Psychological Processes

Psychological processes in psychology refer to internal, invisible activities

in our minds. They include thinking, reasoning, problem-solving. These
processes make the basis of our actions, decisions, and feelings.
Psychologists study psychological processes to understand human behavior
better. They use methods like “observation” to explore how mental activities
influence our daily lives. Understanding these processes helps in developing
strategies that improve mental health and well-being. Psychological
processes are essential for a human being. They play a crucial role in
shaping our personality and behavior.
Basic Psychological Processes
1. Sensation
2. Perception
3. Speech
4. Thought
5. Attention
6. Memory
7. Imagination
8. Emotion
 1.Sensation
In psychology, sensation is the detection by the body of an external
or internal stimulus through the senses. It is the step prior to
perception, taking place before the brain is able to interpret what the
stimulus, which was just detected, means.
The sensation is produced thanks to the different types of receptors
that we have throughout the body, normally concentrated in the
sensory organs. This process is necessary for the normal functioning
of the psyche. In the state of sensory isolation, there are disturbances
in thinking, hallucinations, pathologies of self-perception.
sensory organs
Sensation and Perception Process
 2.Perception
Perception is the process through which we select, organize, and
interpret our sensations in a meaningful way. It starts when we see any
objects in the environment around us. The perceiving way of two
different people probably will not be the same.
When the receptors are stimulated, information can be transmitted to
the brain causing sensation then perception.
Receptors are the specialized cells of the nervous system that are
sensitive to stimuli. We have receptors located in the eyes, ears, nose,
mouth, and skin, etc. When the information reaches the receptors the
response of these cells is called the receptor process.
 Sensation and Perception Process
Sensation and perception are two separate
processes that are very closely related.
Sensation is input about the physical world
obtained by our sensory receptors, and
perception is the process by which the
brain selects, organizes, and interprets
these sensations. In other words, senses
are the physiological basis of perception.
Perception of the same senses may vary
from one person to another because each
person’s brain interprets stimuli differently
based on his/her learning, memory,
emotions, and expectations.
INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT SENSATION AND PERCEPTION
 3.Speech
One of the main differences of a man from an
animal, the difference reflecting the laws of his
physiological, mental and social development, is
the presence of a special mental process, called
speech. Speech is the process of communicating
people through language. In order to be able to
speak and understand someone else's speech, you
must know the language and be able to use it.
 3.Speech
The concept of speech in psychology is defined as a system of
sound signals used by man. Some researchers have also
described Speech as a process of materialization and transmission
of thoughts.
Speech and language in psychology is a system of conventionally
accepted symbols that help to convey words, in the form of a
combination of sounds that have a certain meaning for people. The
difference between language and speech lies in the fact that
language is an objective, historically formed system of words, while
speech is an individual psychological process of the formation and
transmission of thoughts through language.
 3.Speech
Types of Speech
oral expressive
Speaking
Listening
Writing
Reading
written impressive

Linguistics Psychology
 Functions of Speech

Phatic: establishing an atmosphere or maintaining social contact

Directive: get the listener to do something
Informative: give information about facts
Interrogative: express feelings and attitudes of the speaker
Evocative: create certain feelings in the listener (amuse, startle,
soothe, worry or please)
Performative: language is used to do things, to perform actions
(making promises, giving orders, making apologies, declaring something and performing ceremonies
such as marriage)
 4. Thought

Thinking in psychology is the process of consciously

generating and manipulating thoughts and ideas in the mind.
Thinking is an essential process for humans. It allows us to
solve problems, learn new information, understand concepts,
and process our experiences. Thinking involves the entire
process of learning, remembering, and organizing mentally
to understand the information better and recall it later.
Different types of thinking
1.Abstract thinking
2.Analytical thinking
3.Creative thinking
4.Concrete thinking
5.Critical thinking
6.Convergent thinking
7.Divergent thinking
 Different types of thinking
Abstract thinkers are able to relate seemingly random things
with each other. This is because they can see the bigger picture.
They make the connections that others find difficult to see.
They have the ability to look beyond what is obvious and search for
hidden meanings. They can read between the lines and enjoy solving
cryptic puzzles. They don’t like routine and get bored easily.

