Introduction to Psychology and Assessment

Table of Contents

Introduction to Essay3

Discussion3

Motivation4

Social Behavior and Interaction5

Memory7

Cultural Factors in Understanding these Psychological Issues7

Application of Key Concepts to Personal Life9

References11

Essay: Key Psychological Concepts and Principles

Introduction to Essay

Psychology is defined as the science of behavior (internal and external) of man and animals; and the internal processes that produce such behaviors. Current psychology advocates the use of strict experimental procedures to study observable behavior, considering the environment as a set of stimulus-responses. In every social and personal behavior, we observe different concepts and applications of psychology in practice. This essay seeks to discuss the psychological aspects of three, key issues and examine how these concepts define and describe different behaviors in such realms. We chose to describe the psychological issues of motivation, social behavior and interaction, and memory for this essay. In the end we will define their applications by taking examples from our own lives.

Discussion

Psychological problems affect various aspects of a person's life. These difficulties may occur into his emotions, cognitive processes, perspectives, behaviors, environment, motivation and even a person's biological sources; while these issues can also be derived from a combination of all these areas (Weiten, 2010). It is imperative to know how these issues happen, and what needs to be done from psychological perspectives, in order to live a healthy and prosperous life.

Motivation

The increasing complexity of people and their deeds, and the social situations makes the study of motivation of human behavior, an urgent problem of psychology. In modern psychology, the term “motive” is used to refer to various events and conditions that cause the subject of vigorous activity. Motivation is a personal trait that carets a lasting impact on individuals and their surroundings. The need for motivation is directly related to the person's behavior, and not related to needs; but without motivation, the incentive to work is impossible. This need is not fully explained as the cause of action, since human behavior is not always determined by its needs. In some cases, the motivation of a person is seriously affected by the psychological problems, giving rise to a low self-esteem and lack of zeal for his work. For example, an individual suffering from depression demonstrates a lack of motivation in his life. In addition, motivation may also influence the decision to continue this treatment for psychological problems, varying from person to person. After discussing motivation from a psychological perspective, we come to two questions:

Why so much interest has been paid for his study from the field of psychology? and

Why they appeal to business organizations such investigations and conclusions? (Watson, Evans, 1991)

The answer to both questions is that the study of motivation leads to the explanation and understanding of human behavior, which is the goal of psychology. On the other hand, business organizations are formed by groups of people who are the engine of its business, and we need to know their needs and expectations in order to helps optimize performance and profitability.

Motivation depends on different factors that are called motivational ...