The general characteristics of psychology as a science always pay special attention to the structure of this discipline. Not surprising, because modern psychology is a very branched science.
Differential psychology studies mental differences, age - mental characteristics dictated by age - mental traits of representatives of certain social groups... The list of branches can be long. But there are also applied areas - psychology of work, sports, military...
But all this would not have happened without the basis of the foundations, the foundation, the base, the roots of that tree, which then gives life to many branches and twigs - general psychology.
Subject, structure
General psychology - as its name suggests - is a science that studies the most general patterns of the work of the psyche, combines psychological knowledge, defines the most important concepts and research methods. Consequently, the subject of general psychology is, that is, the ability of the brain to reflect the phenomena and events of the external world. Moreover, it must be taken into account that these phenomena are objective, and their reflection, on the contrary, is subjective.
The psyche manifests itself in three forms: mental processes, states and properties. They are listed in order of increasing resistance.
- Processes are the most dynamic phenomena of the psyche. They have a beginning, develop and end, and manifest themselves in the form of a reaction.
- Conditions are more stable. This is high or low mental activity at a given moment in time. The state can be sleep or, conversely, wakefulness, as well. Here we also include concentration, absent-mindedness, apathy, inspiration, and so on.
- Properties are stable. This group consists of character, temperament, motivation system, and so on.
Mental processes are usually divided into three spheres: cognitive, emotional and volitional. The first includes, say, sensation and speech. The second, of course, is feelings and experiences. Finally, the third consists of volitional efforts and execution of decisions.
It is interesting that this fundamental division into processes, states and properties of the psyche can be considered not only as a subject, but also as a structure of general psychology. Textbooks in this discipline are also based on this principle. First, the subject and tasks of general psychology are studied, then its history and methods. And then separately - sections. Processes and properties are studied in detail, but independent chapters are rarely devoted to states.
Names, categories, methods
If general psychology needed to be described as concisely as possible, literally in a few words, then this could be done quite simply. It is enough to name the basic concepts of general psychology, its research methods and the most prominent figures.
Modern psychology as a science would not have existed without those people who made a particularly great contribution to its development. If we recall the specialists to whom Russian general psychology owes the most, then the first to come to mind, of course, will be Sergei Leonidovich Rubinstein. His fundamental work “Fundamentals of General Psychology,” first published back in 1940, has still not lost its relevance and is still used to this day in training psychologists.
Aleksey Nikolaevich Leontyev, Boris Gerasimovich Ananyev stand in the same row with him...
Among modern researchers, the name of Yulia Borisovna Gippenreiter stands out. She is known not only for her scientific work, but also for her active popularization of psychological knowledge.
As you might guess, when observing reality, the scientist does not change reality in any way; he records it exactly as it is. But this is by no means just a registration of certain facts! It is important to correctly explain their causes and consequences, to recognize the conditioning of the environment, upbringing or internal factors - the specifics of the nervous system.
During the experiment, special conditions are created in which a certain property, state or process of the psyche appears from the angle desired by the researcher. The experiment can be carried out in a specially equipped laboratory (then it is called a laboratory) or in an environment familiar to the subject (natural experiment).
In addition, conversations, questionnaires, surveys and, of course, well-known psychological tests are used. Only these are not the tests that we see every day on the Internet, but questionnaires specially compiled by professionals with complex procedures for assessing and interpreting answers.
Why does she
The course “Introduction to General Psychology” is required to be taken by students of all specialties directly or indirectly related to psychological science. After all, it is this fundamental section that provides information without which an in-depth study of any branch of psychology will be impossible, if we are talking about future specialists in a specific branch of science.
And this will bring double benefits: firstly, specialists will save themselves from unnecessary worries, and secondly, they will delve deeper into the problem of the person who contacted them. Psychology in general is extremely important for those who have chosen professions that involve close communication with people, especially with “difficult” groups that require a special approach (for example, very young children or, conversely, older people, people with developmental disabilities).
“Okay,” one of the readers will say. - Specialists, of course, need to know all this. Why do ordinary people need it?” Ordinary people may not need to delve deeply, but in general, general psychology, at least two or three books on it, will be useful to everyone, regardless of their profession and education. Yes, a specialist and a non-specialist will absorb information in such literature at different levels, but both will be able to learn something valuable for themselves.
And maybe, starting with popular or adapted editions, you will be so carried away that Rubinstein’s “Fundamentals of General Psychology” will seem like the most interesting book in the world. Author: Evgenia Bessonova
Introduction
.The subject of psychology as a science and its main categories
1Psychology as a science
2Object and subject of psychology
1The place of psychology in modern scientific knowledge
2General psychology
3Industrial psychology
.Test task
Conclusion
List of used literature
Introduction
Psychology dates back thousands of years. The term "psychology" - (from the Greek. psyche- soul, and logos-science) means “the study of the soul.” It arose in ancient times, at the turn of the 7th-6th centuries. BC e, when people first began to ask questions about the meaning of the soul, about the differences in the souls of animals and humans, about the functions and abilities of the soul.
The study of psychology cannot be reduced to a simple listing of the problems, ideas and ideas of various psychological schools. In order to understand them, you need to understand their internal connection, the unified logic of the formation of psychology as a science.
