AREA OF STUDY 1: WHAT IS PSYCHOLOGY?

DEFINING PSYCHOLOGY

Psychology is;
- the scientific study of behaviour and mental processes in humans

The main goals of psychology are to describe, predict, control and explain thoughts, feelings and behaviour

BEHAVIOUR & MENTAL
PROCESSES

What is the difference between behaviour and mental processes?

Can YOU tell the difference?

BEHAVIOUR AND MENTAL
PROCESSES

BEHAVIOUR = any observable action made by a living person

MENTAL PROCESS = an individual’s thoughts and feelings that are personal and cannot be directly observed


BASIC PSYCHOLOGY
The study of psychological topics in order to seek knowledge for its own sake rather than for its practical application or use

APPLIED PSYCHOLOGY
The study of psychological topics that can be applied in practical and relevant ways

SPECIALIST CAREER FIELDS

MATCHING EXERCISE
- Get yourselves into groups of 3
- You each have a number of cards on your table
- Match up the area of psychology with the correct description
- First correct group wins a prize!!!!

GO!!

SPECIALIST CAREER FIELDS
CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY
Focuses on the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of mental health problems

SPECIALIST CAREER FIELDS
CLINICAL NEUROPSYCHOLOGY
Helps rehabilitate people with problems arising from brain damage or irregularities in brain function

SPECIALIST CAREER FIELDS
COMMUNITY PSYCHOLOGY
Works with individuals, community groups and organisations to help improve health and welfare of people in the community

SPECIALIST CAREER FIELDS
COUNSELLING PSYCHOLOGY
Helps people deal with all kinds of personal and relationship problems

SPECIALIST CAREER FIELDS
EDUCATIONAL AND
DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY
Helps people with issues that affect learning or with life changes

SPECIALIST CAREER FIELDS
FORENSIC PSYCHOLOGY
Works with people in legal and correctional service settings

SPECIALIST CAREER FIELDS
HEALTH PSYCHOLOGY
Promotes and maintains health-related behaviour, works on improving the healthcare system

SPECIALIST CAREER FIELDS
ORGANISATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY
Focuses on ways of assisting organisations to become more effective and productive while maintaining the wellbeing of individual employees

SPECIALIST CAREER FIELDS
SPORT PSYCHOLOGY
Helps athletes to develop mental skills to achieve peak performance

SPECIALIST CAREER FIELDS
BIOLOGICAL PSYCHOLOGY
Focuses on bodily structures, systems and activities associated with behaviour and mental processes

SPECIALIST CAREER FIELDS
COGNITIVE PSYCHOLOGY
Focuses on how people acquire, process, remember and use information

SPECIALIST CAREER FIELDS
PERONALITY PSYCHOLOGY
Focuses on people’s characteristic and enduring ways of thinking, feeling and behaving

SPECIALIST CAREER FIELDS
SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY
Focuses on how behaviour can change in different social situations

- LEARNING ACTIVITY 1.5 (pg.11)