What is Psychology? Definition of psychology as a science Definition of psychology as a science briefly

Psychology is a very interesting and not fully understood science. Psychology studies the human subconscious and how the human brain behaves in various situations. Psychology can be divided into two types: fundamental and applied. The main processes that fundamental psychology considers are sensations, perception, attention, representation, memory, imagination, thinking and speech. Fundamental psychology also studies mental properties and mental states. Applied psychology is a science that studies the practical significance of human behavior. If you delve into this science, you can find out that it studies such phenomena as puberty, social thinking, and in general all the psychological changes that occur to a person throughout his life.

Psychology in ancient times was associated with philosophy, as it studied things that people could not see. Psychology is one of the sciences that studies the human body, but has studied only a small fraction.

Psychology gained practical importance during the Cold War between the USA and the USSR, at a time when the war was waged not by armies, but by intelligence officers and spies. The intelligence officers had a very serious psychological impact, and the Soviet Union reached certain heights using psychological weapons. One of the types of such weapons was ultrasound, human ears do not perceive it, but the impact of such sound on the human brain is great. cold war ended, and data on psychological weapons were classified, and after destroyed, only a small fraction was leaked to the public.

V modern world man needs psychology more than ever. After all, each of us is surrounded by stress and problems, often there are children's psychological trauma from some kind of fear or stress. Most of all, children are subject to psychological diseases, since in the modern world, lust, depravity, and violence are everywhere. The computer has a great influence, because if a child plays cruel games from childhood, then he will splash out this cruelty on others. To prove this, it is enough to give the example of Sasha from Ukraine. At the age of fourteen, Sasha spends all his time at the computer and playing violent games, and this seriously affects his psyche. He ceases to take the rules of respect for granted, beats his relatives, splashes out all the anger on his closest ones. A group of psychologists decided to help him and issued an unconsoling verdict - a severe mental deviation from the norm. Sasha was placed in a psychological dispensary, where he will undergo a rehabilitation course. But even if he comes out, he will still never become a full-fledged person, because having experienced this, it is impossible to return to his usual way of life.

Psychology today has studied only a small fraction of the knowledge that the human brain hides, because the limits of its knowledge are endless and great.

But psychology is not only diseases, it is also the knowledge of oneself and one's abilities. After all, everyone is interested in how his brain works, and what he is capable of. Millions of scientists compile psychological tests for people who are interested in knowing themselves. All these tests indicate the predisposition of a person to various kinds of activities. After all, knowing what you are more inclined to, and what is best for you, you can easily take your place in life and enjoy it not only physically, but also mentally. But you can study the mysteries of the subconscious endlessly, because as soon as you solve one riddle, new ones will immediately appear and will also not give you rest, and this can continue indefinitely.

Psychology is the science of the human mind and behavior. The word "psychology" comes from the Greek words "psyche", meaning breath, spirit, soul, and "logia", meaning the study of something.

According to the Medilexicon Medical Dictionary, psychology is "the profession (clinical psychology), the scientific discipline (academic psychology), and the science (research psychology) that deals with human and animal behavior and the mental and psychological processes associated with that behavior."

While psychology may include the study of the brain and behavior of animals, this article focuses solely on the psychology of humans.

At the end of some paragraphs, an introduction to the new developments described in the MNT news stories is given. You can also use our links to information on relevant mental conditions.

Psychology is the expression in words of what cannot be expressed in them.
John Galsworthy

Facts about psychology

More detailed information is given in the main part of the article:

• Psychology is the study of behavior and the psyche
• We are unable to physically see mental processes such as thoughts, memories, dreams, and sensations.
• Clinical psychology combines science, theory and practice.
• Cognitive psychology studies internal mental processes, how people think, perceive and communicate.
• Developmental psychology studies how people develop psychologically over the course of their lives.
• Evolutionary psychology studies how psychological changes during evolution have affected human behavior.
• Forensic psychology is the application of psychology to the process of investigating crimes and to legislation.
• Health psychology studies the impact of health on behavior, biology, and socialization.
• Neuropsychology studies the functioning of the brain in relation to various behaviors and psychological processes.
• Employment psychology examines how people perform work in order to develop and understand the functioning of organizations.
• Social psychology studies the effect on people's behavior and thoughts of the actual or perceived presence of other people.

Psychology is a science that studies the activity of the brain

The brain is inherently complex and mysterious. Many wonder how psychologists can even study such a complex, abstract, and highly sophisticated subject. Even if scientists look inside the brain, such as during an autopsy or during a surgical operation, all they see is the gray matter (the brain itself). Unlike, for example, skin peeling or heart disease, thoughts, cognition, emotions, memories, dreams, sensations, etc., simply cannot be physically seen.

Experts say that the approach taken in psychology is not very different from other sciences. As in other sciences, experiments are developed in psychology that reinforce or refute theories and expectations. For a physicist, the data to be processed during an experiment may come from atoms, electrons, the application or termination of heat, while for a psychologist, such sources of data are human behavior.

For a psychologist, human behavior is used as evidence, or at least an indication of the functioning of the brain. We are unable to observe the workings of the brain directly; however, in fact, it influences all of our actions, feelings, and thoughts. That is why human behavior is used as a source of information to test psychological theories about how the brain works.

What is psychology like compared to other sciences?

Various areas of psychology

But we can distinguish the largest areas of psychology, such as:

Clinical psychology

In other words, clinical psychology is the scientific study and application of psychology to understand, prevent and eliminate stress or impairment (disability) caused by psychological causes in order to improve the health and personal development of the patient.

The basis of the practice of clinical psychology is psychological assessment and psychotherapy ("what is psychotherapy"). However, clinical psychologists are also often involved in research, teaching, forensic examination and to other areas.

cognitive psychology

Cognitive psychology focuses on how people receive, process and store information. It is often said that cognitive psychology is the study of intelligence. Practical applications of cognitive research may include improving memory, improving decision accuracy, or modifying curricula to speed up the learning process.

Developmental psychology

Developmental psychology refers to any psychological factors that operate during a person's life, including such as motor skills, problem solving, moral understanding, language acquisition, the formation of emotions, personality, self-esteem and identity.

Developmental psychology also studies and compares innate mental structures with those acquired through experience. For example, babies are thought to be born with LAD (Innate Language Acquisition Ability).

The developmental psychologist will be interested in how the LAD works in relation to infant development and experience, and how the two mechanisms are related. He will also be interested in the interaction of human characteristics with environmental factors and how this interaction affects development.

Developmental psychology overlaps with a number of other areas of psychology, as well as with other disciplines such as linguistics.

Evolutionary psychology

Some evolutionary psychologists have suggested that language acquisition is an innate ability that makes language learning an automatic process, but not related to reading and writing. In other words, they believe that our ability to learn a language is innate, while the ability to read and write is acquired (language learning is automatic, but we need to be taught to read and write). A person born in a city where French is spoken will speak French by the age of 20. However, if he is not specially taught to read, he will remain illiterate - the language is automatically acquired if it exists around you, but reading and writing are not.

An evolutionary psychologist is sure that the psychological characteristics of a person are the result of the adaptation of our ancestors to survive in an everyday environment.

