Reading 1.

What is psychology
What is psychology?
The basic question: What is psychology? If we look carefully, we can find clues to
definition in the origin of the word itself. So lets have a look at the two main parts; psych
and ology. The word psych comes from the Greek word psyche meaning "breath, spirit,
soul", and word ology comes from the Greek word logos meaning speech or theory.
So, psychology literally means theory of the mind. As a matter of interest, the mind has
several forms which are not particularly associated with psychology; for example: mindless,
mindful, minder. But in psychology, the adjective we use to refer to the mind is mental
which come from the latin word mens meaning mind.
There are several different branches of psychology. Broadly speaking, there are five
main branches: neuropsychology, developmental psychology, personality psychology and
clinical psychology. Social psychology studies the way people behave in groups.
Neuropsychology concentrates on on the psychological processes that affect human
behaviour. Developmental psychology studies how people minds develop throughout their
lives. Personality psychology is the branch that focuses on different types of individual. An
the last, clinical psychology is the branch which specialized in diagnosing and treating
mental disorders. Within these branches there are other more specialized fields. Although
these specialist fields focus on various aspects of psychology, they all involve the study of
human mind. But psychology is not only about the mind, it is also about behaviour.
Above all , these have established that psychology is not only about the mind, it is
also about behaviour. All different specialist areas of psychology involve analysis. But how
do we go about analyzing the mind? Well, we do this by analyzing behaviour. For example,
forensic psychologist will draw up the mental profil of criminal by studying the traces that the
leave at a crime scene. A neuropsychologist will establish the effect of different stimuli on an
individual by observing how they respond during laboratory experiments. Whenever a
psychologist studies peoples behaviour,there is always a scientific basis for their analysis.
So to answer the question What is psychology? , we can say that it is the scientific
analysis of human behaviour and the mind.
Definitions of psychology
1.

Psychology is the study of the mind and of thought, feeling, and behaviour. It is
an academic and applied discipline which involves the scientific study of mental functions
and behaviours.

2.

The simplest definition of psychology is that it is the study of the mind and behavior. Research
in psychology seeks to understand and explain thought, emotion, and behavior. Applications of
psychology include mental health treatment, performance enhancement, self-help, ergonomics,
and many other areas affecting health and daily life.

3.

Psychology is the scientific study of the mind and behavior. Psychology is a multifaceted
discipline and includes many sub-fields of study such areas as human development, sports,
health, clinical, social behavior and cognitive processes.

4.

Psychology is both an applied and academic field that studies the human mind and
behavior. Research in psychology seeks to understand and explain how we think, act and feel.
As most people already realize, a large part of psychology is devoted to the diagnosis and
treatment of mental health issues, but that's just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to
applications for psychology. In addition to mental health, psychology can be applied to a variety
of issues that impact health and daily life including performance enhancement, self-help,
ergonomics, motivation, productivity, and much more.

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Psychology Terms
psychology
noun
the scientific study of the human mind and its functions, especially those affecting behavior in a given
context.
He studied Jungian and transpersonal psychology and took a special interest in allergic diseases.
synonyms: study of the mind, science of the mind

parapsychology
noun
the study of mental phenomena that are excluded from or inexplicable by orthodox scientific
psychology (such as hypnosis, telepathy, etc.).
Let us not trivialise this by saying that it is because of parapsychology or telepathy.

mind
noun
the element of a person that enables them to be aware of the world and their experiences, to think,
and to feel; the faculty of consciousness and thought.
as the thoughts ran through his mind, he came to a conclusion
synonyms: sanity, mental faculties, senses, wits, reason, reasoning, judgment, marbles
verb
be distressed, annoyed, or worried by.
I don't mind the rain

faculty
noun
an inherent mental or physical power.
her critical faculties
synonyms: power, capability, capacity, facility, wherewithal, means, senses, wits, reason, intelligence
the teaching staff of a university or college, or of one of its departments or divisions, viewed as a
body.
there were then no tenured women on the faculty
synonyms: staff, teachers, professors, instructors

mental
adjective
of or relating to the mind.
mental faculties
synonyms: intellectual, cerebral, brain, rational, cognitive
of or relating to disorders of the mind.
a mental hospital
synonyms: psychiatric, psychological, psychogenic

cognitive
adjective
of or relating to cognition.
Wittgenstein sometimes appears to be committed to cognitive relativism as just described.

