Introduction to Psychology (HECS 1021)

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Introduction to Psychology(HECS 1021)

• Lecture 1
• The Main Perspectives
• (Lecture by Janet Jagger)

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What is Psychology ?

• Psychology is the science that studies behaviour
  and the physiological and mental processes that
  underlie it it is also the profession that
  applies the accumulated knowledge of this science
  to practical problems (Weiten and Lloyd, 2000)
• There are many different areas of study in
  Psychology
• There are several major approaches or
  perspectives

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The Biological Perspective

• the brain and Central Nervous System
• Hemispheric specialisation
• Functional areas of the brain
• Effect of trauma and disease on brain and
  behaviour
• Genetic influences on behaviour
• Hormonal action
• Effects of drugs

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In this module we will

• Discuss some examples of changes in behaviour or
  personality which occur when there are
  physiological (biological) changes
• Learn about how stress affects the body and the
  mind

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Psychodynamic Perspective

• This perspective includes all the diverse
  theories descended from the work of Sigmund
  Freud, which focus on unconscious mental forces.
• Structure of personality
• Development through Psychosexual Stages
• Internal conflict and defence mechanisms

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In this module we will

• Discuss defence mechanisms used in everyday /
  healthcare settings
• Consider the concepts of transference and
  counter-transference in relationships between
  staff and clients
• Encounter the concept of attachment

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Behavioural Perspective

• Behaviourism is a theoretical orientation based
  on the premise that scientific psychology should
  study observable behaviour
• Focus on development through learning
• How we are shaped through classical conditioning,
  operant conditioning and observational learning

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In this module we will

• Understand how some irrational fears or phobias
  are learned
• Acknowledge the importance of the concept of
  reinforcement in shaping patterns of behaviour
• Consider how behaviour is often modelled on that
  of significant others

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The Cognitive Perspective

• This is the study of reportable mental processes
• The cognitive approach focuses on how people
  receive, mentally represent , and store
  information how they perceive and process that
  information and how cognitive processes are
  related to patterns of behaviour
• Domains of cognitive psychology include study
  of memory, perception, decision making,
  intelligence, problem solving .

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In this module we will

• Concentrate on the application of cognitive
  psychology to two areas
• the cognitive appraisal (perception) of Stress
  and
• Memory and information processing which helps
  us in giving information to clients

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The Humanistic Perspective

• Humanism is a theoretical orientation that
  emphasises the unique qualities of humans,
  especially their free will and their potential
  for personal growth
• This approach developed in the 1950s as a
  backlash against the main perspectives
  behavioural and psychodynamic theories
• Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow

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In this module we will

• Consider how healthcare professionals can use
  Maslows Hierarchy in planning care of clients,
  to meet individual needs
• Understand how Rogers client- centred principles
  can be used in many interactions with clients

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Think About This

• Why is it generally considered useful for
  healthcare students to study psychology ?
• With reference to the main perspectives outlined,
  think about different types of encounters that
  healthcare professionals have with patients can
  you give possible applications of the different
  psychological perspectives?

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• Lecture Janet Jagger. Lecturer and Module
  Manager. HECS 1021 Introduction to Psychology.
  School of Healthcare Studies, University of Leeds.