To give a competent definition to science is not an easy task. For example, only management science has more than 100 definitions. And it seems like one can talk about the same hundred times, however, it is useless to argue about the level of objectivity of each of them, each author has the right to his point of view and considers any problem from different points of view. Scientists did not come to a consensus on the issue of psychology either. And the reason here is not only in the subjectivity of the opinions of scientists, but also in the specific features of psychology itself. This is because this science studies the most mysterious and extremely difficult category for cognition - the psyche. Psychology can also turn knowledge onto itself, that is, a person can study himself. Here, the object and subject of cognition act in one person. At the same time, each educational institution offers its own list of literature on psychology, focusing on the professional sphere of students.
Definition of psychology
Since there are quite a lot of definitions of psychology as a science and it is impossible to single out the most suitable one, one should turn to the most frequently used formulation. Psychology is a science that studies the laws of the formation, functioning, development of the human psyche. The word itself appeared through the merger of two Greek words: psiche - it means "soul", logos - "science". It turns out that everything is quite simple, psychology is the science of the soul. This opinion has been adhered to for a fairly long amount of time. But is it? As we know, the soul is something incomprehensible, inaccessible to study. However, in everyday psychology, knowledge of the inner world of man began to be identified with the concept of the soul. But in the process of the development of science, it was decided to use the word “psyche”, since knowledge is acquired about it not from somewhere above, but through theoretical and experimental research.
Object and purpose of the study of psychology
Obviously, a person is considered an object of study in psychology. Moreover, this definition includes not only a specific person, but also a group of people who can be among themselves in any relationship, from love to business. Man, his psyche is the most mysterious and unexplored object for psychology. As they say, the more it is studied, the more questions remain. The purpose of the science of the psyche is to learn to understand a person, despite all the diversity, chaos and instability of his inner world. All this in order to learn how to live without interfering with each other. Everyone is recommended to comprehend the basics of psychology, because a person who does not know himself will never be able to recognize another.
Psychology Objectives
The main task of psychology as a science is to study the specifics of the formation, development and manifestation of mental processes in humans. And already from this very main task is a list of related:
- To begin with, it should be noted that one of the most important tasks is the study of mental processes for practical purposes. Theory is theory, and practical importance is paramount.
- Qualitative study of all mental phenomena.
- Analysis of the formation, functioning, development of these phenomena.
- The study of the mechanisms proposed by psychology for working with mental phenomena.
- The introduction of knowledge from the field of psychology in the life and work of man.
These tasks are the main ones that psychology pursues.
What is the psyche?
If you do not go into scientific details, the psyche can be given the following definition: this is a subjective opinion or an image of the objective world that arises in a particular person in the process of his communication and interaction with the environment and people. We owe the existence of the psyche to the brain, which has the ability to reflect the interaction of objects, phenomena and events in the surrounding reality.
Mental processes and phenomena
Immediately, psychic processes come into play, which are expressed by the most basic psychic phenomena. They provide a primary reflection of reality and a person’s awareness of everything that happens in the first fractions of a second. Their distinctive feature is that they have a clearly defined beginning, direction and a specific, pronounced ending. Each mental process is only part of a more complex mental activity. They have three categories: cognitive, emotional, volitional.
It is also worth mentioning mental phenomena. In total, there are two types: a person’s state (this includes categories such as mood, stress, fatigue, joy, emotional elevation, etc.) and mental properties (for example, temperament, abilities, personal characteristics, attitudes, principles, etc.). d.). Based on all of the above, we can give another definition of psychology. This is the science of mental processes, human conditions and their properties. A list of literature on developmental psychology is recommended for study, it is worth paying attention to such authors as: Khilko M. E, Batyuta M. B., Darvish O. B., Makarova I. V., Stolyarenko I. D. and so on.
Principles of Psychology
Like any science, psychology has its own principles. The main ones are the following:
- The principle of determinism - this means that the psyche and consciousness are formed and develop under the influence of the world, social environment. Human consciousness arises exclusively in the society of people and exists exactly as long as other people exist.
- The principle of unity of the psyche, consciousness, activity. Everything is obvious here, the development of consciousness is impossible without labor activity and vice versa. Due to the fact that we have consciousness, we can plan work, look for methods for achieving goals, and so on.
- The human psyche is studied using a personal approach. Each person has his makings, which are given to him by nature. This is a person’s temperament, stress resistance, and the strength of the nervous system. Hence the makings of a personal nature: motives, interests, views. And for each person, these categories are strictly individual, so they must be taken into account if you are studying a specific person.
- The historical principle in the study and study of psychology is that knowledge is obtained by studying the history of the human race.
It is recommended to study the psychology of personality according to the list of references. The works of the following authors are offered for reading: Antsiferova L. I, Drummers V. A., Brushlinsky A. V., Popper K., Freud Z., Jung K. and many others. The list of literature on psychology can be continued indefinitely, and how many works of great people are still waiting for us in the future!
Mental conditions and education
These two categories are also fundamental in the study of the psyche. The mental state is more complex and long, in comparison with the psychological process. Not a single list of psychology literature can thoroughly reflect the complexity of these concepts. Mental state affects the productivity, performance, normal functioning of each person. Here we talk about activity / passivity, vigor / fatigue, irritability, a bad or good mood, and so on.
As for mental education, this is the result of the work of the psyche. This includes issues of its development, formation and formation. They appear in the process of gaining experience, life or professional. This includes knowledge, skills, habits, and so on. For example, you have studied the list of books on psychology and pedagogy, brought out certain knowledge for yourself, put them into practice, gained experience - this will be a mental education.
Literature
Psychology is one of the most complex sciences, which is not so easy to learn from books, only practice and accumulated experience will help here. Of course, there is no way to do without theory, so you need to start with the list of literature on child psychology, especially if you are a young parent or a novice teacher in kindergarten.
Pay attention to the following authors: Abramova G. S. "Age Psychology", Craig G. "Psychology of Development", Kon I. S. "Psychology of Early Youth" and so on. In pedagogical psychology, the list of references is already completely different. Be sure to take note of the following authors: Aismontas B. B., Volkova A. A., Grigorovich L. A., Hon R. L.
As for the list of literature on psychology for universities, one cannot do without the following: A. Maklakov, “General Psychology. Textbook for high schools ", Rubinstein S. L." Fundamentals of General Psychology ", Obukhova L. F." Age Psychology ", Kornilova T. V." Experimental Psychology ". And remember, psychology is much more fun than it sounds.