Definition, History, Psychology Relationships

Understanding Psychology

Etymologically "psychology" comes from the Greek: Psyche and logos. Psyche means soul and logos meaning science. In the Arabic language of psychology called "an Nafsi Science". The latter then developed into a science called "Nafsiologi". In Indonesian known as the "Science of Life".

In the terminology (in terms of knowledge) Psychology is "the science that studies on all matters relating to the soul, essence, origins, workings and consequences thereof." Psychology can be defined also as "The science on all matters relating to the soul, essence, origins, workings and consequences thereof." Psychology can be defined also as "The study of human behavior or human behavior". After widespread Psychology and demanded to have the characteristics of science as a discipline, the "soul" is seen as too abstract. Science requires the object can be observed, and recorded and measured. And in fact the behavior is considered more easily observed, recorded and measured. Nevertheless, the meaning of this behavior is extended not only include behavioral "invisible" such as: eating, killing, crying, etc., but it also covers the behavior of "invisible" as: fantasy, motivation, example (why kill?), Or process that occurs when a person does not move (sleep) and others. "Behavior" has the following characteristics:

1.      The behavior itself is invisible, but the cause may not be observed directly.

2.     Behaviour recognize different levels. There is a simple and stereotypical behaviors such as animal behavior of the cell, there is also such a complex behavior in human social behavior. There are simple behaviors such as reflexes, but there are also processes involving mental-physiological higher.

3.     Behaviour varies according to the particular kinds that can be classified. One classification is commonly known: Cognitive, affective and psychomotor, each referring to the nature of rational, emotional, and physical movements behave.

4.     Behaviour can be conscious and unconscious. Although most of the everyday behavior we know, but sometimes we turn ourselves why we behave like that.

Understanding Psychology According to the Experts

1.      Crow & Crow ": Psychology is the study of human behavior and human relationships."
(Psychology is human behavior, the human interaction with the surrounding world, whether in the form of another human being [human relationships] and non-human animals, climate, culture, and so on).

2.     Sartain: "Psychology is the scientific study of the behavior of living organisms, with especial attention given to human behavior." (Psychology is the study of the behavior of living organisms, especially human behavior).

3.     Bruno (1987)

Understanding Psychology is divided into 3 parts:

1.      Psychology is the study (investigation) of the "spirit".

2.     Psychology is the science of "mental life".

3.     Psychology is the science of the "behavior" of organisms.

4.     Chaplin (1972) in the Dictionary of Psychology "Psychology is the science of human and animal behavior, the study of organisms in all its variety and complexity, as it respond to the flux and flow of the physical and social events roomates make up the environment." (Psychology is the science of human and animal behavior, as well as the investigation of the organism in all its diversity and complexity when it reacts to the current and changing environment, and social events that change the environment).

5.     Encyclopedia of Education, Poerbakawatja and Harahap (1981): Psychology is a branch of science that hold inquiry into the symptoms and mental activities.

6.     Richard Mayer (1981): Psychology is an analysis of the mental processes and memory structures to understand human behavior.

7.     Ernest Hilgert (1957): "Psychology may be defined as the science that studies the behavior of men and other animal, etc.." (Psychology is the study of human behavior and other animals).

8.     Henry Gleitman (in Shah, 1995: 8): Psychology as a science that seeks to understand human behavior, reason, and the way they do things, and also understand how the thinking, feeling creatures.

9.     Edwin G. Boring & Herbert S. Langfeld: Psychology is the study of human nature.

10.   George A. Miller (in the book "Psychology and Communication)" Psychology is the science that Attempts to describe, predict, and control of mental and behavioral events. "(Psychology is the science of trying to describe, predict, and control of mental events and behavior).

11.   Clifford T. Morgan (in the book "Introduction to Psychology"). "Psychology is the science of human and animal behavior." (Psychology is the study of human and animal behavior).

12.   Robert S. Woodworth & Marquis DG (1957): "Psychology is the study of human behavior and human relationships." (Psychology is a science that studies the activity or behavior of individuals in relation to the natural surroundings).

13.   Paul Mussen & Mark R. Rosenzwieg: Psychology is defined as the study of the mind (thoughts), but in its development, the mind turned into behavior (behavior), so the psychology is defined as the science which studies human behavior.