Analytical thinkers like to separate a whole into its basic parts in

order to examine these parts and their relationships. They are great
problem-solvers and have a structured and methodical way of
approaching tasks.
This type of thinker will seek answers and use logic rather than emotional
thinking in life. However, they have a tendency to overthink things and
can ruminate on the same subject for months.
 Different types of thinking
Creative thinkers think outside the box and will come up with
ingenious solutions to solve their dilemmas in life. They like to
break away from the traditions and norms of society when it
comes to new ideas and ways of thinking.

Concrete thinking focuses on the physical world, rather than the abstract one. It
is all about thinking of objects or ideas as specific items, rather than as a theoretical
representation of a more general idea.
Concrete thinkers like hard facts, figures and statistics. For example, you will not
get any philosophers who think in concrete terms. Children think in concrete terms
as it is a very basic and literal form of understanding.
 Different types of thinking
Critical thinkers exercise careful evaluation or judgment in order
to determine the accuracy, worth, validity, or value of something. And
rather than strictly breaking down the information, critical thinking
explores other elements that could have an influence on
conclusions.

Convergent thinking is a process of combining a finite number of perspectives or

ideas to find a single solution. Convergent thinkers will target these possibilities, or
converge them inwards, to come up with a solution.
One example is a multiple choice question in an exam. You have four possible answers
but only one is right. In order to solve the problem, you would use convergent thinking.
 Different types of thinking
By contrast, divergent thinking is the opposite of
convergent thinking. It is a way of exploring an
infinite number of solutions to find one that is
effective. So, instead of starting off with a set number
of possibilities and converging on an answer, it goes as
far and wide as necessary and moves outwards in
search of the solution.
 Thinking and speech
The connection between thinking and speech in psychology
There are several functions of speech, the main of which is to be a tool of thinking.
Thought is formulated in a speech form. The unity of thinking and speech in psychology is
reflected in the perception of the elements of reality, their understanding.
Speech is a form of thinking. Ask the question: "What language am I thinking now?".
And at this moment you realize this relationship. For each of us words act as an instrument of
thinking. When you explain your point of view verbally, with the help of phrases understandable
to others, you improve your thinking activity.
Psychology marks the main, common between the concept of thinking and speech:
their coexistence. The development of speech skills improves your own thinking. After all,
sometimes the need to communicate something important, not easy at first sight, requires a
careful thought over each word. The choice of expressions in this case requires you to go
deeply in the essence of the expressed thought .
Thinking and speaking are not synonyms. They are unity, the dominant role in which is given to
thinking.
 5.Attention
Psychology defines attention
consciousness on certain
processes. It includes our
information relevant to a task
other useless information.
as concentrating our
sensory inputs or
ability to focus on
at hand while ignoring
Types of Attention
 Types of Attention
1.Sustained Attention

Attracting attention is very easy for anyone, but it is definitely a

challenge to maintain it for any time.
Sustained attention is the ability to maintain that concentration
for a long time, even if the person is in repetitive activity.
It is a kind of attention that is commonly used for the majority
of learning and working activities. This kind of attention should
be very favorable, but it is quite difficult to achieve.
 Types of Attention
2.Selective Attention
When faced with a number of environmental stimuli, the human
brain naturally reacts by selecting a particular aspect to focus on.
This phenomenon is known as selective attention. Selective
attention is the ability to choose from many of the stimuli and
focus on just one you like or selected by your brain.
Almost all people in the world use this cognitive ability all the time
of action.
Every day people are generally exposed to many environmental
factors but their brain reacts only by concentrating on the specific
factors that matter most or those which people select to pay
attention.
 Types of Attention
3.Alternating Attention

The alternating attention is the ability to change or suddenly

move our concentration from one activity to another.
The brain immediately adapts this conversion, even if succeeding
activities have a different level of knowledge.
As we know, every day we need to make sudden changes in our
activities, for that we also need to shift our attention according to
their requirements.
 Types of Attention
4.Divided Attention

Divided attention is the ability of a person to concentrate on two

or more environmental stimuli or activities at the same time.
This ability is also called the ability to attend different attention
or the ability to multi-task.
Multi-tasking is a desirable talent for people who are gifted with
this capability. It means that it would be actually very hard for
other people to achieve this skill.
Divided attention can be learned through practice or
specialization in a particular type of activity.
INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT ATTENTION
 6.MEMORY
What is Memory
Memory is a function of the brain that allows humans to acquire, store
and retrieve information about different types of knowledge, skills and
past experiences. It is one of the most studied human functions in
Psychology.

