Take out straightforward points in the following statement and write them in point form
When you learn a new discipline such as psychology, you learn many
new words. These terms are sometimes referred to as the jargon of the
discipline. Some you may have heard before, but they may have a slightly
different meaning in the context of psychology. For example, many
people use the term ‘depression’ to refer to a wide range of emotions and
experiences. However, when psychologists refer to ‘depression’ as a
syndrome, they generally refer to a specific set of symptoms and
behaviours.
In some cases, professional people such as psychologists use too much
jargon – or use fancy words when simple ones will do. In this book we
have tried to keep the amount of jargon to a minimum, but it is important
that you understand the terms that are used. There is a glossary of key
concepts at the end of each chapter to help you, and you can also consult
dictionaries of psychology and the social sciences in your university
library.
As in other disciplines, words in psychology change over time and are
used differently in different places. For example, the recent edition of the
Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (DSM-5)
(American Psychiatric Association, 2014) no longer uses the term ‘mental
retardation’ for impairments in mental abilities but rather ‘intellectual
disability’ (intellectual developmental disorder).
Though many of us would now disapprove of words such as ‘imbecile’,
‘moron’, ‘feeble-minded’ and even the comparatively recent term,
‘mentally defective’, there have been times when each of those terms was
quite acceptable to professionals working in the field. It is part of our job
when using words in psychology to think of where these words come
from, and what they can be taken to mean in the context in which they
are used today.
- Learning a new discipline like psychology involves learning new words or jargon.
- Some terms may have different meanings in psychology compared to everyday usage.
- Psychologists may use complex jargon unnecessarily, but it is important to understand these terms.
- The glossary in each chapter and dictionaries can help clarify terms in psychology.
- Terms in psychology evolve and may differ between regions or editions of manuals.
- Previously acceptable terms in psychology, like 'mental retardation', have been replaced with more appropriate terms like 'intellectual disability'.
- Professionals must consider the historical context and implications of words used in psychology.