Faculty of law

Integral University, Lucknow

Topic- Psychology- Meaning and Application

Submitted by:- Submitted to:-

Mohit Kumar Dr. Sadaf Khan
BA-LLB Assistant professor
5th semester, 3rd year (Faculty of law)

Enrollment no.:- 2000102048

Roll no.:- 2001155029
Subject:- Psychology
 Acknowledgement
I would like to express my gratitude to my teacher DR.
SADAF KHAN who gave me the opportunity to do this
wonderful assignment on the topic Psychology-
Meaning and Application. The assignment helped me
learn how to do proper Research and I learned about
many new things while doing the assignment.

Mohit kumar
BA-LLB
Introduction
The word Psychology has its origin from two Greek words ‘Psyche’ and
‘Logos’, ‘psyche’ means ‘soul’ and ‘logos’ means ‘study’. Thus literally,
Psychology means ‘the study of soul’ or ‘science of soul’.

Meaning and Definitions of Psychology

Psychology is the scientific study of behaviour and mental processes. Behaviour includes all
of our outward or overt actions and reactions, such as verbal and facial expressions and
movements.

Mental processes refer to all the internal and covert activity of our mind such as thinking,
feeling and remembering. It is a scientific study because to study behaviour and mental
processes, the psychologists use the scientific methods for understanding more precisely and
accurately.

Historical Background:-
In terms of the study of the soul:- In order to define the subject Psychology let us first trace
origin. It stems from the most mysterious and philosophical concept, the soul. The word
psychology is derived from two Greek word ‘psyche’ and ‘logos’. Psyche means soul and logos
means study.

In terms of the study of the mind:- Due to the indefinite nature of Soul. To find out the
definite answer some Greek philosophers define psychology as “study of the mind”. Although
the word mind was less mysterious and vague than soul, it also faced the same questions such
as: what is mind? How can it be studied? Etc., and consequently this definition was also
rejected.

In terms of the study of the consciousness:- Failure to define the terms soul and mind
persuaded the philosophers and psychologists to search for some other suitable definitions.

In terms of the study of the Behaviour:- Finally, modern Psychology has been defined as ‘a
science of behaviour.’ In the early decades of twentieth century, Watson, the father of the
school of ‘Behaviourism’, defined psychology as ‘the study of behaviour’. According to
Morgan et al. (1986), Watson rejected mind as the subject of psychology and insisted that
psychology be restricted to the study of behaviour – the observable (or potentially observable)
activities of people and animals. Watson held that there are no essential differences between
human and animal behaviour and that we can learn much about our own behaviour from the
study of what animals do. Watson emphasised that nothing is innate and everything can be
learned.
Psychologists define Psychology in various ways.
The nature of Psychology is understood from the following definitions:

•Crow and Crow- ‘Psychology is the study of human behaviour and human relationships.’
•Dewey– ‘Psychology is the science of the facts or phenomena of self.’
•Feldman– ‘Psychology is the scientific study of behaviour and mental process.’
•Koffka- Psychology is the scientific study of behaviour of living creatures in their contact
with the outer world.
•McDougal- Psychology is the science which aims to give us better understanding and control
of the behaviour and experience.’
•Skinner- ‘Psychology is the science of behaviour and experience.’
•Woodworth- ‘Psychology undertakes to make a scientific study of the individual considered
as a unit as he really is in his dealings with other individuals and with the word.

Application of psychology

Clinical Psychology
Clinical psychology is focused on the study, assessment, and treatment of illnesses relating to
mental health and disabilities. This field includes both applied and non-applied clinical
psychology. The difference lies in their approaches to problem-solving in a clinical setting.
Applied clinical psychology deals with the application of psychology to real-world situations
in different sectors. Non-applied clinical psychology, on the other hand, is less hands on with
patients and focuses instead on the theory and research behind individual behavior and
thoughts.

In simple terms, non-applied psychology involves research, while applied psychology transfers
to the results from the research into real-life situations.
Applied psychology can also use psychological principles and methods to solve problems in
other fields, such as the health sector.

Clinical psychology is often taught at the doctoral level. A clinical psychology degree can also
include specializations such as Marriage and Family Therapy (MFT).

Educational Psychology
Educational psychology and technology is the study and application of technology in learning
based on psychological principles and learning theories. This field of psychology emphasizes
the role of technology in improving teaching and learning outcomes.

In this field of psychology, professionals study the behavioral, cognitive, emotional, and social
processes that occur during the learning process. Educational psychologists also explore how
individual differences in motivation, intelligence, and environment play a role in the learning
process.

Industrial and Organizational Psychology

Industrial and Organizational Psychology (I/O Psychology) is a field of psychology that is
concerned with the study of human behavior, specifically in the workplace.

I/O Psychology focuses on the implementation of psychological methods in the assessment,

engagement, retention, work processes, and productivity of workers. The goal of I/O
Psychology is to work with organizations and employees to improve satisfaction and overall
productivity.

Careers in I/O Psychology include human resources, consulting, coaching, and management
positions.

Sports psychology
Sport psychology is a specialization within psychology that seeks to understand
psychological/mental factors that effect performance in sports, physical activity and exercise
and apply these to enhance individual and team performance. The sport psychology approach
differs from the coaches and players perspective. Coaches tend to narrow their focus and
energy towards the end-goal. They are concerned with the actions that lead to the win, as
opposed to the sport psychologist who tries to focus the players thoughts on just achieving the
win. Sport psychology trains players mentally to prepare them, whereas coaches tend to focus
mostly on physical training. Sport psychology deals with increasing performance by managing
emotions and minimizing the psychological effects of injury and poor performance. Some of
the most important skills taught are goal setting, relaxation, visualization, self-talk awareness
and control, concentration, using rituals, attribution training, and periodization. The principles
and theories may be applied to any human movement or performance tasks (e.g., playing a
musical instrument, acting in a play, public speaking, motor skills). Usually, experts
recommend that students be trained in both kinesiology (i.e., sport and exercise
sciences, physical education) and counseling.
Social Psychology
This studies the effect of society on the thoughts, feelings and actions of people. Our behaviour
is not only the result of just our personality and predisposition. Social and environmental
factors affect the way we think, say and do. Social psychologists conduct experiments to
determine the effects of various groups, group pressures and influence on behaviour.

They investigate on the effects of propaganda, persuation, conformity, conflict, integration,

race, prejudice and aggression. These investigations explain many incidents that would
otherwise be difficult to understand. Social psychologists work largely in colleges and
universities and also other organizations.

Biopsychology
Biopsychology is a branch of psychology that analyzes how the brain, neurotransmitters, and
other aspects of our biology influence our behaviors, thoughts, and feelings. This field of
psychology is often referred to by a variety of names including biopsychology, physiological
psychology, behavioral neuroscience, and psychobiology.

Biopsychologists often look at how biological processes interact with emotions, cognitions,
and other mental processes. The field of biopsychology is related to several other areas,
including comparative psychology and evolutionary psychology.