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Psychology
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An Overview of Psychology
By Kendra Cherry | Reviewed by a board-certified physician PRINT
Updated August 23, 2016
Cognitive Psychology
Psychology is a broad field that encompasses the study of human thought, behavior,
Developmental development, personality, emotion, motivation, and more. Gaining a richer and deeper
Psychology understanding of psychology can help people achieve insights into their own actions as well
as a better understanding of others.
Behavioral Theories
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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.
According to some popular television programs and movies, psychologists are super-
sleuths that can use their understanding of the human mind to solve crimes and predict a
criminal's next move.
psychologists do.
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. There are psychologists that design and
implement public health programs. Other psychologists investigate topics such as airplane
safety, computer design, and military life. No matter where psychologists work, their
primary goals are to help describe, explain, predict, and influence human behavior.
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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.
Wundt's work was focused on describing the structures that compose the mind. This
perspective relied heavily on the analysis of sensations and feelings through the use of
introspection, an extremely subjective process. Wundt believed that properly trained
individuals would be able to identify accurately the mental processes that accompanied
feelings, sensations, and thoughts.
Throughout psychology's history, various schools of thought have formed to explain the
human mind and behavior.
Soon, these initial schools of thought gave way to several dominant and influential
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which focused its attention on the purpose of human consciousness and behavior.
Soon, these initial schools of thought gave way to several dominant and influential
approaches to psychology. Sigmund Freud's psychoanalysis centered on the how the
unconscious mind impacted human behavior.
The behavioral school of thought turned away from looking at internal influences on
behavior and sought to make psychology the study of observable behaviors.
Later, the humanistic approach centered on the importance of personal growth and self-
actualization.
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By the 1960s and 1970s, the cognitive revolution spurred the investigation of internal
mental processes such as thinking, decision-making, language development, and
memory.
As most people already realize, 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
applications for psychology. In addition to mental health, psychology can be applied to a
variety of issues that impact health and daily life including well-being, ergonomics,
motivation, productivity, and much more.
Cognitive psychology is the study of human thought processes and cognitions. Cognitive
psychologists study topics such as attention, memory, perception, decision-making,
problem-solving, and language acquisition.
Comparative psychology is the branch of psychology concerned with the study of animal
behavior. This type of research can lead to a deeper and broader understanding of human
psychology.
Developmental psychology is an area that looks at human growth and development over
the lifespan. Theories often focus on the development of cognitive abilities, morality,
social functioning, identity, and other life areas.
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Forensic psychology is an applied field focused on using psychological research and
social functioning, identity, and other life areas.
Sources:
American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.).
Washington, DC: Author; 2013.
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