General Psychology

RS133

What is
Psychology?

A/Prof Sr. Miriam Dlugosz, SSpS

mdlugosz@dwu.ac.pg
 Definition
Psychologyfrom the Greek word psyche refers to
the human mind and behaviour.
 Research in psychology is to understand and
explain how we think, act and feel.
 Applications for psychology include mental health
treatment, performance enhancement, self-help,
ergonomics and many other areas affecting health
and daily life.

A/Prof Sr. Miriam Dlugosz, SSpS

mdlugosz@dwu.ac.pg 2
 Scope of Psychology
 Two important points we need to consider
about the course :
What is psychology? and
Why we need to know about psychology in
relation to our course of SRS studies?

A/Prof Sr. Miriam Dlugosz, SSpS

mdlugosz@dwu.ac.pg

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 Never perceive psychology as an end in
knowing the many mysteries in human person
but a means that leads from a corridor into
exploring the depths of humanity.
 It is dignified to have an intent glance into
knowing who is a human person and the urge
to investigate the unsolved curves from a
philosophical standpoint into health
psychology.
A/Prof Sr. Miriam Dlugosz, SSpS
mdlugosz@dwu.ac.pg 4
 Psychology has always fascinated humanity.
It touches the core of our essence, being who
we are as human persons.
 Much information absorbed from verifiable
instruments through human behaviour and the
human nature.
 Psychology assists to unveil the mysteries of
humanity to know, learn and appreciate this
uniqueness as conscious beings.
A/Prof Sr. Miriam Dlugosz, SSpS
mdlugosz@dwu.ac.pg5
 Psychology as a science
 Science is about proposing hypothesis and verifying
it through data and experiments. It is observed and
ascertained through precarious methods.
 Psychology as a science proposes hypothesis and
proofs it through continuous tests and analysing
varying data.
 As a body of scientific study it is independent and
was born in Germany, by Wilhelm Wundt through his
experimental psychology lab in Leipzig in 1897.
A/Prof Sr. Miriam Dlugosz, SSpS
mdlugosz@dwu.ac.pg 6
 Though humble in its original development,
we need not overlook its historical development
as a science and the profession that it
encapsulates. Both are indivisible.

A/Prof Sr. Miriam Dlugosz, SSpS

mdlugosz@dwu.ac.pg 7
How is psychology
related to other
sciences?

A/Prof Sr. Miriam Dlugosz, SSpS

mdlugosz@dwu.ac.pg 8
 Psychology like all other sciences is to be treated
as a science in the world of knowledge. Been a
science, it systematically or methodologically deals
with “physical or biological sciences” and “extends
into the social and human sciences” ( Mitchell G.
Ash, (2005), 99.
 Interaction between physical and the behavioural
sciences gives a place in the body of scientific
exploration.
 It is to be integrated without treating it in isolation.

A/Prof Sr. Miriam Dlugosz, SSpS

mdlugosz@dwu.ac.pg
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Psychology is a branch of science and deals
with empirical data that pertains to humanity.
 Materiality or immateriality are two elements
that are indivisible, body and soul.
Through physical sciences, it studies the bodily
functions and relates to the psychological
significance.
The immaterial or soul functions are beyond its
functions.
Where materiality exits, philosophy becomes
necessary in order to deal with questions that
human mind wrestles time and again. 10
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A/Prof Sr. Miriam Dlugosz, SSpS

mdlugosz@dwu.ac.pg 11
 Philosophy from Greek ‘philosophia’ literally
means love of wisdom.
 It is the study of general and fundamental
problems, such as those connected with reality,
existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind and
language.
 Where is the link between philosophy and
health psychology?
 It deals with questions that are not verifiable
and exceeds known knowledge.
A/Prof Sr. Miriam Dlugosz, SSpS
mdlugosz@dwu.ac.pg12
 Philosophy meticulously explores the periphery
by critical probing of the mind through
reasoning, analysing and logical sequencing.
 It is about seeking wisdom which is noble,
something of value and treasure (Melanesian
Wisdom).
 Wisdom is searched and eagerly laboured to
arrive at the truth.
 Every investigative search is never in futility.
 Curious minds through moral dimension seek
wisdom, lazy minds are idle and dull.
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Is philosophy
of use
to science?

A/Prof Sr. Miriam Dlugosz, SSpS

mdlugosz@dwu.ac.pg
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 Philosophy employs metaphysical tools to
investigate the person who is becoming.
 Metaphysics is a branch of philosophy that is
concerned with the fundamental nature of
being and the world; the term is not easily
defined.
 Traditionally, metaphysics attempted to answer
two basic questions in the broadest possible
terms:
 What is nature of a thing/being? What is it like?

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 Becoming is a process of gradual movement

 Being is ‘that which is’. This is a philosophical

statement to explain the central element in
the person that makes one to be.
 Does a plant has a being? Does a stone has a
being or does a person has a being?
 Two differences of a being [1] living [2] non
living

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 The being of a plant is that which makes a plant to be. It is
living and is able to grow and thus it identifies it to be a plant.

 The stone has being that which makes a stone to be. It is non
living and does not perform any function unlike the living
things.

 What makes it to be a stone is that which is its being.

 On the contrary the human person has a being is that which

makes him/her to be. It identifies it to be a person.

 However philosophy will be able to explain the distinction

between the human person and the other living beings.

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 The human person is both body and soul. Science
gives a clear idea of who is a human person through
anatomy and physiology (human biology).
 Philosophy gives human person the understanding
into the perennial questions (unending questions in
life) to be answered satisfactorily.
 How does philosophy do that for our simple
understanding?
 Cognitional (cognitive) model or steps of
understanding (E-IUC-JA)

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 Assent

Judging

Conceptualizing

Understanding

Inquiry

Experience

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 Thank you,
Any question?

RS 133 General Psychology

A/Prof Sr. Miriam Dlugosz, 2017
mdlugosz@dwu.ac.pg