Think of a moment in all the activities that you carry out in your daily life:
walking, talking, reading, cooking, working, and driving. All of them have
required a previous learning that are not possible without memory.
 Types of memory in psychology
Broadly, human memory can be classified into three types-
sensory, short-term, and long-term.

1.Sensory memory: Our senses take in information from the environment and store it in
our sensory memory. This information decays or fades away rapidly. When you see a
bright object and close your eyes immediately, you’ll see the object’s trace in your mind’s
eye for about two seconds or so. That’s sensory memory in action.
2.Short-term memory: Not everything we take in from our environment via our senses is
worth paying attention to. But some information is stored temporarily in our short-term
memory. Information stored in short-term memory lasts for about 20 seconds. When
you’re asked to write down a phone number, you hold it in your short-term memory till you
write it down. Then the number quickly disappears from your short-term memory.
3.Long-term memory: You probably remember your own phone number and the number
of people close to you. Why is that? It’s because you’ve transferred these numbers from
your short-term memory to your long-term memory. Information is stored in long-term
memory indefinitely.
 Long-term memory
Information that has been in short-term memory for a while is sometimes
passed on to long-term memory. What type of information is passed on
to long-term memory?
We can say that information that is rehearsed in short-term memory is
likely to get passed on to long-term memory. A good example would be
you remembering your own phone number. Others have likely asked for
your number over and over (rehearsal). So you passed this information
to your long-term memory.
When students cram before exam, their rehearsal passes information to
their long-term memory. Interestingly, they forget most of what they
learned as soon as they finish the exam. This shows that long-term
memory behaves like short-term memory in some ways.
 Long-term memory
Levels of processing
What information gets stored in long-term memory largely depends on the level at which
that information is processed.
What does it mean?
When you look at a word, you first look at its letters. You notice their colour, shape and size.
This is called shallow processing. When you think about what that word means, you’re
doing deep processing.
Studies show that deeply processed information leaves a stronger memory trace in long-
term memory. In other words, you’re likely to remember something for a long time if you
understand what it means.
So when you’re trying to remember new information, it helps to understand the meaning of
that information. Doing so is called elaborative rehearsal.
Elaborative rehearsal links new information to what you already know. That is why familiar
examples are so effective.
You may have forgotten much of what you learned in school, but you probably remember
the basic principles of some subjects because you understand them. This information has
lasted in your long-term memory because it’s deeply processed or semantically encoded.
This brings us to our first type of long-term memory:
 Long-term memory
Implicit Memory
What Is Implicit Memory?
Information that people don't purposely try to remember is stored in implicit memory,
which is also sometimes referred to as unconscious memory or automatic memory.