Why study psychology? We all live among people and, by the will of circumstances, we must understand and take into account the psychology of people, take into account our individual characteristics of the psyche and personality. We are all psychologists to one degree or another. But our everyday psychology will only benefit and be enriched if we supplement it with scientific psychological knowledge.
Psychology has come a long way in development; there has been a change in the understanding of the object, subject and goals of psychology. Psychology is defined as the scientific study of behavior and internal mental processes and the practical application of the knowledge gained. Psychology is very closely related to many other sciences: exact, natural, medical, philosophical, etc. It is a very extensive system of sciences, which includes both fundamental branches of psychology, united by the term “general psychology,” which actually studies how cognitive processes, states, patterns and properties of the human psyche arise and are formed. It also summarizes various psychological studies, forms psychological knowledge, principles, methods and basic concepts, as well as special psychological sciences.
1. The subject of psychology as a science and its main categories
.1 Psychology as a science
Psychology, as a science, has special qualities that distinguish it from other disciplines. Few people know psychology as a system of proven knowledge, mainly only those who specifically study it, solving scientific and practical problems. At the same time, as a system of life phenomena, psychology is familiar to every person. It is presented to him in the form of his own sensations, images, ideas, phenomena of memory, thinking, speech, will, imagination, interests, motives, needs, emotions, feelings and much more. We can directly detect basic mental phenomena in ourselves and indirectly observe them in other people. In scientific usage the term " psychology"appeared for the first time in the 16th century. Initially, it belonged to a special science that dealt with the study of so-called mental, or mental, phenomena, that is, those that every person easily detects in his own consciousnessas a result introspection. Later, in the 17th-19th centuries, the scope of research by psychologists expanded significantly, including unconscious mental processes (the unconscious) and activityhuman.In the 20th century, psychological research went beyond the phenomena around which it had been concentrated for centuries. In this regard, the name “psychology” has partly lost its original, rather narrow meaning, when it applied only to subjective, phenomena directly perceived and experienced by humans consciousness. However, according to the centuries-old tradition, this science still retains its former name.
Since the 19th century psychology becomes an independent and experimental field of scientific knowledge.
1.2 Object and subject of psychology
To begin with, it is worth introducing the definitions of “subject” and “object”.
Object- part of the surrounding reality towards which human activity is directed.
Item- part of the object of interest to the researcher.
Object of psychologyis the psyche.
In psychology, as a science, there have been two approaches to understanding the psyche.
· Idealistic, in which the psyche is viewed as primary reality, existing independently of the material world.
· Materialistic, it says that the psyche is property of the brainprovide the ability to reflect objects and phenomena of the surrounding world.
Subject of psychologyis multifaceted, as it includes many processes, phenomena, and patterns.
Under subjectGeneral psychology assumes a pattern of development and functioning of the psyche, as well as individual characteristics of its manifestation.
What is the subject of studying psychology? First of all, psychehumans and animals, which includes many subjective phenomena.
With the help of some, such as, for example, sensations and perception, attentionand memory, imagination, thinking and speech, a person understands the world. Therefore, they are often called cognitive processes. Other phenomena regulate it communicationwith people, directly control actions and actions.
They are called mental properties and states of personality, including needs, motives, goals, interests, will, feelings and emotions, inclinations and abilities, knowledge and consciousness. In addition, psychology studies human communication and behavior, their dependence on mental phenomena and, in turn, the dependence of the formation and development of mental phenomena on them.
1. Psyche - a subjective image of the objective world, forms in the process of cognition, activity and communication.
In the psyche, phenomena such as (Figure 1) are distinguished:
Rice. 1 Types of mental phenomena.
v Mental processes- these are elementary units that we can distinguish in mental activity, its “atoms”.
)Cognitive:
Ø Feeling(mental reflection of individual properties and states of the external environment that directly affect our senses)
Ø Perception(mental process of forming an image of objects and phenomena of the external world.)
Ø Thinking(the ability to solve new, urgent problems in situations where previous, already known solutions do not work.)
Ø Performance(the process of mentally recreating images of objects and phenomena that currently do not affect the human senses.)
Ø Imagination(this is a reflection of reality in new, unusual, unexpected combinations and connections.)
)Integrative:
Ø Speech(this is the ability to communicate using words, sounds and other elements of language.)
Ø Memory(the ability to remember, save and at the right time retrieve (reproduce) the necessary information.)
)Emotional:
Ø Emotions(quick and short elements of feelings, their situational manifestation.)
4) Regulatory
Ø Will(the ability to maintain the direction of one’s activities despite difficulties, obstacles, and distractions.)
Ø Attention(concentrated energy of consciousness directed at a particular object.)
v Mental conditions
Ø Mood(a fairly long emotional process of low intensity, forming an emotional background for ongoing mental processes.)
Ø Frustration(a mental state that arises in a situation of real or perceived impossibility of satisfying certain needs, or, more simply, in a situation of a discrepancy between desires and available capabilities.)
Ø Affect(an emotional process characterized by short duration and high intensity, accompanied by pronounced motor manifestations and changes in the functioning of internal organs.)
Ø Stress(a state of mental stress that occurs in a person in the process of activity in the most complex, difficult conditions, both in everyday life and under special circumstances.)
v Mental properties
Ø Temperament(a stable combination of individual personality characteristics associated with dynamic rather than meaningful aspects of activity.)