Forensic psychology

Forensic psychology involves understanding the criminal law in the relevant jurisdiction in order to interact with judges, lawyers, and other professionals in the legal system.

Forensic psychology also studies the ability to testify in court, present psychological findings in court in legal language, and provide data to legal professionals in a way they can understand.

A forensic psychologist must understand the rules, standards, and philosophy of the legal system being used.

Health psychology

Health psychology is also called behavioral medicine or medical psychology. This branch of psychology studies how behavior, biology, and social environment influence disease and health. While the physician treats the disease, the health psychologist focuses more on the sick person, ascertaining his/her social and economic status, the conditions and behavior that can influence the disease (for example, strict adherence to medical prescriptions), as well as the biological basis of the disease. The goal of such a psychologist is to improve the overall health of the patient by analyzing the disease in the context of biopsychological factors. "Biopsychological" here refers to the biological, psychological and social aspects as opposed to the strictly biomedical aspects of the disease.

Health psychologists usually work alongside other health professionals in a clinical setting.

Neuropsychology

A neuropsychologist uses neuropsychological assessment—a systematic evaluation procedure—to determine the extent of any possible behavioral problems following a patient's suspected or diagnosed brain injury. After the diagnosis is established, some patients receive an individual protocol of cognitive correction - a treatment that helps the patient overcome their cognitive defects.

The psychology of employment

According to the British Psychological Society, the psychology of employment "is concerned with the performance of people at work and during training, how organizations function, and how individuals and small groups behave at work. The purpose of this branch of psychology is to increase the effectiveness of an organization, and improved job satisfaction for the individual."

Social Psychology

Simply put, a social psychologist studies the influence of other people on human behavior.

Psychology, in the conventional sense, is an extremely simple science.
People who are not able to drive a nail on their own or rhyme a couple of lines have no doubts about their ability to understand and judge others.
In extreme manifestations, this becomes the meaning of life and a source of self-affirmation.
Sergey Lukyanenko. Reflection maze

History of psychology

Biological psychology was created by Pierre Cabanis (France) in 1802. The psychologist Cabanis wrote a well-known essay entitled "Relations between the physical and moral aspects of man" ("Rapports du physique et du moral de l" homme"). He interpreted the psyche in accordance with his previous studies in biology, considering that sensitivity and soul are part nervous system.

The year 1879 can be considered the birth of modern psychology. This year, the German physician Wilhelm Wundt established psychology as a completely independent experimental field of research. He opened the first laboratory at the University of Leipzig, in which he conducted exclusively psychological research. Today, Wundt is considered the father of psychology.

In 1980, the American psychologist William James published the Principles of Psychology, which has been discussed by psychologists around the world for many decades.

The first psychologist to study memory exclusively was Hermann Ebbinghaus (1850-1909) of the University of Berlin. Psychologist Ivan Pavlov (1849-1936) today is known even among ordinary people thanks to the term "Pavlov's dog". He studied learning processes called "classical conditioning".

Psychoanalysis

At present, such areas as behaviorism, psychoanalytic theory, and the theory of cognitive perception have appeared in psychologists. Psychology has become much more multifaceted.

Sigmund Freud (1856-1939), (Austria) developed psychoanalysis - a method of psychotherapy ("What is psychotherapy?"). His understanding of the psyche was largely based on interpretation, introspection and clinical observation. Freud focused on resolving unconscious conflicts, mental illness and psychopathology.

Freud's theories about sexuality and the subconscious psyche became known, probably because sexuality was a taboo topic in those days. The basic principle of Freud's theory is that the subconscious mind is responsible for most of the thoughts and behavior of each person, as well as for mental disorders or diseases. Freud had a significant influence on the psychiatrist Carl Young (Switzerland).

Structuralism versus functionalism

Structuralists and functionalists passionately disagree with each other. Most of them agree that there will never be a clear winner in their dispute - but their discussion has led to a rapid spread of psychology in the US as well as in other parts of the world. The first psychological laboratory in the United States was opened by Stanley Hall at Johns Hopkins University.

Behaviorism

Behaviorism focuses on how people learn new behaviors in the environment. This direction has become very popular in the USA, where among the followers of Watson one can name the psychologist B.F. Skimmer.

Humanism

The humanist movement places great value on our emotions, free will, and subjective perceptions of sensations.

cognitive theory

Cognitive theorists believe that we take in information from our environment through our senses and then mentally process that data by organizing it, manipulating it, and relating it to the information we have previously accumulated. Cognitive theory applies to language, memory, learning, perceptual systems, mental disorder, and dreams.

Present day

the science of the laws of development and functioning of the psyche as a special form of life, based on the manifestation in self-observation of special experiences that are not related to the outside world. The field of knowledge about the inner - mental - world of man. The term originated in the 16th century. and means the actual doctrine of the soul or the science of the soul. In the strict sense, it is understood as a science of the psyche, and a psychologist is a person professionally engaged in psychology in theoretical and practical terms, including helping people in certain situations.

The separation of psychology from philosophy occurred in the second half of the 19th century. This became possible due to the development of objective experimental methods that replaced introspection, and the formation of a special subject of human psychology, the main features of which were activity activity and the appropriation of socio-historical experience.

Psychology occupies a very special place in the system of sciences. Causes:

1) it is the science of the most complex that is known to mankind so far;

2) in it, as it were, the object and subject of cognition merge; only in it does thought make a turn on itself, only in it does the scientific consciousness of man become his scientific self-consciousness;

3) its practical consequences are unique - they are not only incommensurably more significant than the results of other sciences, but also qualitatively different: since to know something means to master it and learn how to manage it, and managing your mental processes, functions and abilities is the most ambitious task; moreover, knowing himself, a person thereby changes himself.

In historical terms, two fundamentally different stages in the development of psychology can be distinguished - the stages of pre-scientific psychology and scientific psychology. When it is simply about psychology, it is usually scientific psychology that is meant.

In general, psychology faces a twofold task: to further develop theoretical research and adequately solve—sometimes urgently—practical problems. This vocation of psychology gives reason to consider it as a scientific study of behavior and mental processes, including mental activity, as well as the practical application of acquired knowledge.

Psychology has already accumulated a lot of facts about how new knowledge about oneself makes a person different, changes his attitudes, goals, states and experiences. We can say that psychology is a science that not only cognizes, but also constructs, creates a person.

Psychology is a living, emerging, developing field of knowledge and practice. Many approaches, directions, theories coexist in it, not mutually agreeing in everything, and sometimes difficult to correlate: based on different philosophical systems, with different conceptual apparatuses, different explanatory principles. In psychology, there is no single paradigm - the dominant theoretical and practical system that defines science as a whole. Moreover, many of its directions fundamentally do not adhere to traditional scientific principles, avoid deep theoretical constructions, without asking for serious self-justification, and to a large extent turn out to be the art of working with the human spiritual world. There is also no agreement on what psychology should study in the first place, what its subject matter is.

