Goals of Psychology. how many goals of psychology?

Goals of Psychology

how many goals of psychology?

There are four basic goals of psychology:

•  to describe
•  explain
•  predict
• control behavior

Describing what happens:

• One of the first goals of psychology is simply to describe behavior.
• The first task in psychology is to make accurate observations about behavior.
• Psychologist typically refer to such observations as their data.
• Behavioral data are reports of observations about the behavior of organisms and the conditions under which the behavior occurs.
• Through describing the behavior of humans and other animals, we are better able to understand it and gain a better perspective on what is considered normal and abnormal.
• Psychology researchers utilize a range of research methods to help describe behavior including naturalistic observation, case studies, correlational studies, surveys, and self-report inventories.

 To Explain:

• As you might imagine, psychologists are also interested in explaining behavior in addition to merely describing it. Why do people do the things they do?
•  What factors contribute to development, personality, social behavior, and mental health problems?
• Throughout psychology's history, many theories have emerged to help explain various aspects of human behavior.

To Predict:

• Not surprisingly, another primary goal of psychology is to make predictions about how we think and act.
• Once we understand more about what happens and why it happens, we can use that information to make predictions about when, why, and how it might happen again in the future.
• Successfully predicting behavior is also one of the best ways to know if we understand the underlying causes of our actions.
• Prediction can also allow psychologists to make guesses about human behavior without necessarily understanding the mechanisms underlying the phenomena.

 For example, if researchers notice that scores on a particular aptitude test can be used to predict high school dropout rates, that information can then be used to estimate how many students in a particular group might drop out of school each year.

To Change/Control:

• Finally, and perhaps most importantly, psychology strives to change, influence, or control behavior to make constructive and lasting changes in people's lives.
• In our previous example, researchers might take what they know about the link between scores on an aptitude test and dropout rates and use the information to develop programs designed to help students stay in school.
• From treating mental illness to enhancing human well-being, changing human behavior is a huge focus of psychology.