LECTURE NOTESFor Health Science StudentsGeneral PsychologyGirma LemmaDefense University CollegeIn collaboration with the Ethiopia Public Health Training Initiative, The Carter Center,the Ethiopia Ministry of Health, and the Ethiopia Ministry of EducationJuly 2005
Funded under USAID Cooperative Agreement No. 663-A-00-00-0358-00.Produced in collaboration with the Ethiopia Public Health Training Initiative, The CarterCenter, the Ethiopia Ministry of Health, and the Ethiopia Ministry of Education.Important Guidelines for Printing and PhotocopyingLimited permission is granted free of charge to print or photocopy all pages of thispublication for educational, not-for-profit use by health care workers, students orfaculty. All copies must retain all author credits and copyright notices included in theoriginal document. Under no circumstances is it permissible to sell or distribute on acommercial basis, or to claim authorship of, copies of material reproduced from thispublication. 2006 by Girma LemmaAll rights reserved. Except as expressly provided above, no part of this publication maybe reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical,including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system,without written permission of the author or authors.This material is intended for educational use only by practicing health care workers orstudents and faculty in a health care field.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTSThe writer acknowledges with gratitude THE CARTERCENTER (TCC) ETHIOPIAN PUBLIC HEALTH TRAININGINITIATIVE (EPHTI) for initiating and providing financialsupport for the preparation of this lecture note. I would liketo extend my special thanks and appreciation to Dr.YouditAbraha and Dr. Bekele Kebede, dean and associate deanof the Defense College of Health Sciences, for theirfacilitation and constant monitoring of the work. Theinsightful comments forwarded by ato Waleligne fromAlemaya University, Ato Yohannes from Jimma University,Ato Yemataw Wondie from Gondar University, Ato FesehaW/ Michael and Ato Abesha Ayele from Kotobe College ofTeacher Education, Ato Fasika Melesse, Ato BirhaneG/Kidan and Ato mekonnen Zegeye from DefenseUniversity College deserve special attention.i
FOREWORDPsychology is increasingly getting importance in humanlives. Major problems of our time such as poverty,environmental and ecological crisis and many other socialand economic problems have important psychologicalimplications. Today, no walk of human life can be out of thepractical contributions of psychology. Its contribution isparticularly recognized in the area of health. Psychologistsfocus on the prevention of physical and psychologicalproblems rather than just on their treatment. To achievethis, the study of human behavior and how human beingsinteract with their environment and how they developphysically, socially, emotionally and mentally is important.This teaching material is prepared as part of The EthiopianPublic Health Initiative: Curriculum and Staff StrengtheningProgram sponsored by The Carter Center.It was recognized that there is a need to write simplifiedlecture notes to health science students enrolled in theuniversity colleges. The specific need for writing this lecturenote arose from mitigating shortages of teaching materialsin these higher institutions.This teaching material provides students with basicunderstanding of human behavior in general and shows theii
lems of our society in particular. It has incorporatedessential and selected topics arranged in a logical mannerso as to serve the prospective practitioners in carrying outtheir duties and responsibilities effectively.Each chapter begins with a list of behavioral objectives andan introductory remark about the contents, followed by briefconcepts structured in a didactic approach. The topicsunder each chapter are enriched with varieties of healthrelated examples and activities aimed at promoting activelearning. What is more, all chapters end with selfassessment questions measuring higher-order learningoutcomes in line with the objectives stated under eachchapter.Long years of teaching experience in the field coupled withconstructive comments and suggestions solicited from theintra and inter review workshops largely helped the writer toelaborate basic concepts of the subject in a simple andunderstandable way.Though the teaching material is intended primarily to serveinstructors and students in the health colleges, it is equallyrelevant to universities and colleges running non-healthrelated programs.iii
TABLE OF CONTENTSContent topicPageAcknowledgement . iForward . iiTable of contents . ivAcronyms . xChapter one: Introductory concepts in psychology .11.1. The subject matter of psychology.11.2. Major perspectives in the historicaldevelopment of Psychology .101.2.1. Early perspectives .111.2.2. Recent perspectives .191.3. Some branches of psychology .221.4. Research methods in psychology .28Chapter two: Biological basis of behavior .412.1. Definition and general remark .412.2. Neurons .422.3. Neurotransmitters .442.4. Major parts of the brain and their relationship tobehavior .48iv
