Science of Psychology, Behavior and Mental Process - Research Paper Example

? Introduction to the Science of Psychology Psychology explained Psychology defined as the science “to understand behavior and mental process, and to apply that understading in the service of human welfare” is a very interesting field of study because it primarily deals with the human mind. Its epistomological origin, the two root words, “psyche” and “logos” which meant mind and study formed the discipline of “Psychology” (Truelove, 2007a). Pyschology however started as a Philosophy more than a science. Until Wilhelm Wundt (1832-1920) introduced the use of laboratory in studying human consciousness that changed the field of Psychology from a mere philosophy to a science of mental processes. From the initiative of Wundt, his student Edward Titchemer provided structure to the study of the human conscious experience through experiment and introspection. Max Wertheimer then introduced Gestalt Psychology that laid down the foundation of cognitive psychology through the use of observation of sensory and perceptual phenomena. Freud then later developed techniques for treating mental illness which we know now as Psychoanalysis. Unlike his predecessors, Freud delve more on the childhood of the person (with his regression analysis) than observation, sensory perception and laboratory. William James then expanded its use to practical applications such as child psychology, educational and industrial psychology (Truelove, 2007a). There are several practitioners of the science of psychology whose terminologies are often confusing. There is the psychiatrist, psychologist, psychoanalyst which can be quite difficult to distinguish from each other. The psychiatrist is a medical doctor who specializes in psychology. Being a medical doctor, a psychiatrist can of couse, prescribe medications. The popular Psychologist on the other hand holds a doctorate of Pyschology but is not a medical doctor. Psychologists cannot prescribe medicines but they can treat clients independently. The Psychoanalyst are those psyhiatrist who are trained with Freudian theory and psychotheraphy. The other pratitioner of psychology are the Counselors which provide counceling (hence is their title) to minor psychological issues such as marriage problems but needs to be supervised by a Psychologist. Unlike the Psychologists who holds a Phd in Pyschology, their academic preparation is limited to Masters degree (Truelove, 2007b). The uses of pyschology also varies. In addition to diagnosis and treatment of patients with mental illness which falls into clinical psychology, psychology is also used to explain human behavior and its development on an individual level. Collectively, psychology can also be used to explain the phenomena of how people behaves in a group or situation. This type of psychology proved to be useful in in business as they are being used to administer aptitude tests to determine candidates who are best fitted for a certain job. Psychology can also be used to solve a crime and improve one’s health. In short, psychology can be used to treat mental illness, explain behavioral phenomena through research and improve performance in organizations and institutions (Truelove, 2007c). One of the most prominent use of psychology in addition to diagnosing and treating of people with mental illness, is its application to research about certain social or behavioral phenomena. Research are often carried out to test the hypothesis of an experiment to determine whether there is a causal relationship (or none) between two or more variables). Variables are the factors that can be manipulated to determine a certain behavior or condition. Often it involve a sampling population that is either exposed or not to an independent variable. Albeit the strict scientific approach of Psychology in its methodologies, it is not without problems in the conduct of its research. Psychological researches, if done without meticulous review of its methodologies and without scruplous regard of etiquette in research could be prone to research issues such as selection bias, placebo effect, experimenter bias and double-blind technique (Lee and Woodliffe, 2010). Selection bias meant that the samples of population used in an experiment have been pre-selected to influence the result of the research. The error in this research methodology is that the population is no longer properly represented because randomness has been eliminated by the bias of the researcher. Placebo effect is also common in psychological research where the response of the sample is not a result of the treatment or intervention but rather due to the expectation of result. This can inadvertently yield to false result to the research. The experimenter bias is similar to selection bias only that the bias is not in the selection of the sample but rather because