Object of psychology; although psychology literally means the science of the soul, the question of the reality of the soul is still debatable from traditional scientific positions; until the soul can be "scientifically" discovered and proved or disproved its existence, experimented with it. The soul remains empirically elusive. This is one of the features of psychology. If we talk not about the soul, but about the psyche, the situation will not change: the psyche is just as elusive. But for everyone, the existence of a certain subjective reality, a world of mental phenomena in the form of thoughts, experiences, ideas, feelings, impulses, desires, and other things is quite obvious; it can be considered an object of psychology. Although this psychic reality is different for everyone, we can assume that it is formed according to common basic principles, try to discover and explore them.

Another feature of psychology is that, leaving the psyche as an object of reflection, it cannot make it an object of direct research: one has to look for other objects and through their study - indirectly - draw conclusions about the psyche itself. The choice of such a "secondary object" depends on what is considered the main thing that determines mental life - on the explanatory principle that is proposed by a certain school of science.

The subject matter of psychology has changed over time. During the reign of introspection, it was inextricably linked with its method and represented the sphere of human consciousness. In the second decade of the 20th century, in connection with the debunking of the method of introspection, there was a change in the subject of psychology: it became human behavior. Thus, completely new facts were introduced into psychology - the facts of behavior. But consciousness as an object of psychology can be opposed not only to behavior (as internally observable - externally observable), but also unconscious mental processes - as observable only indirectly, through "side effects" (-> mental unconscious process). These processes have been studied especially intensively since the beginning of the 20th century, and already the first results dealt such a blow to the psychology of consciousness, which is quite commensurate with the blow of behaviorism.

From the standpoint of the theory of activity, the subject of psychology is the laws of generation and functioning of the reflection of the mental by an individual of objective reality in the process of human activity and animal behavior. Here, activity is taken as the original reality with which psychology deals, and the psyche is regarded as its derivative and as its integral side. So the psyche cannot exist outside of activity, and activity cannot exist outside the psyche. Simplifying, we can say that the subject of psychology is mentally controlled activity. A narrower point of view - the allocation as a subject of the psychology of activity indicative - the system of mental control of activity. In the practice of research, this was realized in line with two strategic lines: in one of them, activity acts as a subject of research, in the other, as an explanatory principle. Thus, ideas about the structure of activity, about its dynamics, forms, about the process of internalization, and so on, are the result of the implementation of the first line. And the application of the concepts and provisions of the theory of activity to the analysis of mental processes, consciousness, personality is the result of the implementation of the second line. Both lines are closely intertwined, and the success of each of them forms the basis for the development of the other.

The main problems of scientific psychology are:

1) a psychophysiological problem - about the relation of the psyche to its bodily substrate;

2) the psychosocial problem - about the dependence of the psyche on social processes and its active role in their implementation by specific individuals and groups;

3) a psychopraxical problem - about the formation of the psyche in the course of real practical activity and about the dependence of this activity on its mental regulators - images, operations, motives, personal properties;

4) a psychognostic problem - about the relationship of sensory and mental mental images to the reality they reflect, etc. The development of these problems is based on:

1) the principle of determinism - the disclosure of the conditionality of phenomena by the action of the factors that produce them;

2) the principle of consistency - the interpretation of these phenomena as internally connected components of an integral mental organization;

3) the principle of development - the recognition of transformation, changes in mental processes, their transition from one level to another, the emergence of new forms of mental processes.

In the course of developing the main problems of psychology, its categorical apparatus was formed, where the categories of image, motive, action, personality, etc. are distinguished. acquiring an independent status. The transformation of psychology into a bundle of branches is due to the demands of various areas of practice that confront psychology with specific problems. These problems are usually complex and developed by many disciplines. The inclusion of psychology in the composition of interdisciplinary research and participation in them is productive only when it enriches them with concepts, methods and explanatory principles inherent only to it. And in contacts with other sciences, psychology itself is enriched with new ideas and approaches.

A serious impact on the further development of psychology was the emergence and widespread use of computers, which assumed the performance of a number of functions that were previously the unique property of the human brain - the functions of accumulating and processing information, managing and controlling. This made it possible to widely use cybernetic and information-theoretical concepts and models in psychology, which contributed to the formalization and mathematization of psychology, the introduction of the cybernetic style of thinking with its advantages, due to the use of the logical and mathematical apparatus, computers and other things, but also with its obvious and implicit shortcomings associated not so much with the humanization of the machine, but with the "cybernetization" of man and living beings in general.

Automation and cybernetization have sharply increased interest in operational diagnostics and prognostics, effective use and cultivation of human functions that cannot be transferred to electronic devices, primarily creative abilities. The study of the problems of artificial intelligence and human creativity are becoming important areas of psychology.

Along with them, social psychology and management psychology are rapidly developing, solving problems related to the role of the "human factor" in the development of society, in management processes, as well as research related to space exploration, demographic, environmental and other topical problems of our time. The inclusion of psychology in the multifaceted context of the interaction of various social, natural and technical sciences gives particular sharpness to the methodological analysis of its conceptual means, explanatory principles, concepts and methodological procedures - in order to identify the most promising areas of its development.

PSYCHOLOGY

psycho + greek logos - science, teaching). The science of the patterns of development and functioning of the psyche as a special form of life.

P. ASSOCIANISTSKAYA. P.'s direction, which considers the ability to form associations from primary mental units as the basis of mental activity.

P. AGE studies the features of mental activity due to age.

P. DEEP. The direction of foreign psychology and psychiatry, the subject of which is the unconscious as a source of motives for human behavior and the causes of mental disorders. Includes psychoanalysis, Adler's individual psychology, Jung's analytical psychology, neo-Freudianism, etc.

P. CHILDREN'S. Section P. age.

P. INDIVIDUAL ADLERA. See Adler individual psychology.

P. CRIMINAL. Section of the legal (juridical) P., studying the psychological patterns of the formation of illegal attitudes and their implementation in criminal behavior. In recent years, it has become increasingly important, along with forensic psychiatric forensic psychological examination.

P. MEDICAL studies by psychological methods the peculiarities of the psyche of a sick person, as well as the psychological characteristics of the professional activity of medical workers, the relationship between them and patients. It includes pathopsychology, neuropsychology, somatopsychology, psychophysiology, socio-psychological diagnostics in relation to medical practice, medical professional orientation, psychological aspects of psychoprophylaxis, psychohygiene and psychotherapy.

P. "OBJECTIVE". P.'s direction, which studies mainly the body's reactions to the influence of external, situational factors, while abstracting from the subjective experiences of the patient.

P. SOCIAL. P., studying the patterns of behavior and activities of people, due to the factor of their entry into social groups, as well as the psychological characteristics of the groups themselves.

P. AGING. Gerontopsychology. He studies the features of the psyche during aging. Section of age P.

P. JUDICIAL. A branch of legal psychology that studies the mechanisms and patterns of people's activities in the investigation, judicial review and prevention of crimes.

P. LABOR explores mental activity, personal characteristics of a person in the process of labor activity. It is important for the organization of the rehabilitation of the mentally ill.