2.5. Major components and functions of theendocrine system .54Chapter three: Sensations and perceptions.563.1. General remark .563.2. Basic terms and concepts related toSensation and perception .583.3. Theories related to sensation and perception.67Chapter four: Psychology of learning .774.1. General remark and definition .774.2. Modes of learning .794.3. Factors for effective learning .804.4. Theories of learning.834.4.1. General remark .834.4.2. Behaviorist learning theory .844.4.3. Cognitive learning theory .103Chapter five: Motivation and emotion .1175.1. Motivation: definition and general remark.1175.2. Theories of motivation .1185.3. Emotions.1255.3.1. Definition and general remark.1255.3.2. The functions of emotions.127v
5.3.3. Types of emotions .1285.3.4. Theories of emotion .1295.3.5. Expressions of emotions.132Chapter six: Developmental psychology .1346.1. Definitions and general remark.1346.2. Heredity versus environment issue.1376.3. Sensitive periods in development .1416.4. Stages of human development .1426.4.1. Pre-natal development.1426.4.2. Post-natal development .147Chapter seven: Psychology of personality.1677.1. Definition and general remark .1677.2. Historical development of personalitypsychology .1717.3. Theories of personality .1737.3.1. General remark.1747.3.2. Psychoanalytic theories.1777.3.2.1. Personality structures .1797.3.2.2. Anxiety and defense mechanism1847.3.2.3. Psycho-sexual stages and howpersonality develops .1897.3.3. Other psychoanalytic theories .1937.3.3.1. General remark.193vi
7.3.3.2. The analytic psychology of CarlJung .1947.3.3.3. Alfred Adlers individual psychology.1957.3.3.4. Evaluating psychoanalytic theories.1977.3.4. Trait theories.1987.3.4.1. General remark.1987.3.4.2. Allport’s trait approach .1997.3.4.3. Cattel’s personality traits.2017.3.4.4. Eysenack’s dimensions ofpersonality .2037.3.4.5. The new trend.2057.3.4.6. Evaluation of trait theories .2077.3.5. Humanistic approaches to personality.2077.4. Personality assessment.2097.4.1. General remark.2097.4.2. Self report inventories.2107.4.3. Projective techniques .2137.4.4. Physiological measures.2147.4.5. The interview technique.2157.4.6. Behavioral assessment .2167.4.7. Case study.2197.4.8. Personality and the health profession .220vii
Chapter eight: Health stress and coping .2228.1. Health .2228.1.1. What is health? .2228.1.2. Mental health .2268.1.3. Health models .2298.2. Definition of stress and stressors .2308.3. The coping process and coping strategies .2338.4. The general adaptive syndrome .2368.5. The role of psychology in health.238Chapter nine: Abnormal psychology .2419.1. General remark .2419.2. Mental health professionals.2439.3. Defining psychological disorders .2449.4. Perspectives on the causes of psychologicaldisorders .2489.4.1. The biological perspective .2489.4.2. The psychological perspective .2499.4.3. The interpersonal or family systemsperspective .2509.4.4. The socio cultural perspective.2509.5. Classification of psychological disorders .2519.5.1. Anxiety disorders.2519.5.2. Somatoform disorders.2559.5.3. Dissociate disorders .257viii
9.5.4. Mood disorder .2599.5.5. Schizophrenia .2619.5.6. Personality disorders .2649.5.7. Sexual and gender identity disorder .2699.5.8. Eating disorder.272Chapter ten: Treatment of psychological disorders .27410.1. General remark.27410.2. Treatment techniques.27510.2.1. Psychoanalytic therapy.27510.2.2. Behavioral therapy.27710.2.3. Cognitive approaches to therapy 28210.2.4. Humanistic therapy .285Glossary.288References .292ix
ACRONYMSWHO: world health organizationACH: acetylcholineDA: dopamineATP: adenosine tri-phosphateEEG: electro encephalogramCAT: computerized axial tomopgraphyHIV: human immuno-deficiency virusPET: position emission tomographyMRT: magnetic resonance imagingS-R: stimulus-responseUCS: unconditioned stimulusUCR: unconditioned responseNS: neutral stimulusCS: conditioned stimulusCR: conditioned responseVIS: visual information storeDRT: drive reduction theoryx
MMPI: Minnesota-multi phase inventoryABC: antecedent behavioral consequencesAIDS: acquired immuno deficiency syndromePTSD: post traumatic stress disorderGAs: general adaptive syndromeDSM: diagnostic statistical manualxi
General PsychologyCHAPTER ONEINTRODUCTORY CONCEPTS INPSYCHOLOGYObjectives: at the end of the chapter the student is expected to: Define basic terms in the course; Explain the role of psychology as a means of promotinghuman welfare; Differentiate the sub fields of psychology; Relate major perspective of psychology with issues it isconcerned about; Describe and evaluate major theoretical approaches topsychology; Identify the main areas of research interest andprofessional activities in psychology.1.1.The subject matter of psychology and its definitionBrainstorming: Students will exchange their experience on thefollowing questions as a means to assess their pre-conceptionabout the subject psychology.What comes to your mind when you hear the wordpsychology?