Ø Character(this is a set of basic personality traits on which forms of social behavior and human actions that are designed to influence others depend.)
Ø Focus(attitudes that have become personality traits.)
Ø Capabilities(these are personality traits that are conditions for the successful implementation of a certain type of activity.)
2. Consciousness - the highest stage of mental development, the result of the comprehensive development of a person in the process of communication and work.
. Unconscious - a form reflecting reality in which a person is not aware of its sources, and the reflected reality merges with experiences (dreams).
. Behavior - external manifestation of a person’s mental activity, his actions and actions.
. Activity - a system of goals, objectives, actions and operations aimed at realizing human needs and interests.
2. Psychology, its main branches and place in the system of sciences
.1 The place of psychology in modern scientific knowledge
Sciences related to psychology:
Ø Philosophyis the ideological and methodological basis of psychology
Ø Natural sciences (biology, physics)help to study the physiological processes occurring in the nervous system and brain and reveal the processes, mechanisms and functions of the psyche.
Ø Medical Sciencesallow us to understand the pathologies of mental development and find ways to solve them (psychotherapy).
Ø Historical Sciences,show how the psyche developed at various stages of the evolution of society.
Ø Sociology,helps solve problems of social psychology.
Ø Pedagogical Sciences,help in training, education, personality formation.
Ø Exact sciences (mathematical),provide quantitative methods for collecting and processing data.
Ø Technical Sciences,help in the development of technical means for studying the development and correction of the psyche.
Ø Cybernetics,helps to study the processes of mental self-regulation.
.2 General psychology
General psychologyis a science that studies how cognitive processes, states, patterns and properties of the human psyche arise and are formed, and also generalizes various psychological studies, forms psychological knowledge, principles, methods and basic concepts.
The main subject of study of general psychology is such forms of mental activity as memory, character, thinking, temperament, perception, motivation, emotions, sensations and other processes, which we will touch on in more detail below. They are considered by this science in close connection with human life and activity, as well as with the special characteristics of individual ethnic groups and historical background. Cognitive processes, human personality and its development inside and outside society, interpersonal relationships in different groups of people are subject to detailed study. General psychology is of great importance for such sciences as pedagogy, sociology, philosophy, art history, linguistics, etc. And the results of research conducted in the field of general psychology can be considered the starting point for all branches of psychological science.
Methods for studying general psychology.
v Observation - This is the most ancient way of knowledge. Its simplest form is everyday observations. Every person uses it in their daily life. In general psychology, there are such types of observation as short-term, long-term, selective, continuous and special.
The standard observation procedure consists of several stages:
Ø Setting goals and objectives;
Ø Definition of the situation, subject and object;
Ø Determining the methods that will have the least impact on the object under study and ensure that the necessary data is obtained;
Ø Determining how data is maintained;
Ø Processing of received data.
External surveillance(by an outsider) is considered objective. It can be direct or indirect. There is also introspection. It can be either immediate, in the current moment, or delayed, based on memories, entries from diaries, memoirs, etc. In this case, the person himself analyzes his thoughts, feelings and experiences.
Observation is an integral part of two other methods - conversation and experiment.
v Conversation As a psychological method, it involves direct/indirect, oral/written collection of information about the person being studied and his activities, as a result of which the psychological phenomena characteristic of him are determined. There are such types of conversations as collecting information about a person and his life, interviews, questionnaires and different types of questionnaires.
A personal conversation between the researcher and the person being examined works best. A two-way conversation produces the best results and provides more information than just answering questions.
But the main method of research is experiment.
v Experiment - this is the active intervention of a specialist in the process of activity of the subject in order to create certain conditions under which a psychological fact will be revealed.
There is a laboratory experiment taking place under special conditions using special equipment. All actions of the subject are guided by instructions.
v Another method - tests . These are tests that serve to establish any mental qualities in a person. The tests are short-term tasks that are similar for everyone, and based on the results of the tests, the presence of certain mental qualities and the level of their development in the test subjects is determined. Various tests are created in order to make some predictions or make a diagnosis. They must always have a scientific basis, and must also be reliable and reveal accurate characteristics.
Subject of general psychology- this is the psyche itself, as a form of interaction of living beings with the world, which is expressed in their ability to translate their impulses into reality and function in the world on the basis of available information. And the human psyche, from the point of view of modern science, performs the function of an intermediary between the subjective and the objective, and also realizes a person’s ideas about the external and internal, bodily and mental.
Object of general psychology- these are the laws of the psyche, as forms of human interaction with the outside world. This form, due to its versatility, is subject to research in completely different aspects, which are studied by different branches of psychological science. The object is the development of the psyche, norms and pathologies in it, the types of human activities in life, as well as his attitude to the world around him.
Due to the scale of the subject of general psychology and the ability to identify many objects for research within it, there are currently general theories of psychology in psychological science that are oriented towards different scientific ideals and psychological practice itself, which develops certain psychotechniques for influencing consciousness and controlling it.
2.3 Industrial psychology
Industrial psychology -individual branches of psychology that arose in the process of solving specific practical and theoretical problems.
