Until the 19th century there were two alternatives to psychology. Psychology as a separate science appeared in 1879.
It is the field of study which seeks to describe , understand, predict and control the behaviour of living organisms. The word psychology means the “science of the mind”. There are different schools of psychology each defining it in its own way.
Structuralists, led by Wilhelm Wundt, saw psychology as the study of conscious experience. They believed that elementary mental states form the structure of consciousness.
Another group of psychologists , known as the functionalists, defined psychology as the study of man’s adjustment to his environment. They expanded the scope of scientific psychology by putting a new emphasis on behaviour and adjustment.
The behaviorists turned to the study of man’s overt behaviour. They believed that it could be objectively observed.
The Gestalt school studied the whole pattern of behaviour instead of studying its elements.
Around 1900 the school of psychoanalysis came into existence in Europe. Its leader was Sigmund Freud , the famous Viennese physician and psychiatrist. Sigmund Freud and his followers attempted to find the cause and cure of personality disorders. They postulated that the individual’s behaviour is influenced by unconscious mental processes.
Today we may speak about a number of branches of psychology: the psychology of labour, juridical psychology, military and the psychology of sport. It is also possible to speak about social psychology, comparative psychology, special psychology and others.
III. Do the following exercises:
Exercise 1. Find in the text international words and give their Russian equivalents.
Exercise 2. Read and translate into Russian the following words and word combinations:
until the 19th century, tow alternatives, as a separate science, the field of study, to predict and control behaviour, to define in one’s own way, conscious experience, to form the structure of consciousness, adjustment to one’s environment, to expand the scope, to put an emphasis, man’s overt behaviour, to observe objectively, the whole pattern of behaviour, to come into existence.
Exercise 3. Find the words with the similar meaning among the following:
to come into existence, field, behaviour, to appear, under the guidance, to come into being, conduct, to put an emphasis, under the leadership, to focus.
Exercise 4. Find in the text the equivalents of the following Russian words and word combinations:
îòäåëüíàÿ íàóêà, àäàïòàöèÿ ê îêðóæàþùåé ñðåäå, ñîçíàòåëüíûé îïûò, àëüòåðíàòèâû ïñèõîëîãèè, îïðåäåëÿòü ïî-ñâîåìó, ôîðìèðîâàòü ñòðóêòóðó ñîçíàíèÿ, ðàñøèðèòü îáëàñòü íàó÷íîé ïñèõîëîãèè, äåëàòü àêöåíò, ìîäåëü ïîâåäåíèÿ, ðÿä îòðàñëåé ïñèõîëîãèè.
Exercise 5. Complete the sentences given on the left choosing the appropriate words from those on the right:
Psychology as a separate science came into existence in
Europe in 1900.
Structuralists focused on man’s adjustment to
his environment.
Functionalists defined psychology appeared in 1879.
Behaviourists believed that conscious experience.
The school of psychoanalysis are the branches of Psychology.
The social psychology behaviour could be
and special psychology objectively observed
Exercise 6. Agree or disagree with the following statements:
1. Until the 19th century there were two alternatives to psychology: physics and physiology.
2. Psychology seeks to describe and control the physical state of living organisms.
3. Structuralists worked under the guidance of Wilhelm James.
4. Functionalists focused on man’s adjustment to his environment.
5. The behaviourists studied ego and superego.
6. The school of psychoanalysis appeared in Europe.
7. Today we may speak about few branches of psychology.
Exercise 7. Answer the following questions to the text:
1.When did psychology as a separate science appeared?
2. What does psychology study?
3. What does the word “psychology” mean?
4. What are the different schools of psychology?
5. What can you say about W. Wundt’s vews on consciousness?
6. How did functionalists define psychology?
7. What are the two schools studying behaviour?
8. What kind of school studied personality disorders?