Psychology

Most often, the term is defined as "the science of the laws of development and functioning of the psyche." Other definitions offered by some scientists reflect their interpretation and, depending on the professional inclination, emphasize the leading role of the mind or behavior. Some psychologists even believe that the study of the human psyche cannot be considered a scientific discipline in the strict sense of the word at all.

PSYCHOLOGY

Psychology is simply impossible to define; indeed, it is not easy to characterize. Even if one does it today, tomorrow it will be seen as an inadequate effort. Psychology is what scientists and philosophers of various persuasions have created to try to understand the consciousness and behavior of various organisms from the most primitive to the more complex. Consequently, reality is not an object at all, it is about an object or about many objects. There are few boundaries here, and except for the canons of science and the ethical standards of a free society, there should be no limits either from its representatives or from its critics. It is an attempt to understand what has so far largely eluded understanding. Any attempt to limit or frame it implies that something is known about the limits of our knowledge, which is not true. As a discipline in its own right, it only emerged a century or so ago in the medical and philosophical faculties. From medicine she took the orientation that the explanation of what is done, thought and felt must ultimately lie in biology and physiology; from philosophy she took a class of deep problems concerning the consciousness of will and knowledge. Since then, it has been variously defined as "the science of the psyche", "the science of mental life", "the science of behavior", etc. All such definitions, of course, reflect the prejudices of those who give them rather than the actual nature of the field. In the course of writing this dictionary, a rather strange metaphor has emerged that seems to reflect, to some extent, an essential quality of our discipline. She is like an amoeba, relatively unstructured, but well identifiable as a separate entity with a particular mode of action in which she projects herself onto some new techniques, some new problem areas, some theoretical models, or even some other separate scientific fields, incorporating them and slowly and clumsily transforming into another form. Not very flattering, maybe for sure. For lexicographic problems, see psychologist.

PSYCHOLOGY

see psycho- + -logy] - the science of the laws of development and functioning of the psyche as a special form of life. Neuropsychology, pathopsychology, age-related psychology, pedagogical psychology, and special psychology stand out among the branches of psychology.

Psychology

the science of consciousness, mental activity and behavior of living beings, starting from the primitive and ending this series with a person, from their birth to the end of life (science does not currently know more highly organized beings than a person).

PSYCHOLOGY (MEASUREMENTS IN PSYCHOLOGY)

procedures for determining the quantitative expression of psychological phenomena. They use a variety of scales containing a certain set of positions put in some correspondence with psychological elements. According to the classification of scales proposed in 1946 by the American psychologist and psychophysicist S. S. Stevens, the following scales are distinguished: the ratio scale, the interval scale, the ordinal scale, and the nominal scale.

PSYCHOLOGY

psychology) is a science that studies the psyche and consciousness of a person, as well as his behavior. Psychology operates with such basic concepts as memory, rational and irrational thinking, intelligence, learning, personality, perception and emotions, and also studies their relationship with human behavior. Existing psychological schools differ in what philosophical concept they adhere to and what methods they use in their work. These include such schools of introspection as the school of Freud, Jung and Adler, as well as Gestalt psychology, behavioral and cognitive schools; Modern psychology is especially attracted by the schools of the latter trend (see Cognitive Psychology). Many practicing psychologists do not belong to any of these schools; some take eclectic positions. The various currents in psychology, on the other hand, are functional or professional subsections of psychology that are based on practical considerations. These include: anomalous, analytical, applied, clinical, comparative, evolutionary, educational, experimental, geriatric, industrial, child, physiological and social psychology. - Psychological.

Psychology

Word formation. Comes from the Greek. psyche - soul + logos - teaching.

Specificity. He studies the patterns of functioning and development of the psyche. It is based on the representation in self-observation of special experiences that are not related to the outside world. From the 2nd half of the nineteenth century. there was a separation of psychology from philosophy, which became possible due to the development of objective experimental methods that replaced introspection, and the formation of a special subject of human psychology, the main features of which were activity activity and the appropriation of socio-historical experience. The main philosophical problem of psychology is whether psychology should be considered as an objective, explanatory, hypothetical-constructive natural science or as a dialogue, understanding, interpreting, reconstructing humanities.

PSYCHOLOGY

from the Greek psushe - soul + logos - teaching, science) - the science of the laws of development and functioning of the psyche as a special form of life. The interaction of living beings with the surrounding world is realized through mental processes, acts, and states that are qualitatively different from physiological, but inseparable from them. For centuries, the phenomena studied by P. were designated by the general term “soul” and were considered the subject of one of the sections of philosophy, named in the 16th century. P. It was shown that mental processes, being the product of the interaction of the individual with the external environment, are themselves an active causal factor in behavior. If idealistic concepts incorrectly explained this activity by a special mental causality, cognizable through internal observation, then the natural scientific study of the genetically primary forms of the psyche approved the priority of objective methods, which later became decisive for P. Self-observation retains the importance of an important, but auxiliary source of information about the human psyche . Being a product and function of social processes, the consciousness of an individual subject has a systemic and semantic organization that gives properties to various manifestations of the psyche that qualitatively distinguish them from the psyche of animals. The possibility of comprehending the processes of consciousness, regardless of the subject's self-report about them, is due to the fact that they develop in the objective system of his relations with other people, the world around him. In the same system, peering into others, the subject acquires the ability to judge the internal plan of his behavior. Not all components of this plan can be translated into the language of consciousness, but even they, forming the sphere of the unconscious, serve as the subject of P. The inclusion of P. in interdisciplinary research and participation in them is productive only when it enriches them with concepts inherent only to it. , methods, explanatory principles. At the same time, as a result of contacts with other sciences, P. itself is enriched with new ideas and approaches that develop its content and categorical apparatus, ensuring its integrity as an independent science. P.'s inclusion in the multifaceted context of the interaction of various social, natural, and technical sciences gives particular sharpness to the methodological analysis of its conceptual means, explanatory principles, concepts, and methodological procedures in order to identify promising areas for its further development. P. conflicts is one of the areas of research in P. and at the same time the branch of conflictology. P. conflicts acts as a backbone branch of conflictology. Of the 16 sciences that study conflict, only P. studies all types of human conflicts (social, intrapersonal) and animal conflicts. Man is the central link in conflicts of all levels without exception. Therefore, knowledge of the P. of human behavior in conflicts is a condition for their explanation.

At all times, mankind has been interested in questions about what a person is: what determines the causes and patterns of his actions, the laws of behavior in society, the inner world. An intriguing task was to understand how mental images arise, what consciousness, thinking, creativity are, what are their mechanisms. All these and many other questions are being answered by psychology, which since its inception has been balancing between science, art and faith. What are the difficulties of its formation?

First, it is the science of the most complex of all that is known to mankind. Even the ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle, starting his treatise "On the Soul", wrote: "Among other knowledge, the study of the soul should be given one of the first places, since it is knowledge about the most sublime and amazing." And the great physicist A. Einstein, getting acquainted with the experiments of the famous psychologist J. Piaget, summarized his impressions in a paradoxical phrase that the study of physical problems is a child's game in comparison with the mysteries of the psychology of a child's game.

