Department of Social Technologies
ABSTRACT
“Psychology and its connection with other sciences”
Tolyatti 2008
Introduction
1 The connection between psychology and philosophy
2 The connection between psychology and medicine
3 The connection between psychology and law
4 The connection between psychology and management
5 The connection between psychology and pedagogy
6 The connection between psychology and finance and credit
Introduction
Psychology is connected, historically and currently, with all major areas of knowledge. It presents both natural science and humanitarian orientations, but the humanitarian approach becomes predominant, because the personality is placed at the center of psychology, and this means the impossibility of a strictly objective approach - the approach to man as a “natural phenomenon.”
The expressed orientation of psychology not only towards cognition, but also towards practice allows us to assert that psychology has its own fundamental and applied sections.
The connection between psychology and the natural sciences is quite obvious - especially with the biological ones. Scientific psychology is characterized by the borrowing of certain general biological theoretical principles to substantiate the laws of mental development.
It should be noted: if psychology borrows mainly certain explanatory principles from the fundamental sciences, then in relation to the humanities it not only borrows, but also offers them its own ways of understanding phenomena; Moreover, there are “psychological schools” within the framework of history, sociology and linguistics.
The area of phenomena studied by psychology is enormous. It covers processes, states and properties of a person that have varying degrees of complexity - from the elementary discrimination of individual characteristics of an object that affects the senses, to the struggle of personal motives.
As is known, in previous decades psychology was predominantly a theoretical (worldview) discipline. Currently, its role in public life has changed significantly. It is increasingly becoming an area of special professional practical activity in the education system, industry, public administration, medicine, culture, sports, etc. The inclusion of psychological science in solving practical problems significantly changes the conditions for the development of its theory.
1. The connection between psychology and philosophy
The connection between psychology and philosophy is extremely important. Psychology has been developing for a long time within the framework of philosophy, and its separation into an independent science does not mean complete autonomy. Problems of mental life cannot be developed outside of ideas about the relationships between the material and the ideal, the spiritual and the physical, the biological and the social, the subjective and the objective, and these are philosophical problems, like many others; True, psychologists do not always clearly formulate their positions on these problems. In many cases, psychologists are directly based on certain philosophical systems, sometimes even offering their own. For psychology, certain philosophical concepts act as a methodological basis. And in a number of cases, psychological theories developed into philosophical directions (at least claimed to be so) or influenced the emergence and development of philosophical theories.
“Philosophy is the art of understanding,” wrote N.A. Berdyaev. Indeed, philosophy, not being an applied science, itself educates with thought and word and is a mirror of the social structure of life in human relations, and also serves as the basis for other sciences, in particular, psychology and pedagogy. Figuratively speaking, it itself is psychology and pedagogy - their means and method of understanding and educating a person.
The philosophical task of psychology and pedagogy is to heal distorted souls and affirm holistic ones. Education has the root “image”, which must correspond to the human image.
Philosophy, unlike other sciences, forms the soul as a whole. Plato also dreamed of an ideal state in which philosophers would rule, since he was aware of the great educational power of philosophy, which alone is capable of teaching people independently, freely, i.e. think creatively.
Philosophy is education, pedagogy, since it shapes a person’s thinking, thereby cultivating his personality in creative freedom. Epicurus also said about this main, character-building, psychological and pedagogical function of philosophy, about its pedagogical and practical purpose: “The words of that philosopher are empty, with which no human suffering is healed, just as there is no benefit from medicine if it does not expel diseases from the body, So it is with philosophy, if it does not drive out illnesses of the soul.” Protagoras expressed this idea even more clearly: “The main task of philosophy is to educate people.” These words express the idea in which lies the main practical value of philosophy: it forms the personality of a new person through thinking. This demonstrates its close relationship with psychology and pedagogy.
In psychology, all theories and specific questions are raised, as S. Hessen and L. Vygotsky noted, to philosophical problems. Philosophy forms the basis of all ancient and modern psychological and educational theories and research. D. Locke’s phrase “There is nothing in the mind that is not first in the senses” can be paraphrased as follows: “There is nothing in psychology and pedagogy that is not first in philosophy.” In psychology, as in pedagogy, a person’s philosophical view of the world around him is manifested. Understanding and rethinking the connection between philosophy and psychology and pedagogy is necessary not only for solving psychological and pedagogical problems, as L. Vygotsky believed, but also for philosophy itself.
The role of any philosophical theories is purely practical: to transform the world - this is where its psychological and pedagogical nature is manifested. The psychological and pedagogical task of philosophy is to form independent thinking, to reveal the philosophical and psychological patterns of the impact of social experience on a person, which is pedagogical and educational in nature.
