Psychology as a Social Science

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The field known today as psychology originated in the second half of the 19th century when scientists in both the United States and Europe began to study the manner in which animals and people respond to different types of stimuli in their environment. Called behaviorism, this branch of psychology studies empirical responses to outward phenomena without regard to thought. The manner in which the brain and nervous system affect behavior as well as the machinations of the brain tissues as the bases of psychological processes are the subject of neuroscience, also called neuropsychology.

Sigmund Freud

The neurologist Sigmund Freud sought to understand how experiences, particularly at early stages in life, affect the manner in which we respond to various stimuli, suggesting two levels of mind: one conscious and the other unconscious. Freud suggested that the feelings produced consciously by events and experiences in life are transferred into the subconscious, where they affect the manner in which individuals unconsciously respond to stimuli in their day-to-day experiences. The mental dynamics of thought, reasoning and understanding fall under the branch of psychology called cognition. Cognition explores understanding, specifically knowing, in the context of information drawn from the immediate environment through the senses. Gestalt psychology studies the manner in which information drawn, or perceived, through the senses becomes registered into the categorical framework of the mind. The manner in which this information is synthesized as a means of environmental adaptation is examined by the branch of psychology known as functionalism. Allowing for individual differences and recognizing the variety of environmental and personal chemistry as well as human experience, psychologists seek to understand the unique capabilities inherent in individuals in what is called humanistic psychology.

Types of Psychology

The various branches of psychology seek to understand the manner in which the phenomena of the mind affect outward behavior as a synthesis of heredity and environment while exploring the function and nature of the brain as well as its relationship to the rest of the body. This multifaceted approach characterizes psychology as a fluid discipline relating to such fields as anatomy and physiology, biochemistry, and philosophy.

Abnormal
Biological
Cognitive
Comparative
Cultural
Developmental
Evolutionary
Experimental
Mathematical
Personality
Positive
Social
Clinical
Consumer
Educational
Health
Industrial and organizational
Law
Military
Occupational health
Pastoral
Political
School
Sport

The field of social psychology represents a synthesis of psychological and sociological models that seek to explain how the behavior of an individual is affected by observing the behavior of others. Social psychology points to the manner in which synergies between self-perception and group perception shape popular trends, the labeling of others and interpersonal associations (e.g., friendships). Social psychology initially began around the turn of the 20th century with Norman Triplett’s discovery of social facilitation: the theory that individuals are more motivated to perform well in the company of others undertaking a similar task. Social psychology understands that stimuli generated by other individuals can be highly influential to the extent that individuals allow the stimuli to control their feelings. The discipline posits that the way an individual feels affects that person’s predominant mental attitude and tolerance threshold for frustrating circumstances. In this respect, social psychologists suggest that a positive mental attitude is critical to successful social interactions, and many encourage that individuals develop personal strategies for maintaining a positive outlook.

The demonstrable fluidity of psychology has begged the question: Is psychology a social science? Psychology, as the study of behavior and thought patterns on the level of the individual, particularly where humanistic psychology is concerned, is not a social science. It falls under the context of the natural sciences, though it is frequently labeled as a social science. Social psychology also cannot be labeled a social science because it examines the behavior of individuals with respect to the behavior of others in their environment. It does not address the same macrocosmic trends and data as sociology.