Secondly, in psychology, a person simultaneously acts both as an object and as a subject of cognition. A unique phenomenon occurs: the scientific consciousness of a person becomes scientific self-consciousness.

Thirdly, in psychological research, the difficult and ambiguously solved problem of objectivity is especially acute. scientific knowledge. Many scientists refused to recognize psychology as an objective scientific discipline, arguing that it is impossible to objectively study the subjective inner world of a person, which is directly open for knowledge only to him alone.

The difficulties of the formation and development of psychology are determined, finally, by the fact that it is a very young science. Despite the fact that questions about the essence and characteristics of the human psyche were raised in the works of ancient and medieval philosophers, scientific psychology received official formalization a little over a hundred years ago - in 1879, when the German psychologist W. Wundt opened the first experimental psychology laboratory in Leipzig.

The word “psychology” itself first appeared in the 16th century. in Western European texts. It is derived from the Greek words "psyche" (soul) and "logos" (knowledge, science): translated literally, psychology is the science of the soul. This definition does not correspond to modern views on psychological science. The title reflects the ideas about psychology, characteristic of the period of its origin and initial development within the framework of philosophy. According to the philosophical understanding of that time, it was the soul that acted as the subject of psychology - the main, essential beginning of objects of living nature, the cause of life, breathing, cognition, etc.

The formation of psychology as an independent, truly scientific discipline also took place against the background of discoveries that were made in the framework of natural science research. Psychology arose at the intersection of two large areas of knowledge - philosophy and natural sciences, and it has not yet been determined whether to consider it a natural science or a humanitarian one. The words "psychologist", "psychology" went beyond scientific treatises and developed in everyday life: psychologists are called connoisseurs of human souls, passions and characters; the word "psychology" is used in several meanings - it is understood as both scientific and non-scientific knowledge. In ordinary consciousness, these concepts are often confused.

Each person has a store of worldly psychological knowledge, the basis of which is life experience. We can understand another, influence his behavior, predict his actions, help him. Being a good everyday psychologist is one of the important requirements for specialists in those professions that involve constant communication with people, such as a teacher, doctor, manager, salesman, etc. The brightest examples of everyday psychology are those works of literature and art, which present a deep psychological analysis of life situations and motives for the behavior of heroes. The content of worldly psychology is embodied in rituals, traditions, proverbs, sayings, parables, rituals that consolidate centuries-old folk wisdom. In this regard, the question arises: is scientific psychology necessary, or, perhaps, the knowledge and experience accumulated in everyday psychology is enough to help a person overcome life's difficulties, understand other people and himself? To answer this question, it is necessary to realize the fundamental difference between worldly and scientific psychological knowledge. Three main differences are seen.

According to the degree of generalization of knowledge and the forms of their presentation. Everyday psychological knowledge is specific: it is associated with certain people, certain situations and particular tasks. The concepts of everyday psychology, as a rule, are characterized by vagueness and ambiguity. Scientific psychology, like any science, strives for generalizations. For this, scientific concepts are clearly defined and used, which reflect the most essential properties of objects and phenomena, general connections and relationships.

By the method of obtaining knowledge and the degree of their subjectivity. Everyday knowledge about human psychology is acquired through direct observation of other people and self-observation, through practical trial and error. They are intuitive, rather irrational and highly subjective. Knowledge of worldly psychology is often contradictory, fragmented and poorly systematized. The methods of obtaining knowledge in scientific psychology are rational, conscious and purposeful. The wealth of methods used by scientific psychology provides extensive, varied material, which, in a generalized and systematized form, appears in logically consistent concepts and theories. To test the hypotheses put forward in scientific psychology, scientists develop and organize special experiments, the essence of which is that the researcher does not expect a random manifestation of mental processes of interest to him, but creates special conditions to cause them.

Ways to transfer knowledge. The possibilities of transferring knowledge in everyday psychology from one person to another are very limited. This is primarily due to the fact that there are difficulties in the verbal formulation of individual psychological experience, the whole complex range of emotional experiences, at the same time there is a certain distrust in the reliability and truth of this kind of information. This fact is clearly illustrated by the age-old problem of "fathers" and "children", which consists precisely in the fact that children cannot and do not want to adopt the experience of their elders. Each generation learns from its own mistakes. The accumulation and transfer of scientific knowledge occurs in concepts and laws, scientific concepts and theories. They are enshrined in specialized literature and are easily passed on from generation to generation.

These differences show the advantages of scientific psychological knowledge. At the same time, we cannot deny the need for everyday experience, which plays an important role in the development of psychology as a science. Scientific psychology:

• firstly, it is based on everyday psychological experience;
• secondly, it extracts its tasks from it;
• thirdly, at the last stage it is checked.

The concepts and concepts of scientific psychology influence people's worldly ideas about mental life. Scientific psychological concepts penetrate the spoken language, and people begin to actively use them to describe their states or personality traits. The result of the increased interest in scientific psychology in society has been the active development of popular psychology, which provides fundamental scientific knowledge to a wide audience, making them simpler and more understandable. The positive role of popular psychology is to form a general psychological culture of society and to attract interest in psychology as a scientific discipline.

1.2. Subject and basic principles of psychology.

The specificity of scientific knowledge is given by the subject of scientific research and the methods corresponding to it, which allow revealing the patterns of the studied phenomena. What is the subject of scientific knowledge in psychology? This is probably one of the most difficult questions. Throughout the history of the development of psychological thought, positions on it have undergone serious changes; there is no consensus on this matter among modern scientists. In the most general form, phenomena, facts and patterns of human mental life can be named as the subject of psychology as an independent scientific discipline. Psychic phenomena are understood as the internal, subjective experience of a person. The fundamental property of such an experience is its direct representation to the subject. This means that mental processes not only take place in us, but are also directly revealed to us: we not only see, feel, desire and think, but we also know that we see, feel, desire and think. Our inner world is like a big stage on which various events take place, and we are both actors and spectators. Mental life is not limited only to internal experience, there are a number of external manifestations of the psyche: acts of behavior, unconscious mental processes, psychosomatic relationships and other psychological facts in which the psyche openly reveals its properties, which makes it possible to study the mechanisms and patterns of its functioning.

Indeed, scientific knowledge requires not only a description of facts and phenomena, but also their explanation, which in turn implies the disclosure of laws and patterns that facts and phenomena obey. In connection with this, the subject of study in psychology is not only psychological facts and psychological phenomena, but also the laws of mental life. generalize and interpret it, put forward and test hypotheses. The main methodological principles of psychology are called:

The principle of determinism. According to this principle, everything that exists arises, changes and ceases to exist naturally. In psychological research, this means that the psyche is conditioned by the way of life and changes with changes in the external conditions of existence;

The principle of unity of consciousness and activity. Consciousness and activity are in continuous unity, but they are not identical to each other. Consciousness is formed in activity in order to influence this activity in turn, forming its internal plan;

development principle. The psyche can be correctly understood only if it is considered in continuous development as a process and result of activity. The study of any mental phenomenon should include a description of its features at the moment, the history of its emergence and formation, and development prospects.