Philosophy and psychology have a common basis: human experience. But there is a difference: if in psychology it is possible to study not only personal, but also collective social experience on the basis of studying the individual similar experiences of other people, then it is impossible to join philosophy only on the basis of studying other people’s philosophical experience, without having your own. For philosophizing is not empty theorizing, but such an understanding of one’s experience with the help of someone else’s philosophical experience, expressed in philosophical concepts, when the suffering experienced by a person acquires special meaning, as if opening the world to him anew. Through this mental experience, which D. Locke called internal, a personality is formed that is capable of thinking independently.
Philosophizing, being a deeply personal activity, nevertheless has nothing to do with individualism, because even the most personal experience latently contains a global, universal world experience that connects a person with other people.
2. The connection between psychology and medicine
It is difficult to say what is more in medical psychology – medicine or psychology. In accordance with the problems it solves and the tasks it faces, medical psychology can be considered a medical science, and in accordance with the theoretical premises and research methods, it belongs to psychology.
The connections between psychology and medicine are so close that for psychologists working in this field, medical knowledge is absolutely necessary. At the same time, doctors are becoming more and more aware of the need for psychological knowledge for successful medical work. Thus, medical psychology is a field of scientific knowledge and a field of practical work that belongs equally to both medicine and psychology. When developing problems in medical psychology, the efforts of psychologists, physiologists, doctors, and biologists are combined.
Medical psychology as an applied science has the following tasks:
Study of mental factors influencing the development of diseases, their prevention and treatment;
Studying the influence of certain diseases on the psyche;
Study of various manifestations of the psyche in their dynamics;
Study of mental development disorders;
Studying the nature of the relationship of a sick person with medical personnel and the microenvironment around him;
Development of principles and methods of psychological research in the clinic;
Creation and study of psychological methods of influencing the human psyche for therapeutic and preventive purposes
The work of psychologists in medicine is primarily related to the development and application of psychodiagnostic methods. Psychology has great potential in this regard. The most important tasks of a medical psychologist are to study the psychological characteristics of the intellect, emotional-volitional sphere and personality of the patient, as well as the psychological causes of his illness. The main methods of medical and psychological study of a patient remain clinical conversation and experimental psychological research of patients. Due to the fact that quite a lot of effective methods have been developed in psychology for obtaining such information, a professional psychologist is useful in medicine when compiling an anamnesis (medical history), conducting a medical and psychological examination, as well as medical and psychological consultation.
The important role of a medical psychologist in the treatment process is that it contributes to a better understanding of the psychological causes and manifestations of a person’s illness. Many mental illnesses have psychological causes: conflicts, mental trauma, suggestions and self-hypnosis, entrenched pathogenic reactions and conditions. Such human diseases are called psychogenic. Among them, the most common are neuroses - functional disorders of the nervous system that arise as a reaction of the individual to factors that traumatize the psyche. The role of psychologists in working with such patients is especially important.
At the intersection of medicine and psychology, medical psychology arose, developing psychological problems of diagnosis, treatment, prevention, and rehabilitation of patients. I would especially like to highlight the one founded by A.R. Luria neuropsychology, a science that exists at the intersection of psychology, physiology and medicine, studying the brain mechanisms of higher mental functions based on local brain lesions (according to the original thought of L.S. Vygotsky, whose collaborator was A.R. Luria, mental functions, becoming systemic, are connected with corresponding changes in the organization of brain mechanisms). Closely related to medicine is the so-called special psychology, which studies various variants of developmental pathology. Thus, the connection between psychology and the biological sciences is undeniable.
3. The connection between psychology and law
Being a border science between psychology and jurisprudence, legal psychology remains a psychological discipline - its theoretical basis lies in the patterns and characteristics of the human psyche; Only the application, accounting and use of these patterns and features of human behavior are specific: legal psychology considers them in relation to the sphere of legal regulation. However, this specificity is so significant that the entire system of legal psychology, its categorical (conceptual) apparatus is structured depending on the logic of legal regulation and legal factors. The subject of legal psychology - legal psychology studies and systematizes the psychological foundations of law-making, legal education, law enforcement, law enforcement and penitentiary activities.
Legal psychology correlates with the problems of individual socialization, the foundations of lawmaking, legal consciousness, and the psychological foundations of self-regulation of behavior. Criminal psychology is interconnected with the formation of deviant behavior, mental and genetic abnormalities, and the general theory of behavioral motivation. Forensic psychology is associated with the theory of heuristics, sign theory, the psychology of cognitive-search activity in problem situations, and the psychology of interpersonal interaction. Similar relationships are typical for judicial proceedings. Penitentiary psychology is associated with the theory of resocialization, personality correction, problems of repentance, value reorientation of the individual, and methods for the formation of socially positive behavior. It is especially closely connected with penology - the science of punishment.
Already a brief analysis of the structural units of legal psychology indicates their relative independence - they are connected with their scientific zones and, along with this, they are structurally interconnected.
Russia already in the first half of the 19th century. Attempts are being made to substantiate certain criminal legal positions with psychological knowledge; in 1806-1812 A course in “Criminal Psychology” was taught at Moscow University.
