Psychology

Psychology is the scientific study and evaluation of mind and behavior. Psychological research focuses on many sub-topics including: personality, behavior, addiction, learning, value systems, and relationships. Psychology can also refer to the application of that knowledge to various spheres of human activity, including correcting problems that affect individuals' daily lives and the treatment of mental health issues.

The word psychology comes from the ancient Greek ψυχή psyche ("soul," "mind") and -λογία -ology ("study").

Fields of Psychology

• Biological psychology is the study of the biological underpinnings of behavior, mental states (e.g., emotion), and mental health.

• Clinical psychology

• Cognitive psychology is the branch of psychology that explores how cognitive processes influence behavior. Research in this field focuses on topics such as learning, perception, memory, attention, and information processing.

• Community psychology

• Developmental psychology is the study of how mental processes and behavior change with aging.

• Health psychology/behavioral medicine focuses on the impact of psychological factors on behaviors that are relevant to physical health. Researchers in this field study topics such as substance abuse, obesity, and exercise.

• Industrial/organizational psychology

• Neuropsychology

• School psychology focuses on helping students succeed academically.

• Social psychology is the study of social behavior or interpersonal interactions. Social psychologists study issues such as the way in which attitudes towards other people are formed, or the effect that our perceptions of another person's behavior have on our interactions with that person.