Define the science of psychology

The term "psychology" literally translates as "the science of the mind" (psycho is Greek for "mind" or
"mental" and -logy is Latin for "science"). Psychology advances society and improves our quality of life.
Psychologists investigate the connections between the environment and behavior as well as the
functioning of the brain, using what they discover to further our understanding and make the world a
better place. Psychologists diagnose and treat patients, conduct basic and applied research, advise
communities and organizations, and teach aspiring psychologists and those who plan to pursue other
fields of study.
Describe the subfields of psychology
1) Developmental Psychology
This is a scientific approach which aims to explain growth, change and consistency through a lifespan, by
looking at how thinking, feeling and behaviour changes throughout a person's life. Commonly, the vast
majority of theories within Developmental Psychology focus on the period of life where most changes
occur; in childhood. Therefore, it is a Developmental Psychologist's standpoint to study theoretical areas
such as; biological, social, emotional, and cognitive processes.
2) Health Psychology
This scientific branch is dedicated to untangling the effects that community and environmental elements
have on general health and illness rates. Mainly, exploring health conditions that are largely linked to the
psychological science of their inner-workings. With psychology at hand, it aims to prevent illness and
help people develop healthier lifestyles that boost their overall experiences. This had led to the sub-field
study of Sports Psychology, too.
Health Psychology is one of the youngest subfields of the science, one of the most rapidly expanding, and
most interesting to study.
3) Neuropsychology
Often perceived to be the ‘rocket-scientist' strand of the field of psychology, Neuropsychology is the
theoretical work that analyses how the brain and the rest of the nervous system influence a person's
cognition and behaviours, and the impact that injuries and neuro-illnesses have on cognition. With this
knowledge, new behaviours can be learnt to unlearn unhelpful habits and patterns from past traumas.
Neuropsychology closely informs Criminal Psychology as well, as understanding the motivations for a
person's crime is closely linked to their cognition.
4) Experimental Psychology
The common workplace of Experimental Psychologists has transitioned from private medical and
pharmaceutical companies, to research facilities in universities and government-led enterprises.
This experimentation typically uses human and animal subjects engaged in sensory, perception, memory,
cognition, motivational and social testing to prove, in practice, the theory behind psychological
statements. Many people learn about the results of these experiments when taking A-Level Psychology.
5) Industrial Psychology
Often called occupational psychology, Industrial Psychology, is the science of human behaviour relating
to work and applies psychological theories to humans while they are in their work setting.
The objective of Industrial Psychology is to enable businesses to understand their workforce better. It
gives businesses the capacity to ‘get more' out of their workforce. This is one of the most commercialised
forms of psychology, and can be one of the highest earning subfields.

Psychology is a broad and ever-changing scientific field. Unlike many more traditional and aged forms of
science, psychology is always evolving. The evolution of theory has led to the discovery that many
prominent approaches are inaccurate, decades after they were established. This ever shifting landscape
makes it one of the most interesting social sciences to study, with great career opportunities.