Implicit memory is also sometimes referred to as nondeclarative memory since you

are not able to consciously bring it into awareness.
Where explicit memories are conscious and can be verbally explained, implicit
memories are usually non-conscious and not verbally articulated. Implicit memories are
often procedural and focused on the step-by-step processes that must be performed in
order to complete a task.
Procedural memories, such as how to perform a specific task like playing football or
making toast, are one type of implicit memory, since you don't have to consciously recall
how to perform these tasks. While implicit memories are not consciously recalled, they
still influence how you behave as well as your knowledge of different tasks.
 Long-term memory
Examples of Implicit Memory
Some examples of implicit memory include typing on your computer keyboard, and
brushing your teeth. Riding a bike is another example. Even after going years without
riding one, most people are able to hop on a bike and ride it effortlessly.
Other examples of implicit memory may include:
•Knowing how to dress yourself each day
•Navigating a familiar area such as your house or neighborhood
•Recalling how to boil water or how to drive a car
These are skills that you learn and then don't have to relearn again in order to perform
them. These memories are largely unconscious and occur automatically; you don't need
to think about all steps you need to follow in order to complete each task.
Recap
Implicit memories are unconscious and automatic. This includes memories of how to
perform tasks that you do every day. Rather than consciously recalling how to do
something, for example, to ride a bike, you are able to perform the task without really
thinking about it.
 Long-term memory
Explicit Memory
What Is Explicit Memory?
When you're trying to intentionally remember something (like a
mathematical formula or your friend’s email), this information is stored in
your explicit memory. People use these memories every day, from
remembering information for a test to recalling the date and time of a
doctor's appointment.
Explicit memory is also known as declarative memory since you can
consciously recall and explain the information.
Types of Explicit Memory
•Episodic memory: These are your long-term memories of specific
events, such as what you did yesterday or your high school graduation.
•Semantic memory: These are memories of facts, concepts, names,
and other general knowledge.
Interesting facts about memory
 7.IMAGINATION
Imagination is the property of the psyche to create images in the
mind. All processes that take place in images are called
imaginations. Imagination as a mental process is visual-figurative
thinking, thanks to which a person can navigate, look for a solution to
problems without direct intervention of practical actions. This process is
very significant, especially in cases where it is impossible or difficult to
carry out the necessary practical action, or it is simply inappropriate.
7. IMAGINATION
 7.IMAGINATION
Creative imagination is an important cognitive ability that allows
individuals to generate new ideas, recognize new patterns, and envision
alternative solutions to problems. While creative imagination is often
associated with creative activities such as painting and writing, it is also an
important cognitive ability that can be used in a variety of contexts.
For example, creative imagination is essential to innovation,
allowing individuals to identify and explore new opportunities, solve
complex problems, and develop innovative products and services. While
creative imagination is often viewed as a mysterious process, research has
identified several cognitive abilities that support it and ways in which it can
be developed.
 7.IMAGINATION
Reproductive imagination - is the type we use when we seek to
reproduce in our minds the pictures described by others, or pictures
from our own past experience which lack the completeness and
fidelity to make them true memory.
The narration or description of the story book, the history or
geography text; the tale of adventure recounted by traveler or hunter;
the account of a new machine or other invention;
fairy tales and myths are the field for reproductive imagination.
In this use of the imagination our business is to follow
and not lead, to copy and not create.
 7.IMAGINATION
Role of Images in Mental life
Enjoyment:
Imagination gives pleasure to a person. He can remember past stories of great enjoyment and imagine
himself enjoying them over again. He can anticipate future experiences full of joy and derive pleasure
from them. Vivid imagination is a source of great delight.
Sympathy:
Sympathy is the ability to share the feelings and emotions of other people. This depends upon the ability
to put oneself in the place of others, and this involves imagination. Thus sympathy depends upon
imagination. We can enjoy a drama by identifying ourselves with the imaginary characters. Children can
enjoy stories of the people of other lands and other times by means of their vivid imagery.
Creative Work:
Creating interesting scenes, making grand designs, inventing machinery depend on creative
imagination. Engineering, architecture, sculpture, painting, music, poetry, drama and novels utilises
creative imagina­tion.
 7.IMAGINATION
Misuse of Imagination
Telling Lies:
Young children have very vivid images. So they are apt to mix up images with percept. This is the
reason why sometimes they tell lies. They cannot distinguish between things perceived and creatures of
their imagination.
Night Fears:
Many night fears of young children are due to the confusion of images with percept. They vividly
imagine ghosts, giants, demons or hobgoblins in the dark corners of a room when alone at night, and
seem to perceive them actually. Their vivid images are hallucinations.
Imaginary Companions:
Little children three or four years old often experience imaginary companions. They have vivid images
of playmates and confuse them with percept. They play with imaginary companions when they are all
alone.
Living in Unreality:
The introvert child flies away from reality and lives in an imaginary world. Excessive daydreaming is
harmful. It makes the child diffident and unable to cope with the world. In adolescence also persons
indulge in daydreams and substitute an imaginary world for a real world.
 8. EMOTION
Emotions are reactions that human beings experience in
response to events or situations. The type of emotion a person
experiences is determined by the circumstance that triggers the
emotion. For instance, a person experiences joy when they receive
good news and fear when they are threatened.
Emotions have a strong influence on our daily lives. We make
decisions based on whether we are happy, angry, sad, bored, or
frustrated. We also choose activities and hobbies based on the
emotions they incite.
 8.Basic Emotions
During the 1970s, psychologist Paul Eckman identified six basic emotions that he
suggested were universally experienced in all human cultures. The emotions he
identified were happiness, sadness, disgust, fear, surprise, and anger.
8. EMOTION
LET’S MAKE A SHORT-TERM MEMORY TEST
Look at these words for about 30 seconds and try to remember as many as you can

VASE TEAPOT

TIGER CAMERA

BOOK ICE CREAM

CUSHION SPACE

PIANO HOUSE

HAT ORANGE
 What is your score?
Is this a good score?
Let's compare this to average short term memory
scores. Psychologists found that in our short term
memory, the average number of fragments of
information (names, numbers, etc) that can be stored is
7, + or - 2.
This means that if you scored between 5 and 9 of the
words on the list, your short term memory is working at
an average capacity.
Thank you for your attention!!!