Interest in forensic psychological problems especially increased after the judicial reform of 1864. In 1874, the first monograph on forensic psychology, “Essays on Forensic Psychology,” was published in Kazan. Its author is psychiatrist A.A. Frese believed that the subject of forensic psychology is “the application of our information about the normal and abnormal manifestations of mental life to legal issues.” In 1877, lawyer L.E. Vladimirov presented an article “Psychological characteristics of criminals according to the latest research,” in which he noted that the social causes of crime find their basis in individual characters, the study of which is mandatory for lawyers.
At the end of the 19th century. In connection with the development of experimental psychology, forensic psychology is gradually becoming an independent science. Its largest representative D.A. Dril pointed out that psychology and law deal with the same phenomena - “the laws of a person’s conscious life.”
At the beginning of the twentieth century, a psychological school of law was formed in Russia, the founder of which was the lawyer and sociologist L.I. Petrazhitsky, in 1898-1918. Head of the Department of History of Legal Philosophy at St. Petersburg University. Leon Petrazhitsky believed that the sciences of law and state should be based on the analysis of mental phenomena. However, Petrazycki replaced the social conditioning of law with psychological conditioning. Petrazycki argued that only mental processes really exist, and socio-historical formations are their external projections.
The psychological school of law proceeded from the complete compatibility of law and psychology. Legal psychology was not conceptualized by the psychological school of law as a border area between law and psychology. However, despite the general failure of the psychological school of law, it attracted the attention of lawyers to the psychological aspects of law. Petrazycki's ideas had a significant influence on the development of forensic psychology at the beginning of the twentieth century.
In the first years after the revolution, a broad study began of the psychology of various groups of criminals, the psychological preconditions of crime, the psychology of individual participants in legal proceedings, the problems of forensic psychological examination, and the psychology of correction of offenders.
Forensic (criminal) psychology is becoming a generally recognized and authoritative branch of knowledge. Already in 1923, at the First All-Russian Congress on Psychoneurology, a section of criminal psychology worked (under the leadership of criminologist S.V. Poznyshev). The congress noted the need to train criminological psychologists, as well as the advisability of opening rooms for criminal psychological research.
4. The connection between psychology and management
Management offers many concepts to solve the problem of leadership, but none of them has been sufficiently universal until now. In this sense, the concept of emotional intelligence today represents one of the most effective tools for finding solutions to leadership issues. In addition, it provides an opportunity to develop leadership skills for people who lack them.
Emotional intelligence is closely related to concepts characteristic of psychology such as empathy and alexithymia, and therefore can rightfully be considered to be within the scope of psychological issues (this article will reveal the nature of the interaction of these concepts with each other).
Leadership qualities are manifested not only in economic relations, but also in any human relationships. A universal concept that allows us to explain the mechanisms of leadership in any or virtually any environment gives us the greatest opportunity to study a variety of interpersonal interactions and, at the same time, to study an individual with a certain set of leadership qualities.
A modern manager must not only know economic postulates, the nature of management processes, information technology, be able to plan the activities of a company (or other economic or political entity), and most rationally divide his own resources, but also be a specialist in working with his colleagues, subordinates and opponents, be able to make decisions in difficult situations and express your thoughts clearly.
In situations where a person faces complex interpersonal (intra-group) problems, he needs to comprehend all the internal mechanisms and prerequisites for the occurrence of these complications. This can be done with the help of psychology, which is able to understand all the complexity and subtlety of a person’s mental world, his soul.
In the management system, any employee is considered as a “black box”, tightly closed with all the locks. The main goal of any manager, if he wants to successfully interact with each unit of personnel for maximum work efficiency, is to find out what is inside this “black box”.
The inner world of a person is very multifaceted. It has its own internal structure and some special patterns. The mental world is both the world of perception and knowledge of the surrounding reality, and a look inside oneself, and the world of one’s experiences, relationships with other people. This is the very soul of man.
Psychology at the dawn of mankind was created for a reason, but in order to master the power of the human spirit, learn to control human behavior and predict his further actions.
5. The connection between psychology and pedagogy
These sciences are intertwined. Psychology is closely related to the education and upbringing of a child. The system of pedagogical views is based on data from the human sciences, including psychology. The psychological knowledge of a teacher increases the effectiveness of teaching and raising a child. “In order to comprehensively educate a person, he must be studied comprehensively” [K.D. Ushinsky]. If pedagogy is not based on knowledge about the nature of psychological phenomena, it turns into a simple set of psychological advice and recipes and ceases to be a genuine science that can help the teacher.
In the development of all areas of pedagogy (didactics, private methods, education theory), problems arise that require psychological research. Knowledge of the patterns of mental processes, dynamics, formation of knowledge, abilities, skills, the nature of abilities and motives, mental development of the child as a whole is essential for solving fundamental pedagogical problems, such as determining the content of education at different levels of education, developing the most effective teaching methods and education. As you know, the purpose of education is to form a personality that meets the requirements of a developing society. And achieving this goal involves studying the patterns of personality formation: its orientation, abilities, needs, motives, etc.