General PsychologyHave you read or listened to anything related topsychology?What was its content about?Did you appreciate it? Why?What do you expect from the course in psychology?The introductory part of psychology emphasizes on two aspects:1. Psychology as a scienceA Science is defined not by what it studies but by how it studies.Psychologists like any other scientists systematically observefacts about human beings and organize these facts to arrive atgeneralizations. Psychology shares with other sciences certainaims, assumptions, ways of carrying out research and ways ofbuilding and modifying theories.2. Psychology is a body of knowledge that can be applied to helpsolve a variety of human problems. In addition to the contributionin the area of research (developmental, social, experimental,physiological psychology), there are many other areas ofprofessional applications. Clinical psychologists work withpsychiatrists in a hospital context or with other healthprofessionals in the community. Educational psychologists workwith children and adolescents in schools, colleges, and nurseries2
General Psychologyand in the home. They collaborate with parents and teachers toassess a child’s progress at school and provide help and advice.Counseling psychologists work with individuals, families, couplesor groups to improve people’s well being, alleviate distress andhelp them solve their own problems and take their own decisions.Definition and general remarkThe word psychology is derived from two Greek words “psyche”and “logos.”Psyche means soul and logos means the study. Thus, originallypsychology was defined as the study of “soul” or “spirit.” But lateron philosophers defined psyche as mind. Because of this,psychology began to be regarded as the study of an individual’smind or mental process. Through time, this later definition ofpsychology was given up because the mind as an object doesnot exist: and cannot be observed and measured objectively. Themost widely and accepted definition of psychology is: thescience of behavior and mental processes of both humansand animals.There are some concepts in this definition which need furtherexplanations: The terms are “science” and “behavior.”3
General PsychologyWhat is science?Science is a group of related facts and principles of a particularsubject. In science we collect related facts by the use ofobjective methods to develop a theory to explain those facts.From a given set of conditions, science helps us to predict futurehappenings.Example-Biology explains how living things grow and develop.Anatomy describes the structure of human body. Physiologydeals with the function of various parts and systems of the body.Nursing and the rest of the health sciences are also founded onscience.Similarly, Psychology as a science deals systematically withhuman behavior, motives, feelings, emotions, thoughts andactions of men and women. Like other sciences, Psychologydiscovers and explains the underlying laws and principles ofbehavior. Its goals are describing, explaining, predicting andfinally modifying human behavior.What is behavior?Behavior In its broader sense includes all types of humanactivities.4
General PsychologyExample- Motor activities (Walking, speaking) Cognitive activities (perceiving, remembering, thinking,reasoning) Emotional activities (feeling happy, sad, angry, afraid)Behavior is both mental and bodily. Mental behaviors are thinking, reasoning, imaginationand other mental experiences or processes. Bodily behavior refers to the movements and actions ofthe body in response to a situation.Behavior is the reaction of an individual to a particularenvironment. The environment exerts influence on individuals.That influence is called stimulus. The stimulus in turn arousesan activity from the individual and this is called the response.Example-A man may be admitted to a hospital for a surgicaloperation (stimulus)The man feels frightened and worries because he is uncertainwhat may happen next (response)This stimulus response combination constitutes the behavior ofan individual.The human behavior consists of physical responses, ceiving, thinking, recalling, and reasoning.5responses,