14.   Knight & Knight: "Psychology may be defined as the systematic study of experience and behavior, human and animal, normal and abnormal, individual and social."

15.   Ruch: "Psychology is sometimes defined as the study of man, but this definition is too broad. The truth is that psychology is party partly a biological science and social science, these two major overlapping areas and Relating Them each other. "

16.   Wilhelm Wundt: Psychology is a science that studies the experiences that arise in human beings, such as sensory feelings, thoughts, feeling (feeling), and will.

17.   John Broadus Watson: Psychology is the science that studies the behavior of visible (external) using the method of objective observation and response to stimuli (response).

18.   Plato & Aristotle: Psychology is the science that studies the nature of the soul as well as the process through to the end.

19.   Dr. Singgih Dirgagunarsa: Psychology is the science which studies human behavior.

Psychology Relationships with Other Disciplines

Human behavior is not only studied by psychology, but also by anthropology, medicine, sociology, management and some branches of Linguistics. All of these are grouped into large families "Behaviour Sciences" (Behavioral Sciences). What distinguishes psychology of behavioral sciences are: the psychology more concerned with human behavior as individuals, while anthropology, sociology and management more on human behavior as a group. Medicine is concerned with individual behavior, but more pressing physical symptoms and more on the psychology of mental symptoms. On the other hand, is also seen as a Science Psychology Biososial because both the social aspects of the behavior of organisms and physiological aspects of the behavioral or biological perhatianyang got the same magnitude. Since the beginning of its development psychology heavily influenced by other sciences. It has been recognized that berinduk psychology to philosophy, especially the mental philosophy. However, in the later development sciences (Beta) such as Physics, Chemistry and Biology provide considerable andilyang both methodological aspects and topics of study. It is difficult to specify the effect of each one. Here is just a general overview of the influence of other sciences and branches of Psychology born allusion above.

A Brief History of Psychology

Psychology is the science of the relatively young (around the late 1800s.) However, people throughout history have noticed psychological problems. Like the Greek philosophers, especially Plato and Aristotle. After that St. Augustine (354-430) is considered a major figure in modern psychology because of his attention to introspection and curiosity about psychological phenomena. Descartes (1596-1650) proposed a theory that animals are machines that can be learned as the other machines. He also introduced the concept of reflex work. Many other famous philosophers in the seventeenth and eighteenth-Leibnits, Hobbes, Locke, Kant, and Hume-contribute to the field of psychology. At that time psychology was shaped not a science discourse.

·          Contemporary psychology

Beginning in the 19th century, at which time it developed two theories to explain the behavior, namely:

1.      Psychology Faculty

Psychology faculty is a 19th century doctrine of the innate mental powers, according to this theory, the ability of psychology fragmented in several 'faculties' which include: thinking, feeling and willing. The faculty is divided into several subfakultas: we remember through subfakultas memory, imagery through subfakultas imaginary, and so on.

2.     Psychology Association

Part of the psychology of contemporary 19th century who believed that psychology is basically the process of 'association of ideas.' Where ideas come in through the senses and is associated by certain principles such as similarity, contrast, and proximity.

In developmental psychology then, marked by the establishment of the laboratory of psychology by Wundt (1879) At the time the study of psychology is based on the scientific method (experimental) Also introduced method of introspection, experimentation, etc.. Some noteworthy history include:

o    F. Galton: pioneer psychological tests.

o    Charles Darwin: start doing comparisons with animals.

o    A. Mesmer: pioneering the use of hypnosis

o    Sigmund Freud: pioneer of psychoanalysis

·          Psychology as a science

Although there have long thought about the study of human beings in the past along with the idea of the study of nature, but because of the complexities and dynamics of human to understand, and then created a new psychology as a science since the late 1800s both when Wilhelm Wundt established The first psychology laboratory in the world.

Laboratory Wundt

In 1879 Wilhelm Wundt founded the first psychology laboratory at the University of Leipzig, Germany. Characterized by the establishment of this laboratory, the scientific method to better understanding the human have been found, though not grossly inadequate. with the establishment of this laboratory also, be complete requirements for a psychology of science, thus the founding of Wundt recognized laboratory as well as the date of the founding of psychology as a science.