The connection between psychology and pedagogy has given a powerful impetus to the study of age-related characteristics of children and the identification of conditions and factors determining child development. The desire to make pedagogy psychological, to introduce psychology into the pedagogical process became the basis on which the system of educational psychology was built (although the term “educational psychology” itself was not yet used at that time), led to the participation of scientists from various specialties in the development of its problems.
Educational psychology is a science about the facts, mechanisms and patterns of a person’s mastery of sociocultural experience, the patterns of intellectual and personal development of a child as a subject of educational activities, organized and controlled by a teacher in different conditions of the educational process. In general, we can say that educational psychology studies psychological issues of managing the pedagogical process, studies learning processes, the formation of cognitive processes, etc.
There are a number of problems in educational psychology. Among the most important are the following: the relationship between training and development, the relationship between training and education, taking into account sensitive periods of development in learning; work with gifted children, the problem of children’s readiness for school, etc.
Consequently, the general task of educational psychology is to identify, study and describe the psychological characteristics and patterns of intellectual and personal development of a person in the conditions of educational activities and the educational process. This determines the structure of this branch of psychology: the psychology of learning, the psychology of education, the psychology of teachers.
Psychological and pedagogical sciences are unthinkable without relying on knowledge about the psyche and the laws of human mental development. At the same time, psychology largely loses its applied significance without access to the practical activities of any person, and not just a teacher. The close connection between psychology and pedagogy is natural in its essence. Combining these sciences, as is done in sports, in pedagogy is completely justified when it comes to the practical use of psychology for pedagogical purposes. Their integration in applied terms forms a new science - pedagogy of individuality, which is a derivative of psychology and pedagogy. Pedagogy of individuality is the application of theoretical principles of psychology to the practice of human life. Its task: to reveal how the achievements of psychology can be applied in relation to one’s mental health and one’s professional activities. This approach, when by merging the achievements of psychology and pedagogy, the general problems of pedagogy are solved using psychological tools for influencing a person, is followed by both domestic and foreign researchers.
Of course, the connection between psychology and pedagogy has always existed; even K.D. Ushinsky said: “In order to comprehensively educate a person, he must be comprehensively studied.” Here the practical significance of psychology is especially clearly visible. If pedagogy is not based on knowledge about the nature of psychological phenomena, it turns into a simple set of pedagogical tips and recipes and ceases to be a genuine science that can help the teacher. In the development of all areas of pedagogy (general theory, didactics, specific methods, education theory) problems arise that require psychological research. Knowledge of the patterns of mental processes, dynamics, formation of knowledge, skills and abilities, the nature of abilities and motives, mental development of a person as a whole is essential for solving fundamental pedagogical problems, such as determining the content of education at different levels of education, developing the most effective teaching methods and education, etc.
Currently, a lot of problems have accumulated that cause heated discussions on the questions: what should we teach a modern schoolchild? what and how to select from the huge mass of information that science accumulates for school? It is psychology that must determine what the capabilities and reserves of a person’s mental development are at different age levels and where their boundaries are.
The need for psychology is no less acute when pedagogy turns to the problems of education. The purpose of education is to form a personality that meets the requirements of a developing society. And achieving this goal involves studying the patterns of personality formation: its orientation, abilities, needs, worldview, etc. All of the above indicates that modern psychology is at the intersection of sciences. It occupies an intermediate position between the philosophical sciences, on the one hand, the natural sciences, on the other, and the social sciences, on the third.
6. The connection between psychology and finance and credit
The study of economic psychology, or the psychological aspects of economics, is a promising field of scientific research. Economic psychologists are interested in topics such as the everyday understanding of economics; factors underlying economic decisions; relationships between personal identity and mass consumption, etc. Research is carried out by social psychologists, cognitive psychologists (concentrating on decision making), developmental psychologists (concentrating on the development of children's ideas about the economic process) Although economic psychology is developing dynamically, it cannot claim that is the focus of science. Contemporary academic psychology is dominated by cognitive, computational, and neurological approaches. In the distribution of research funds, professorships, journal editing, and other indicators of institutional power, social psychology is on the periphery. But even within it, economic psychology is only a nascent field.
In economic psychology, it is easy to distinguish two approaches: the first largely abstracts from the cultural aspects of consumption and considers mainly the relationship between economics and psychology. The second focuses on engaging with cultural approaches and sees the social psychology of mass consumption within a broader interdisciplinary field.
Economics is the science of people’s relationships regarding business, but since it describes these relationships pragmatically, rationally - in a simplified way, in the language of things and numbers, there is a need for its collaboration with psychology. As a result of the integration of scientific knowledge at the intersection of political economy and private economic sciences, on the one hand, and social psychology, on the other hand, a new discipline arose - economic psychology.
