Psychology For Dummies

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Psychology For Dummies is a fun, user-friendly guide to the basics of human behavior and mental processes. In plain English—and using lots of everyday examples—psychologist Dr. Adam Cash cuts through the jargon to explain what psychology is all about and what it tells you about why you do the things you do. Communicating, including verbal and nonverbal expressions such as body language, gestures, speech, and language One comment I get from students from time to time is, What makes you think that psychology has all the answers? My answer is, Psychologists are just trying to provide a piece of the puzzle, not all the answers. But hey, if I can write an entire book on psychology, I think you can read an entire book on this stuff. Besides, I think you’ll like it. Psychology is a great subject. Enjoy! Part 1 Getting Started with Psychology IN THIS PART … Use the table of contents and index to see what grabs your interest. If you’re new to the subject, by all means start with Chapter 1 and go. But you don’t have to read it cover to cover. Kind of like a cafeteria — take what you like and leave the rest.

Major humanistic psychologists such as Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow believed that human beings were born with the desire to grow, create and to love, and had the power to direct their own lives. Rogers said that objective scientific inquiry based on deterministic assumptions about humans has a place in the study of humans (science) but is limited in the sense that it leaves out inner human experiences (phenomenology). Behavior is not constrained by either past experience of the individual or current circumstances (determinism). According to Rogers, we each live in a world of our own creation, formed by our processes of perception. He referred to an individual’s unique perception of reality as his or her phenomenal field.

Developmental psychology: Developmental psychologists study human behavior over a lifespan. If you have a question about whether your child is developing normally, then you might want to ask a developmental psychologist. Psychologists act responsibly when they are working with empirical evidence and less responsibly when not. These scientists are expected to base their work on solid data and information, not opinion. The vast majority of psychologists prefer to use the scientific method when seeking truth because it’s seen as a fair and impartial process. When I do a research study, I’m expected to outline exactly what I’m doing and what it is I claim to be looking for. That way, if people want to try to prove me wrong, they can repeat my work, step by step, and see if they get the same results. If knowledge is based on authority alone, I can never be sure that the information I receive is unbiased and trustworthy. When the scientific method is in place, a theory that doesn’t match the empirical results experienced in a research study is labeled inaccurate. Time for a new theory! The humanistic approach is thus often called the “third force” in psychology after psychoanalysis and behaviorism (Maslow, 1968). Rogers, C. R. (1946). Significant aspects of client-centered therapy. American Psychologist, 1, 415-422.

The approach also helped to provide a more holistic view of human behavior, in contrast to the reductionist position of science. Examples

Tattoos and body piercings are good examples of this power. At one point in mainstream culture, people who got ink and piercings were perceived to be acting outside of the status quo, so status quo people weren’t lined up outside the tattoo or piercing parlor. Nowadays, both are widely accepted, and even Mr. Status Quo may have a tat or piercing (or two or three).