Social sciences & medicine

Psychology
By
Laila T. Sabei
 Psychology
• Important Definitions;

Psychology: It is the study of human behaviour – how people

behave and why they behave in just the way they do.

Medical psychology: deals with patients suffering from

disorders of the mind(‫)عقل‬.

Note: the persons trained in medicine and psychology are

called psychiatrists.
 Behaviour

• It is any action we can observe and record;

Eating, sleeping, talking, watching T.V, learning

English, writing, listening, sitting, or smiling, all are
behaviors.

Also; making an operation, taking drugs are all

observable behaviors.
 Why physicians should study Behavioral sciences?

Disease does not occur only by something

outside the person's body (such as Virus or
bacteria) but also by our behaviors, thoughts &
lifestyles.
 Conscious and unconscious behavior

• Behavior is often the product of conscious choice

some behavior way result from motives that are
below a level of awareness

e.g. some people forget important things because

they are unpleasant and remain happily
unconscious about them.
 Factors influence behaviours
• Knowledge.
• Beliefs(‫)المعتقدات‬.
• Values.(‫)القيم‬
• Attitudes.(‫)المواقف‬
• Skills.
• Finance.(‫)الموارد المالية‬
• Materials.(‫)المواد‬
• Time.
• Influence of family members, friends & health
workers.
 Health behaviour
• It is the activities people undertake to avoid
diseases and to detect asymptomatic diseases
through appropriate screening tests.

• Examples: daily brushing of teeth, routine use

of automobile seat-belts, nonsmoking,………… .
 Illness behaviour
• It refers to how people react to symptoms.

Generally people who detect symptoms will wait

to see if the symptoms persist or worsen.
If symptoms continue, he may ask a friend or
relative for advice, before seeking medical help.
 Treatment behaviour
• It is the activities used to cure diseases and
restore health.

- Take medication as advised (compliance or

adherence).
- Return to do investigations & follow-up.
 Causes of behaviour
• Environmental stimuli(e.g; sight(‫)رؤية‬, touches
and smell).
• Emotional & feeling(e.g; anger, joy, hunger) .
• Needs.
• Motivation(‫)حافز‬.
• Intellectual perception.(‫)اإلدراك الفكري‬
 I) Environmental stimuli
• The environmental stimuli → the cerebral
cortex though nerve impulses → information
received is evaluated → another impulses
from the cortex order the behaviour.
(conscious behaviour).

Example: professional behaviour of doctors with

patients.
 II) Emotions and feelings

• These stimuli arise from within the body.

- When we say a person is paralyzed from fear;

we mean that he is a victim to his own emotion.
The center of the emotions is thalamus under the
control of cerebral cortex.
 III) Needs

• An individual`s behaviour is also influenced by

his needs.

Needs=desires=urges
‫احتياجات = رغبات = الدوافع‬
 IV) Motivation

• It is an inner force which drives an individual

to a certain action.

Without motivation, behaviour changes cannot

take place.
 V) Intellectual perception
(‫)اإلدراك الفكري‬

• Thinking and reasoning(‫ )االستنتاج‬can influence

behaviour in a given situation.

Each individual behaves in ways which make sense

to him.
 Emotions
• An emotion (‫ )العواطف‬is a strong feeling )‫ (الشعور‬of
the whole person.
• Emotions motivate human behaviour.
• Emotions lead to internal & external changes.
- External as; changes of facial expression &
posture.
- Internal as; rapid pulse & breathing, ↑Bp.
• The changes are temporary and subsided when
the person return to normal.
 Some of the major emotions

• Fear • The doctor should be able

• Anger to understand the
• Love emotions of the patient.
• Hate(‫)كراهية‬
• Jealousy(‫)الحسد و الغيرة‬ • When the emotional
barriers are broken down
• Sympathy.(‫)تعاطف‬ →the patient will talk
• Empathy.(‫)التقمص العاطفي‬ more freely about
• Joy himself.
• ………..
 Doctor`s emotions

• The desirable qualities in a doctor are cheerfulness

(‫ )المرح و البهجة‬and an even temperament )‫(الحساسية‬.

• But, moodiness)‫(نكد‬, emotional instability ‫(عدم األستقرار‬

)‫ العاطفي‬and getting easily upset are undesirable
qualities.

A kind word from the doctor or nurse works like a

magic and give the patient considerable relief from
mental anxiety.
• Mentally healthy person is one who is able to
keep his emotions under control;
- happy family life is basic for emotional
adjustment.
- reassurance for patients who are anxious.
 Control of emotions
Control measures:
i- cultivate hobbies )‫(غرس الهويات‬: good habits of
reading & recreation)‫)تسلية‬.

ii) Adopt a philosophy of life )‫(اعتماد فلسفة للحياة‬to

enable you to avoid mental conflict.

iii) Try to understand your own limitations.

iv) Develop a sense of humour(‫(فكاهة‬.

 Psychosocial illness
• There are a group of diseases known as
“psychosocial diseases” (mind acting on
body).

e.g. essential hypertension, peptic ulcer, asthma,

ulcerative colitis, etc…… all are attributed to
disturbed emotional states.
 Motivation
• It is the inner force which drives an individual
to a certain action.
• Motivation may be positive (the carrot) or
negative (the stick).
• Without motivation, behavioural changes
cannot be expected to take place.
• Positive motivation is more successful than
negative motivation.
 Motivation

• Motivation is not manipulation (‫)تالعب‬.

• A motivated person acts willingly and
knowingly.‫عن طيب خاطر وعن علم‬
 Attitudes
• Attitudes are acquired characteristics of an
individual.
• They are more or less permanent ways of
behaving.
• Attitudes are not learnt from text-books, they
are acquired by social interaction.
• Once formed, attitudes are difficult to change.
 Learning

• It means acquiring something new – new

knowledge, new techniques, new skills.

