CP) during the eighties, to help relieve the sense of powerlessness and anxiety experienced during the political upheaval (Tutorial Letter 102, 2009: p. 5). CP was acknowledged as a separate discipline in 1965 in Swampscott Massachusetts, with its initial focus on social and cultural influences on mental health. It has since then expanded to explore ecological issues that go beyond the individual level. CP investigates the importance of diversity, questions one-dimensional measures of health and validates psychologists as instruments for social change (http://www.answers.com/topic/community-psychology). CP has four models, of which only two, namely Mental Health and Social Action will be of concern in this essay...
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... Group B Psychology 405 April 28, 2015 Professor Dennis Daugherty Humanistic and Existential Personality Theories Existential and Humanistic Psychology emerged as many theorists found traditionally held beliefs about people and personality, such as behaviorism and psychoanalysis, to be limiting. Humanistic Psychology is based on the idea that people are always striving to be their best self, or to become their whole self (Ryback, 2011). Existential Psychology is based on the idea that people are moved into action by the search for meaning in life (Feist & Feist, 2009). Though the goals of the two disciplines differ, the method of achieving those aims are the same; people are responsible for their outcomes, and achieve their ultimate goals through free will and personal responsibility. How Humanistic and Existential Theories Affect Individual Personalities The foundation of Humanistic theory is rooted in the belief that individuals are innately good and all mental and social issues are a deviation of the innate goodness caused by society. Humanistic therapies treat individuals from a holistic perspective; particular attention is given to phenomenon such as free will and human potential. Humanistic theory developed as an alternative to psychoanalysis and behaviorism. Psychologists such as Abraham Maslow, Carl Rogers and others met to discuss developing an organization with a more humanist approach to the field of psychology. The Humanist...
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...Foundations of Psychology Larry Eckel PSY 300 December 5, 2011 Liz West Foundations of Psychology According to “Foundations of Psychology” (1948), “psychology is the study of human nature. It is the study of man, man as a living being, acting in an ever-changing world, responding to things and events and other people. If you know what man is, if you know the full answer to the question about the nature of man, then you know what human nature is and what psychology comprises” (Chapter 1, Para. 1). Many varying thoughts have changed over time to the study of psychology. These thoughts include functionalism, behaviorism, structuralism, psychoanalysis, and humanistic. According to Kowalski, R., & Westen, D. (2009), structuralism was introduced by Edward Titchener because of his interest in the study of structure in consciousness. He believed that with experimenting in psychology to be the best attempt for science to understand psychology. Titchener states that “attention implied too much free will” to be an accurate and useful. Later, psychologists continued to study the consciousness with feelings and sensations that could only be told by only the person reporting them. This was one of the thoughts that were most prominent in the early years of psychology. The other thought that was also prominent was functionalism. Unlike structuralism that focused on the mind, the work of functionalism looked at the function, or role, that psychological actions can help people...
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...The Diverse Nature of Psychology PSY/490 May 27, 2013 The Diverse Nature of Psychology Psychology has a wide array of diverse concepts that influence its very nature, which is the study of mind and behavior in various organisms from the most primitive to the most complex. Diversity is recognizing the variety of characteristics that make individuals unique some of these characteristics are geographic background, religion, sexual orientation, economic background, ethnicity, education, gender, language, age, culture, marital/partnered status, and physical appearance. Psychology is the study of cognitions, physiology, emotions, personality, behavior, and theory. Two sub-disciplines of psychology are behaviorism and cognitive psychology. Behaviorism originated from the learning theory and uses concepts such as operant and classical conditioning. Cognitive psychology involves the scientific investigation of mental processes, such as memory, perception, attention, problem-solving, judgment, and decision making. Behaviorism Psychology The foundation of the behaviorist perspective is the learning theory. Learning refers to and enduring change in the way an organism responds based on its experience (Kowalski & Westen, 2009). Humans are naturally logical and rational thus making decisions and choices that make the most sense. A law of contiguity proposes that two events will become connected in the mind if they are experienced close together in time (such as a...
