What is Psychology?

Psychology is derived from the Greek words Psyche and logos, meaning soul and study. To Greeks, Psychology is simply a study of the soul.

Different authors define Psychology in different ways but in 1990, Feldman defines Psychology as the scientific study of human behavior and mental processes. Scientific because it uses the steps in a scientific method in its quest to understand why a person behaves in a certain manner. It is systematic and empirical and it is dependent upon measurements. A scientific method generally follows the ff. steps:

1.) Identification of the Problem

2.) Formulation of Hypothesis

3.) Gathering of Data

4.) Interpretation and Analysis of Data

5: Generalization of Conclusion

Behavior includes everything that we do – thinking, feeling, writing, reading, imagining, etc.

Kinds of Behavior

a. Overt -> behavior that is observable by others and can be seen readily (ex. Laughing, shouting, talking, etc.)

b. Covert -> behavior that is internal therefore not observable and cannot be seen. This comes in the forms of feelings, thoughts, and motives (ex. Happy, angry, imaginations, etc.)

Sigmund Freud, a Psychoanalyst classified behavior according to a person’s awareness of his behavior, to wit:

a. Conscious Behavior -> any behavior that the person is aware of (ex. walking, eating, etc.)

b. Unconscious Behavior -> any behavior that the person is not aware of (ex. mannerisms, shaking of the legs while sitting, biting your fingers, playing, with your pen while listening to your teacher’s discussion, etc.)

According to Freud, our unconscious is bigger than the conscious. Dreams and “slip of the tongue” phenomenon are some ways of releasing the unconscious.