Science of psychology

DEFENITION OF PSYCHOLOGY

Psychology is the science of human and animal behavior which includes the application of this science to solve human behavior . Psychology is defined as a science of about the phenomena of mind ,conscious subject or self -Sir W. Hamilton-

Psychology is the scientific study of human mind and its functions, especially those affecting behavior in a given context -Concise Oxford Dictionary-

The modern age of scientific psychology

Psychologists were divided about what should study and how they should study it. Four major schools were developed.

StructuralismBehaviorism

Gestalt psychologyPsycho analysis

Modern psychology

Recent trends in Contemporary psychology

The present world of psychology is dominated by a mixed trend involving so many schools of thought . some of them are : humanist psychology , transpersonal psychology and cognitive psychology.Cognitive psychology: more concentration on thinking, reasoning, and self awareness.Humanist psychology: individuals are controlled by their own values and choices and not entirely by the environment as behaviorists think, or by unconscious drives as psychoanalysts believe.

SUBFIELDS/SCOPE/AREAS OF PSYCHOLOGY

Psychology is a broad and diverse field. A number of different subfields and specialty areas have emerged. Psychology can broadly categorized into two namely Pure psychology and Applied psychology. Pure psychology provides the fame work and theory. Its contents deal with the formulation of psychological principles and theories.

In applied psychology , the theory generated and discussed through pure psychology finds its practical shape.

Branches of pure psychology

1.General Psychology2.Abnormal Psychology3.Social Psychology4.Experimental Psychology5.Physiological/Biological Psychology6.Para-Psychology

Branches of applied Psychology1.Educational psychology

2.Clinical psychology3.Industrial-Organizational psychology4.Legal psychology5.Military psychology6.Political psychology7.School psychology

Methods of Psychology/methods of studying Behavior

1.Introspection/Self-observation

2.Observation3.Experimental4.Survey5.Testing6.Case history7.Genetic/developmental

Biomedical importance of psychology• Understanding behavioral factors• Studying the relation of contextual factors with

biology• Effects of disease• Preventing illness• Critical analysis of health policy• Improving nurse/doctor-patient relationship• Managing pain• Improving adherence to medical advice