The subject of economic psychology is the reflection of economic relations in human consciousness and behavior. Within the framework of this discipline, the effects and phenomena of economic behavior, mechanisms and patterns of economic activity, algorithms and models that describe economic preferences, choices, decisions and factors influencing business experience are studied.
Thus, economic psychology is the psychology of an economic entity. It can be one person, a family, an organization, a state or a nation, i.e. the object of study of economic psychology can be presented at different levels - micro-, meso- and macroeconomic. Economic psychology has almost no specific methods. She uses both methods from other branches of psychology and purely economic methods, for example, the method of logical-theoretical analysis or the method of economic modeling. Survey methods adopted in social psychology are most widely used; experiments are used less frequently.
Psychology can be used to explain important aspects of market behavior, including some aspects of conventional technical analysis." There is some structure to price movements, depending on the type of stock or market being examined.
Professional investing is mainly a matter of acquiring such assets and at times when the market clearly undervalues them. Purchasing any asset traded on the market and then selling it allows you to get a profit that exceeds the average market return.
To profit from speculation in stock markets, you just need to know when to do it. The main thing that leads to profitable investing is knowledge and understanding of how the entire huge mass that is involved in investing perceives the current state of affairs in the market. It's no secret that the key to success lies in knowing the basics of stock market psychology, which can lead to complete ruin or exceptional success.
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Psychology is a science that studies the human psyche, its mechanisms and patterns. In its development, this science took the achievements of other human knowledge and shared its inventions. Thus, psychology has its origins from philosophy, which in ancient times was a deviant science. This concept means something that does not obey rules and foundations, takes facts and fiction as a basis, becoming the foundation for theories.
In its development, psychology passed through four stages:
1. Science of the soul. The most ancient explanation of human behavior and his condition is the presence of a soul, which acquired a special character of worship in the era of animism.
2. The science of consciousness. During the development of natural sciences and significant discoveries, people began to observe themselves, describing all the possibilities and desires of a person as consciousness. Philosophers no longer considered the soul to be divine, as in the first stage; they considered the soul to be something material, just like the rest of the human body.
3. Behavioral science. The stage in which psychology studies behavior patterns conducts experiments to gain knowledge about response and motive. Drawing up special techniques to identify the root causes of various behavior.
4. The science of mechanisms. The study of psychology, finding patterns and mechanisms of the psyche.
Psychology as a science, briefly: the science of the psyche and its phenomena. The psyche is the reflection of the surrounding world and awareness of it.
Since psychology studies the psyche, it is impossible to imagine that this science exists on its own. The fact is that the reaction to the world around us is a consequence of biological, social, historical and other characteristics.
The connection between psychology and other sciences is very great and plays a big role in the study. The fact is that psychology not only takes the knowledge of other sciences for free use, but also cordially gives away its discoveries, confirming many theories. This symbiosis helps to increase knowledge and opportunities to apply it in practice.
What sciences and how is psychology related?
- Biology. This is the most important science for psychology and it is quite clear why. The secret is that the study of the human psyche and behavior is impossible even without all known knowledge about the structure of man. But as it turns out, not only the structure of the body is important for psychology, but also the central nervous system and its functions. All this knowledge helps to connect together psychological processes and the activity of the central nervous system.
2. History. What modern man has become is the result of many years of development, which can be observed in the developments of such a science as history. The manner and method of speech, the thought process, work activity and much more that is studied and analyzed by psychology would be impossible without historical data.
3. Pedagogy. This science provides information about people's behavior during learning and the influence of education.
4. Medicine. Knowledge from this science helps to better understand the human condition, prevent serious disorders and prescribe the correct mental treatment.
5. Sociology. The formation of personality is influenced by the social environment, that is, how a person will display the outside world directly depends on society and his position in it. Sociology provides knowledge about the structure of society, its problems and ways to solve them.
6. Philosophy. This science studies a person’s views on life, and psychology studies the person himself and what contributed to the adoption of certain decisions, the formation of those same views on life.
The connection between psychology and other sciences has led to the emergence of various branches of psychology, which specialize in its individual interfaces with other sciences (let’s consider the main branches):
- Social psychology as a science is a branch of psychology that studies relationships between people, their compatibility and the influence of various factors on people’s behavior. In a world where every day people are influenced by each other and the flow of information, this science helps to find common ground and protect from negative influence. An example of socio-psychological phenomena is the attitude in the family, at work, in the educational community.
- Educational psychology is a science that studies the process of personality formation during training and education. Thus, during the educational process a person acquires not only knowledge, but also the opportunity to grow up in society. For example, a school is a place where children are not only taught mathematics, but also have preventive conversations, trainings, tests and educational hours.
- Medical psychology is a branch of psychology that studies methods of treating the human psyche at the physical level.
