What is Psychology?

By Saul McLeod, updated 2019

Psychology is the scientific study of the mind and behavior, according to the
American Psychological Association. Psychology is a multifaceted discipline and
includes many sub-fields of study such areas as human development, sports,
health, clinical, social behavior and cognitive processes.
Psychology is really a very new science, with most advances happening over the
past 150 years or so.  However, its origins can be traced back to ancient Greece, 400
– 500 years BC. 
he emphasis was a philosophical one, with great thinkers such as Socrates (470 BC
– 399 BC) influencing Plato (428/427 BC – 348/347 BC), who in turn influenced
Aristotle (384 BC - 322 BC).
Philosophers used to discuss many topics now studied by modern psychology, such
as memory, free will vs determinism, nature vs. nurture, attraction etc.

The Beginnings of Psychology as a

Discipline
In the early days of psychology there were two dominant theoretical perspectives
regarding how the brain worked, structuralism and functionalism.
Structuralism was the name given to the approach pioneered by Wilhelm
Wundt (1832-1920), which focused on breaking down mental processes intro the
most basic components.
The term originated from Edward Titchener, an American psychologist who had been
trained by Wundt. Wundt was important because he separated psychology from
philosophy by analyzing the workings of the mind in a more structured way, with the
emphasis being on objective measurement and control.
Structuralism relied on trained introspection, a research method whereby subjects
related what was going on in their minds while performing a certain task.
However, introspection proved to be an unreliable method because there was too
much individual variation in the experiences and reports of research subjects.
Despite the failure of introspection Wundt is an important figure in the history of
psychology as he opened the first laboratory dedicated to psychology in 1879, and its
opening is usually thought of as the beginning of modern experimental psychology.
An American psychologist named William James (1842-1910) developed an
approach which came to be known as functionalism, that disagreed with the focus of
Structuralism.
James argued that the mind is constantly changing and it is pointless to look for the
structure of conscious experience. Rather, he proposed the focus should be on how
and why an organism does something, i.e. the functions or purpose of the brain.
James suggested that psychologists should look for the underlying cause of behavior
and the mental processes involved. This emphasis on the causes and consequences
of behavior has influenced contemporary psychology.

The Perspectives of Psychology

Structuralism and functionalism have since been replaced by several dominant and
influential approaches to psychology, each one underpinned by a shared set of
assumptions of what people are like, what is important to study and how to study it.
Psychoanalysis, founded by Sigmund Freud (1856-1939) was the dominant
paradigm in psychology during the early twentieth century. Freud believed that
people could be cured by making conscious their unconscious thoughts and
motivations, thus gaining insight.
Freud’s psychoanalysis was the original psychodynamic theory, but the
psychodynamic approach as a whole includes all theories that were based on his
ideas, e.g., Jung (1964), Adler (1927) and Erikson (1950).
The classic contemporary perspectives in psychology to adopt scientific strategies
were the behaviorists, who were renowned for their reliance on controlled laboratory
experiments and rejection of any unseen or unconscious forces as causes of
behavior.
Later, the humanistic approach became the 'third force' in psychology and proposed
the importance of subjective experience and personal growth.

What Is Psychology?
Psychology is the study of mind and behavior. It encompasses the biological influences, social
pressures, and environmental factors that affect how people think, act, and feel.

Gaining a richer and deeper understanding of psychology can help people achieve insights
into their own actions as well as a better understanding of other people.

Types of Psychology
Psychology is a broad and diverse field that encompasses the study of human thought,
behavior, development, personality, emotion, motivation, and more. As a result, some
different subfields and specialty areas have emerged. The following are some of the major
areas of research and application within psychology:
  Abnormal psychology is the study of abnormal behavior and psychopathology. This specialty
area is focused on research and treatment of a variety of mental disorders and is linked to
psychotherapy and clinical psychology.
 Biological psychology (biopsychology) studies how biological processes influence the mind
and behavior. This area is closely linked to neuroscience and utilizes tools such as MRI and
PET scans to look at brain injury or brain abnormalities.
 Clinical psychology is focused on the assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of mental
disorders.
 Cognitive psychology is the study of human thought processes including attention, memory,
perception, decision-making, problem-solving, and language acquisition.
 Comparative psychology is the branch of psychology concerned with the study of animal
behavior.
 Developmental psychology is an area that looks at human growth and development over the
lifespan including cognitive abilities, morality, social functioning, identity, and other life
areas.
 Forensic psychology is an applied field focused on using psychological research and
principles in the legal and criminal justice system.
 Industrial-organizational psychology is a field that uses psychological research to enhance
work performance and select employees.
 Personality psychology focuses on understanding how personality develops as well as the
patterns of thoughts, behaviors, and characteristics that make each individual unique.
 Social psychology focuses on group behavior, social influences on individual behavior,
attitudes, prejudice, conformity, aggression, and related topics.

