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PSYCHOLOGY

What Is Psychology and How Does It Works

By PrakuzoPublished 2 years ago 5 min read
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Psychology

What Is Psychology and How Does It Work?

The study of the mind and behavior is known as psychology.

It includes the biological, social, and environmental elements that influence how people think, act, and feel.

People can gain insights into their own actions and a better knowledge of other people by gaining a broader and deeper understanding of psychology.

Psychological Types

Psychology is a large and diversified science that studies human thought, behavior, development, personality, emotion, and motivation, among other things. As a result, a variety of sub fields and specialty areas have developed. The following are some of the most important fields of psychology research and application:

ABNORMAL PSYCHOLOGY

Abnormal Psychology is the study of psychopathology and aberrant conduct.This specialized area is linked to psychotherapy and clinical psychology and focuses on the investigation and treatment of a variety of mental diseases.

BIOLOGICAL PSYCHOLOGY

Biological Psychology (biopsychology) is the study of how biological processes affect one's mind and behavior.

This field is closely related to neuroscience and uses techniques like MRI and PET scans to examine brain injuries and anomalies.

CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY

Clinical Psychology is focused on the assessment, diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders.

COGNITIVE PSYCHOLOGY

Cognitive Psychology is Attention, memory, perception, decision-making, problem-solving, and language acquisition are all studied in this field.

COMPARATIVE PSYCHOLOGY

Comparative Psychology is a sub-discipline of psychology devoted to the study of animal behavior.

DEVELOPMENT PSYCHOLOGY

Development Psychology is a branch of psychology that studies human development over time, including cognitive ability, morality, social functioning, identity, and other aspects of existence.

FORENSIC PSYCHOLOGY

Forensic Psychology is a branch of study that focuses on applying psychological principles and research to the legal and criminal justice systems.

INDUSTRIAL - ORGANIZATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY

Organizational Psychology is a branch of psychology that focuses on using psychological research to improve work performance and choose personnel.

PERSONALITY PSYCHOLOGY

Personality Psychology is focuses on how personality develops, as well as the patterns of thoughts, behaviors, and qualities that distinguish each person.

SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY

Social Psychology is The focus of this book is on group behavior, social influences on individual behavior, attitudes, prejudice, conformity, violence, and other related subjects.

Uses

Psychology's most visible use is in the field of mental health, where psychologists apply concepts, research, and clinical discoveries to assist clients in managing and overcoming symptoms of mental distress and psychiatric illness.The following are some of the numerous applications for psychology:

  • Creating educational materials
  • Ergonomics
  • Providing information to policymakers
  • Treatment for mental illness
  • Enhancement of performance
  • Personal well-being and health
  • Psychological studies
  • Self-help

Designing social programs that take into account the development of children

It's difficult to encapsulate everything psychology entails in a single description, but development, personality, thoughts, feelings, emotions, motivations, and social behaviors are just a few examples of what psychology aims to understand, predict, and explain.

Psychology's Influence

Psychology is a field that serves both individuals and society as a whole, and it is both practical and academic. When it comes to the influence of psychology, a major portion of it is devoted to the diagnosis and treatment of mental health concerns, but that's only the tip of the iceberg.Individuals and society benefit from psychology in a variety of ways,

Increasing our understanding of why people act the way they do.

  • Understanding the various aspects that can influence a person's thoughts and behavior
  • To improve product design, ergonomics must be improved.
  • Creating workplaces that are both safer and more efficiency
  • assisting others in achieving their objectives
  • Increasing efficiency

Psychologists achieve these goals by analyzing, explaining, and predicting human behavior using objective scientific methods. Psychological research is well-structured, with a hypothesis that is subsequently empirically tested.

Pitfalls to Avoid

There's a lot of misunderstanding about psychology out there. Unfortunately, clichéd images of psychologists in popular culture, as well as the numerous professional options of persons with psychology degrees, contribute to widespread misconceptions about psychology.

There are psychologists who assist in the investigation of crimes, and there are numerous experts that assist persons with mental health concerns.

There are, however, psychologists who:

  • Assist in the creation of healthy workplaces.
  • Create and implement public health initiatives.
  • Examine the safety of airplanes.
  • Assist in the development of technology and computer programs.
  • Investigate military life as well as the psychological effects of combat.

Psychologists' fundamental goals, regardless of where they work, are to assist describe, explain, predict, and affect human behavior.

Psychology's Origins

The origins of psychology can be traced back to both philosophy and biology. These two topics have been discussed since the early Greek intellectuals, such as Aristotle and Socrates.

The word "psychology" comes from the Greek word psyche, which literally translates to "life" or "breath." The word's derived meanings include "soul" and "self."

Wilhelm Wound created the first experimental psychology lab in Leipzig, Germany in 1879, which marked the beginning of psychology as a distinct and independent field of study.

Various schools of thought have developed over the course of psychology's history to explain the human mind and behavior.

Certain schools of thought have risen to dominate the discipline of psychology for a length of time in some circumstances.

The following are some of the major psychological schools of thought.

  • Wundt and Titchener's structuralism was the first school of thought to emerge, but others soon followed.
  • Functionalism: The early psychologist and philosopher William James was affiliated with the functionalism school of thought, which focused on the purpose of human consciousness and conduct.
  • Psychoanalysis: These early schools of thinking gave way to a number of strong and significant psychological approaches. The psychoanalysis of Sigmund Freud focused on how the unconscious mind influenced human behavior.
  • Behaviorism: The behavioral school of thought tried to make psychology the study of observable behaviors rather than internal influences on behavior.
  • Humanistic psychology: Later, the humanistic approach emphasized the value of personal development and self-actualization.
  • Cognitive psychology: The cognitive revolution sparked research into internal mental processes such as thinking, decision-making, language development, and memory in the 1960s and 1970s.
  • While these schools of thought are frequently seen as antagonistic, each has added to our understanding of psychology.

    PRAKUZO'S COMMENTARY

    As you can see, despite being a relatively new discipline, psychology has a remarkable amount of depth and breadth. Psychology is primarily concerned with the examination, diagnosis, and treatment of mental illness, although it involves much more than mental health.

    Today, psychologists are working to better understand a variety of facets of the human mind and behavior, both in terms of adding to our knowledge of how people think and finding practical applications that have a significant impact on people's daily lives.

    https://linktr.ee/Prakuzo

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    About the Creator

    Prakuzo

    I Write Health and Fitness, Personal Growth and Spirituality

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