Psychology is a diverse field composed of numerous major subdivisions, each offering a unique perspective on the study of mind and behavior. These disciplines represent the primary areas of research and practice, and include fields such as cognitive, developmental, personality, and biological psychology, as well as applied areas like clinical, health, and forensic psychology.

Psychological Disciplines

Psychological research focuses on understanding behavior, as well as the cognitive (mind) and physiological (body) processes that underlie behavior. Psychologists use scientific methods to acquire knowledge.

Psychological Research

Psychology's emergence as a science is a recent development, with its experimental foundations laid in the 19th century, making it much younger than disciplines like human physiology. Before this period, inquiries into the mind were conducted within the realm of philosophy. The establishment of psychology as a scientific and academic field, separate from philosophy, is largely attributed to the work of 19th-century scholars Wilhelm Wundt and William James.

History of Psychology

People can pursue the following careers with a degree in psychology:

- University faculty
- Management
- Research
- Advertising
- Social Work
- Human resources
- Business
- Marketing
- Healthcare
- Finance
- Publishing
- Communications

Careers in Psychology

Psychology References

1. Annual Review of Psychology
2. Psychological Bulletin
3. Psychological Science in the Public Interest
4. Perspectives on Psychological Science
5. Psychological Methods
6. Psychological Review
7. Current Directions in Psychological Science
8. Psychological Science
9. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General
10. Emotion
11. CNS Drugs
12. Psychiatry Research

References for  General Psychology by Journal

Which of the following best describes the field of psychology?

Which of the following phenomena are studied in psychology?

Which of the following is a primary focus of psychology?

Which of the following methods are commonly used in psychological research?

An education in psychology is valuable as it equips students with a diverse set of skills and a deeper understanding of human nature. Students develop critical thinking, learn the scientific method, and improve communication, which together enhance their scientific literacy for evaluating information. Furthermore, they gain insight into the complex interplay of biology, environment, and experience that shapes behavior, learn the fundamental principles of thought and action, and develop an appreciation for the vast diversity among individuals and cultures.

Merits of an Education in Psychology

Psychology is a multifaceted discipline that incorporates elements of both natural and social sciences. Its connection to natural sciences, such as biology, is evident in the study of the biological underpinnings of behavior. Concurrently, it is a social science because it examines how behavior is shaped by social interactions and environments.

Psychology as a Natural and Social Science

The field of psychology explores fundamental questions about human experiences, the functioning of the human brain, and the connection between the brain's internal processes and an individual's external behaviors.

Fundamental Inquiries in Psychology

Psychology is classified as a science because it adopts the same general empirical approach to understanding the natural world as other scientific disciplines. Although psychology specifically focuses on human behavior and mental processes, it illustrates its scientific nature by relying on systematic observation and empirical evidence to answer questions, rather than relying on unverified claims or common sense.

Psychology as a Science

Number sense is defined as an innate awareness of quantities, allowing humans and animals to intuitively recognize how many objects or events of a particular type they have experienced without the need to actually count them.

Number Sense

Folk psychology encompasses the intuitive beliefs and commonsense notions people naturally develop about human behavior, thoughts, and feelings. Although some of these everyday assumptions are reasonably accurate, scientific research demonstrates that many intuitive beliefs are incorrect, highlighting the necessity of a formal scientific approach to psychology.

Folk Psychology

Psychology is formally defined as the scientific study of human behavior and mental processes. It focuses on understanding how individuals act, think, and feel, along with the underlying cognitive and physiological mechanisms. As a scientific discipline, it seeks to answer fundamental questions about a wide range of human phenomena by relying on empirical evidence rather than common sense.

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Google

University of Chicago

Columbia University

Trinity College (CT)

San Jose State University

Stanford University

- anthropology 
- behavioral sciences
- economics
- human geography
- linguistics
- sociology
- media studies
- musicology
- political science
- psychology
- gender studies

Disciplines in Social science

The science of societies and how the individuals that make up societies interact with one another.

Social Science

Wikipedia

Spielman, R. M., Jenkins, W. J., & Lovett, M. D. (2020, April 22). Psychology (2nd ed.). OpenStax. https://openstax.org/books/psychology-2e/pages/1-introduction

OpenStax Psychology (2nd ed.) Textbook

https://kpu.pressbooks.pub/psychmethods4e/

KPU Research Methods in Psychology - 4th American Edition

The study of human behavior, societies, and cultures throughout history (including the present). Anthropology, in broad terms, studies methods to describe and explain the similarities and differences in biology and culture of all humanity in all times and places. 

Anthropology

Study and analysis of multi-level government operations, along with their societal impacts.

Political Science

The study of language. Topics include language form, meaning, context and social, cultural and historical influences.

Linguistics

The study of societal behavior, structures, development, functions, and issues. 

Sociology

A system composed of many distributed elements whose aggregate properties cannot be predicted by observing the behavior of an element. Furthermore, the observable manifestations or 'forms' of a complex system may only represent superficial aspects, with its true 'essence' or fundamental nature remaining hidden or less apparent beneath the surface.

Complex Systems

Environmental Studies is a multidisciplinary study that incorporates concepts from the physical sciences, economics/commerce, the humanities, and social sciences.  It studies the environment and the human impact on the environment.  

Environmental Studies

Disability Studies is an interdisciplinary field of study that examines the consequences and implications of disability as well as various issues that impact the disability community.

Disability Studies

Law is a piece of legislation created by government or society to enforce a desired behavior or prohibit an undesired action. These rules govern the individuals that are citizens of that society or government or determine the actions taken by that body.

Gender studies is an interdisciplinary field that explores how all gender identities are developed and how they affect people’s experiences in society.

Gender Studies

Studies the range of human sexual behavior and sexuality. 

Sexology

Social science disciplines focused on the study of human and animal behaviors through their interactions with the world at large. The four predominant disciplines within the behavioral sciences are:
* Anthropology
* Economics
* Psychology
* Sociology

Behavioral Sciences

Economics is the academic discipline that examines the interactions among people and between people and their natural surroundings in the context of producing and securing their means of subsistence. The field also investigates the evolution of these interactions through time and their variations among different societies.

Economics

Psychology

H. Gardner imagined cognitive science as the integration of various disciplines. These disciplines, including philosophy, psychology, linguistics, anthropology, neuroscience and artificial intelligence are represented in his hexagon.

Gardner's Hexagon

Developed by Edward Titchener, a student of Wilhelm Wundt, structuralism was a school of thought that sought to understand the mind by analyzing its basic components. A key characteristic of this approach was its focus on the contents of mental processes, aiming to identify the fundamental elements of consciousness, rather than investigating the purpose or function of those processes.

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