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...principles and contributions to the field of Psychology Abstract It is believed that the school of functionalism was first established in 1896 by the publication of John Dewey’s article “The Reflex Arc in Psychology. Functionalism can be defined as a broad school, which focuses on the function of the mind and mental processes, as opposed to the structure of the mind. The school also focuses on how behaviour allows individual adjustment to the environment (Hergenhahn, 2009). The purpose of this essay is to highlight the importance of knowing how the school originated and the basic principles such as; stream of consciousness, habit and instincts, the self and emotions, which shape what functionalism is today. Furthermore it is important to recognise the substantial contributions functionalism made to the broader psychology field such as; applied psychology, memory and behaviourism. Moreover it is important to acknowledge that introspection was the main approach many functionalists perceived to be authentic. Although a further recommendation for research could be how society’s fixation on technology influences an individual’s mind and body in regards to adaptation to the environment. Functionalism: Historical origin, principles and contributions to the field of Psychology Functionalism is an approach that has not been defined with clarity (Hergenhahn, 2009). Although Hergenhahn (2009) defines functionalism as a broad school...
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...QUESTION 1 (B) - Students who go to class half an hour later than the prescribed start time for eight classes in a semester lost every desirable privileges (breaks during class, no football games, graduation dinner etc.). After the rule was implemented, there seemed to be a marked improvement in student attendance in class. How does operant conditioning explain the students’ behavior? Introduction Operant conditioning was thoroughly studied by Burrhus Frederick Skinner (B.F. Skinner), which he confirmed that someone learning ability is displayed by his or her behavior. When a factor in the person’s environment changes the consequences that they endure from their learning, can cause a positive or a negative impact on their behavior, which he categorize as reinforcers or punishments. Therefore, Operant Conditioning is a tool that can influence a person’s increasing or decrease his or her behavior by the consequences of their behavior. Operant conditioning will be illustrated by the behavior of the students when removing negative reinforcement or punishment or adding positive reinforcement or punishment (Robins et al, 2013). In this paragraph, the student’s behavior will be explained using Negative Reinforcement with the illustration of their behavior being increased frequently, towards the termination of the unfavorable consequence, which is, not having the privileges. From the question, the students attended to class early, which is their behavior, in order to avoid...
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...Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences 00 (2011) 000–000 Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences 30 (2011) 1416 – 1424 Procedia Social and Behavioral Sciences www.elsevier.com/locate/procedia WCPCG 2011 The relationship between study skills and academic performance of university students Afsaneh Hassanbeigi a, Jafar Askari b, Mina Nakhjavanic, Shima Shirkhodad, Kazem Barzegar e, Mohammad R. Mozayyan f, Hossien Fallahzadehg * 1 b a Mental Hospital, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran Department of Psychology, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran c Medical Student, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran d Medical Student, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran e School of Medicine, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran f School of Medicine, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran g School of Health, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran Abstract Objective: The purpose of the present study was to investigate the relationship between various study skills and academic performance of university students. Materials & Methods: A total of 179 male and female junior and senior medical and dental students participated in the present study. The instrument was "Study Skills Assessment Questionnaire" taken from counseling services of Houston University. The content validity of this questionnaire was approved by ten psychologist and faculty...
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...Introduction to Organizational Psychology Liz Warren University of Phoenix PSY/435 Amanda Major June 27, 2011 Organizational Psychology Organizational psychology is the empirical study of the human side of industries (Spector, 2008). The science of organizational psychology differs from other disciplines of psychology because it is not centered on the individual, but rather how the individual and work place affect each other. The evolution of organizational psychology provides insight into current methods used today in organizational structures. The actions recommended by organizational psychologists originate from research founded on the scientific method (Spector, 2008). The evidence and statistics obtained through rigorous scientific investigation cause organizational psychology to be a unique discipline. Evolution of Organizational Psychology Hugo Munsterberg and Walter Dill Scott are considered founders of organizational psychology as they were both experimental psychologists and professors who applied psychology to industrial problems (Spector, 2008). The investigation of organizational efficiency and job performance in the 1880’s led to Frederick W. Taylor’s scientific management theory, which inspired the segregated study of organizational psychology (McCarthy, 2002). Taylor is responsible...
