INTRODUCTION TO PSYCHOLOGY
It is a science which studies mental
processes, experiences & behaviour.
Mental Processes;
o Psychology as the study of mental processes tries to investigate the activities
happening in the brain which are primarily non-physiological in nature.
o These mental processes include perception, learning, remembering & thinking.
o These are internal mental activities which are not directly observed but inferred
from the behavioral activities of the person.
o Mental activities and neural activities are mutually overlapping processes but, they
are not identical.
o Unlike the brain, the mind does not have a physical structure or has a location.
o Mind emerges and evolves as our interactions & experiences in this world get
dynamically organized in the form of a system which is responsible for the
occurrence of various mental processes.
o Brain activities provide important cues as to know how mind functions, but, the
consciousness of our own experiences and mental processes are much more than
the neural or brain activities.
Experiences;
o Psychologists study a variety of human experiences which are mainly personal or
private in nature.
o They may range from experiences of dream, conscious experiences at different
stages of life and experiences when the consciousness is altered through
meditation or use of psychedelic drugs.
o Psychologists have focused on experiences of pain being experienced by terminally
ill patients or of psychological pain felt in bereavement, besides experiences which
lead to positive feelings, such as in romantic encounters.
o The study of such experiences helps the psychologists to understand the personal
world of the individual.
o Experiences are subjective in nature.
o Only the person experiencing can be aware or be conscious of her or his
experiences.
o Experiences are embedded in our awareness or consciousness.
o Experiences are influenced by internal and external conditions of the experiencer.
ESOTERIC EXPERIENCES
These are taken place when:
1. A Yogi meditates to enter a different level of consciousness
and creates a new kind of experience.
2. A drug addict takes a particular kind of drug to get a high.
, Behaviour;
These are responses or reactions we make
or activities we engage in.
OVERT BEHAVIOUR
✓ These behaviours can be outwardly seen or sensed by
an observer.
✓ Example – Eating, Talking, Running etc.
COVERT BEHAVIOUR
✓ These behaviours are internal.
✓ Example - Twitching of fingers while playing chess.
o All behaviours, covert or overt, are associated with or triggered by some stimulus
in the environment or changes that happen internally.
o Psychologists study behaviour as an association between stimulus & response.
Q- Define Psychology and describe its features.
Ans- Psychology is defined formally as a science which studies mental processes, experiences & behaviour in
different contexts. The following are its main components:
1. Mental processes: Psychology as the study of mental processes tries to investigate the activities happening
in the brain which are primarily non-physiological in nature. These mental processes include perception,
learning, remembering & thinking.
2. Experiences: Psychologists study a variety of human experiences which are mainly personal or private in
nature. They may range from experiences of dream, conscious experiences at different stages of life and
experiences when the consciousness is altered through meditation or use of psychedelic drugs.
Experiences are subjective in nature. Only the person experiencing can be aware or be conscious of her or
his experiences.
3. Behaviour: These are responses or reactions we make or activities we engage in. Some behaviours are
overt, meaning they can be seen outwardly, whereas, some behaviours are covert, meaning they are
internal.
It is a science which studies mental
processes, experiences & behaviour.
Mental Processes;
o Psychology as the study of mental processes tries to investigate the activities
happening in the brain which are primarily non-physiological in nature.
o These mental processes include perception, learning, remembering & thinking.
o These are internal mental activities which are not directly observed but inferred
from the behavioral activities of the person.
o Mental activities and neural activities are mutually overlapping processes but, they
are not identical.
o Unlike the brain, the mind does not have a physical structure or has a location.
o Mind emerges and evolves as our interactions & experiences in this world get
dynamically organized in the form of a system which is responsible for the
occurrence of various mental processes.
o Brain activities provide important cues as to know how mind functions, but, the
consciousness of our own experiences and mental processes are much more than
the neural or brain activities.
Experiences;
o Psychologists study a variety of human experiences which are mainly personal or
private in nature.
o They may range from experiences of dream, conscious experiences at different
stages of life and experiences when the consciousness is altered through
meditation or use of psychedelic drugs.
o Psychologists have focused on experiences of pain being experienced by terminally
ill patients or of psychological pain felt in bereavement, besides experiences which
lead to positive feelings, such as in romantic encounters.
o The study of such experiences helps the psychologists to understand the personal
world of the individual.
o Experiences are subjective in nature.
o Only the person experiencing can be aware or be conscious of her or his
experiences.
o Experiences are embedded in our awareness or consciousness.
o Experiences are influenced by internal and external conditions of the experiencer.
ESOTERIC EXPERIENCES
These are taken place when:
1. A Yogi meditates to enter a different level of consciousness
and creates a new kind of experience.
2. A drug addict takes a particular kind of drug to get a high.
, Behaviour;
These are responses or reactions we make
or activities we engage in.
OVERT BEHAVIOUR
✓ These behaviours can be outwardly seen or sensed by
an observer.
✓ Example – Eating, Talking, Running etc.
COVERT BEHAVIOUR
✓ These behaviours are internal.
✓ Example - Twitching of fingers while playing chess.
o All behaviours, covert or overt, are associated with or triggered by some stimulus
in the environment or changes that happen internally.
o Psychologists study behaviour as an association between stimulus & response.
Q- Define Psychology and describe its features.
Ans- Psychology is defined formally as a science which studies mental processes, experiences & behaviour in
different contexts. The following are its main components:
1. Mental processes: Psychology as the study of mental processes tries to investigate the activities happening
in the brain which are primarily non-physiological in nature. These mental processes include perception,
learning, remembering & thinking.
2. Experiences: Psychologists study a variety of human experiences which are mainly personal or private in
nature. They may range from experiences of dream, conscious experiences at different stages of life and
experiences when the consciousness is altered through meditation or use of psychedelic drugs.
Experiences are subjective in nature. Only the person experiencing can be aware or be conscious of her or
his experiences.
3. Behaviour: These are responses or reactions we make or activities we engage in. Some behaviours are
overt, meaning they can be seen outwardly, whereas, some behaviours are covert, meaning they are
internal.