 What Are the Branches of Psychology?

Uses
The most obvious application for psychology is in the field of mental health where
psychologists use principles, research, and clinical findings to help clients manage and
overcome symptoms of mental distress and psychological illness. Some of the additional
applications for psychology include:

 Developing educational programs

 Ergonomics
 Informing public policy
 Mental health treatment
 Performance enhancement
 Personal health and well-being
 Psychological research
 Self-help
 Social program design
 Understanding child development

It is difficult to capture everything that psychology encompasses in just a brief definition, but
topics such as development, personality, thoughts, feelings, emotions, motivations, and social
behaviors represent just a portion of what psychology seeks to understand, predict, and
explain.
 The Major Goals of Psychology
Impact of Psychology
Psychology is both an applied and academic field that benefits both individuals and society as
a whole. A large part of psychology is devoted to the diagnosis and treatment of mental health
issues, but that's just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the impact of psychology.

Some of the ways that psychology contributes to individuals and society include:

 Improving our understanding of why people behave as they do as well

 Understanding the different factors that can impact the human mind and behavior
 Understanding issues that impact health, daily life, and well-being
 Improving ergonomics to improve product design
 Creating safer and more efficient workspaces
 Helping motivate people to achieve their goals
 Improving productivity

Psychologists accomplish these things by using objective scientific methods to understand,

explain, and predict human behavior. Psychological studies are highly structured, beginning
with a hypothesis that is then empirically tested.

Potential Pitfalls
There's a lot of confusion out there about psychology. Unfortunately, such misconceptions
about psychology abound in part thanks to stereotyped portrayals of psychologists in popular
media as well as the diverse career paths of those holding psychology degrees.

Sure, there are psychologists who help solve crimes, and there are plenty of professionals who
help people deal with mental health issues. However, there are also psychologists who:

 Contribute to creating healthier workplaces

 Design and implement public health programs
 Research airplane safety
 Help design technology and computer programs
 Study military life and the psychological impact of combat

No matter where psychologists work, their primary goals are to help describe, explain,
predict, and influence human behavior.

History of Psychology
Early psychology evolved out of both philosophy and biology. Discussions of these two
subjects date as far back as the early Greek thinkers, including Aristotle and Socrates.

The word "psychology" itself is derived from the Greek word psyche, literally meaning "life"
or "breath." Derived meanings of the word include "soul" or "self."
The emergence of psychology as a separate and independent field of study truly came about
when Wilhelm Wundt established the first experimental psychology lab in Leipzig, Germany
in 1879.
Throughout psychology's history, various schools of thought have formed to explain the
human mind and behavior. In some cases, certain schools of thought rose to dominate the
field of psychology for a period of time.

The following are some of the major schools of thought in psychology.

 Structuralism: Wundt and Titchener's structuralism was the earliest school of thought, but

others soon began to emerge.
 Functionalism: The early psychologist and philosopher William James became associated
with a school of thought known as functionalism, which focused its attention on the purpose
of human consciousness and behavior.
 Psychoanalysis: Soon, these initial schools of thought gave way to several dominant and
influential approaches to psychology. Sigmund Freud's psychoanalysis centered on how the
unconscious mind impacted human behavior.
 Behaviorism: The behavioral school of thought turned away from looking at internal
influences on behavior and sought to make psychology the study of observable behaviors.
 Humanistic psychology: Later, the humanistic approach centered on the importance of
personal growth and self-actualization.
 Cognitive psychology: By the 1960s and 1970s, the cognitive revolution spurred the
investigation of internal mental processes such as thinking, decision-making, language
development, and memory.

While these schools of thought are sometimes perceived as competing forces,

each perspective has contributed to our understanding of psychology.
 The Origins of Psychology: History Through the Years

A Word From Verywell

As you can see, while psychology may be a relatively young science it also has a tremendous
amount of both depth and breadth. The assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of mental illness
are central interests of psychology, but psychology encompasses much more than mental
health.

Today, psychologists seek to understand many different aspects of the human mind and
behavior, adding new knowledge to our understanding of how people think as well as
developing practical applications that have an important impact on everyday human lives.

Psychology works to help people improve their individual well-being and thrive in an
increasingly comp