Psychology is a vast science with many nuances. That is why it includes a large amount of knowledge, methods and functions that make it possible to study and diagnose the patterns and mechanisms of the human psyche.
Relationship between psychology and other sciences was last modified: January 9th, 2016 by Elena Pogodaeva
It was founded in antiquity. The idea of people that the human body necessarily has a soul was one of the main thoughts of ancient mythology. And the first doctrine about the soul is animism, which assumed the existence of invisible ghosts behind living people.
Such scientists as Heraclitus, Hippocrates and Democritus made their contribution to the doctrine of the soul, with the help of whom the concepts of temperament and its types were introduced into psychology. The ideas of causality and regularity put forward by ancient Greek thinkers formed the basis of the entire future Formula of Heraclitus: “Know yourself” meant the beginning of human activity in cultivating a rational being who knows how to manage his feelings, needs and desires.
The history of the development of psychology as a science in the Middle Ages is associated with the fight against paganism and the reign of Christianity and other world religious teachings on the globe. Ibn Sina, Thomas Aquinas, Leonardo da Vinci, linking the internal characteristics of a person with natural ones, developed concepts of what can be improved through targeted educational processes. introduces truly scientific concepts into psychology. Among them are the definition of reflex, thinking, will, and intelligence. And finally, in the 19th century, when perfect anatomical studies of man were carried out and it became clear that the soul does not exist in visible substance, the formation of psychology as a special science began.
A lot of time has passed since then. Psychology has become a separate branch, without which a full study of human essence is impossible. And it did not develop separately from other sciences. It was the relationship between psychology and other sciences that made it possible to make those scientific discoveries that are today considered fundamental in the field of studying human mental properties.
The connection between psychology and other sciences is determined by the contiguity of tasks. Let's start with biology. Man is a biosocial being. And the first part of this term indicates that before you begin to delve into the psychological details of a person’s existence, you need to familiarize yourself in detail with his biological data, especially with the characteristics of the central nervous system. And the second part of the term we are considering directly indicates another very close relationship between psychology and other sciences, among which social sciences occupy one of the first places. Psychology cannot develop without history, since it was the achievements of historical civilizations that made possible the formation of the highest human beings. Without tools and sign systems, mathematical or alphabetic, it is impossible to imagine what would happen to a person.
Further, the connection between psychology and other sciences clearly appears in the emergence of such a science as Man outside society is impossible. He immediately turns into an animal. His psyche can be formed and developed only in society. Therefore, sociology is another basis for the success of psychological research.
Man from birth is no different from his smaller brothers. His consciousness and thinking develop over time, under the influence of educational and educational processes. Therefore, another connection between psychology and other sciences is determined through its relationship with pedagogy, which is a science that is directly related to the formation of individual personality traits.
And finally, the direct connection of psychology with other sciences is noted through its philosophical foundations, which were mentioned earlier. The nature of human existence and individual inner qualities are closely related. Therefore, the philosophical view is also used in psychological science.
The connection between psychology and other sciences.
1. General idea of psychological methods. Classification of research methods in psychology and areas of their application.
Solving various problems in psychology is impossible without the use of certain techniques and methods of study. Each science uses its own methods. The research method always reflects one or another methodology, that is, the general requirements for research methods. Methods of psychological research have certain requirements that must be observed when using any method. These are the basic methodological principles: objectivity, adequacy, development.
Method (Greek methodos - path to something) - a method of activity aimed at achieving a specific goal; a way of carrying out scientific research arising from general theoretical ideas about the essence of the objects being studied.
Methodology is a system of principles and methods of organizing and constructing theoretical and practical activities, as well as the doctrine of this system.
The methodology is embodied in all types of activities, including scientific ones.
CLASSIFICATION OF METHODS
In psychology, various classifications of methods are known. The most complete classification is proposed by B.G. Ananyev. In this classification, all methods are divided into four classes.
I. Data collection methods (empirical):
a) basic (observations and experiment (laboratory, natural (stating, formative);
b) auxiliary (testing, studying the products of activity, biographical, conversation, questioning, modeling, sociometric, twin).
II. Organizational methods:
a) comparative,
b) longitudinal,
c) complex.
III. Methods for processing results:
a) quantitative (statistical),
b) qualitative (differentiation of material by levels and types).
IV. Methods for interpreting results:
a) genetic (analysis of developmental results highlighting individual phases, stages, etc.);
b) structural (establishing structural connections between all personality characteristics) (see Correlation analysis).
Basic methods
Observation is a method of psychology; consists in recording manifestations of behavior and obtaining judgments about subjective mental phenomena.
Introspection is introspection, observation, the object of which is the mental states of the subject himself.
An experiment in psychology (Latin experimentum - test, experience) is the main method of psychology, based on an accurate accounting of variable independent variables that influence the dependent variable. This is the creation of optimal conditions for the study of mental phenomena. It involves the purposeful intervention of a scientist in a research situation. To conduct an experiment, specific diagnostic techniques and methods are selected, the totality of which is called a research methodology.
