It is one of the qualitative research methods used mostly by the clinical psychologists. It is an in-depth look at the individual in the context of his environment. Sometimes much can be learned from studying just one individual and his unique experiences and behaviors for helping him improve some aspects of his behavior.
Receptors are the gateways to information. Our body has eight kinds of receptors, such as visual receptors (eyes), auditory receptors (ears), olfactory receptors (nose), gustatory receptors (tongue), tactual receptors (skin), labyrinthine receptors (cochlea in inner ear giving us sensation about our position of the body in space), kinesthetic receptors (deep joints and muscles) and visceral receptors (about internal organic sensation).
The counseling psychologists are trained professionals whose primary focus is to help and guide persons experiencing mild personal, emotional, and social problems. This branch has many overlapping concerns with the field of clinical psychology.
"Psychology has a long past, yet its real history is short" was the statement made by Hermann Ebbinghaus (1908). Psychology is as old as the human civilization. Man in his eternal quest for knowledge has been curious about himself, his thought processes, his reflections, and his experiences.
Prior to the 19th century, psychology was considered a branch of speculative philosophy. It was not recognized as an independent science with its specific subject matter, and methods of study. The earliest Greek philosophers were of the opinion that psychology was not different from philosophy.
Understanding maladaptive behaviour in human beings has a long history. However, formal introduction of abnormal psychology as a new branch of psychological inquiry dates back to Sigmund Freud's discovery of the unconscious.
Ideas from philosophy and natural sciences were combined to give rise to the development of the new field of psychology. In the last quarter of the nineteenth century, psychology established itself as an independent discipline.
This approach focuses only on those aspects of behavior, which can be directly observed, and the overwhelming influence of the environment in shaping those behaviors.
The cross-cultural psychologists study how social and cultural contexts influence human behavior. As cultures differ, so also the nature and interpretations of human behavior. Behaviors judged normal in one culture may be judged as undesirable in another culture.
This approach focuses on how people know, understand, and think about their world, and how their thoughts influence their behaviors. The proponents of this approach believe that people do not respond to the external events, but to their interpretation of those events.