SHARJAH INDIAN SCHOOL
SUBJECT: PSYCHOLOGY (037)
GRADE: X1
Class notes
Derived from two Greek words:
● Psyche = soul or mind
● Logos = study or discourse
Psychology is scientific study of mental processes, human behaviour and experience.
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| What is Psychology? |
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Scientific Nature Study of Individuals Behaviour & Actions Mental Processes Experience
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| - How we feel - Observable -Internal activities - Personal
| - How we think - Measurable (thinking, memory) insights
| - How we behave - Influenced by - Emotion - Subjective
| internal & - Reasoning awareness
| external factors
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Systematic methods Goal-Oriented Science
- Observation - Describe
- Experimentation - Explain
- Measurement - Predict
- Analysis - Control/Modify
Psychology as a Discipline
● Psychology as a Discipline today has two parallel streams namely-
o Natural Science
o Social Science
Psychology as a Natural Science
Psychology as a Natural Science largely focuses on biological principles to explain human behaviour.
● It assumes that all behavioural phenomena have causes which can be discovered if we can
collect data systematically under controlled conditions.
● The main aim of the researcher is to understand the cause and effect relationship so that an
accurate prediction of the behavioural phenomena can be made.
● Psychologists use hypothetical deductive model to prove their hypothesis
● By the application of this model, many psychologists gave theories on topics like Motivation,
Memory etc.
Psychology as a Social Science
Psychology as a Social Science focuses on how behavioural phenomena can be explained in terms of
interaction that takes place between the person and the socio-cultural context of which he/she is a part
● Studies human behavior in social context
● Humans are not only impacted by their socio-cultural contexts, they also create them as well.
● Focuses on humans and communities as social beings in relation to their social culture and
physical environment.
Understanding Mind and Behaviour
It is true that the mind cannot exist without the brain but the mind is a separate entity:
● Earlier it was believed that there is no relationship between mind and body but now as per
various researches in neuroscience prove that there is indeed a relationship between mind and
Behaviour
● A new discipline called Psychoneuroimmunology has emerged in recent times which primarily
explains the significant role of the mind in strengthening our immune system.
Popular Notions About Psychology
● Common sense does not always equate with Psychological studies
● Common sense is based on hindsight. Psychology as a science looks for patterns of behaviour
which can be predicted and not explained after the behaviour occurs.
● Common Sense tells us that an individual is not able to perform the best in front audience but
Psychological studies have shown that if you have practiced well,you may actually perform
better than expected because the presence of others helps in enhancing performance.
Distinguish scientific psychology from popular notion.
Common sense
It uses common sense knowledge to understand behavior.
It explains the phenomenon on the basis of experience, saying and beliefs.
It explains in hindsight after they occur.
Whereas scientific psychology-
It is based on scientific study of psychological phenomenon.
It explains the psychological phenomenon systematically on the basis of empirical data.
It studies the pattern of behavior that can predict before they occur.
🧠 Major Schools of Thought in Psychology –
1. Structuralism
➔ Founder: Wilhelm Wundt (Germany) and Edward Titchener (USA)
➔ Main Idea:
Structuralism focused on breaking down mental processes into their basic elements (like sensations,
images, and feelings).
It studied the "structure" of the mind.
➔ Method:
Used introspection — asking people to describe their experiences in detail.
➔ Example:
If you see a rose, structuralists would ask:
● What color do you see? (red)
● What feeling does it give? (happy)
● What memories come to mind? (childhood garden)
They would study these parts separately.
2. Functionalism
➔ Founder: William James (USA)
➔ Main Idea:
Functionalism focused on how mental processes help us adapt to the environment.
It asked "What is the function of thinking, feeling, and behavior?" rather than their structure.
➔ Method:
Observation of real-life behavior.
➔ Example:
Instead of just studying the feeling of fear, functionalists would ask:
● Why do we feel fear?
Answer: Fear helps us escape danger and survive.
3. Gestalt Psychology
➔ Founder: Max Wertheimer, Kurt Koffka, Wolfgang Köhler (Germany)
➔ Main Idea:
"The whole is greater than the sum of its parts."
Gestalt psychology believed that we perceive patterns and wholes, not just individual parts.
➔ Method:
Studying perception and problem-solving.
➔ Example:
When you see a face, you recognize it as a whole, not by separately looking at the eyes, nose, and
mouth.
4. Behaviorism
➔ Founder: John B. Watson and later B.F. Skinner
➔ Main Idea:
Behaviorism focuses on observable behavior only — not thoughts or feelings.
It believes behavior is learned through interaction with the environment.
➔ Method:
Experiments with animals and humans, observing behavior changes.
➔ Example:
● If a child touches a hot stove and feels pain, they learn not to touch it again.
● Pavlov’s dogs learned to salivate at the sound of a bell.
5. Psychoanalysis
➔ Founder: Sigmund Freud (Austria)
➔ Main Idea:
Psychoanalysis studies the unconscious mind, which holds hidden desires, fears, and conflicts.
It explains that childhood experiences shape adult behavior.
➔ Method: psychoanalysis.
Dream analysis, free association (talking freely).
➔ Example:
A person has a fear of dogs, which could be traced back to a childhood memory of being bitten (even if
they don't consciously remember it).
6. Humanism
➔ Founder: Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow
➔ Main Idea:
Humanism emphasizes free will, personal growth, and self-actualization (becoming the best version of
yourself).
It views humans as basically good and motivated by positive goals.
➔ Method:
Client-centered therapy and focusing on the individual’s experience.
➔ Example:
If a student fails an exam, a humanistic psychologist would encourage them to believe in themselves
and try again, focusing on personal strengths rather than just failure.
7. Cognitive Psychology (Cognitivism)
➔ Main Idea:
Cognitive psychology studies mental processes — like thinking, memory, perception, and
problem-solving.
It says that behavior cannot be understood without understanding how we process information.
➔ Method:
Experiments and models to understand mental activities.
➔ Example:
● How do we remember a phone number?
● How do we solve a math problem?
Cognitive psychologists build models of how thinking works, like computers processing information.
School of
Founder(s) Main Focus Example
Thought
Structure of mind, Describing sensations while
Structuralism Wundt, Titchener
introspection looking at a rose
Functionalism William James Functions of behavior Fear helps survival
School of
Founder(s) Main Focus Example
Thought
Gestalt Psychology Wertheimer, Koffka, Köhler Whole perception Seeing a face as a whole
Behaviorism Watson, Skinner Observable behavior Child learns not to touch fire
Psychoanalysis Freud Unconscious mind Fear from childhood trauma
Helping students believe in
Humanism Rogers, Maslow Free will, growth
themselves
Cognitive No single founder (e.g., How we remember and solve
Mental processes
Psychology Piaget, Chomsky) problems