Methodology of psychological research is a set of methods used in a specific study and determined by the corresponding methodology.
A laboratory experiment is a method of psychology carried out in artificial conditions (in specially equipped rooms) with strict control of all influencing factors.
A natural experiment is a psychological experiment included in play, work or educational activities.
An ascertaining experiment involves identifying existing mental characteristics or levels of development of corresponding qualities, as well as establishing the relationship of causes and consequences.
A formative (educational) experiment is a method of psychology in which the systematic formation of the required mental process or personality quality takes place.
Helper Methods
Testing is research using tests.
A test (English test - test) is a standardized psychological test, as a result of which an attempt is made to evaluate a particular mental process or personality as a whole. There are: tests of abilities and achievements, as well as personality tests (questionnaires, projective). Ability tests are designed to measure the level of development of certain abilities (memory, thinking, intelligence, professional, etc.). Achievement tests are used to determine achievements in various types of activities (learning, work, etc.). Personality tests are designed to determine various psychological qualities of an individual (motives, relationships, values, individual characteristics (temperament, character, emotional state, etc.). Questionnaires or projective tests are used.
Personality questionnaires are a type of questionnaire aimed at measuring various personality traits. Personality questionnaires are divided into: a) personality trait questionnaires; b) typological questionnaires; c) motive questionnaires; d) interest questionnaires; e) values questionnaires; f) attitude questionnaires.
Projective is one of the methods of personality research. Based on identifying projections of the subject’s personality traits in the experimental data with subsequent interpretation. The method is provided by a set of projective techniques (projective tests), among which are distinguished: a) associative (for example, the Rorschach test, the test of unfinished sentences, etc.); b) interpretive (for example, thematic apperception test TAT, which requires interpreting social situations depicted in pictures); c) expressive (psychodrama, drawing of a person or non-existent animal, etc.).
Test validity (eng. validate - confirm, declare valid) is a measure of compliance of research results with the testing purpose and objective external criteria. The measure of validity is usually the correlation coefficient of the test results with the results of other valid tests or professional criteria.
Reliability - consistency, sustainability of the results obtained with its help. Reliability indicates the test’s resistance to the distorting effects of random noise factors and its accuracy. The reliability of the tests is checked by repeated testing.
The study of the products of activity is the study of the products of human labor: inventions, books, letters, etc. From them one can, to a certain extent, judge the characteristics of the activity that led to their creation and the mental processes involved in this activity. This method is used to study the mental makeup of a person from texts (content analysis), from drawings, etc.
Content analysis (English: contents) is a scientific method of identifying and assessing the characteristics of texts and other media (video recordings, television and radio programs, interviews, etc.).
Biographical method (English: bio - life, graphx - writing) - methods of research, diagnosis, correction and design of a person’s life path based on information obtained from biographies, questionnaires, interviews, eyewitness accounts, content analysis of diaries, letters, etc. .
Conversation is one of the methods of psychology that involves directly or indirectly obtaining information through verbal communication.
Interviewing is a method of social psychology that involves collecting information obtained in the form of answers to questions posed.
A questionnaire (French enquete - list of questions) is a methodological tool for obtaining primary information.
Questioning is a study using questionnaires.
Modeling is a method of studying mental patterns, which consists in constructing models of mental phenomena and studying the functioning of these models using the results obtained as data on the patterns of mental functioning.
Sociometry is a method of psychological research into interpersonal relationships in a group or team in order to determine the structure of relationships and psychological compatibility.
The twin method is a method of scientific research based on comparison of the psychology and behavior of two types of twins: monozygotic (with the same genotype) and dizygotic (with different genotype). The method is used to solve the problem of genotypic or environmental conditioning of certain psychological and behavioral characteristics of a person.
The method of semantic differential is a way of studying the content and structure of a person’s consciousness through his definition of concepts using a series of predetermined polar definitions such as “strong - weak”, “good - bad”, etc. The method was introduced by the American psychologist Charles Osgood.
The comparative method is the study of the same function in different groups of subjects.
The longitudinal method (from the English longitude - longitude) is a long-term scientific study of the processes of formation, development and change of any mental or behavioral phenomena. The study of mental phenomena in the same subjects over a long period of time (sometimes for a number of years) and the consistent recording of a number of significant changes in the psyche of the subject.
The genetic method is a way of studying mental phenomena, consisting in analyzing the process of their occurrence and development from lower forms to higher ones.
The method is complex - research using different means, different sciences.
Statistics is a branch of mathematics, theoretical and applied, that deals with the collection, classification and analysis of data. Statistics includes three main sections: 1) descriptive statistics, which allows you to describe, summarize and reproduce in the form of tables or graphs the data of a particular distribution, and calculate its statistical characteristics; 2) inductive statistics, which serves to check whether the results obtained from a given sample can be extended to the entire population from which the sample was taken; 3) the measurement of correlation, which allows us to find out how related two variables are to each other, so that we can predict the possible values of one of them if we know the other.