List of Psychology Organizations

Academy for Eating Disorders
Academy of Counseling Psychology
American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
American Academy of Clinical Neuropsychology
American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law
American Academy of Psychoanalysis and Dynamic Psychiatry
American Association of Community Psychiatrists
American Association of Geriatric Psychiatry
American Psychiatric Association
American Psychiatric Nurses Association
American Psychoanalytic Association
American Psychological Association
Archives of the History of American Psychology
Association for Advancement of Behavior Therapy
Association for Behavior Analysis
Association for the Scientific Study of Consciousness
Association for Psychological Science
Association for Transpersonal Psychology
Association of Black Psychologists
Anxiety Disorders Association of America
Australian Psychological Society
Belgian Psychological Association
B. F. Skinner Foundation
British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies
British Psychoanalytical Society
British Psychological Society
Buenos Aires Psychoanalytic Association
Canadian Psychological Association
Eating Disorders Association
Environmental Design Research Association
European Academy of Occupational Health Psychology
European Association of Counselling Psychology
European Federation of Psychologists’ Associations
European Federation of Psychology Teachers’ Associations
Experimental Psychology Society
FABBS Foundation
Federation of Associations in Behavioral & Brain Sciences
Finnish Psychological Society
German Psychological Association
Institute of Professional Psychologists
International Association for Cross-Cultural Psychology
International Association of Applied Psychology
International Council of Psychologists
International Early Psychosis Association
International Literature and Psychology Conference
International Psychoanalytic Association
International School Psychology Association
International Society for Comparative Psychology
International Society for the Study of Behavioural Development
International Society for Research on Aggression
International Society of Political Psychology
International Transpersonal Association
International Union of Psychological Science
International Institute for the Advanced Studies of Psychotherapy and Applied Mental Health
Massachusetts General Hospital Psychiatry Academy
National Association for Research & Therapy of Homosexuality
North American Society of Adlerian Psychology
OPIFER, Organizzazione di Psicoanalisti Italiani Federazione e Registro
OUPS, Open University Psychological Society
Plega: Sport Psychology
Psi Chi, National Honor Society in Psychology
Psychonomic Society
Psychological Society of Ireland
Psychologist’s Federation of Venezuela
Romanian Association for Cognitive and Behavioral Psychotherapies
Singapore Psychological Society
Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology (SIOP)
Society for Occupational Health Psychology
Swedish Psychological Society
World Federation for Mental Health

How Do Social Workers Use Concepts of Abnormal Psychology?

An understanding of abnormal psychology assists social workers in properly identifying those causes, challenges, potential solutions and resources that will give the social worker the greatest understanding of their client and their potential. Using abnormal psychology as a diagnostic framework for both problems and solutions in no way implies that all people needing the services of a social worker suffer from a clinically defined psychosis. By approaching the issue as a matter of degrees, the abnormal psychology framework allows social workers to systemize their approach in helping people. In this way, such methodology helps ensure the professionalism and quality of service to those being helped by social workers who use this framework.

Social workers engage in a wide variety of tasks when helping clients. They act as case managers, ensuring that their clients are accessing all the right agencies and programs that can provide them assistance, and as counselors themselves. Social workers need to draw on their experience and understanding of social welfare policy and academic social research in order to understand how to best categorize their clients’ challenges. Indeed, while there are many different academic degrees that channel one into social work, only a few specific types of social work degrees specifically include training in doing psychological assessments, such as Master’s of Social Work (M.S.W.).

Specifically, understanding abnormal psychology helps the social worker identify sources of trauma, expected emotional reactions and internal obstacles clients may use to impede their progress. Using these tools, the social worker can learn a great deal about a client, well beyond what the client simply tells the social worker. The result is that the social worker can better assess the full range of the clients’ needs, both material and emotional, and therefore select the best types of programs, methods, approaches and resources with which to help the client.

Of all the areas of a social worker’s job, the one area in which abnormal psychology is perhaps the most useful is during the intake or evaluation phase. At this phase, the social worker will interview the client to collect social, personal, familial and emotional information. The most critical distinction to be made at this stage is when the problems and difficulties of the client do in fact cross the line into abnormal psychology, either as a cause or result of past experiences. Clearly, the approach a social worker will need to take in reference to a client is very different from one suffering emotional troubles and one truly suffering from a psychosis. There is an official reference book used by the psychology and psychiatry professions called the <i>Diagnostic and Statistical Manual</i>, the current edition known as the DSM IV-TR. Knowledge and experience with this manual help the social worker perform a thorough evaluation and assess the results properly.

Lastly, experience and knowledge of how to talk to, manage and encourage those with psychological problems is a huge part of the social worker’s job. Regardless of whether the client does have a clinical diagnosis, the means of counseling and communicating with all their clients will be very similar. It is not enough to lead clients to the right programs and resources, often enabling them to actually use these resources is as much, if not the greater challenge of a social worker’s job. Social work clients are often suffering from illness or mental challenge, a chronic or fatal disease, history of abuse, or are the caregiver to such a person. Thus, the psychosocial support the social worker can provide their clients just through sessions where they talk is often key to their success.

Resource by Will

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