treatment
noun
the manner in which someone behaves toward or deals with someone or something.
the directive required equal treatment for men and women
synonyms: behavior toward, conduct toward, handling of, dealings with, management of

personality
noun
the combination of characteristics or qualities that form an individual's distinctive character.
she had a sunny personality that was very engaging
synonyms: character, nature, disposition, temperament, makeup, persona, psyche

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a famous person, especially in entertainment or sports.

an official opening by a famous personality

forensic
adjective
of, relating to, or denoting the application of scientific methods and techniques to the investigation of
crime.
forensic evidence
noun
scientific tests or techniques used in connection with the detection of crime.
The book detailed the advances in crime detection and forensics since the beginning of the century.

vision
noun
the faculty or state of being able to see.
she had defective vision
synonyms: eyesight, sight, observation, (visual) perception, eyes, view, perspective
an experience of seeing someone or something in a dream or trance, or as a supernatural apparition.
the idea came to him in a vision
synonyms: apparition, hallucination, illusion, mirage, specter, phantom, ghost, wraith, manifestation,
phantasm,
verb
imagine.
The mock attempts of suicide may be a similar form of fantasy, where the loved ones are visioned as
standing around the hospital bed and they are finally able to realize how unbearable the pain of life
was for us.

analysis
noun
detailed examination of the elements or structure of something, typically as a basis for discussion or
interpretation.
statistical analysis

construct
verb
build or erect (something, typically a building, road, or machine).
a company that constructs oil rigs
synonyms: build, erect, put
up, setup, raise, establish, assemble, manufacture, fabricate, create, make
noun
an idea or theory containing various conceptual elements, typically one considered to be subjective
and not based on empirical evidence.
history is largely an ideological construct

project
noun
an individual or collaborative enterprise that is carefully planned and designed to achieve a particular
aim.
a research project
a government-subsidized housing development with relatively low rents.
her family still lives in the projects
verb
estimate or forecast (something) on the basis of present trends.
spending was projected at $72 million
synonyms: forecast, predict, expect, estimate, calculate, reckon

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stress
noun
pressure or tension exerted on a material object.
the distribution of stress is uniform across the bar
synonyms: pressure, tension, strain
a state of mental or emotional strain or tension resulting from adverse or very demanding
circumstances.
he's obviously under a lot of stress
synonyms: strain, pressure, (nervous) tension, worry, anxiety, trouble, difficulty, hassle
verb
give particular emphasis or importance to (a point, statement, or idea) made in speech or writing.
they stressed the need for reform
synonyms: emphasize, draw attention to, underline, underscore, point up, place emphasis on, lay
stress on, highlight, accentuate, press home

stimulate
verb
raise levels of physiological or nervous activity in (the body or any biological system).
the women are given fertility drugs to stimulate their ovaries

conscious
adjective
aware of and responding to one's surroundings; awake.
He was admitted to the ICU conscious and alert, but with a very low blood pressure, and very
marginal oxygenation.
synonyms: aware, awake, alert, responsive, sentient, compos mentis

condition
noun
the state of something, especially with regard to its appearance, quality, or working order.
the wiring is in good condition
synonyms: state, shape, order
the circumstances affecting the way in which people live or work, especially with regard to their safety
or well-being.
harsh working and living conditions
synonyms: circumstances, surroundings, environment, situation, setup, setting, habitat
verb
have a significant influence on or determine (the manner or outcome of something).
national choices are conditioned by the international political economy
synonyms: constrain

nervous
adjective
easily agitated or alarmed; tending to be anxious; highly strung.
a sensitive, nervous person
synonyms: high-strung, anxious, edgy, tense, excitable, jumpy, skittish, brittle, neurotic, timid, mousy,
shy, fearful
relating to or affecting the nerves.
a nervous disorder
synonyms: neurological, neural

neurology
noun
the branch of medicine or biology that deals with the anatomy, functions, and organic disorders of
nerves and the nervous system.

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After training in neurology and ophthalmology he settled on a career in neurophysiology.

neurobiology
noun
the biology of the nervous system.
As a result, N. vectensis is widely used to study developmental biology, neurobiology and
physiology.

