Psychology is a broad field with many sub-topics and basics that one can learn and master. Studying psychology may be due to several reasons such as if one has developed an interest in understanding how the mind works and why we think or behave the way we do. It may be that some people are attracted to learning psychology which gives them a push to follow a career in this field. Others may wish to learn about it just to satisfy their curiosity, or in their search of finding a psychologist to deal with a specific mental condition.
In this blog, we will discuss some psychology basics that you need to know. Read below to find out more all about the basis of psychology.
1. What is Psychology?
Psychology is the study of the mind and all that it pertains to. It is a vast field that has much to do with everything that surrounds us. It also involves how we think, behave, and feel.
2. Different types of Psychology
Human psychology is an extensive field with many subdivisions. There are various topics in psychology in which you can specialize:
- Abnormal psychology – this involves studying abnormal behaviors; the diagnoses and causes of numerous mental illnesses.
- Developmental psychology – this involves studying the psychological development of a human – how we grow, adapt, and change with time.
- Behavioral psychology – this involves our behaviors and how they are formed. This branch of psychology has much to do with our beliefs and values as well as the environment and people we grow up in.
- Clinical psychology – this involves identifying, preventing, and treating different mental health issues.
- Experimental psychology – use of different experimental research methods to study more about human behavior and the mind.
- Health psychology – this involves the relationship between a person’s mental health and physical health – in other words, it is the study of the psychological and behavioral impact on a human’s health.
Organizational psychology – this involves dealing with a workplace environment – highlighting the importance of the mental well-being and productivity of employees.
3. Several perspectives are taken into consideration
Just as there are several branches of psychology or areas of specialization, understanding human behavior and psychology may be done through multiple perspectives. Some common psychological perspectives include:
- Biological perspective
- Social perspective
- Behavioral
- perspective
Cognitive perspective
4. It is more than just mental health illnesses
While studying and diagnosing mental health conditions is a major part of psychology, it is not just limited to it. Many psychologists are therapists but there are far too many people who specialize in this field but may work in other sectors such as education, sports, or as a part of organizations, etc.
5. Different career paths in Psychology
Building onto the point above, if you are interested in learning psychology or choosing a field of specialization, then know that there are a lot of options to choose from. For example, you can choose to become a school/academic psychologist who does counseling of students or an athlete psychologist who helps athletes improve their mental focus and someone who motivates them to perform better.
6. Reliance on scientific methods
Apart from understanding how you feel, behave, or think. Psychology also relies on scientific methods to better understand humans and the environment. With that being said, a lot of theories and practices have been approved due to the implementation of different techniques with the help of scientific methods such as experiments, case studies, questionnaires, observations, and empirical methods.