Psychology The Study of the Human Mind

While people have always been fascinated by human behavior, it wasnt until the late 19th century that psychology began to be considered an actual science. Wilhelm Wundt established the first psychology lab in Germany. He believed in a school of thought called structuralism-believing that certain structures in the mind caused behavior. ver the course of psychologys history, different schools of thought have competed for prominence. Here are the ma!or schools of thought in psychology" -Structuralism. #he belief that there is a connection between sensation and emotion and behavior. -Functionalism. #he idea that the human brain is much li$e a computer, designed to carry out specific functions. -Psychoanalysis. %reated by &igmund 'reud, this school of thought believes in the rigorous probing of an individuals personal problems, motives, goals and attitudes as a way to heal the mind. -Behaviorism. (roponents of this theory essentially hold that all human behavior is learned from ones surrounding conte)t and environment. -Humanism. #his much more recent school of thought came as a reaction to behaviorism and (sychoanalysis, and emphasi*es the importance of values, intentions, and meaning in the individual. #he concept of the +self, is a central focus for most humanistic psychologists. -Cognitivism. #his branch of psychology believes that psychology should be concerned with a persons internal representations of the world and with the internal or functional organi*ation of the mind. &tudents of psychology soon reali*e that the sub!ect covers a huge range of material. #he diverse topics students might study include social behavior, personality, research methods, therapeutic techni-ues, and much more. .ecause its such a broad and diverse field, a number of different subfields and specialty areas have emerged. #he following are some of the ma!or areas of research and application within psychology" -A normal Psychology is the study of abnormal behavior. #his specialty area is focused on research and treatment of a variety of mental disorders and is lin$ed to psychotherapy and clinical psychology. -Biological Psychology studies how biological processes influence the mind and behavior. #his area is closely lin$ed to neuroscience and utili*es tools such as /01 and (2# scans to loo$ at brain in!ury or brain abnormalities. -Clinical Psychology is focused on the assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of mental disorders. -Cognitive Psychology is the study of human thought processes and cognitions. %ognitive psychologists study topics such as attention, memory, perception, decision-ma$ing, problem solving, and language ac-uisition. -Com!arative Psychology is the branch of psychology concerned with the study of animal behavior. o"evelo!mental Psychology is the branch of psychology that loo$s at human growth and development over the lifespan. -Forensic Psychology is an applied field focused on using psychological research and principles in the legal and criminal !ustice system. -#ndustrial-$rgani%ational Psychology is the area of psychology that uses psychological research to enhance wor$ performance, select employee, improve product design, and enhance usability. -Personality Psychology loo$s at the various elements that ma$e up individual personalities.

-School Psychology is the branch of psychology that wor$s within the educational system to help children with emotional, social, and academic issues. -Social Psychology is a discipline that uses scientific methods to study social influence, social perception, and social interaction. &ocial psychology studies diverse sub!ects including group behavior, social perception, leadership, nonverbal behavior, conformity, aggression, and pre!udice. (sychology is a broad and diverse field with a variety of related professions. 1f you are considering studying psychology, you are pursuing one of the most important and basic of the human sciences. 3ou can e)pect to have a long, satisfying, and fascinating career if psychology is your field.