Psychology is the Study of the Mind and Behavior:
Psychology can be defined as the study of mental processes and behavior. The term comes from the Greek words psyche, meaning "breath, spirit, soul," and logia, meaning "study of." Psychology has not always existed as it has today. In fact, it is considered a relatively young discipline, although as one eminent psychologist explained, it's a short past but a long history. Psychology has quickly grown to play an incredible role in the world today. Psychologists are employed in hospitals, mental health clinics, schools, colleges and universities, government agencies, private businesses, and private practices. They perform a wide variety of tasks and roles ranging from treating mental disease to performing research to influencing public health policy.
Psychology Relies On Scientific Methods:
One of the most common myths about psychology is that it's just "common sense." The problem with this is that psychological research has helped demonstrate that many of the things that we believe are just common sense are actually not true at all. If common sense were as common as people say it's, then people wouldn’t engage in behaviors that they know are bad for them, like smoking or eating junk food. Psychology relies on scientific methods to investigate questions and arrive at conclusions. Using empirical methods, researchers are able to discover relationships between different variables. Psychologists use a range of techniques to study the human mind and behavior, including naturalistic observation, experiments, case studies, and questionnaires.
Psychologists Take Multiple Perspectives:
Topics and questions in psychology can be looked at in a number of different ways. Each perspective helps contribute a new level of understanding to a topic. Some of the most important perspectives in psychology include:
- Biological perspective
- Cognitive perspective
- Behavioural perspective
- Evolutionary perspective
- Humanistic perspective
Imagine, for example, that psychologists are trying to understand the different factors that contribute to bullying. One researcher might take a biological perspective and look at the role of genetics and the brain. Another might take a behavioral perspective and look at how bullying behaviors are reinforced by the environment. Another might take a social perspective and analyze the impact of group pressure. No single perspective is right. each contributes to how we understand a topic and allows researchers to analyze the myriad influences that contribute to certain actions. Then, they can come up with multi-faceted solutions to combat problematic actions and encourage better outcomes and healthier behaviors.
Psychology Has Sub-Fields:
In addition to many different perspectives, there are many branches of psychology. Psychologists often opt to specialize in a particular area. some of the most important sub-fields within psychology are clinical psychology, personality psychology, cognitive psychology, developmental psychology, and social psychology. The type of psychologist that you need may depend upon the type of problem you're facing. If you're experiencing emotional or psychological symptoms, you may need a clinical or counseling psychologist. If you have an issue about whether your child is developing normally, then you may want to ask a developmental psychologist.
Some psychologists work in the field of mental health, treating patients experiencing psychiatric disorders and psychological distress. Sub-fields such as clinical, counseling, and health psychology are focused on helping people with mental and physical health issues. Other psychologists add applied sub-fields, such as forensic psychology and industrial-organizational psychology, to solve real-world problems. Still other psychologists focus their work on research to contribute to our understanding of the human mind and behavior. Such psychologists may specialize in a particular area such as development, social behavior, cognition, or personality.
Psychology Is More Than Mental Health:
When you think of psychology, do you envision a therapist jotting down notes as a client recounts childhood experiences? while therapy is certainly a big part of psychology, it's not the only thing that psychologists do. In fact, many psychologists do not work in the field of mental health at all. psychology encompasses other areas including teaching, research, and consulting. Mental health is certainly a major area of interest in psychology, but psychologists also do things such as help athletes hone their motivation and mental focus, help design products that are safe and useful, and help businesses understand how to influence consumers.