Branches of psychology can be divided into:
v Development principle
ØAge
ØComparative
ØPedagogical
Ø Special (pathopsychological)
v Attitude to the individual and society
Ø Social psychology
Ø Personality psychology
v Types of activities
ØThe psyche of work
ØThe psyche of communication
Ø Psychology of sports
Ø Medical psychology
Ø Military psychology
Ø Legal psychology, etc.
Examples of some branches of psychology
Educational psychologystudies the human psyche in the process of his training and education, establishes and uses the laws of the psyche as he masters knowledge, skills and abilities. This science studies psychological problems and management of the educational process. In addition, the main problems of educational psychology are the study of factors influencing student performance, features of interaction and communication between teacher and student. Pedagogical psychology is divided into the psychology of education, which studies the patterns of assimilation of knowledge, skills and abilities, and the psychology of education, which studies the patterns of active, purposeful personality formation. psychology observation conversation test
Developmental psychologyClosely related to pedagogy, it studies the characteristics of the human psyche at different stages of its development - from birth to death. It is divided into child psychology, psychology of adolescence, psychology of adulthood, geront psychology, etc. The central problems of developmental psychology are the creation of a methodological basis for monitoring the progress, usefulness of the content and conditions of the elements of the child’s mental development, as well as the organization of optimal forms of children’s activities and communication, psychological assistance during periods of age-related crises, in adulthood and old age.
Social psychology- a branch of psychology that studies the patterns of behavior and activity of people determined by the fact of their association into social groups. It reveals the psychological patterns of relationships between the individual and the team, determines the psychological compatibility of people in the group; studies such phenomena as leadership, cohesion, the process of making group decisions, problems of social development of the individual, his assessment, stability, suggestibility; the effectiveness of the influence of the media on the individual, especially the spread of rumors, fashion, bad habits and rituals.
Personality psychology- a branch of psychology that studies the mental properties of a person as a holistic entity, as a certain system of mental qualities, has an appropriate structure, internal relationships, is characterized by individuality and is interconnected with the surrounding natural and social environment.
3. Test task
The subject of psychology is:
a) behavioral science;
b) science of the soul;
c) scientific research of behavior and mental processes in order to apply the acquired knowledge in practice;
d) science of consciousness;
e) the science of the general laws of evolution and functioning of the psyche, mental processes as specific forms of life activity of animals and humans.
Choose the correct answer. Justify your choice.
Answer: D, because.
Psychology, as a science, is very multifaceted and affects many aspects of study (soul, behavior, consciousness, psyche, etc.). Definition subject of psychologysays that the subject of general psychology assumes the pattern of development and functioning of the psyche, as well as the individual characteristics of its manifestation. Referring to quotes from P.V. Dobroselsky: “Psychology is the science of the patterns, mechanisms and facts of the mental life of humans and animals”; “Psychology is the science of the patterns of functioning and development of the psyche, based on the representation of introspection of special experiences that are not attributable to the outside world,” we can assume that the answer I have chosen is correct.
Conclusion
The science of psychology is multifaceted, it is closely connected and intertwined with many other sciences, and covers different areas of studied activity.
Psychology studies the human psyche, character, heredity, human activity, relationships in society, a person’s attitude towards himself, features of cognition and consciousness, methods of perception and understanding.
In connection with all this variety of subjects of psychology, and its connections with other sciences, essentially sterile questions arose about whether it is a natural science or a humanitarian one, what should be its methodology - biology or philosophy.
An analysis of the historical path of development of psychology shows that its uniqueness and value as a science lies precisely in its interdisciplinary nature, in the fact that it is built both as a natural science (objective and experimental), and at the same time, as a humanities science. Its issues include issues of moral development, the formation of a worldview, and human value orientations. We can say that psychology borrows the experimental basis, approach to material and its processing from natural science, while the approach to interpreting the received material and methodological principles - from philosophy.
psychology observation conversation test
References
Tutorials:
Ostrovsky E.V. Basics of psychology. - M.: INFRA-M: University textbook, 2012.
Rubinshtein S.L. Fundamentals of general psychology. - St. Petersburg: Peter, 2012.
Psychology. Course of lectures: Textbook / V.G. Krysko-M.: University textbook: SRC INFRA-M, 2013.-251 p.
Internet resources:://4brain.ru/psy/obshhaja-psihologija.php
"Psychologos" Encyclopedia of practical psychology"
http://www.psychologos.ru/articles/view/voobrazhenie
Tutoring
Need help studying a topic?
Our specialists will advise or provide tutoring services on topics that interest you.
Submit your application indicating the topic right now to find out about the possibility of obtaining a consultation.
No matter how a person tries to forget about it, psychic energy will remind itself. And the task of enlightenment is to teach humanity how to handle this treasure. N.K. Roerich
Like any other science, general psychology has its own object, subject and tasks. Her object are the bearers of the phenomena and processes that it investigates, and subject- specificity of the formation, development and manifestation of these phenomena.
Tasks General psychology is determined by the main directions of its research and development, as well as the goals that this branch of knowledge sets for itself. General psychology is the foundation of all psychological science. It provides a correct understanding and comprehension of the features and patterns of formation, development and functioning of the psyche, behavior and activities of people, regardless of who they are and what they do. General psychology is designed to provide universal knowledge that allows us to adequately explain the results of the reflection by human consciousness of the influences of the surrounding material and social environment. It reveals the inner spiritual and mental world of people, as well as their experiences and attitude towards everything that happens around them.