1.3 Methods of psychology.

“A method is a way of cognition, it is a way by which the subject of science is known” (S.L. Rubinshtein). The doctrine of the method is a special area of ​​knowledge - methodology, which is defined as a system of principles and methods of organization, construction of theoretical and practical activities. The methodology of psychological research of the world is represented by several levels. The basic one, which creates the basis for all subsequent levels, is the philosophical level of methodology, represented by the most general principles of cognition of the world and worldview attitudes. Various philosophical systems offer their own explanations of the world and methods for achieving true knowledge. In psychology, over the entire history of its development, there have been several psychological trends, schools and concepts that come from different philosophical positions.

The second level of methodology is determined by general scientific principles that reflect the specifics of scientific knowledge of the world and science as a special sphere of human activity. The third level consists of concrete scientific principles of psychology. The following are research methods, which are ways of obtaining psychological facts and interpreting them. Finally, the last level of methodology is represented by specific empirical methods by which psychological data are collected and processed.

Modern psychology has an extensive system of various research methods and techniques, among which there are basic and auxiliary ones. The main methods of psychology include observation and experiment. Observation consists in a deliberate, systematic and purposeful perception of human behavior. Objective observation in psychology is directed not at external actions in themselves, but at their psychological content; scientific observation is characterized not just by the recording of facts, but by their explanation and interpretation. Observation can be carried out both in the natural conditions of human life and in a specially organized experimental environment. In research practice, the following types of observation are used:

Depending on the nature of the interaction with the object: included and third-party. In included observation, the researcher acts as a direct participant in the process he is observing, which allows him to get a holistic view of the situation. Surveillance takes place without any interaction or contact with those being monitored;

Depending on the position of the observer: open and hidden. In the first case, the researcher opens his role for the observed - the disadvantage of such observation is the constraint in the behavior of the observed subjects, caused by the knowledge that they are being observed. In covert surveillance, the presence of the observer is not revealed;

Depending on the nature of the contact: direct and indirect. In the course of direct observation, the observer and the object of his attention are in direct contact; the process of mediated observation includes special means that allow obtaining more objective results: video or audio equipment, the Gesell mirror, which transmits light only in one direction, thanks to which it is possible to observe human behavior while remaining invisible, etc .;

Depending on the conditions of observation: field and laboratory. Field observation takes place in the conditions of everyday life and activities of the observed; laboratory is carried out in artificial, specially created conditions;

Depending on the goals: purposeful and random. Purposeful observation is systematic and specially organized; random has a search character and does not pursue clearly defined goals;

Depending on the temporary organization: continuous and selective. In the process of continuous observation, the course of events is fixed constantly. In selective observation, the researcher selectively monitors only certain moments of the observed process;

Depending on the ordering of the organization of observation: standardized and free. Standardized observation is carried out according to a specific, pre-designed scheme. Free observation does not have a set program and clear parameters.

In psychological research, self-observation is also widely used, in which the researcher's own experiences, feelings, thoughts and images are revealed. Each of these types of observation has its own advantages and disadvantages, its own opportunities for obtaining the most complete and reliable data. However, on the whole, the organization of the process of psychological observation presents a great difficulty, since its results depend on the personality of the observer, his attitudes, and his attitude to the observed phenomena. To reduce high degree subjectivity in obtaining and interpreting data requires strict adherence to the facts and their clear fixation. This increases the reliability of observations and helps to avoid errors.

Thanks to the experiment, psychology had the opportunity to overcome subjectivity in the knowledge of its subject, with the introduction of the method of experimental research, it began to develop as an independent science. S.L. Rubinstein identified four main features of the experimental method:

The researcher himself causes the phenomenon he is studying - in contrast to the observation, in which the observer cannot actively intervene in the situation;

The experimenter can vary, change the conditions for the flow and manifestation of the process under study;

In the experiment, it is possible to alternately exclude individual conditions in order to establish regular relationships that determine the process under study;

The experiment makes it possible to vary the quantitative ratio of the conditions and carry out mathematical data processing.

In psychology, the following types of experimental research are practiced:

A laboratory experiment is carried out under conditions specially created and carefully controlled by the researcher, in some cases equipment and devices are used, which ensures the scientific objectivity of the data obtained. The disadvantage of this type of research is the difficulty of transferring the results obtained in the experiment to real life. The artificiality and abstractness of laboratory conditions differ significantly from the conditions of human life;

The natural experiment removes the limitations of the laboratory experiment. Main advantage this method consists in combining the experimental nature of the study with the naturalness of the conditions. The idea of ​​conducting a psychological experiment in the natural conditions of people's lives belongs to the Russian psychologist R. Lazursky;

A formative experiment involves a targeted impact on the subject in order to form certain qualities in him. It can have a teaching and educating character;

the ascertaining experiment reveals certain mental characteristics and the level of development of the corresponding qualities.

Conversation (interview) - obtaining information in the process of direct communication. There are free interviews, in which there is no clear plan of conversation and there is minimal regulation, and structured, where answers are given to pre-prepared questions;

Testing - psychological diagnostics, involving standardized questions and tasks. In psychology, a large number of specialized tests have been created designed to measure various mental properties and qualities of a person: tests of intelligence, abilities, personality achievements, projective, and many others. Their use requires professional psychological training, since unprofessional testing can harm a person. Currently, there are also many so-called popular tests. As a rule, they are published in newspapers, magazines, literature accessible to the general reader. Such tests are not actually psychological, professional tools and are intended for self-testing; special training is not required;

Analysis of products of activity based on the general premise of the unity of internal mental processes and external forms of behavior and activity. By studying the products of activity, one can obtain important information about the mental characteristics of its subject. The products of activity that are subject to careful analysis in psychology are texts written by a person, objects and phenomena produced, drawn drawings, etc. Graphology, which allows drawing up a psychological portrait of his personality by the features and characteristics of a person’s handwriting, and content analysis, which aims to identify and evaluate the psychological characteristics of literary, scientific and journalistic texts and determine, on their basis, the personal characteristics of the author of these texts, are special forms of this method. In psychology, the study of the results of human visual activity is widely used; from this point of view, children's drawings are of particular value, which make it possible to understand the emotional state of the child, his attitude to the world around him, his parents, and himself.

In addition to the above methods, designed to collect primary data on the development of the psyche, psychology uses the methods of mathematical statistics, which act as a means of increasing the reliability, objectivity and accuracy of the results obtained.

1.4. Structure of modern psychology.

At present, psychology is a complex and branched system of scientific research directions, the structure of which is made up of many relatively independently developing branches. The expansion and enrichment of the structure of psychology is determined by the influence of two factors:

Firstly, the social life and activities of modern man are becoming more complex, therefore, psychology is faced with new tasks and questions, the answers to which require a thorough study of new psychological realities;

Secondly, the development of science itself, its research methods make it possible to constantly expand the horizons of psychology - today there are up to a hundred branches of psychology that are at different stages of their development and formation as independent scientific disciplines.

A special position among all areas is occupied by general psychology, which combines various branches into a holistic scientific knowledge. Studying the essence and general patterns of the emergence, functioning and development of the psyche, it is the methodological and theoretical basis of all psychological disciplines. An important place in the structure of psychological knowledge is occupied by the history of psychology, which focuses on the development of ideas about the nature and essence of the psyche from ancient times to the present day.

