I don't get psychology. Can someone explain it to me?

Question

Especially Freud

Answer 1

I've just started a Psychology Diploma
Ask me again in a couple of months time!

Noxeca may be able to help. He's a Psychologist proper!

Answer 2

Freud was one of the first to empathically note the operation of the MIND as separate to the brain, although he did not cognitively comprehend the full operational dynamics of the two. He failed completely to comprehend the Spiritual connection and operations within Man.

The ancient Greeks coined the term Psychology, using the prefix "psyche" [self, soul, and mind] as a study of the Esoteric [or hidden] dimensions within Man [this means the MIND and Spiritual realms]. This was the thrust of Psychology until, in America, B.F. Skinner, and a small group of behavioral scientists had a desire to be called "psychologists"... and, in the early 1900's, introduced the idea of behaviorism as a substitute for the traditional focus of Psychology.

Unknown to Skinner, et al, since none of them were familiar with their MINDs at all, their MINDs gave them the idea of behaviorism because it was a guarantee that the MIND would remain hidden.
The principle foundation of behaviorism was that the study of MIND and consciousness was ineffective and that a study of the behavior of Man yielded more information [but the real reason they thought this was that fear of the unknown within themselves acted as a non-conscious motivation for them to accept thoughts fed to their brains by their MINDs, providing them with the idea of behaviorism as an excellent alternative to the traditional goals of Psychology.

The problem was, due to their ignorance of the MIND realm within themselves, they did not recognize that the idea of "behaviorism" was nothing more than a projection into the physical realm of the same denial processes which their own MINDs used to keep them [and now everyone else] from discovering the MIND by focusing exclusively on the physical and tangible aspects of Man.

For over a century now, the fields of mental health and psychology in the U.S. have denied both the MIND and Spiritual realms within Man. This then is part of the reason behavioral psychology [which is an oxymoron] has seems like a dog chasing its tail. The typical lay person intuitively recognizes the absence of the Esoteric in modern psychology, but doesn't know enough about the Esoteric to avoid modern psychology.

The question you ask is properly asked of both fields of study... does anyone in these fields "get" Psychology any more? Unfortunately, the answer is no.

Answer 3

I am not sure I get the question...

Psychology is the study of (usually) human behavior and the brain. There are many branches of the field, including...

- Social Psychology, the study of group behavior and of the individual when influenced by a group.

- Cognitive (or Experimental) Psychology, the study of how the brain processes information, including how we remember, how we perceive, and how we use language.

- Abnormal Psychology, the study of mental disorders and their treatment (what most people think of when you say 'psychology')

- Child or Developmental Psychology, self explanatory

- Comparative or Animal Psychology, similar to zoology, but more concerned with behavior

- Biopsychology, the study of the biology of the brain, including cell structure and type, chemistry, etc.

There are others, but they don't come to mind right now. In general, Psychology overlaps with many other fields (Sociology, Biology, Psychiatry, etc) but has it's own discrete methods and concepts.

Edit - Contrary to what some respondents say, much Psychology theory is backed up by a significant amount of hard evidence. It is true, there are a lot of people who call themselves Psychologists who spout a lot of crap. But, real Psychologists who conduct real research are thoughtful and back up everything they say with well conducted experimental evidence.

And... Freud wasn't a Psychologist.

Answer 4

It is the attempt to explain the unexplainable: How the human mind works. I can't even figure out how my own mind works! It's a lot of theories, backed up by sketch science and pseudo-science. Am I down on psychology? Not really, but I keep watching the theories change wildly, which convinces me a lot of psychologists don't know what they are talking about. In fact, I've met psychics who (whether or not they are really communicating with another world) have more insight into the human mind than many psychologists. So do successful salespeople.

Answer 5

Its getting to the nitty gritty of a person. Everyone has a persona but psychology gets to the person within, so that they can be cured from within. Its about learning to understand your emotions and figuring out how to deal with them to make things better and it works if you let it

Answer 6

Psycholgy is a brilliant subject.

It is the study of human behaviour & finding a reason on why we do what we do - Why serial killers killed people (normally blamed on broken family homes or abuse as a child) etc.

The only problem that I have with psycholgy & sociology is it teaches us to judge people by others' behaviour.

Answer 7

It is the study of the way the human brain works. It includes behavior, thought process, mental defects, anything that uses the brain.

Answer 8

According to many theorists, folk psychology plays a central role in our capacity to predict and explain the behavior of ourselves and others. ...

Answer 9

Its what friends do for you for free and costs lotsa dosh when a psychologist tells you the same.

Answer 10

It is the study of human behavior