phobia
noun
an extreme or irrational fear of or aversion to something.
he had a phobia about being under water
synonyms: fear, irrational fear, obsessive fear, dread, horror, terror, hatred, loathing, detes

neurosis
noun
a relatively mild mental illness that is not caused by organic disease, involving symptoms of stress
(depression, anxiety, obsessive behavior, hypochondria) but not a radical loss of touch with reality.
.
synonyms: mental illness, mental disorder, psychological disorder, psychoneurosis, psychopat

narcissism
noun
excessive or erotic interest in oneself and one's physical appearance.
But excessive self-love, or narcissism , could actually increase violence in schools.
synonyms: vanity, self-love, self-admiration, self-absorption, self-obsession, conceit, self-cen

disordered
adjective
untidy, dysfunctional, unordered, confused

emotional
adjective
of or relating to a person's emotions.
children with emotional difficulties
synonyms: spiritual, inner, psychological, psychic, of the heart

extrasensory
adjective
paranormal

overstimulate
verb
stimulate physiologically or mentally to an excessive degree.
Caffeine produced by coffee trees overstimulates insects that munch their leaves

emotional
adjective
of or relating to a person's emotions.
children with emotional difficulties
synonyms: spiritual, inner, psychological, psychic, of the heart

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EXERCISES
A . Answer question from the texts
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Explain the origin of the word psychology and what does it mean?
What is the defintion of Psychology?
What is branch of psychology that diagnose and treat mental disorders?
What is developmental psychology?
How are many main branches of psychology? Mention each branch and explain each of these
branches.

B . Read the text. The underlined words are probably familiar to you in general English.
But can you think of a different meaning for each word in the field of psychology?
Change the form if necessary (e.g.,change a noun into a verb).
It takes both vision and analysis to construct a new building. On such a project, the
architects
will stress the way the structure stimulates the imagination, while the contractors will be
more
conscious of daily working conditions.
vision
analysis
construct
project
stress
stimulates
conscious
conditions

..................................
..................................
..................................
.................................
..................................
...................................
..................................
...................................

C . Read these sentences from psychology texts. Complete each sentence with one of
the underlined words from Exercise A. Change the form if necessary.
1 Freuds experiments in psycho_____________ gave rise to his dream theory.
2 In Pavlovs experiments with dogs, the conditioned _________ was a light.
3 Hallucinations, or __________, are a common symptom of mental disorder.
4 Overstimulation of the organism can lead to emotional tension or _________.
5 Kelly was an early proponent of Personal ___________ Theory.
6 Skinners experiments in operant ___________ were based on behaviourism.
7 Attributing your feelings to another person is known as ____________.
8 The ____________ mind is the most accessible level of mental activity.

D. Study the words in box a.

Box a
biochemistry
extrasensory
neurobiology
overstimulate
parapsychology
psychoanalysis
recycle
subconscious
transaction
unfeeling
1. What is the connection between all the words?
2. What is the base word in each case?
3. What do we call the extra letters?
4. What is the meaning of each prefix?
5. Can you think of another word with each prefix?

Dra. Hariani, M.Pd. English for Psychology

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E. Study the words in box b.

Box b
Disordered
emotional
Identity
inhibition
narcissism
Neurosis
psychiatrist
regressive
Reinforcement
treatable
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

What is the connection between all the words?

What is the base word in each case?
What do we call the extra letters?
What effect do the extra letters have on the base word?
Can you think of another word with each suffix?

F. Use the following prefixes and suffixes to form words used in psychology.
Example: ~ology
psychology, physiology, biology
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.

neur~
psych~
hypn~
sub~
para~
dis~
~phobia
trans~
~therapy

G. How can you organize information in a lecture? Match the beginnings and endings.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.

question and
problem and
classification and
advantages and
comparison and
cause and
sequence of
stages of a
theories or opinions then

a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.
h.
i.

Dra. Hariani, M.Pd. English for Psychology

contrast
definition
disadvantages
effect
events
supporting information
process
solution
answer

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H. How can you record information during a lecture? Match the illustrations with the
words and phrases in the box.
tree diagram
two columns

flow chart

headings and notes

spidergram

table

timeline

Answer:
1....................................

2. ...............................

3.....................................

4....................................

5. ..................................

6........ ...........................

7...................................

Dra. Hariani, M.Pd. English for Psychology

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Reading 2. Classifying Psychology

