INTRODUCTION TO PSYCHOLOGY
Defining Psychology:
Psychology is derived from the Greek words – Psyche & Logos
Logos stands for “Study of”
The interpretation and meaning of Psyche has been in a state of
change from time to time. This term has gone through 4 stages
of evolution.
Stage 1 – The meaning of Psyche was Soul. Psychology was first
defined as the study of the soul. Soon it faced criticism like, What
is soul?
Stage 2 – The meaning of Psyche was Mind. Psychology was
defined as the study of Mind. This again went through criticism,
saying that the concept of mind was too vague and mysterious.
Stage 3 – The meaning of Psyche was given as Consciousness.
Psychology was now defined as a study of consciousness. It was
criticized as a very narrow vision, for not including the sub-
conscious and the unconscious.
Stage 4 - Psychology was defined as the science of behavior.
★ Final Definition – Psychology is the scientific study of
behavior and experiences.
Psychology as Science:
Psychology is a science and a properly trained psychologist is a
scientist. The following arguments to justify its status as a
science:
1. Like sciences, it has an organized and systematic body of
knowledge, facts, principles and theories which are subject
to change on the discovery of new facts and emergence of
new principles and theories.
2. Like science, it believes in the cause and effect
relationship. It declares that every behavior has its roots,
the factor of its causes and development.
3. Like science, it emphasizes the search for truth. It studies
facts of behavior and describes the laws governing them. It
adopts the method of systematic inquiry and scientific
, approach as used by sciences
4. Like other sciences, psychology too has its pure and applied
aspects.
Schools of Thought:
In psychology, "schools of thought" refer to the major
theoretical frameworks or perspectives that have developed over
the history of the field. These schools of thought provide
different ways of understanding and explaining human behavior,
thoughts, emotions, and mental processes. Each school of
thought has its own set of principles, concepts, and
methodologies that guide research and clinical practice. Some of
the most prominent schools of thought in psychology include:
1. Structuralism
2. Functionalism
3. Behaviorism
4. Psychoanalysis
5. Humanism
6. Biological
Structuralism:
1. Structuralism:
Founder: Wilhelm Wundt is considered the founder of
structuralism, which emerged in the late 19th century.
Key Concepts:
● Structuralism focused on the analysis of the basic elements
of consciousness and the way they combine to form more
complex mental experiences.
● Wundt believed that by introspection (self-reflection), one
could break down conscious experiences into their
elemental parts.
● The goal was to create a systematic and comprehensive
catalog of mental elements.
Criticism:
● Structuralism had limitations because it relied heavily on
introspection, which was subjective and difficult to
standardize.
● It fell out of favor as it was seen as too limited in its scope.
Defining Psychology:
Psychology is derived from the Greek words – Psyche & Logos
Logos stands for “Study of”
The interpretation and meaning of Psyche has been in a state of
change from time to time. This term has gone through 4 stages
of evolution.
Stage 1 – The meaning of Psyche was Soul. Psychology was first
defined as the study of the soul. Soon it faced criticism like, What
is soul?
Stage 2 – The meaning of Psyche was Mind. Psychology was
defined as the study of Mind. This again went through criticism,
saying that the concept of mind was too vague and mysterious.
Stage 3 – The meaning of Psyche was given as Consciousness.
Psychology was now defined as a study of consciousness. It was
criticized as a very narrow vision, for not including the sub-
conscious and the unconscious.
Stage 4 - Psychology was defined as the science of behavior.
★ Final Definition – Psychology is the scientific study of
behavior and experiences.
Psychology as Science:
Psychology is a science and a properly trained psychologist is a
scientist. The following arguments to justify its status as a
science:
1. Like sciences, it has an organized and systematic body of
knowledge, facts, principles and theories which are subject
to change on the discovery of new facts and emergence of
new principles and theories.
2. Like science, it believes in the cause and effect
relationship. It declares that every behavior has its roots,
the factor of its causes and development.
3. Like science, it emphasizes the search for truth. It studies
facts of behavior and describes the laws governing them. It
adopts the method of systematic inquiry and scientific
, approach as used by sciences
4. Like other sciences, psychology too has its pure and applied
aspects.
Schools of Thought:
In psychology, "schools of thought" refer to the major
theoretical frameworks or perspectives that have developed over
the history of the field. These schools of thought provide
different ways of understanding and explaining human behavior,
thoughts, emotions, and mental processes. Each school of
thought has its own set of principles, concepts, and
methodologies that guide research and clinical practice. Some of
the most prominent schools of thought in psychology include:
1. Structuralism
2. Functionalism
3. Behaviorism
4. Psychoanalysis
5. Humanism
6. Biological
Structuralism:
1. Structuralism:
Founder: Wilhelm Wundt is considered the founder of
structuralism, which emerged in the late 19th century.
Key Concepts:
● Structuralism focused on the analysis of the basic elements
of consciousness and the way they combine to form more
complex mental experiences.
● Wundt believed that by introspection (self-reflection), one
could break down conscious experiences into their
elemental parts.
● The goal was to create a systematic and comprehensive
catalog of mental elements.
Criticism:
● Structuralism had limitations because it relied heavily on
introspection, which was subjective and difficult to
standardize.
● It fell out of favor as it was seen as too limited in its scope.
