Man has been learning from himself since the beginning of time. Curiosity has become research, research has become science. Physiology allows us to explain how this someone in the mirror opposite functions. Anatomy shows what all these organisms fluttering in the waves of life consist of. However, these two sciences consider not only people, but all living organisms with the same magnifying glass. Would you like something unique, only for the most beautiful creatures of nature? Well, the prayers were heard, and today on our viewing table is a science that only cares about you - psychology.
Psychology
Our mind, feelings and emotions remain a big mystery to scientists to this day. The purpose of psychology is to dispel this fog and use clarity for good. After all, both the chemical processes that occur every second in the body, and the signals between neurons in the brain invariably accompany every moment of our life. In the matter of volume and complexity, psychology is in no way inferior to its "colleagues" - anatomy and physiology. In thisconnection, it is reasonable to begin the analysis in detail, indicating the subject, purpose and tasks of psychology.
Subject of psychology
What are we talking about, using the concept of "psychology"? In general terms, it is clear, but I would like a little specifics. Yes, we would like to, and not only to us, but also to scientists of different eras. The fact is that different things were considered a global subject of study of psychology at different times. Not always "psychologists" were unanimous, but the majority went in a specific direction. The purpose of the subject of psychology is to define a specific path of research. Let's see how these items have changed over time.
Development of psychology
Researchers until the 18th century considered the soul to be the subject of study. Now it sounds strange, because the presence of a soul is confirmed only by dubious weighings. And how, then, can one study what may or may not exist? Well, then there was little doubt about the presence of a soul. All the strange and incomprehensible phenomena of the human mind could be attributed to the soul. It's convenient, you don't have to strain with the classification.
Next, the natural sciences develop, and the term "soul" begins to be an eyesore. In its place comes "consciousness". It is the ability to think, to experience emotions. This term is still widely used today. However, let it slip among psychologists that you are "studying consciousness" and try to dodge the object flying at you.
Closer tous, at the beginning of the 20th century, behavior becomes the subject of psychology. The scientific approach shines in the spotlight. No mythical "soul" or hard-to-learn "mind". Only behavior, a person's reaction to external events. Psychology has become somewhat "squat", some kind of romanticism has been lost. We can say that the circle narrowed and narrowed.
And so we come to the present time. There are explanations of the principles of work and mechanisms of the psyche. And thus, the psyche becomes a new subject of research. It is a larger topic than "consciousness" and includes more specifics, and of all the others, it seems to be the closest to modern science. And this is where animals other than humans really become the subject of research.
Object of psychology
Under the gaze of psychology, our whole life appears, or rather, its sensual, shadow side. What do we feel at a certain moment in time? Why do we feel it? How do we behave in a team and alone with ourselves? These questions are studied by psychology. However, it is not limited to this, implying answers to such "riddles" only as a tool. The purpose of psychology in this aspect is the use of this tool for various needs. After all, say, if you answer the question about the characteristics of behavior in a team, it becomes possible to organize the work of a group of people better and more efficiently.
The slow progress of psychology is explained precisely by its object of research. Heart ateveryone fights according to one principle and does not depend on many circumstances. Yes, of course, there are congenital diseases, anxiety and other reasons for the variability of the work of the heart. However, the principle remains unchanged. If we talk about human psychology, about the inner workings of the mind, then it is different for each individual and depends on an infinite number of life situations.
One of the most familiar objects of study for us now is depression. Psychology studies this phenomenon thoroughly, and many theories are generated on this subject. But is the goal just to study depression? Of course no. The main goal of psychology is to prevent such a state, and this is possible only through thorough study.
Problems of psychology
In a global sense, the goal in psychology is the knowledge of the psyche. The result itself is used for practical application. More often for the organization of the correct conditions of a human hostel or work. Even if you remember the books from the category "Get rich by paying for this book." This is psychology, albeit a popular one. The tasks set before psychology directly depend on the subject of research.
When the subject of psychology was the soul, then the tasks were set on the basis of this. Namely, it was necessary to study the issue of spiritual ascension and at the same time try not to anger the gods. The tasks covered such a vast area of existence that it was impossible to draw any boundaries.
In the "age of consciousness" tasks have become morenarrowly focused. It was the sensationalism of man that was studied. That is, what a person hears, feels, remembers, what he thinks about, and so on. Such phenomena are much easier to consider, because they can be monitored, experimented and analyzed. With a soul, such "tricks", of course, will not work.
The task of psychology in the context of behavior explains itself. Draw conclusions based on observations of human actions. Moreover, it was the behavior that could be followed that was taken into account, and the motives were not important. That is, it doesn’t matter that you were rude to the old woman because you were upset by the imperfection of the world. The only thing that matters is that you are a brute.
Research of the psyche sets itself the task of the most complete consideration of the causal relationship of human behavior. This takes into account the motives, and the actions themselves, and the characteristics of a particular representative. Dubious principles of the distant past are completely discarded as unnecessary and the impossibility of a rational explanation.
Methods of psychology
To solve the problems of psychology, a certain sequence of general methods is used. The purpose of psychology methods is to clearly define the research process, thereby simplifying the subsequent analysis.
To begin with, the necessary information is collected, the object of study is analyzed. This, for example, direct observation, the study of documents, conducting tests, and the like. Further, these data are processed in a certain way, experiments are carried out. Based on these findings, apsychological picture.
Generally speaking, it is necessary to divide psychology into general and applied. So, we will refer to the general: self-observation, observation, questioning, conversation, testing. Practical methods: suggestion, consultation (often the line is very blurred).
Methods depend on the subject of research. For example, "consciousness", like "behavior", is studied mainly through observation, self-observation and analysis of facts.
General psychology
General psychology is a theoretical and practical research. Considers the human psyche, regardless of extraneous factors. It is general psychology that studies methods and objects, generalizes concepts and involves experiments. In other words, this is the psychology over which scientists have been "puzzling" from ancient times to the present day. And that is what we are talking about in the vast majority of cases.
So, for example, we are talking about the psychology of a person's goal, and not about how to apply this goal in life. That is, general things are meant that do not find specifics in the form of certain areas of life.
Applied Psychology
Applied psychology is used to apply the principles and theories of general psychology in various areas of life. Education, marketing, military and so on. It is assumed, obviously, only the practical part. That is, the psychology of the purpose and activity of a person is used to organize life ina certain area. Most often, in order to improve the quality of the functioning of this very sphere.
As an example, one can imagine various public opinion polls, on the basis of which the purchasing power and popularity of a particular segment of goods are often calculated. Or, for example, you are sitting at an interview. Across from you is an attentive and overly curious HR manager. Does he follow every movement and write something all the time? Know that such signs may indicate that he is an "applied psychologist".
Psychology and philosophy
Philosophy is closely connected with general psychology. In fact, psychology was only a branch of philosophy until the middle of the 19th century. And even now there are questions that are studied by both disciplines. For example, the purpose of life, moral values and outlook on life are examined from two sides.
While psychology is more scientifically accurate, philosophy takes the biggest hit. There are questions that cannot be answered experimentally or through research. This is where philosophy comes into play. What is the sense of life? Is there life after death? What does it mean to be spiritual? How is it worth living? Wrap a couple, philosophy will take care of it, giving psychology additional room to maneuver. In general, they complement each other perfectly.
