Four Goals of Psychology

Goals of Psychology
Bonijean Ramos
General Psychology – PSY 102
July 16, 2011
Sarah Shull-Keefer

The Four Goals of Psychology Psychology is a science that was developed nearly two-thousand years ago. It was originally developed to study the brain and the effects a human brain has on a person’s behavior. It is the study of human nature. The foundations of psychology are the building blocks of what many people have come to rely on to understand how the brain functions. Psychologists attempt to explain and understand the mind and brain related to real life. They study processes of sense perception, thinking, learning, cognition, personality, behavior and emotions and motivations, abnormal behavior, interactions between individuals, and interactions with the environment. Psychology was designed from the roots of philosophy. Scientists began to study psychology in the late nineteenth century in an attempt to answer questions from philosophers about how the mind works. Psychology was born in the laboratory of Wilhelm Wundt in Germany in 1879. Wundt and his student, Edward Titchener, are said to be known to create the first school of psychology. Although psychology and studies have evolved over time, the foundations remain the same (Psychology and Your Life). There are four goals of Psychology that help in the development of Psychology. They are to describe, understand, predict and control behavior (Psychology and Your Life). These four goals have evolved over time to assist in curing and helping people overcome their psychological disorders. I will discuss these four goals in detail and provide examples of each. The first goal of Psychology is to describe behavior. Being able to describe behavior helps identify the problems and why they are happening. Psychologists try to figure out what is normal and what is abnormal behavior so they can help. For instance, if a client tells a Psychologist that they are afraid of something in particular, the psychologist will be able to tell them why this is happening and what they will feel when they are put into situations where they have to be present with what they are afraid of. The second goal of psychology is to understand behavior. Understanding the behavior of a person when they are in certain circumstances helps the Psychologist to explain why certain behavior is taking place and helps in diagnosing the problem. Scientists use experiments and observations to understand disorders. Some people refer to this goal as the explanation goal. The third goal is prediction. Psychologists try to predict behavior and the way people will act in certain situations. How they will perform in their surroundings and if a person will make good or bad choices. Being able to predict behavior will help Psychologist to warn people of the way they will act and how to prevent certain behaviors (Witting, 2011). The fourth goal is to control behavior. All these goals of Psychology lead up to being able to control a person’s behavior. Without control being the end result there would be no need for Psychology. People with problems go to a Psychologist or a counselor to find out what is wrong with them and how they can overcome their problems. Whether it is to take medication, meditate or just being able to talk to someone, the Psychologist will be able to control the behaviors with their diagnosis and advice. In my opinion, these goals help humanity and society tremendously. Psychology has become a part of every person’s life whether they like to think that or not. Every individual deals with people daily that have some sort of psychological problem. The fact of the matter is is that not all of the people that go to Psychologists or Counselors do not all have bad problems or are crazy. Some of these people have been through traumatizing experiences that they feel they need to talk to someone with or some are born with problems, like ADHD, that they need to learn how to control. That is what Psychology has done for humanity, taught us how to relate to, diagnose and control difficult behaviors. In conclusion, the four goals of Psychology are to describe, understand, predict, and control behavior. These goals help Psychologists to help people with their everyday problems or with the more serious psychological problems. These goals are set to guide Scientists and Psychologists to go in the right direction on how to diagnose and treat troubled people.

References
Feldman, Robert S. Psychology and Your Life. The McGraw-Hill Companies Inc. New York, N.Y. 2010
Witting, Arno F. Schaum’s Outline of Theory and Problems of Introdction to Psychology. Retrieved from http://www.ehow.com/about_5285146_four-goals-psychology_.html on July 15, 2011.

References: Feldman, Robert S. Psychology and Your Life. The McGraw-Hill Companies Inc. New York, N.Y. 2010 Witting, Arno F. Schaum’s Outline of Theory and Problems of Introdction to Psychology. Retrieved from http://www.ehow.com/about_5285146_four-goals-psychology_.html on July 15, 2011.