In addition, general psychology lays the foundation for the study of man as a being who acts, creates, transforms the surrounding reality in order to satisfy his material, spiritual and other needs, and performs specific actions and deeds.
Three qualities - extensive knowledge, habit of thinking and nobility of feelings - are necessary for a person to be educated in the full sense of the word.
N. G. Chernyshevsky
Chapter ONE
1.1. SUBJECT AND TASKS OF GENERAL PSYCHOLOGY
COMMENTS
General psychology- a branch of psychological science that reveals the patterns of emergence, formation, development and manifestation of the human psyche.
General psychology studies a person in the totality of all manifestations of his spiritual and mental world as a result of historical and cultural development.
Psyche is a property of the brain that provides humans and animals with the ability to reflect the effects of objects and phenomena in the real world.
The psyche is diverse in its forms and manifestations. The human psyche is his feelings, thoughts, experiences, intentions, etc. everything that makes up his subjective inner world, which manifests itself in actions and deeds, in relationships with other people.
Consciousness human being is the highest stage of mental development and a product of socio-historical development, the result of labor.
In addition, psychology studies phenomena such as the unconscious, personality, activity and behavior.
Unconscious- this is a form of reflection of reality, during which a person is not aware of its sources, and the reflected reality merges with experiences.
Personality is a person with his own individual and socio-psychological characteristics.
Activity- This is a set of human actions aimed at satisfying his needs and interests.
Behavior- external manifestations of mental activity, actions and actions of a person.
Basic task psychology as a science is the study of objective patterns of functioning and manifestation of mental phenomena and processes as a result of reflecting the influences of objective reality.
At the same time, psychology sets itself a number of other tasks.
1. Study the qualitative (structural) features of mental phenomena and processes, which is not only theoretical, but also of great practical importance.
2. Analyze the formation and development of mental phenomena and processes in connection with the determination of the psyche by the objective conditions of people’s lives and activities.
3. Investigate the physiological mechanisms underlying mental phenomena, since without their knowledge it is impossible to correctly master the practical means of their formation and development.
4. Promote the systematic implementation of scientific psychological knowledge into practice (development of scientific and practical methods of training and education, rationalization of the labor process in various fields of activity).
Chapter One
1.2. RELATIONSHIP OF PSYCHOLOGY WITH OTHER BRANCHES OF SCIENTIFIC KNOWLEDGE
Subject, tasks and features of general psychology as a science
COMMENTS
The relationships between psychology and other branches of scientific knowledge are strong and natural.
On the one side,philosophy, sociology and other social sciences provide psychology with the opportunity to methodologically accurately and theoretically correctly approach the understanding of the human psyche and consciousness, their origin and role in the life and activities of people.
Historical sciences Psychology shows how the development of the psyche and consciousness of people was carried out at various stages of the formation of society and human relations.
Physiology and Anthropology allow psychology to more accurately understand the structure and functions of the nervous system, their role and significance in the formation of the mechanisms of functioning of the psyche.
Work Sciences orient psychology in the directions of correct understanding of the functioning of the psyche and consciousness in conditions of work and rest, their requirements for the individual and socio-psychological qualities of people.
Medical Sciences help psychology understand the pathology of people’s mental development and find ways for psychocorrection and psychotherapy.
Pedagogical Sciences provide psychology with information about the main directions of training and education of people, allowing it to develop recommendations for the psychological support of these processes.
On the other side,psychology, studying the conditions and specifics of the course of mental phenomena and processes, allows natural and social sciences to more correctly interpret the laws of reflection of objective reality, to specify the cause-and-effect conditionality of social and other phenomena and processes.
By exploring the patterns of personality formation in unique socio-historical circumstances, psychology also provides some assistance to the historical sciences.
Medical sciences currently also cannot do without the results of psychological research, since many diseases, as the results of the latest research show, have a psychological origin.
Psychology gives recommendations to managers and organizers of economic production on what psychological means and methods can be used to increase the efficiency of people’s work, reduce conflict during it, etc.
Psychology is of particular importance for pedagogy, since knowledge of the patterns of personality development, age and individual characteristics of people serves as a theoretical basis for developing the most effective methods of teaching and education.
Chapter One
1.3. FEATURES OF PSYCHOLOGY AS A SCIENCE
Subject, tasks and features of general psychology as a science
COMMENTS
Psychology- one of the most complex sciences, since the carrier of the psyche is the brain, the most complex organ and mechanism in structure and patterns of activity. And the psychological phenomena themselves are very multifaceted, and most of the laws of the psyche have not yet been studied.
In addition, learning to control mental processes and phenomena, mental functions is more difficult than anything else.
Merging the subject and object of psychology is explained by the fact that a person, with the help of his psyche, understands the world around him, and then, on the basis of this, his own psyche, the influence of this world on it.
At the same time, this merger is ambiguous; it has many forms of manifestation, which are quite difficult to study.
Unique practical implications psychology is that the results of research in this science, compared to other branches of knowledge, are very often much more significant for people, both objectively and subjectively, since they explain the reasons for all human actions, deeds and behavior.
The extraordinary promise of psychology and its research stems from the constantly increasing role and importance of people, their psyche and consciousness. We can say with a great degree of responsibility that the greatest difficulty in the future will not be the development of some super-complex technical projects, but the prediction of the behavior and actions of people during their implementation and operation.
