Psychology has evolved from the Greek word ‘psyche,’ which means ‘soul’ or ‘mind,’ and ‘logos,’ which means speech. It is an academic and applied field concerning the study of the mind, brain, and behavior, both human and nonhuman. Psychology also refers to the practical application of such knowledge to diverse spheres of human activity, including problems of people’s daily lives and the treatment of psychological illness.
Psychology differs from anthropology, economics, political science, and sociology in seeking to capture illustrative generalizations about the mental function and explicit behavior of individuals. However, contrary to this, other disciplines depend more heavily on field studies and historical methods for extracting expressive generalizations. In reality, however, there is much ‘cross-fertilization’ that takes place among different fields. Psychology differs from biology and neuroscience in that it is mainly concerned with the interface between mental processes and behavior of a person. It also refers to the common procedures of a system and not merely the biological or neural procedures themselves.
However, subfields of psychology, such as neuropsychology, combine the study of the actual neural processes with the study of the mental effects they have intuitively produced. Psychology in literal terms means the study of the human mind. It illustrates and attempts to explain awareness, behavior, and social interaction. This study can be structured purely in terms of phenomenological descriptions of internal experiences or as a result of behavior, which includes social conduct. Empirical psychology is mainly dedicated to describing human experience and behavior as it actually occurs.
The study of the correlation between consciousness and the brain or nervous system has been undertaken only recently. However, it is still not clear in what ways they interact.
Psychology is a particularly extensive field, which includes various approaches to the study of mental processes and behavior. An understanding of brain function is gradually being included in psychological theory and practice, particularly in areas such as artificial intelligence, neuropsychological, and cognitive neuroscience. Mechanical and electronic computing has played an important role in developing the information-processing hypothesis of the mind.
Related Articles of Interest :
-
Psychological Terms
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
No Comments
The word ‘psychology’ has evolved from the Greek word ‘psyche,’ which means ‘soul’ or ‘mind,’ and ‘logos.’ which means ‘speech. It is an academic and applied field concerning the study of the mind, brain, and both human and nonhuman behavior. Psychology also refers to the...
-
History Of Psychology
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
No Comments
Rudolph Goclenius, a German scholastic philosopher, is credited with conceiving the term ‘psychology’ in the 1590s. The word psychology comes from the Greek word psyche, which means ‘soul’ or ‘spirit.’ Earlier, psychology was also considered a study of the soul. Until the end of the...
-
Psychology
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
No Comments
For many centuries, the study of human thought and emotion was not considered a very fruitful pursuit. Not that it hasn’t fascinated many people down the ages – it has. But the most interesting insights into human psychology came not from scientists but from poets...
-
Clinical Psychology
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
No Comments
Clinical psychology is aimed at understanding and studying human and animal behavior. Clinical psychologists evaluate mental health problems and conduct and use scientific research to understand them. They also develop, provide, and assess psychological care and interventions (psychotherapy). In America, clinical psychologists are normally required...
-
Humanistic Psychology
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
No Comments
Humanistic psychology is a school of psychology that came to be established somewhere in the 1950s. This was found in reaction to both behaviorism and psychoanalysis. Humanistic psychology is concerned with the human dimension of psychology and the human context for the growth of psychological...
-
Online Psychology Degrees
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
No Comments
The parameters surrounding qualification in psychology, though exact, are not as exacting as those for the more clinical area of psychiatry. More than anything else, qualifying as a psychologist calls for intense academic study. Qualification via correspondence courses has long since been an acceptable form...
-
Child Psychology
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
No Comments
Psychology is by no means only the study of adult minds and emotions. In an increasingly complex and stress-oriented world, children are just as affected by the abnormalities of daily life as adults are. The sad story of modern society speaks of child abuse, incest,...
-
Forensic Psychology
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
No Comments
Not to be confused with the discipline of forensic science (the study of crime scenes, evidence, etc.) with which it does share a common platform, forensic psychology is one of the main bulwarks of criminal justice today. Basically, it finds application in the establishment of...
-
Adolescent Psychology
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
No Comments
Adolescence is the intermediary stage of growth between childhood and adulthood. It represents the period of time during which a person is subjected to an array of biological transformations and runs into a number of emotional tribulations. The ages, which are termed to be part...
-
Psychology Graduate Programs
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
No Comments
You can earn a graduate degree, Master’s and doctoral, in Psychology either through a regular grad school/university or through an online college. Before applying you should do thorough homework about the schools, their curriculum, reputation, teaching approach (some schools are research-oriented whereas some schools emphasize...