• It is a practice (process) →permanent change

in behaviour.
 Conditions affecting learning
1- intelligence (heredity, nutrition and IQ)
2- age: best between 22- 25 years.
3- learning situation: teachers, text books, audiovisual
aids …….
4- motivation: encouragement‫تشجيع‬, praise, success….
5- physical health: handicapped & chronically sick
cannot learn.
6- mental health: worries, anxieties, and fears interfere
with learning.
 Theories of learning

• Learning by conditioned reflex.(Pavlov reflex).

• Trial and error.
• Learning by observation.
• Learning by doing.
• Learning by remembering.
• Learning by insight..‫التعلم عن طريق البصيرة‬
 Measurements of learning

• Learning measured by Student`s performance,

there are many ways of measuring student`s
learning: MCQ, essay writing, project work,
practical examination, oral examination………
usually a combination of different methods is
used.
 Habits ‫عادات‬
• Habit is an accustomed ‫ معتاد‬way of doing
things.
• Habits acquired through repetition and done
automatically.
• Habits which accumulate through generations
emerge as customs.
• Habits once formed persist and influence
human behaviour.
 Habit formation
• Habit formation should begin early in
childhood.
• Habits are formed by frequent repetition.
• It takes time to form habits; they cannot be
formed overnight.
• There should be a strong emotional stimulus
to form habit.
• Good habits kill bad habits.
 Frustrations ‫خيبة أمل أو اإلحباط‬
• All people have needs – biological, social,
economic, try to satisfy them.
• But when they are unable to meet their needs
and desires, they feel frustrated.
• The sources of frustration:
- external; unemployment, failures …..
- internal; lack of health, lack of
intellectual ability‫………القدرة الفكرية‬..
 Conflicts ‫الصراع النفسي‬

• A conflict is like a war between two courses of

action or between opposing ideas.
• It is essential for a person`s mental health that
conflict should be resolved as quickly as
possible, within a reasonable period of time,
before emotional disturbance occur.
 Defence mechanisms
‫آليات الدفاع‬
• When an individual is faced with problems,
difficulties or failures, he employs certain ways
or devices to escape from realities.
 Defence mechanisms

1- Rationalization:
‫تبرير‬
Instead of accepting
failure and correcting
himself, he tries to
make excuses and
justifies his behaviour.

‫مالحقش العنقود قال قارص‬

 Defence mechanisms
2- projection;‫إسقاط‬
Sometimes the individual
blames others for his
mistakes or failures.

The student saying that he

could
score good marks in the
examination
because, his teacher did
not like him.
 Defence mechanisms
3- compensation:‫تعويضات‬
Many people make use of compensation to
enhance their self-esteem and prestige.

Student who is not good in his studies may

distinguish himself in sports or dramatics,
music or other activities.
 Defence mechanisms
4- Escape mechanism:
Some individuals adopt
escape mechanism to
overcome failure or defeat.

- Student pretend ‫تصنع‬

illness to escape from
exam.

- Take alcohol or drugs to

solve
their problems???
 Defence mechanisms
5- Displacement: ‫اإلزاحة‬
It is trying to escape from one situation and
fixing blame on another situation.

An office clerk badly snubbed ‫وبخ‬

by his superior takes it out
on his wife & children.
 Defence mechanisms
6- Regression: ‫تراجع أو نكوص‬
Some people resort to childhood practice when
facing a problem.

An older child start to wet his bed when his

mother deliver a new baby.
A mentally healthy person will not
use defence mechanisms for
achieving success or happiness
 Personality
• Components of personality:
1- Physical; height, weight, colour…………….
2- Emotional; personality affected by fear, anger, love,
jealousy, guilt, worries…………
3- Intelligence; An intelligent person will have a forced
personality.
4- Behaviour; here the personality described as; gentle,
kind, affectionate, balanced, submissive and aggressive.
‫عدواني‬, ‫ منقاد‬،‫ متوازن‬،‫ حنون‬،‫لطيف‬
 Development of personality
• Infancy; infant is a hardly social creature.(0-1year)
• Pre-school children; the child starts speak, loves his
home, fear dark, love stories, begins to mix with other
small children.(1-5years)
• School-age; he is active all the time, gradual
detachment from the family, greater attachment to
his playmates & friends.(5-15years)
• Adolescence; the teenagers strives ‫ يكافح‬for
independence, dislike parental authority.(15-........)
• Adult; mature & balanced.
• Old age; impaired memory, irritability, bitterness ‫مرارة‬
, inner withdrawal and social maladjustment.(65-…..)
 Intelligence
• It is the ability to see meaningful relationship
between things.
• It is the capacity to use abstract ideas for
solving problems.

Hereditary factors + environmental factors

Intelligence.
 Intelligence Quotient

• I.Q. = Mental age X 100

Chronological age

The higher the I.Q., the more brilliant ‫ تألق‬the

child is and is more capable of higher
performance at school.
 Intelligence Quotient
Levels of Intelligence I.Q. Range
Idiot 0-24
Imbecile 25-49
Moron 50-69
Border line 70-79
Low normal 80-89
Normal 90-109
Superior 110-119
Very superior 120-139
Near Genius 140 & above.
 Why we need to know the child`s I.Q.
• Those with low I.Q. can be taken aside for special
education.
• Those with high capacity can be selected for
education in keeping with their capacity.
• Intelligence tests as an aid in the determination of
the right time to enter school.
• The selection of applicants for college and
professional school.
• The use of intelligence test to the therapist &
researcher.