The Emergence of Psychology

as a Discipline
Module Code : CPC 100
Lecture Hours : 18

CPC 100 (Lecture No.01 – Introduction to Psychology)

LECTURER –SUNETHRA BANDARA
Module Description
• The course aims to introduce participants to the concept of psychology and to gain
knowledge on how the discipline evolved through history.

CPC 100 (Lecture No.01 – Introduction to Psychology)

LECTURER –SUNETHRA BANDARA
Module Learning Outcomes
• The intended learning outcomes are that on completion of this module the student should be able
to:
1. Understand the concept of psychology and differentiate from pseudoscience and common sense.
2. Gain knowledge on the historical setting that propelled the development of Psychology as a unique
discipline.
3. Understand the key schools of thought in Psychology
4. Get to know the current developments of Psychology
5. Understand how the future of psychology will be shaped.
6. Get to know the cultural perspectives on psychology.

CPC 100 (Lecture No.01 – Introduction to Psychology)

LECTURER –SUNETHRA BANDARA
Indicative Content
● Defining “Psychology”
● The Roots of Psychology
● Key milestones in the development of Psychology
● Psychology at present
● Psychology and Diversity
● Psychology in the future

CPC 100 (Lecture No.01 – Introduction to Psychology)

LECTURER –SUNETHRA BANDARA
Health means what?
• Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of
disease or infirmity.

• Mental health is a state of well-being in which an individual realizes his or her own abilities, can
cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and is able to make a contribution to
his or her community.

CPC 100 (Lecture No.01 – Introduction to Psychology)

LECTURER –SUNETHRA BANDARA
Overview
• The concept of Psychology
• Define Psychology
• The beginning of psychology as a discipline
• Perspective of Psychology
• The goal of Psychology
• Different field of Psychology
• Methods of Psychology

CPC 100 (Lecture No.01 – Introduction to Psychology)

LECTURER –SUNETHRA BANDARA
What do you know about Psychology?
Define ‘Psychology’
• Psychology is the scientific study of the mind and behavior.

“Psychology is a multifaceted discipline and includes many sub-fields of study such

areas as human development, sports, health, clinical, social behavior and cognitive
processes.”
- American Psychological Association

CPC 100 (Lecture No.01 – Introduction to Psychology)

LECTURER –SUNETHRA BANDARA
The Beginnings of Psychology as a Discipline
• In the early days of psychology there were two dominant theoretical perspectives regarding how the
brain worked, structuralism and functionalism.
1. Structuralism was the name given to the approach pioneered by Wilhelm Wundt (1832-1920),
which focused on breaking down mental processes intro the most basic components.
2. Functionalism :- William James (1842-1910) developed an approach which came to be known as
functionalism, that disagreed with the focus of Structuralism. James argued that the mind is
constantly changing, and it is pointless to look for the structure of conscious experience. Rather,
he proposed the focus should be on how and why an organism does something,
i.e. the functions or purpose of the brain.

CPC 100 (Lecture No.01 – Introduction to Psychology)

LECTURER –SUNETHRA BANDARA
The Perspectives of Psychology
1. The Psychodynamic Perspective
2. The Behavioral Perspective
3. The Cognitive Perspective
4. The Biological Perspective
5. The Cross-Cultural Perspective
6. The Evolutionary Perspective
7. The Humanistic Perspective

CPC 100 (Lecture No.01 – Introduction to Psychology)

LECTURER –SUNETHRA BANDARA
1. The Psychodynamic Perspective
• The psychodynamic perspective originated with the work of Sigmund Freud.
• This view of psychology and human behavior emphasizes the role of the unconscious
mind, early childhood experiences, and interpersonal relationships to explain human
behavior, as well as to treat mental illnesses.
2.The Behavioral Perspective
• Behavioral psychology focuses on learned behaviors and suggested that psychology should define
itself as the scientific study of actual, overt behavior rather than invisible thoughts and images,
because these behaviors could be controlled and measured in laboratory settings.
• It was founded on the work of psychologists such as Edward Thorndike and John B. Watson.
• To behaviorists, their experimental studies (classical conditioning, operant conditioning, Little
Albert experiment, Learned helplessness ect.) provided convincing evidence that psychological and
psychiatric problems could be explained, and ultimately treated, using behavioral principles
• Behaviorism differs from other perspectives because it focuses solely on observable behaviors
rather than on emphasizing internal states.