Classifying Psychology
As psychology is such a wide discipline , it can be classified in a variety of ways. For
example, it can be viewed either as pure science or as an applied science. It can also be classified
according to to approach: process or person. Alternatively, psychology can be classed under several
major theoretical principle: behaviourist, cognitive, psychodynamic, humanistic and sosial
constructivist. In addition to these categories, psychology can be divided into specialist fields; for
example: biopsychology, sosial, developmental, forensic and clinical psychology.
When the main function is to research basic principles, psychology is regarded as pure
science. The academic psychologist research as into theory, expands knowledge and lays the
foundations for further research. Theoretical research is usually carried out under controlled
conditions and is particularly relevant to the fields of biopsychology and neuropsychology. However,
pure science can have wider, practical applications.
Although psychology may be classed as a pure science, it can also be an applied science.
When research in psychology is used for practical purposes, to solve a social or organizational
problem for instance, it is called applied psychology. A psychologist working in this area either
practises in a professional field, or carries out research in to the practical applications of a theory. An
example of this would be research into the effect of sleep deprivation on human behaviour.
As well as being classified as a science,psychology can also be divided into two main
approaches: process and person. The process approach, as the same suggests, analyzes the
processes,both biological and cognitive, that constitute human behaviour. This approach is closely
connected with laboratory research and does not necessarily distinguish between human and animal
behaviour. In contrast, the person approach focuses on the interaction between people and the ways
in which they understand their experience.
An alternative method of classifying psychology is by its major theories. Behaviourists claim
that human behaviour is almost exclusively determined by environmental, or external influences,and
reject the belief that subjective factors, such as feelings, are valid means of explaining it. Cognitive
psychologists, on the other hand, recognize the validity of subjective reporting to explain behaviour
but combine this with analyzing mental processes, such as reasoning and language. In contrast,
Freud took the view that the unconscious drives human behaviour. According to Gross (2007),
humanistic theory (popularized by Maslow during the 1960s) rejected determinism and asserted the
importance of individual free will. In a further development ,Gergen ( 1973) evolved asocialconstructivist theory claiming that individual behaviour is affected by its socio-historic context.
Psychology can also be divided into its applied fields. An example of this is the work of
educational psychologists, whose professional role falls within the field of developmental psychology.
Although this field is classed under the person approach, an educational psychologist may also apply
techniques from the process approach. For instance, in the case of a child with learning difficulties,
the psychologist may use cognitive tests to identify limitations in attention or perception.
Alternatively, they may need to refer to the child's family background to investigate its affective
development: the person approach. The fact is, that although research has provided the psychologist
with a range of approaches and principles, the boundaries between them are neither fixed nor
mutually exclusive.

A.

Read the text above and answer the following questions:

1. Write the topic sentence of each paragraph of the text.
2. Which ways of classifying psychology are described in the text?
3. In what ways can psychology be classified?
4. Find an example of a field of psychology that belong to more that one clasiffication.
5. Which fields of psychology are most commonly practiced in everyday life?
6. What kind of tests that cab be used to identify limitations in attention or perception in the case
of a child with learning difficulties?

Dra. Hariani, M.Pd. English for Psychology

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B.

Vocabulary

behave

conditional

behave v [I] 1. act in a specific way:

Some chemicals behave unpredictably
when they are subjected to heat. 2. act in
a socially acceptable way: The children
usually behave when they visit their
grandmother.
behaviour n [U] 1. a way of acting: the
children were on their best behaviour. 2.
(Psych.) a response to a stimulus under
controlled conditions: The behaviour of
Pavlovs dogs was conditioned in the
laboratory experiments.
behavioural adj. Relating to behaviour:
behavioural psychology
behaviourism n [U] (Psych.) the theory
that human behaviour is detected by
responses to external stimili:
Behavioursm is a widely accepted theory
in modern psychology.
behaviourist n [C] someone who
supports theory of behaviourism: B.F
Skinner was an influential 20th-century
behaviourst.

cognition n [U] 1. the process of thinking.

2. the result of cognition. cognative
adj relating to thought processes
cognitivism n [U] the theory that the brain
acquires knowledge by processing
information.
condition n [C] 1. A state: a mental
condition 2.(pl) specific circumstances:
sosial conditions may affect motivation.
3. a limitation on a situation that he could
see the completed work. 4. [T] (Psych.)
a treatment in an experiment
conditioning (pengkondisian) n [U] 1.
The process of modifying behaviour by
stimulus and reiforcement.
condition v [ T] ( Psycho.) to modify
behaviour by stimulus and reinforcement:
Pavlov conditioned his dogs to salivate
when a light flased.conditional
conditional adj depending on conditions
-conditionally adv.

Study the dictionary extract on the vocabolary (above box)

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Why are two words (top left and top right) important?
How many meanings does behaviour level?
Why does the word condition appear twice in bold?
What do we call someone who supports the theory of behaviourism?
What part of speechis cognitivism?

C. Look up the words in the right column

1. How many meanings can you find for each word?
2. Which words are both a noun and a verb? What kind
of verbs are they?
3. What kind of noun is is each one?
4. How are the words used in psychology?

Dra. Hariani, M.Pd. English for Psychology

theory
process
psychodynamic
approach
perception
motivational
constructivist

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