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...PART II Fundamentals of Human Resource Management [12:34 14/4/2009 5298-Wilkinson-Ch09.tex] Job No: 5298 Wilkinson: The SAGE Handbook of Human Resource Management Page: 133 133–154 [12:34 14/4/2009 5298-Wilkinson-Ch09.tex] Job No: 5298 Wilkinson: The SAGE Handbook of Human Resource Management Page: 134 133–154 9 Recruitment and Selection Filip Lievens and Derek Chapman RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION Few people question that recruitment and selection are key strategic domains in HRM. At the same time, recruitment and selection also have an image problem. First, recruitment and selection are often viewed as ‘old’ ingrained HRM domains. It seems like the traditional recruitment and selection procedures have been around for decades, which is at odds with the ever changing internal and external environment of organizations. Hence, practitioners often wonder whether there are any new research-based ways for recruiting and selecting personnel. Another image problem for recruitment and selection is that a false dichotomy is often created between so-called macro HR (examining HR systems more broadly) and micro HR (examining individual differences). It is further sometimes argued that organizations should value macro approaches and write off micro approaches as not being relevant to the business world. We posit that these image problems and debates only serve to distract and fracture the field and hide the fact that excellent HR research and practice needs...
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...Foundations of Psychology The essence of psychology is the scientific study of the human mind, behavior, and mental processes. Psychology seeks to understand through research and application, the behaviors and emotions of human beings. Through this paper, the writer will examine the foundations of the study of psychology, the major schools of thought, and will identify the fundamental biological links to behavior. As a subject of study, psychology was established by Wilhelm Wundt, who in the late 1800s “founded the first psychology laboratory in Leipzig, Germany” (Kowalski & Westen, 2009, p.8). Wundt paved the path for psychology to emerge from what had been simply philosophical debate into scientific investigation. His main method of investigation was introspection, he trained observers to relay information of their mental reactions when presented with several objects, by recording this information, he was able to conclude that “the basic elements of consciousness are sensations (…) and feelings” (Kowalski, et al., 2009, p. 9), although he believed that experimentation was important to understand the basic elements, he knew that it was not the only way to understand psychology. Structuralism One of Wundt’s students, Edward Titchener, did believe that experimentation was not only useful, but that it was the only method of scientific investigation appropriate for psychology. Titchener established what became known as the structuralism school of thought; structuralism catalogued...
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...bs_bs_banner Journal of Applied Social Psychology 2013, 43, pp. 1862–1868 The changing face of aggression: the effect of personalized avatars in a violent video game on levels of aggressive behavior Jack Hollingdale1, Tobias Greitemeyer2 1 2 University of Sussex, UK University of Innsbruck, Austria Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Jack Hollingdale, University of Sussex, Pevensey Building, Brighton, BN1 9RH, UK. E-mail: j.hollingdale@sussex.ac.uk doi: 10.1111/jasp.12148 Abstract Video game developments allow players to design their own personalized avatars. Previous research has shown that this capability increases levels of aggression within socially acceptable forms of violence. Using the general aggression model (GAM), the current study examined the effect of avatar personalization on behavioral aggression within a violent video game. Participants who played a violent video game and designed their own avatars were significantly more aggressive than those who played the same violent video game with a generic avatar, and were also more aggressive than those who played the nonviolent video game, regardless of whether or not they designed their own personalized characters. Limitations and directions for future research are discussed. Games present opportunities to behave in ways that are exhilaratingly wicked and dangerous—out of reach in real life. Freedom from consequences, and hence a feeling of escaping, is...
