What Is Psychology

Psychology is the scientific study of mental processes and behaviour. Psychologists observe and record how people and other animals relate to one another and to the environment. They look for patterns that will help them understand and predict behaviour, and they use scientific methods to test their ideas. Through such studies, psychologists have learned much that can help people fulfill their potential as human beings and increase understanding between individuals, groups, nations, and cultures.

Psychology is a broad field that explores a variety of questions about thoughts, feelings, and actions. Psychologists ask such questions as: "How do we see, hear, smell, taste, and feel? What enables us to learn, think, and remember, and why do we forget? What activities distinguish human beings from other animals? What abilities are we born with, and which must we learn? How much does the mind affect the body, and how does the body affect the mind? For example, can we change our heart rate or temperature just by thinking about doing so? What can our dreams tell us about our needs, wishes, and desires? Why do we like the people we like? What is mental illness?"

The research findings of psychologists have greatly increased our understanding of why people behave as they do. For example, psychologists have discovered much about how personality develops and how to promote healthy development. They have some knowledge of how to help people change bad habits and how to help students learn. They understand some of the conditions that can make workers more productive. A great deal remains to be discovered. Nevertheless, insights provided by psychology can help people function better as individuals, friends, family members, and workers.

Questions:

1. What is psychology?

2. What do psychologists do?

3. What does psychology explore?

4. What kind of questions do psychologists ask?

5. Why do we need psychological research?

6. How can psychology help us?

7. Why do you want to become a professional psychologist?

8. What is your favourite topic in psychology?

9. When do you think a person should consult a psychologist?

Exercise 7. Look through the texts above and find the right answers to the following special questions:

1: Where was established the first psychology lab?

A. It was established in Moscow, Russia by Michel Lomonosov.

B. It was established in Leipzig, Germany by Wilhelm Wundt.

C. It was established in London, Great Britain by Charles Dickens.

D. It was established in New York, the USA, by Mark Twain.

2: How was the Wundt's school of thought called?

A. It was a school of behaviorism.

B. It was a school of cognitivism.

C. It was a school of functionalism.

D. It was a school of structuralism.

3: What was Wundt’s theory based on?

A. His theory relied on the disciplines including neuroscience, philosophy, and linguistics.

B. His theory relied on the humanistic themes of death, free will, and meaning.

C. His theory relied on the the idea that individuals experience things as unified wholes.

D. His theory relied on the analysis of sensations and feelings through the use of introspection.

4: Why do psychologists use more objective scientific methods today?

A. Psychologists use more scientific methods to protect the endangered species from extinction.

B. Psychologists use more scientific methods to understand, explain, and predict human behavior.

C. Psychologists use more scientific methods to comfort the life of the world’s nations.

D. Psychologists use more scientific methods to find new sources of energy for future generations.

5: What are the major areas of psychology?

A. Psychology has only one major area of focus: academic psychology.

B. Psychology has two major areas of focus: academic psychology and applied psychology.

C. Psychology has only one major area of focus: applied psychology.

D. Psychology doesn’t have any major areas of focus.

6: Why do we need psychological research?

A. It helps to understand why people behave as they do.

B. It helps to understand how to protect the environment.

C. It helps to understand how to improve the equipment for oil and gas extraction.

D. It helps to understand why electric current doesn’t flow in the circuit with a gap in it.

Exercise 8. Look through the texts above and find the right answers to the following yes or no questions:

1: Psychologists have discovered much about how personality develops, haven’t they?

A. Yes, they are.

B. Yes, they do.

C. Yes, they have.

D. Yes, they were.

2: Do psychologists know how to promote healthy development?

A. Yes, they did.

B. Yes, they can.

C. Yes, they will.

D. Yes, they do.

3: Can some of the conditions make workers more productive?

A. Yes, they did.

B. Yes, they had.

C. Yes, they can.

D. Yes, they are.

4: Psychologists observe and record how people and other animals relate, don’t they.

A. Yes, they will.

B. Yes, they do.

C. Yes, they were.

D. Yes, they would.

5: Is Psychology a broad and diverse field?

A. Yes, it is.

B. Yes, it does.

C. Yes, it was.

D. Yes, it will.

6: Did psychologists begin to employ more and more scientific methods to study human behavior?

A. Yes, they were.

B. Yes, they are.

C. Yes, they did.

D. Yes, they can.