Psychology and Social

Psychology
By: Dr. Purva Shoor
Asst. Prof. Community Medicine
Definition of Psychology
Study of human behavior-of how
the people behave and why they
behave in just the way they do.
Concerned with individual, his
personality and behavior
Dynamics of Behavior
Implicit behavior- cannot be
observed directly; thoughts and
understanding
Explicit behavior- accessible to
external observation
Responses and reactions to
external stimuli, mutual co-
What do we study in
psychology?
Learning and memory
Thoughts and belief system
Motivation
Intelligence
Personality
Unconscious behavior and factors
that drive them example
emotions
Health related and illness related
behavior
Branches of Psychology
Normal
Abnormal
Child
Adolescent
Industrial
Applied
Psychoanalysis
Social
Educational
Criminal
Significance in Community
Medicine
Studies health seeking behavior
of individuals
Manner of acting or conducting
oneself is behavior
Environment and social
determinants(factors) influencing
healthy behavior
Factors or determinants of
individual and community
health behavior
Knowledge, beliefs, values, attitudes,
culture
Finance, materials, time, influence of family
Workplace ethics, co-workers, opinion
leaders
Ethnic determination, customs, Education,
norms and laws of society
Health Behavior
Those activities that people do to
avoid disease and seek help
through proper resources for
early detection of disease.
Example screening tests (pap
smear for cervical cancer),
regular exercise, balanced diet,
Illness Behavior
How people combat illness?
Seek advice from friends and family
Wait and watch
Refer to a doctor
Factors affecting this behavior,
example; preference to ayurvedic
than allopathic treatment for cancer
Treatment behavior
Adherence to medication
Follow up
Quit bad habits and practices
Factors affecting proper response
to ailments and disease
Responses
Physical: habits and skills
Organic: emotions, feelings,
tension
Intellectual: perceptions,
thinking, reasoning
Causes of responses
Environmental stimuli(conscious
behavior)
Emotions and Feelings
Needs

Motivation

Intellectual Perception
Unconscious Behavior
Due to perception, prejudices,
notions guided by previous
knowledge and experience
If we watch a movie, 10 people
will have 10 different reviews
Emotions in Health and
Disease
Strong feeling of whole organism
If fear, anger, sadness, jealousy
become uncontrolled, psycho-
social illness can happen like
Anti-social behavior, ulcerative
colitis, ADHD, HTN, Asthma,
Peptic ulcer
Motivation
Inner force that drives us toward a
particular action
Example, after graduating with good
marks, we aim for post-graduation
Depends on needs, desires and demands.
A Medical Officer assesses health needs of
village and not demands due to scarce
resources
Guides to Motivation
Observation and Perception- During internship
Incentives- Grants received when vasectomy is
performed
Supervision- Health supervisor looks for quality
of blood slides prepared by health worker
Legislation- PCPNDT Act
Needs- Maslows Heirarchy (physiological,
safety, social, self-esteem, self-actualization)
Errors in Perception
Imperception-error in sense
organs
Illusion- false perception
Hallucination- imagined
perception
Attitudes, Interests,
Beliefs
Acquired characteristics of an individual,
conscious and unconscious
It is formed by cognitive, affective and
psychomotor domain(similar to learning)
Interests- security, pleasure, self-esteem
Beliefs- includes culture and values,
could be myths
Learning
Definition: Any relative
permanent change in behavior
that occurs as a result of practice
or experience.
Factors affecting Learning
Intelligence

Age 22yrs-25yrs peak learning period

Learning Situation
Motivation

Physical Health
Mental Health
Types of learning
Cognitive (knowledge)- How to
diagnose a peptic ulcer disease
Affective (attitude)- Doctor
patient relationship
Psychomotor (Skills)- How to
perform Endo-tracheal intubation
Methods of Learning
Conditioned reflex
Trial and Error
Observation and imitation
Learning by doing
Remembering
By insight
Demonstration
Field experience
Problem solving
Habits
Habits is an accustomed way of doing things
They have three characteristics: require
repetition, automatically performed (in
reflexes) and performed only under similar
circumstances.
Habits imbibed form customs over years
which in turn forms habits, psycho-social
association
Frustrations and Conflicts
When people are unable to meet their
needs and desires, they become
frustrated.
Frustration demands fruitful behavior, if
not possible- mental illness, or
personality damage
Conflicts- having two opposite ideas, tug
of war between right and wrong
Defence mechanisms
Rationalization, escape
mechanism, projection,
compensation, displacement,
regression
Personality definition
Implies certain physical and
mental traits characteristic of an
individual determining their
behavior and adjustment to
surroundings to a certain extent.
Components of
personality
Physical- tall, short, fair, dark..
Emotional- fear, anger, love,
jealousy
Intelligence- forceful personality,
charismatic
Behavior- submissive,
affectionate, balanced
Personality Traits (Carl
Jung)
Extrovert mixes easily with
people
Introvert shy, afraid, keeps to
ownself
Ambivert different in various
circumstances (not defined by
Carl Jung)
Development of
Personality
Infancy- rapid physical and mental growth
Pre-school- considerable brain growth
School-age- 8yrs, same brain size as adult
Adolescence- Identity formation, conflicts
Adults- balanced
Old age- Depression, strict normative behavior,
sets example, impaired memory, no strict
demarcation on onset of old age in people
Thinking
Perception

Memory

Imagination

Reasoning

Depends upon intelligence,

psycho-social factors
Intelligence
Important aspect of personality
Both genetics and environmental
factors determine intelligence
IQ- changeable with training and
education =( mental age/chronological
age)X 100, borderline 70, more than
140- near genius
Adult Intelligence
Space: Ability of perceiving objects
Number: simple elementary mathematics
Verbal comprehension: reason verbal
concepts
Expression: employ appropriate words
Memory: retain words and ideas
Induction: discovering principles
Deduction: use principles to solve
problems
Flexibility and quickness of thoughts
Measuring intelligence and
disability
Intelligence tests- group and individual
tests (time tests) with minimal use of
language- even for illiterate or very
young children
Disability tests- DAS Disability
Assessment Schedule- most widely used
Wings Comprehensive Handicaps,
Behavior and Skills schedule(HBS)
Social Psychology
Group behavior- Family, community, state,
country defined by culture, art, literature,
customs, economy, eg; girl child schooling
Social interaction- Migration, inter-caste
marriages, education which makes us human,
social and moral, example sex determination
Group morale- Through opinion leaders, fighting
for a positive change and cause as deciphered
by these leaders eg; vaccination
 Thank
You!!