General PsychologyBehavior shows growth and development from the early years ofinfancy to maturity and old age. Psychology as a science studieshow behavior grows and develops from infancy to old age andalso studies behavioral differences between people.In general there are four major facts proposed in relation to thenature of behavior. These are: Behavior has a bodily basis Behavior is dynamic Behavior varies from person to person Behavior is socialPsychologists collect facts of behavior by means of objectivemethods such as observation and experiment and predicthuman behavior.Example- a patient may react with anger if his movements arerestricted in the ward. If the health professional has knowledgeof scientific psychology, it is possible to predict and control thepatient’s behavior.At times psychologists study animal behavior. The reasons are: The study of animal behavior helps to develop generallaws of behavior that apply to all organisms. The study of animal behavior provides important clues toanswering questions about human behavior.6
General Psychology For ethical reasons it is sometimes difficult to conductpsychological experiments on human beings.Psychology has a contribution to thehealth professional.Some of the contributions are:1. It helps to understand oneself. Helps to make rational decisions onbecoming a health professional; To fulfill the need for economic selfsufficiency; Helps to assess ones own abilities andlimitations; Enables to control situations in the collegeand attain goal through self-discipline.2. It assists in understanding other people. The health professional works with tive staffs. Equipped with the knowledge of psychology,the health professional will achieve greatersuccess in interpersonal relationships. Psychology helps the health professional tolearn why others differ from him/her in their7
General Psychologypreferences, customs and beliefs or culturalpatterns.3. It enlightens to appreciate the necessity of changing theenvironment and how to bring it about. Bychangingtheenvironment,thehealthprofessional can bring about change in thepatient’s life.Example: introducing eyeglasses and hearing devices into theenvironment can help people with visual or auditoryimpairments.Scope-Psychology studies different subject matters and itsscope is diverse. It is related with other disciplines.1. Psychology and politicsMany political problems consist psychological problem. Thepolitica
The word psychology is derived from two Greek words “psyche” and “logos.” Psyche means soul and logos means the study. Thus, originally psychology was defined as the study of “soul” or “spirit.” But later on philosophers defined psyche as mind. Because of this, psychology began to be regarded as the study of an individual’s
Compared to other sciences psychology is a young discipline but it is growing at a faster rate. These days, directly or indirectly, psychology contributes something to all aspects of human life. Explain the following relationships: Psychology and politics. Psychology and economics. Psychology and health. 1.3 Branches of psychology
Prologue: The Story of Psychology 3 Prologue: The Story of Psychology Psychology’s Roots Prescientific Psychology Psychological Science is Born Psychological Science Develops. 2 4 Prologue: The Story of Psychology Contemporary Psychology Psychology’s Big Debate .
Using Film to Teach Psychology. Films for Psychology Students. Resources for Teaching Research and Statistics in Psychology. TEACHING MATERIALS AND OTHER RESOURCES FOR PSYCHOLOGY 12.11.15 Compiled by Alida Quick, PhD Psychology 5 Developmental Psychology Teaching Resources .
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Roots in Spanish Psychology dated back to Huarte de San Juan (1575). From this period to nowadays, Psychology has notably developed, branching in different areas such as psychology and sports and physical exercise, clinical and health psychology, educational psychology, psychology of social inte
As Chair of the Department of Clinical and School Psychology, it is my pleasure to welcome you to our programs for the 2020-2021 academic year. We are part of the College of Psychology that offers bachelor's degrees in psychology and behavioral neuroscience and graduate programs in clinical psychology, school psychology, counseling,
psychology recognizes the dynamic interaction between persons and environments without detracting from an awareness of individual intrapsychic issues. The Doctor of Psychology in Clinical Psychology: Family Psychology program incorporates elements from several disciplines (e.g., clinical psychology, developmental psychology, personality theory,
PROLOGUE The Story of Psychology WHAT IS PSYCHOLOGY? Psychology's Roots Psychological Science Develops CONTEMPORARY PSYCHOLOGY Psychology's iggest . Psychology's Roots ONCE UPON A TIME, ON A PLANET IN this neighborhood of the universe, there came to be people. Soon thereafter, these creatures became intensely interested in