CPC 100 (Lecture No.01 – Introduction to Psychology)

LECTURER –SUNETHRA BANDARA
3. The Cognitive Perspective
• During the 1960s, a new perspective known as cognitive psychology emerged.
• Influenced by psychologists such as Jean Piaget and Albert Bandura, the cognitive perspective
has grown tremendously in recent decades.
• This area of psychology focuses on mental processes like memory, thinking, problem-solving,
language, and decision-making.
• Cognitive psychologists often utilize an information-processing model (comparing the human mind
to a computer) to conceptualize how information is acquired, processed, stored, and utilized.

CPC 100 (Lecture No.01 – Introduction to Psychology)

LECTURER –SUNETHRA BANDARA
4. The Biological Perspective
• It focuses on the nervous system, hormones and genetics.
• Biological approach examines the relationship between mind and body, neural mechanisms, and
the influence of heredity on behavior.
• Researchers with a biological perspective on psychology might look at how genetics influence
behavior or how damage to specific areas of the brain affect personality.
• The biological approach believes behavior to be as a consequence of our genetics and physiology.
• It is the only approach in psychology that examines thoughts, feelings, and behaviors from a
biological and thus physical point of view.

CPC 100 (Lecture No.01 – Introduction to Psychology)

LECTURER –SUNETHRA BANDARA
5.The Cross-Cultural Perspective
• Cross-cultural psychology is a fairly new perspective that has grown significantly in the last twenty
years. Psychologists and researchers in this school of thought look at human behavior across
different cultures.
• It investigate how culture influences our thinking and behavior.
For example, researchers have looked at how social behaviors differ in individualistic and
collectivistic cultures.
✓ In individualistic cultures (such as the United States) people tend to exert less effort when they are part of a group—a
phenomenon known as social loafing.
✓ In collectivistic cultures (such as China), people tend to work harder when they are part of a group.

CPC 100 (Lecture No.01 – Introduction to Psychology)

LECTURER –SUNETHRA BANDARA
6. Evolutionary Perspective
• Evolutionary psychology focuses on the study of how the theory of evolution can explain
physiological processes.
• Psychologists who take this perspective apply the basic principles of evolution (like natural
selection) to psychological phenomena.
• The evolutionary perspective suggests that these mental processes exist because they serve an
evolutionary purpose—meaning that they aid in human survival and reproduction.

CPC 100 (Lecture No.01 – Introduction to Psychology)

LECTURER –SUNETHRA BANDARA
7. The Humanistic Perspective
• In the 1950s, a school of thought known as humanistic psychology arrived. It was greatly
influenced by the work of prominent humanists such as Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow.
• The humanistic perspective emphasizes the role of motivation in thought and behavior.
Concepts such as self-actualization are essential.
• Psychologists with a humanist perspective focus on what drives humans to grow, change, and
develop their personal potential.

CPC 100 (Lecture No.01 – Introduction to Psychology)

LECTURER –SUNETHRA BANDARA
The Goals of Psychology
• To Describe - Describing a behavior or cognition is the first goal of psychology. This can enable
researchers to develop general laws of human behavior
• To Explain - Once researchers have described general laws behavior, the next step is to explain
how or why this trend occurs. Psychologists will propose theories which can explain a behavior.
• To Predict - Psychology aims to be able to predict future behavior from the findings of empirical
research. If a prediction is not confirmed, then the explanation it is based on might need to be
revised.
• To Change - Once psychology has described, explained and made predictions about behavior,
changing or controlling a behavior can be attempted.

CPC 100 (Lecture No.01 – Introduction to Psychology)

LECTURER –SUNETHRA BANDARA
Methods of Psychology
➢Case History
➢Naturalistic Observation
➢Survey Method
➢Experimental Method
➢Correlation

CPC 100 (Lecture No.01 – Introduction to Psychology)

LECTURER –SUNETHRA BANDARA
INTERESTING,
RIGHT?