The Main Goals of Psychology

Definition and Goal of Psychology

• Psychology is deri ved from two Greek words “Psyche and “Logos” meaning of Psyche is Soul and Logos means Science or study of a subject. Therefore, according to these literal meanings Psychology has been considered as the study of soul of the subject. Early Greek philosophers such as Aristotle and Plato considered psychology as the science of the soul. Early Greek philosophers such as Leibnitz, Locke etc. called psychology as the “Science of the Soul’ in this way these people considered psychology as the subject of “study of mind” but the spirit or mind both of which were of such nature something unobservable and indemonstrable. So, both of the definitions are not considered acceptable for scientific study. After this, people called psychology as the subject which studies about consciousness and conscious experience. Wilhelm Wundt and his disciples Titchner were major supporters of the definition but this definition was not considered acceptable for scientific study, as the definition is not providing any observational and scientific understanding of the subject. Wilhelm Wundt is considered as the father of Experimental psychology as he opened first psychological laboratory in the year 1879 in Leipzig University (Germany).
• Modern psychologist tried to explain psychology in more scientific and objective manner. These psychologists considered psychology as the science of behaviour.
• J.B.Watson was the first psychologist who defines psychology as the Science of Behaviour. Behaviour was defined as the concrete and observable aspect. So this is different from spirit mind and consciousness which were all subjective and whose observation could not be possible. The subject matter of psychology is behavioural process which can easily observed. Psychology studies learning, perception and gesture whose objective study is possible. With this, psychology is also study mental processes which are not directly observable but they can be easily estimated by behavioural and psychological statistics. With these facts in mind, definition of psychology was given by Santrock, 2000 “Psychology is the scientific study of behaviour and mental processes.”
• Baron, 2001 “Psychology is a science which defines cognitive processes and behaviour”.
• Ciccarelli and Meyer, 2006 “Psychology is the scientific study of behavioural and mental processes”

Goals of Psychology :- 

• Psychology does the scientific study of behaviour and cognitive process of humans and animals. There are some hidden goals behind this study. The following are the three main goals of psychology-

1. Measurement and Description
2. Prediction and Control
3. Explanation

1. Measurement and Description:

• The first goal of psychology is to describe and measure behaviour and cognitive process. It is necessary to first measure the major psychological processes, such as — Anxiety, learning, disorder, ability, intelligence. Before describing about them it requires multiple tests to measure them. Therefore one of the main goal of psychology is to develop tests and special methods to measure various psychological processes. In any psychological test, there must be at least two qualities- Reliability and Validity. Reliability refers that instead of measuring repeatedly there will be no difference in the attained scores. Validity means that the test is measuring what it is designed to measure. After measurement, psychologist describe the behaviour for example- intelligence is measured by using intelligence test and if the intelligence Quotient comes 150 then it signifies that the individual has sharp intelligence and in different circumstances he could behave intelligently.

2. Prediction and Control:

• The second goal of psychology is to make prediction about the behaviour, so that it can be properly controlled. As far as, prediction is concern, which will be considered successful on the success of measurement.
• Generally psychologist predicts that how an individual will perform in any situation and how all predictions are done? On the basis of the measurement of behaviour for example if we can measure the intellectual of any student then we can rightly predict about his performance in his/ her school. Like, after measuring the interest of any individual, psychologists predicts that which job we must choose in which he can attain more and more success. Prediction and control walks together and whenever an psychologist predicts about any of the behaviour, his aim is to control that behaviour.

3. Explanation:

• The ultimate goal of psychology is to explain human behaviour. To explain behaviour psychologists develop some psychological theories, so that the explanation can be done in the scientific manner. These theories are the collected facts from the known sources and help psychologists to determine such situations in a logical manner, where they were not able to find right answers. To explain human behaviour is the first goal of psychology because till the psychologists will not be able to find that why a particular individual behaves in a certain manner, why certain measurements technique is working, then they can neither predict about the behaviour nor it can be possible to control it properly.

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Important Points :- 

1. This chapter of Psychology Consider behaviour as Psychology and gives definition, nature and goals.
2. The study of humen behaviour is goal directed Hence Psychology has prusceted discipline measurment, Prediction and control.
3. History of Psychology is discribed evolution of Psychology as pre scientific and scientific period.
4. Different schools of Psychology explained and stretnitham Functionalism, Gestaff, behaviour nd Psycloanysis.
5. Emphasis has been given to evaluation of psychology in India and its relation with other disciplines were discussed as spinal cold because wherever humen being is there, development is also him thats wire is called

I. The origin of the term “Psychology” is from____words
a. Greek
b. Latin
c. Hindi
d. English

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II. William Wundt established first psychology laboratory in____
a. Cornell University, 1992
b. Harward University, 1892
c. Leipzig University, 1879
d. No one from the above

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III. Meaning of Psyche is_____
a. Deliberation
b. Study
c. Soul
d. Consciousness

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IV. Which of these is not amongst the goals of Psychology?
a. Measurement and Description
b. Interpretation
c. Prediction and Control
d. Testing

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V. “Humans are born with qualities of selfishness, aggressiveness, which are controlled by the society” whose statement is this.
a. Rousseau
b. Spencer
c. Sigmund Freud
d. J.B.Watson

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