of the researcher’s preconceived idea which manifested in the research result (Howard et al., 2010). When experimental research cannot be performed to establish causality, a correlational method may be used. It is because not all variables causes the other. For example, staying up all night partying and poor grade correlate but it does not mean that partying can lead to or causes poor grade. This may be related but the variable does not necessarily causes the outcome. Such correlationship method is also used. Correlational method determines the relationship or non-relationship between variables (Truelove, 2007f). Positive relationshp meant that as a variable increases, so is the other variable increases. For example, as a student participates more in class, the likelihood of getting a good grade increases. The inverse could happen between negative correlation that when a variable increases, the other variable decreases. For example, as the number of tardiness and absenteeism of a student increases, the likelihood of getting a higher grade decreases. They may be strongly correlated but it does not necessarily mean that absenteeism and tardiness readily tantamounts to poor grade (the student may be doing home study). The correlation between two variables are can often be determined by statistical tools such as scatterplot which can tell the positive, negative or zero correlationshp between two variables. The strength of a correlationship is determined by a “number called correlation coefficient” which “shows the likelihood that the two variables being studied will occur together” which can range from -1.00 to 1.00. The higher the correlation coefficient meant that that the greater the likelihood that these two variables will occur together such as the correlation between tobacco smoking and lung cancer. The strength of the correlation will also tell how accurate we can predict the likelihood of a lung cancer based on the number of sticks or frequency of tobacco smoking (Truelove, 2007g). Jus tlike any other profession, psychological research also warrants a high standard of ethical conduct. Not only to ensure the reliability and validity of result, but also on the propriety of the research and its good use to improve humanity. A subject to a research must be done voluntarily, with confidentiality, safe, where participants can disengage if they wanted to and debriefed as soon as possible (Richardson, 2012). My opinion about Psychology Psychology is not only an interesting science but also a very potent tool in understanding ourselves and with such understanding, can make us better as an individual that will translate to the betterment of the roles we perform either as a son, daughter, friend, parents or as a member of the greater society in general. Unlike other sciences where it seeks to understand the cosmos, the envirnment around us, or our body, Psychology studies about the “inner” us; of how we think, how we react, basically understanding how our mind works. Studying the human mind or our inner space is equally vast and complex as studying the universe or the outer space. Its use, is not only making us understand ourselves better. Modern business has also armed itself with this understand of the human behaviour to increase human productivity by identifying factors that makes us tick, capitalize on it, thereby increasing human capacity by many folds. Its study, which manifests in its research, can also be said as never ending because the quest to understand the human mind is also endless. References Howard, George S. Hill, Trey L. Maxwell, Scott E. Baptista, Telmo Mourinho Farias, Miguel H. Coelho, Claudia Coulter-Kern, Marcie Coulter-Kern, Russell  (2009). What’s wrong with research literatures? And how to make them right. ; Review of General Psychology, 13(2):146-166.  Lee, Zoe; Woodliffe, Lucy (2010). Donor Misreporting: Conceptualizing Social Desirability Bias in Giving Surveys.  Voluntas: International Journal of Voluntary & Nonprofit Organizations, 21(4):569-587. Richardson, Frank C (2012). On psychology and virtue ethics. Journal of Theoretical and Philosophical Psychology, 32(1): 24-34. Truelove, Ronald (2007a). Essentials of Psychology: Clip 1. Retrieved at [http://mediasite.bsu.edu/bsu40/Viewer/?peid=f79fd6b500c644d89b4c74765b25ab201d] Truelove, Ronald (2007b). Essentials of Psychology: Clip 2. Retrieved at [http://mediasite.bsu.edu/bsu40/Viewer/?peid=ca19b98c9030490dad06b36ea325f2611d] Ronald Truelove (2007c). Essentials of Psychology: Clip 3. Retrieved at http://mediasite.bsu.edu/bsu40/Viewer/?peid=78adc8eb1f8144cb8dddd5b59ae068721d Truelove, Ronald (2007f). Essentials of Psychology: Clip 6. http://mediasite.bsu.edu/bsu40/Viewer/Players/SlidePlayer/SlidePlayer.aspx# Truelove, Ronald (2007g). Essentials of Psychology: Clip 7. http://mediasite.bsu.edu/bsu40/Viewer/?peid=2346e463611a412fab91d4407b793de01d Read More