The most difficult task today is not to understand and use the surrounding nature, but to understand the mechanisms of our own behavior and learn to control it.
F. Beach
Chapter One
1.4. WORLD OF MENTAL PHENOMENA
Subject, tasks and features of general psychology as a science
COMMENTS
The world of psychic phenomena- this is the totality of all phenomena and processes that reflect the basic content of the human psyche and which psychology studies as a specific branch of knowledge.
Mental processes - These are mental phenomena that provide a person’s primary reflection and awareness of the influences of the surrounding reality. As a rule, they have a clear beginning, a definite course and a clearly defined end.
Mental processes are divided into: educational(sensation, perception, attention, representation, memory, imagination, thinking, speech), emotional And strong-willed.
Mental properties - These are the most stable and constantly manifested personality traits that provide a certain qualitative and quantitative level of behavior and activity typical for a given person.
Mental properties include orientation, temperament, character and abilities.
Mental states - This is a certain level of performance and quality of functioning of the human psyche, characteristic of him at any given moment in time.
Mental states include activity, passivity, vigor, fatigue, apathy, etc.
Psychic formations - These are mental phenomena that are formed in the process of a person acquiring life and professional experience, the content of which includes a special combination of knowledge, skills and abilities.
Socio-psychological phenomena and processes - these are psychological phenomena caused by the interaction, communication and mutual influence of people on each other and their belonging to certain social communities.
Those who are outside call wealth wealth; the real good exists within me. R. Tagore
Chapter One
1.5. FORMS OF EXISTENCE OF THE PSYCHE
Subject, tasks and features of general psychology as a science
COMMENTS
Psychological phenomena exist in the form of:
1. Processes:
^ sensations, perceptions, ideas, imagination, memory, attention, thinking, speech, motivation, assimilation, remembering, forgetting, generalization, repetition, addiction, reflection, self-actualization, self-suggestion, self-observation, self-determination, creativity, etc.;
^ individual external (behavioral): actions, activities, gestures, games, imprinting, facial expressions, imitation, actions, reactions, exercises, etc.;
^ communication, interpersonal perception, interpersonal relationships, mutual understanding, interaction, identification, communication, conformity, formation of group norms;
^> group external (behavioral): brutal relationships and interactions.
2. Conditions:
^ individual, internal (mental): adaptation, affects, drives, arousal, hallucinations, interests, love, melancholy, intentions, tension, moods, alienation, distraction, self-actualization, self-control, inclination, passion, aspirations, stress, shame, anxiety, conviction, claims, attachment, fatigue, fatigue, frustration, euphoria, etc.;
> individual, external (behavioral): readiness, interest, behavioral activity, etc.;
^ group, internal (psychological): conflicts, cohesion, intra-group polarization, psychological climate, etc.;
> group external (behavioral): panic; fear, openness of the group, closedness of the group, etc.
3.Qualities:
> individual, internal (mental): authoritarianism, aggressiveness, activity, accentuation, fearfulness, inertia, introversion, intuitiveness, sociability, efficiency, determination, pride, hard work, etc.;
> individual, external (behavioral): authority, humanity, suggestibility, perseverance, learning ability, organization, hard work, fanaticism, ambition, egoism, extroversion, etc.;
> group, internal (psychological): compatibility, style of interaction and leadership, competition, cooperation, decision making, effectiveness of joint activities, etc.;
> group external (behavioral): organization, rivalry, etc.
Chapter One
1.6. STRUCTURE OF GENERAL PSYCHOLOGY AS A SCIENCE
Subject, tasks and features of general psychology as a science
COMMENTS
Feeling- this is a reflection in a person’s consciousness of individual properties and qualities of objects and phenomena that directly affect his senses.
Perception- this is a reflection in a person’s consciousness of objects and phenomena as a whole that directly affect his sense organs, and not their individual properties, as happens with sensation.
Representation is the process of recreating (reproducing) specific images of objects and phenomena of the external world that previously affected our senses.
Attention- this is the selective focus of human consciousness on certain objects and phenomena.
Memory is the process of capturing, preserving and reproducing what a person reflected, did or experienced.
Imagination is a mental cognitive process of creating new ideas based on existing experience, i.e., a process of transformative reflection of reality.
Thinking- this is a mental cognitive process of reflecting significant connections and relationships of objects and phenomena of the objective world.
Speech- the process of a person’s practical use of language for the purpose of communicating with other people.
Emotions and feelings- this is a person’s experience of his relationship to everything that he learns and does, to what surrounds him.
Will- this is a person’s ability to consciously manage his behavior, to mobilize all his strength to achieve his goals.
Focus personality is its mental property in which the needs, motives, worldview, attitudes and goals of life and activity are expressed.
Temperament- this is a mental property of a person, characterized by the dynamics of mental processes.
Character- this is a mental property of a person that determines a person’s line of behavior and is expressed in his relationships: to the world around him, to work, to other people, to himself.
Capabilities- this is a mental property of a person, reflecting the manifestations of such characteristics that allow him to successfully engage in and master one or more types of activity.