Correlation analysis (Latin correlatio - ratio) is a statistical method for assessing the measure, form and nature of the relationship of the properties or characteristics being studied.
Correlation is a measure of the connection between phenomena of reality or experimental facts, their interrelation.
Stages of psychological research:
1. Research planning includes selection and testing of research methods. Planning is also the drawing up of logical and chronological research schemes, the selection of the contingent and number of subjects or the required number of measurements (observations), this is a plan for mathematical processing and description of the entire study, etc.
2. The research location must provide isolation from external interference, meet sanitary, hygienic, engineering and psychological requirements, that is, provide a certain comfort and relaxed working environment.
3. The technical equipment of the research must correspond to the tasks being solved, the entire course of the research and the level of analysis of the results obtained.
4. The selection of subjects should ensure their qualitative homogeneity.
5. The researcher (experimenter) inevitably influences the progress of the work being carried out at all its stages.
6. The instructions are drawn up at the work planning stage. It should be clear, concise, unambiguous.
7. The research protocol must be both comprehensive and focused.
8. Processing of research results is a quantitative and qualitative analysis and synthesis of data obtained during the research.
2. Temperament and activity. Typologies of temperament.
Problems of psychology
Psychology solves a wide range of problems, and therefore we will highlight only the most relevant ones. tasks of psychology:
1. Theoretical rethinking of the human mental organization, taking into account the results of modern research in neuropsychology, genetics, physiology, sociology and other sciences.
2. Development of psychological tools for high-quality and rapid diagnosis of human mental characteristics.
3. Participation in solving complex global problems of our time, in which the human factor is of great importance.
4. Implementation of programs to improve the psychological culture of people, which will allow them to use internal resources to a greater extent to achieve their life goals.
5. Development of methods for active training and education of the younger generation, taking into account the effect of psychological laws and modern information and technical capabilities.
6. Implementation of application programs in a variety of areas (health care, business, family, leisure, etc.).
7. Assistance in neutralizing the negative psychological consequences of various types of disasters, wars, etc.
Completing these and other tasks will contribute to the overall progress of society and the development of psychological science itself.
Psychology belongs to the group humanities, i.e. sciences, the subject of which is Human. Knowledge of the mental patterns of human organization is unthinkable without taking into account his other characteristics (biological, physiological, neural, genetic, social, etc.). Therefore, psychology is closely related to all sciences that study human nature.
The development of psychology is of great importance philosophy. In many ways, methodological positions in psychology are determined by the initial philosophical views of scientists on the world and the place of man in this world. Philosophy, therefore, allows us to compare and determine the methodological foundations of psychology at a high level of generalization. The social essence of a person determines the need for psychology to interact with social sciences (sociology, political science, social pedagogy and etc.). At the same time, psychology greatly influences the development of these sciences. The existence of psychology as a scientific discipline is unthinkable without the use of special information processing techniques. Therefore, psychology is based on relevant achievements in mathematical statistics And computer technologies in order to objectively and quickly draw conclusions about the results of the study. Psychology is also closely related to economics, history, biology, medicine, geography, politics, ethics, philology and other branches of scientific knowledge.
These are just some examples of the relationship between psychology and other sciences. Within psychological science, as a result of accumulated data, numerous branches have emerged. Many of them currently represent separate sciences. Let's look at some of the branches of psychology.
GENERAL PSYCHOLOGY- basic psychological science, the subject of which is the general laws of the psyche and consciousness. SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY- studies psychological phenomena that arise in connection with a person’s inclusion in certain social groups and the psychological characteristics of these groups themselves. DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY- explores the patterns of mental development of people at various age stages. PEDAGOGICAL PSYCHOLOGY- reveals the psychological characteristics and patterns of upbringing and training of the younger generation. PSYCHODYAGNOSTICS- develops methods for measuring mental processes and individual psychological characteristics of a person. PSYCHOPHYSIOLOGY- studies the physiological basis of the emergence and manifestation of mental phenomena. DIFFERENTIAL PSYCHOLOGY- explores individual differences between people. MEDICAL AND PATHOPSYCHOLOGY study various deviations from the norm in the human psyche. LEGAL PSYCHOLOGY examines a person’s assimilation of legal norms and rules of behavior. HISTORY OF PSYCHOLOGY studies the emergence and development of psychological knowledge in society, and the process of its formation into scientific ideas.
It should be noted that many industries arise at the intersection of scientific problems. Thus, recently one can find research in the framework of social pedagogical psychology, differential psychophysiology, psychodiagnostics, etc. and more and more often one can find research on complex problems of human knowledge. In any case, both differentiation and integration of psychological disciplines lead to the progress of all psychology.