Branches of psychology are usually classified according to different criteria.

1. Branches of psychology that study the psychological problems of specific types of human activity:

   labor psychology explores the psychological characteristics of a person's labor activity, the psychological aspects of the scientific organization of labor;

   medical psychology studies the psychological aspects of health and illness, the psychological foundations of the activities of medical personnel;

   pedagogical psychology considers the psychological patterns of the processes of education and upbringing;

   legal psychology is subdivided into forensic psychology, which studies the mental characteristics of the behavior of participants in a criminal process, criminal psychology, which deals with the problems of behavior and personality formation of a criminal, the motives of a crime, as well as penitentiary psychology, which studies the psychology of a prisoner in correctional institutions;

   engineering psychology analyzes the processes of information interaction between a person and technical devices, solving the problems of engineering and psychological design in the "man - machine" system;

   sports psychology considers the psychological characteristics of the personality and activities of athletes, the conditions and means of their psychological preparation;

   industries that deal with the psychological aspects of advertising, business, management, creativity and many other human activities.

2. Branches of psychology that study various aspects mental development:

   developmental psychology traces the development of the psyche in ontogenesis - its sections are child psychology, adolescent psychology, youth psychology, adult psychology, gerontopsychology;

   comparative psychology studies the patterns, origin and development of the psyche of animals and humans;

   psychology of abnormal development, or special psychology, investigates disorders in the mental development of a child.

3. Branches of psychology that study the relationship of the individual and society:

   social psychology explores mental phenomena in the process of people's relationships with each other;

   ethnopsychology focuses on the ethnic characteristics of the psyche of people, ethnic stereotypes, etc.

Even the mention of a small part of the currently developing branches of psychology makes it possible to judge how multifaceted this science is. At the same time, psychology is a single scientific discipline based on a single subject of research and a single method and included in the general scientific context.

1.5. The place of psychology in the system of scientific knowledge.

An analysis of the main trends in the development of the world community and the forecasts of many scientists agree that the first century of the third millennium will be the century of the flourishing of the human sciences, the century of human knowledge and social science. B.G. Ananiev in his book “On the Problems of Modern Human Knowledge” wrote that “this is evidenced by three important features of the development of modern science, related specifically to the problem of man:

The transformation of the human problem into a general problem of all science as a whole, all its sections, including the exact and technical sciences;

Increasing differentiation of the scientific study of man, in-depth specialization of individual disciplines and their fragmentation into a number of more and more particular teachings;

Modern science more and more fully embraces the diverse connections and relations of man with the world: nature and man, society and man, man and technology.

The subject and object of the historical process is a personality in history; a natural individual with an inherent genetic development program and a certain range of variability;

the main productive force of society is the subject of labor; the subject of knowledge, communication, management and education.

Along with the process of differentiation of scientific knowledge about man, there is a counter process of integration. The tendency to combine various sciences, aspects and methods of human research into one or another complex system leads to the emergence of new border disciplines and the connection through their many previously distant areas of natural science and history, the humanities and technology, medicine and pedagogy. With the advent of cybernetics, the physical and mathematical sciences are approaching the study of man. Pharmacology is developing on the borders between biochemistry, endocrinology, physiology of higher nervous activity and psychology. At the junction between cybernetics, biology, physiology and psychology, the development of bionics is taking place with its main section - the modeling of brain systems, and above all, analyzers of the external environment. On the borders between cybernetics, physiology, psychology and pedagogy, a theory of programmed learning is being developed.

Science and practice feel the need for a unified theory of human knowledge, for the convergence and integration of all means of human cognition. The advancement of the human problem as common to all modern science radically changes the position of psychology in the system of sciences, since it is psychology that can become a link between all areas of human knowledge, a means of combining various sections of natural science and social sciences in a new, holistic knowledge about a person.

To overcome interdisciplinary disunity in the understanding of man, to create a general picture of his world is possible only by considering him as a kind of system. In his book “Man as an object of knowledge”, B.G. Ananiev points out: “Human science is the area where the systematic approach is organically conditioned and intensively developed. Here, a synthesis of knowledge should be carried out, lying, as it were, on different planes, but invariably crossing the plane of psychological knowledge. As a result, the components of psychological knowledge are included in the research of various humanities and natural sciences, and new perspectives for understanding the mental are opening up in psychology.

Domestic psychologist B.F. Lomov wrote that essential function psychology lies in the fact that it "is the integrator of all scientific disciplines, the object of study of which is a person." The interaction of psychology with other sciences is carried out through branches of psychological science: with social sciences through social psychology, with natural sciences through psychophysiology, comparative psychology, with medical sciences through medical psychology, with pedagogical ones through developmental psychology and pedagogical psychology, with technical ones through engineering psychology. , etc.

Thus, psychology has developed close ties with the scientific disciplines of all groups: natural, humanitarian and technical. An analysis of the content of psychological knowledge shows that it is not possible to accurately determine to which of the above groups psychology itself can be attributed. Psychology develops at the intersection of all three areas of scientific research.

Questions for self-examination.

1. What are the main differences between scientific and non-scientific psychological knowledge?
2. What are the features of psychology as an independent science?
3. What is the subject of psychological knowledge?
4. What are the main research methods in psychology?
5. What is the place of psychology in the structure of modern science?

Literature.

1. Gippeireiter Yu.B. Introduction to General Psychology: A Course of Lectures. M., 1988. Lekts.
2. Godfroy J. What is psychology. In 2 vols. T. 1. M, 1992. Ch. 2.
3. Nurkova V.V., Berezanskaya N.B. Psychology: Textbook. M., 2004. Ch. one.
4. Ananiev B.G. Man as an object of knowledge. SPb., 2001.
5. Slobodchikov V.I; Isaev E.I. Human psychology M, 1995.

The science of psychology appeared in the middle of the 19th century. She has come a long and difficult way in the study of the state of mind of the individual. With the help of this science, the character, attention, memory of a person is determined. Many people like psychology. It helps to understand not only the people around you, but also yourself. Psychology is very broad. You can write and talk about it a lot. In this article, we will look at some important aspects of the psychology of social groups and personality.

Psychology as a science

Consciousness, attention, memory, will, human soul - this is a whole science of personality. It's called psychology. Only through this science does a person know himself and those around him. Not everyone understands what psychology is. The definition is pretty simple. This is a science that studies the behavior, thoughts, processes of both humans and animals. A good knowledge of psychology helps to understand any personality. After all, everyone is interested, for example, what drives a child when he performs some action that is incomprehensible to parents. Or you want to understand what kind of inner world your boss has.

Psychology will answer all questions concerning the human soul. This science will help to correctly understand your loved one, child, director or subordinate. In order to understand themselves or a loved one, some people visit a psychologist on their own initiative. Just because they want to be happy. However, someone is afraid to turn to a psychologist, but in vain. If it doesn’t work out for you, a specialist will definitely help you understand the problem and sort it out. So we figured out the question of what psychology as a science is. Now you can understand the intricacies of personality.