In addition, the subject of general psychology is mental formations, that is, everything that is associated with the results of a person’s mastery of the surrounding reality and his improvement of his inner world (knowledge, skills and abilities, professional excellence, etc.), as well as mental states, i.e. passivity, activity, work attitude, depression, satisfaction and dissatisfaction.
General psychology at the same time lays the foundation for a methodology for understanding the phenomena of other branches of psychological science.
Chapter One
1.7. RELATIONSHIP OF EVERYDAY AND SCIENTIFIC PSYCHOLOGY
Subject, tasks and features of general psychology as a science
COMMENTS
Everyday psychology- this is psychological knowledge gleaned by people from everyday life.
They have the following main distinctive characteristics:
> concreteness, that is, attachment to specific situations, specific people, specific tasks of human activity;
< intuitiveness, indicating a lack of awareness of their origin and patterns of functioning;
^ limitations, i.e., insufficient human understanding of the specifics and areas of functioning of specific psychological phenomena;
> based on observations and reflections, and this means that ordinary psychological knowledge is not subjected to scientific comprehension;
< limited materials, that is, a person who has certain everyday psychological observations cannot compare them with similar ones from other people.
Scientific psychology- this is stable psychological knowledge obtained in the process of theoretical and experimental study of the psyche of people and animals.
This knowledge has its own characteristics:
> generality, that is, the meaningfulness of a specific psychological phenomenon based on the specifics of its manifestation in many people, in many conditions, in relation to many tasks of human activity;
> rationalism, indicating that scientific psychological knowledge has been maximally researched and understood;
> unlimited, that is, they can be used by many people;
^ based on experiment that is, scientific psychological knowledge has been studied in various conditions;
^ slight limitation in materials, meaning that scientific psychological knowledge reflects both all human experience and the conditions in which it accumulated.
Of course, being determines consciousness. This is the rule. However, fortunately, it often happens that consciousness is ahead of being. Otherwise we would still be sitting in caves.
A. and B. Strugatsky
Chapter One
1.8. STAGES OF PSYCHOLOGY DEVELOPMENT
Subject, tasks and features of general psychology as a science
COMMENTS
1st stage. The first ideas about the psyche were animistic character that endowed every object with soul. Animacy was seen as the reason for the development of phenomena and movement. Aristotle extended the concept of the psyche to all organic processes, distinguishing plant, animal and rational souls.
Later, two opposing points of view on the psyche emerged - materialistic (Democritus) and idealistic (Plato). Democritus believed that the psyche, like all of nature, is material. The soul consists of atoms, only subtler than the atoms that make up physical bodies. Knowledge of the world occurs through the senses. According to Plato, the soul has nothing in common with matter and, unlike the latter, is ideal. Knowledge of the world is not the interaction of the psyche with the outside world, but the memory of the soul of what it saw in the ideal world before it entered the human body.
2nd stage. In the XVII V. the methodological prerequisites for the scientific understanding of the psyche and consciousness were laid. R. Descartes believed that animals do not have a soul and their behavior is a reflex to external influences. In his opinion, a person has consciousness and in the process of thinking establishes the presence of an inner life. D. Locke argued that there is nothing in the mind that would not pass through the senses; he put forward the principle of an atomistic analysis of consciousness, according to which mental phenomena can be reduced to primary, further indecomposable elements (sensations) and on their basis formed through associations more complex education.
In the 17th century English scientists T. Hobbes and D. Hartley developed a deterministic idea of the associations underlying the functioning of the psyche, and French researchers P. Holbach and C. Helvetius developed an extremely important idea about the social mediation of the human psyche.
3rd stage. A major role in identifying psychology as an independent branch of knowledge was played by the development of the method of conditioned reflexes in physiology and the practice of treating mental illnesses, as well as conducting experimental studies of the psyche. At the beginning of the 20th century. the founder of behaviorism, the American psychologist D. Watson, pointed out the inconsistency of the Cartesian-Lockean concept of consciousness and stated that psychology should abandon the study of consciousness and focus its attention only on what is observable, i.e., human behavior.
4th stage(modern). It is characterized by a variety of approaches to the essence of the psyche, the transformation of psychology into a multidisciplinary applied field of knowledge that serves the interests of practical human activity.
Russian psychological science adheres to a dialectical-materialistic view of the origin of the psyche.
Chapter One
1.9. METHODS OF PSYCHOLOGY
Subject, tasks and features of general psychology as a science
COMMENTS
Observation- the most common method by which psychological phenomena are studied in various conditions without interfering with their course. Observation can be everyday and scientific, included and not included.
Everyday observation is limited to recording facts and is random and unorganized. Scientific observation is organized, involves a clear plan, recording the results in a special diary. Included observation involves the participation of the researcher V the activity he is studying; V non-inclusion this is not required.
Experiment- a method that involves the active intervention of the researcher in the activities of the subject in order to create the best conditions for the study of specific psychological phenomena.
The experiment may be laboratory, when it takes place in specially organized conditions, and the actions of the subject are determined by instructions; natural, when the study is carried out in natural conditions; stating - when only necessary psychological phenomena are studied; formative- in the process of which certain qualities of the subjects develop.
Method for generalizing independent characteristics involves identifying and analyzing opinions about certain psychological phenomena and processes obtained from various people.
Performance analysis- a method of indirect study of psychological phenomena based on practical results and objects of work, in which the creative powers and abilities of people are embodied.