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...Examination of Clinical Psychology Steven Billingsley University of Phoenix PSY 480 Cindy Fouhy 02/01/14 Examination of Clinical Psychology Clinical psychology is an area of psychology which seeks to find and understand the various behavioral problems humans possess, and the possible psychological problems and disorders. “According to the APA, clinical psychology attempts to use the principles of psychology to better understand, predict, and alleviate intellectual, emotional, biological, psychological, social, and behavioral aspects of human functioning (APA, 2009a)”(Plante, 2011, pg. 5). For one to gain a better understanding of clinical psychology, the history and evolving nature of clinical psychology must be discussed, the role of research and statistics must be explained, and the differences between clinical psychology and other mental health professions must be discussed. The items listed will be addressed and examined throughout this paper. History of Clinical Psychology In the later part of the 1800’s, psychology was being discovered in several laboratories in different universities. The field of psychology was insisting and leaning more on pure science as the main practice, but a former student of Wilhelm Wundt, named Lightner Witmer, made an impact and changed that view on psychology (Pickren, 2009). Lightner Whitmer in charge of the psychology department in the University of Pennsylvania. Whitmer began to work with a boy who had problems with spelling...
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...CHAP TER Introducing Psychology Psychology is the scientific study of mind and behavior. The word “psychology” comes from the Greek words “psyche,” meaning life, and “logos,” meaning explanation. Psychology is a popular major for students, a popular topic in the public media, and a part of our everyday lives. Television shows such as Dr. Phil feature psychologists who provide personal advice to those with personal or family difficulties. Crime dramas such as CSI, Lie to Me, and others feature the work of forensic psychologists who use psychological principles to help solve crimes. And many people have direct knowledge about psychology because they have visited psychologists, for instance, school counselors, family therapists, and religious, marriage, or bereavement counselors. Because we are frequently exposed to the work of psychologists in our everyday lives, we all have an idea about what psychology is and what psychologists do. In many ways I am sure that your conceptions are correct. Psychologists do work in forensic fields, and they do provide counseling and therapy for people in distress. But there are hundreds of thousands of psychologists in the world, and most of them work in other places, doing work that you are probably not aware of. Most psychologists work in research laboratories, hospitals, and other field settings where they study the behavior of humans and animals. For instance, my colleagues in the Psychology Department at the University of Maryland study such...
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...PSY/450 – Introduction to Cross-Cultural Psychology Paper Aspectsof Culture in PsychologyCultural context is a major element in understanding human behavior and psychology. Berger (2011) explains, “Culture affects every action—indeed, every thought” (p. 13). The culture that an individual lives in along with the similarities and differences between cultures provide vital information in understanding psychological processes. Cultural Psychology Cultural context is not separable from the person; it is a vital part of individual psychopathology. Shiraev and Levy (2010) explain that cultural psychology studies the individual within a specific culture. The cultural psychologist seeks out meaningful links between a specific culture and the individual in that culture. The cultural psychologist examines the individual in a cultural norm. Cultural Influences on the Individual According to Shiraev and Levy (2010), “Before reaching adulthood, most of us do not choose a place to live or a language to speak” (p. 2). These cultural elements influence many aspects of human developmental processes. From the moment of birth, cultural elements play an important role in human development, development of personality, and individual psychological aspects. It is impossible to separate human behavior from cultural experiences because cultural exposure forms individual value systems,belief systems, and knowledge bases for each individual within any specific culture. The goal of cultural...
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...Running Head: LEARNING THEORIES Research Paper: Learning Theories Name Psychology of Learning Learning Theories From the beginning of life, learning is a natural process and continues through humankind’s lifespan. There seems to be an inherent encoding structure from birth seeking to discover new information that invokes learning which empowers one’s ability to adapt to different patterns of behavior. For years various theories have been introduced to explain how people learn. Learning can and does occur in a variety of methods. People may deem learning as experiences that become embedded into their memory having lasting effects. Others may think of learning as how they acquire new information and their ability to apply memory that has been stored overtime. While learning has often been defined in many ways, the basic element in the learning process is how people acquire knowledge and how it is maintained to produce changes in behavior. Learning is the fundamental nature of human functioning. This reflective paper presents a broad scope of theoretical concepts from Gregory Kimble, B.F. Skinner and Jean Piaget. The central focus of this paper is aspects of Albert Bandura’s observational, social learning and social cognitive theories; Bandura’s contributions to psychology; his critics and my personal response to Bandura’s theories. Introduction Many theories throughout the years have...
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