Understanding personality in psychology

Man is an individual. It is unlikely that anyone asks the question: “What is a personality in psychology?”. This is the youngest psychological science. It is very extensive. Let's stop on the main thing.

No one even thinks that it is necessary to communicate loyally with a person, even with a small child. First of all, he is a person who deserves a normal attitude towards himself. After all, one person may not pay attention to your words, the other, on the contrary, passes even facial expressions through himself, not like words.

As you may have guessed, psychology is directly related to personality. A person thinks, pays attention to you, knows how to listen, manages his emotions, character, feelings, etc. All this is controlled by personal psychology. A person heard bad or good news, and accordingly showed certain emotions at that time. Any unpredictability affects the state of mind very much. Therefore, if you cannot cope with yourself, something is eating you, try to understand yourself first. Maybe you were stressed or overjoyed the other day, switch to a good, positive, but calm book, or just go for a walk. This will help you to relax and understand your inner world. Now you have an idea what a personality is in psychology? It has some subsections: character, state of mind, attention, thinking, etc.

Representation of memory in psychology

Memory is in some way a storage device that stores, and over time, voices some events or facts. It can be short term or long term.

Psychologists have identified several types of memory:

1. Visual - saw and remembered.
2. Auditory - heard, remembered, voiced after a while.
3. Motor - memorization of movements.
4. Tangible - remembering by touch.
5. Figurative - even after a certain time, the seen image pops up in memory.
6. Emotional - a person remembers the feelings he experienced earlier.

In principle, everyone understands what memory is in psychology. This is a very complex and difficult process. It is memory that helps to pass on our experience and knowledge to our children and grandchildren. This is the longest process. After all, it is not for nothing that a grandmother who is 80 years old will remember her experience of the time when she was only 25 or 30. Quite often a person may not remember some events from his life. This mainly happens when the information was very painful, and the memory erases this process on a subconscious level.

The manifestation of attention in psychology

If a person is focused on one object and observes it, what does this mean? Of course, attention. Without this psychological aspect, it would be difficult for a person to exist. Let's turn to the terminology to understand what attention is in psychology. This is the reaction of a living organism to external stimuli. When psychologists analyzed the types of attention, they concluded: there is selective attention (when it is possible to choose an object of attention), distributed attention (focusing on several objects at the same time), switched attention (attention is not constant). What happens to a person when he chooses an object of attention? Take, for example, a child who was shown a green square and the teacher asked, "What color?" Do you think he will answer on the merits? Maybe. However, it will definitely be noticed that this is a square that has corners, etc. Attention will not be focused only on color. It's the same with an adult. For example, you will meet your old friend, stop to chat, and in any case, you will divert your attention to some trifle. Therefore, when talking, you can miss an important detail. Attention cannot be evenly distributed to every object. This is how our brain functions.

In principle, what is attention in psychology has become clear. It's just that many do not think about such issues, and this is very important. Especially for parents who raise kids and get angry at them for inattention. Listen to psychologists.

Personality abilities in psychology

Many parents with the birth of a child understand that it needs to be put on its feet. What does this mean? Grow by itself, and even give him a decent education. From preschool age, children begin to go to sections in order to understand what abilities they have and begin to develop them. It can be art or music school, swimming, dancing, and more. others

A child, on the other hand, cannot take a brush in his hands and draw from birth, but, perhaps, he has the makings of this. They need to be developed. If the parents go the way that only they like, the child will not be able to use his abilities. Therefore, it is necessary to give your baby the opportunity to do what he likes. Only then will he have a chance to develop in the right direction and become a great artist or composer. Every person has talent. One parent was able to open it in early childhood, the other could not.

Personality temperament in psychology

Character is an individual trait of each person. Temperament refers to human behavior. I. P. Pavlov developed a very long time ago the main features of temperament and divided them into 4 types:

1. Sanguine - a cheerful person, does not detain his attention on one object. Sociable, but does not stay long in one place of work. Dislikes monotony. A new environment for him is only a joy, he is happy to make contact with strangers.

2. Phlegmatic - slow, calm, stormy emotions are extremely rare. He approaches any case very thoughtfully. Never take a wrong step. No one ever knows the true feelings of a phlegmatic.

3. Choleric - very mobile, emotions always overflow. He does not know how to restrain himself, he can flare up because of a trifle. As quickly as a choleric takes on a new job, just as quickly he will get tired of it. Sometimes people around hard to endure the choleric for his excessive mobility.

4. Melancholic - a passive person who does not like to be interested in anything new. Feelings and emotions in slow motion. Very quickly offended, upset, although he does not show it. He is closed and prefers loneliness rather than noisy companies. Melancholic people in their usual environment feel calm, confident.

In any work, knowledge of temperaments is necessary. This will make it easier to communicate with people.

Psychology of emotions

Very often people do not know what feelings are. This is the emotional state of the human soul, which is expressed by certain body movements, facial expressions or voice.

Since childhood, we hear about the cessation of emotions, that we need to express our feelings less. However, psychologists say otherwise. Each person should be able to throw away emotions, and not accumulate them for years. What causes diseases, mental disorders? From the fact that a person keeps all his feelings and emotions in himself for years. You need to be able to express your opinion everywhere: at work, at home, in communication with others. Thanks to emotions, a person quickly determines for himself all the needs he needs. Don't be afraid to let your feelings and emotions out. The circle that needs you will accept you. Others don't have to prove anything. After all, health is more valuable.

The Need for Psychology

A person does not always know what he needs. A need is something that a person is in dire need of. There are 3 types:

1. Labor need - a person needs to know the world, to work.

2. Developing need - a person learns, self-actualizes.

3. Social need - a person needs to communicate with friends, team, etc.

These are sociological needs. The need ends when the goal is reached. Then a person has something else that is necessary. Need is the whole mechanism in the human psyche. In other words, needs are the mental state of the individual. Thanks to them, a person strives for his goal in order to achieve what he wants, that is, he becomes more active, and passivity disappears almost completely.

It became clear to you what psychology is, the definition can now be given more accurate. Need, attention, memory, emotions - that's what human psychology is.

Social psychology as a science

Each person lives in a world where he has many relatives, friends, colleagues, etc. For this, a person needs social psychology. Thanks to her, people get to know each other and relationships. Relations develop not only between two individuals, but also between entire groups. You probably guessed what social psychology is. Two sciences are intertwined in this subject. Sociology and psychology. Therefore, relations are studied here not just between people, but such types are distinguished: social, economic, political, and many others. Social psychology in society allows you to occupy a certain place among people. There are 3 types of personality in social psychology:

1. Picnics - they adapt well to social environments. Strive to build relationships with the right people. They know how to defend their interests without conflict.

2. Athletics - sociable, like to pay due attention to themselves, a dominant personality.

3. Asthenics - it is not easy for them in society. They are not sociable, closed, reserved.

To each person his own. Some people like to be in the center of attention in society, others like to be in the shadows. There's nothing you can do about it. You have to accept the person as they are. Much can be written about what social psychology is. Since this is not a book, but just an article, the most important definitions and concepts are given.