Survey- a method that involves the subjects answering specific questions from the researcher.
Poll happens written (questionnaire), when questions are asked on paper; verbal, when questions are posed orally; and in shape interview, during which personal contact is established with the subject.
Testing- a method during which subjects perform certain actions on the instructions of the researcher.
There are different types of testing projective, exploring various manifestations of the individual’s psyche (usually it includes the use of constitutive, interpretative, cathartic, impressive, expressive and additive techniques) and testing psychocorrectional(usually involving the use of behavioral and cognitivist correction techniques, psychoanalysis, Gestalt and body-oriented therapy, psychodrama, psychosynthesis and transpersonal approach).
 |
Subject, tasks and features of general psychology as a science
Currently, there are a large number of publications on general psychology, aimed at both psychology students and students studying pedagogical, legal, and economic specialties. It is difficult for students – future teachers of vocational schools – to navigate the available variety of educational literature.
The uniqueness of the textbook “General Psychology” is that it presents the material of the theoretical course in an accessible and concise form, in accordance with which practical classes have been developed, focused on the specifics of the training and future activities of vocational education teachers.
This manual was compiled in accordance with the course program “General Psychology”, tested at the Russian State Vocational Pedagogical University and recommended by the educational and methodological association for vocational pedagogical education.
The topics of practical classes cover most sections of the General Psychology course program, the content corresponds to the theoretical part of the manual and also has a unified structure.
1) study the theoretical material proposed in section 1;
2) familiarize yourself with the content of the practical lesson and prepare in advance protocols and research tables, samples of which are given in the manual;
3) carefully familiarize yourself with the procedure for performing the work and carry it out;
4) at the end of the lesson, provide the teacher with a written report according to the following scheme: topic and purpose of the work, brief description of the methodology, research protocol, data processing, analysis of results and their interpretation.
We hope that the proposed educational material will help expand and deepen the psychological knowledge of students in the professional pedagogical specialty.
N.S. Glukhanyuk
S.L. Semenov
A.A. Pecherkina
Section I. Lecture notes on general psychology Topic 1. Psychology as science and practice
Subject and tasks of general psychology
In the process of continuous development of science, one or another industry emerges as a favorite. This was the case with mechanics, biology, cybernetics and sociology. In the last decade, psychology has become a favorite.
Psychology has a number of features compared to other scientific disciplines (Fig. 1, 2). As a system of knowledge, few people master it. However, everyone encounters the area of phenomena studied by this science: it is presented in the form of our own sensations, images, ideas, thinking, speech, will, interests, needs, emotions.
The concept of “psychology” arose in medieval European theology, and was introduced into science in the 18th century. German scientist Christian Wolf
The term “psychology” is derived from two Greek words: psyche - soul, psyche and logos - knowledge, comprehension, study.
In its literal meaning, psychology is knowledge about the psyche, a science that studies it. The psyche is a property of highly organized living matter, a subjective reflection of the objective world, necessary for a person (or animal) to be active in it and control their behavior
In the second, most common meaning, the word “psychology” refers to mental, “spiritual” life itself, thereby highlighting a special reality. Psychology manifests itself as a set of typical ways of behavior, communication, knowledge of the world around a person (or groups of people), beliefs and preferences, character traits
Rice. 1. The meaning of the word “psychology”
Psychology owes its name and first definition to Greek mythology. Eros, the son of Aphrodite, fell in love with a very beautiful young girl, Psyche. But Aphrodite was unhappy that her son, a celestial god, wanted to unite his fate with a mere mortal, and made every effort to separate the lovers, forcing Psyche to go through a series of tests. But Psyche’s love was so strong, and her desire to meet Eros again was so great that the gods decided to help her fulfill all of Aphrodite’s demands. Eros, in turn, managed to convince Zeus - the supreme deity of the Greeks - to turn Psyche into a goddess, making her immortal. Thus the lovers were united forever.
For the Greeks, this myth was a classic example of true love, the highest realization of the human soul. Therefore, Psyche - a mortal who has acquired immortality - became a symbol of the soul searching for its ideal 1.
1. This is the science of the most complex thing known to mankind
2. In psychology, a person is simultaneously both a subject and an object of knowledge, since he explores his consciousness with the help of consciousness
3. The practical consequences of psychology are unique: they are not only disproportionately significant than the results of other sciences, but also qualitatively different, since to know something means to master and learn to control it, and managing one’s mental states, processes, functions and abilities is the most ambitious task
4. The extraordinary promise of psychology and its research stems from the ever-increasing role of people, their psyche and consciousness
5. There is no single psychology, but there are different directions, trends, scientific schools
6. The uniqueness of psychology lies in the fact that it is both a natural and human science.
7. A psychological fact depends on its interpretation by the researcher.
Rice. 2. Features of psychology as a science 2
Psychology is the science of the patterns of emergence, development and manifestation of the human psyche and consciousness (Fig. 3).
Psychology
Basic patterns of the generation and functioning of mental reality
Qualitative study of psychic reality
Analysis of the formation and development of mental phenomena
Study of physiological mechanisms of mental phenomena
Promoting the systematic introduction of psychological knowledge into the practice of people’s lives and activities
Rice. 3. Subject and tasks of psychology
