Psychology is the study of human mind and behavior. It seeks to study and explain how people think, act, and feel.
The emergence of this field of study tracks back to Philosophy and Biology. Because of the fact that it evolved out of two contradicting practices (Philosophy dwells on the subjective, while biology is hinged on scientific), many people are often confused with psychology because of the broadness or variety of its subject matter and methodologies.
To clearly understand psychology, one would need to study its different branches. Below are some of them and their defining characteristics.
5 Branches of Psychology
Experimental. This branch of Psychology is considered as the most scientific of all branches. Experimental Psychology involves the use of scientific experimental design in analyzing behavior. Specifically, it aims to draw causality between thinking and resulting action.
Biological. As its name connotes, this field of psychological study is strongly tied with the biological structure of human brain. It aims to explain and associate human behavior with specific brain parts and functions. They would like to answer which brain fluid or brain particle is responsible for impulsive behavior, or if absence of hypothalamus could result in changed pattern of thinking.
Developmental. Unlike Biological Psychology which maintains that human behavior is dictated by brain structure, Developmental Psychology views a person’s action as a result of the systematic psychological changes throughout his whole life. This field of study pushes that human beings are capable of change, and that their development is tied with responses that they obtain and employ.
Social. This fourth branch of psychology employs similar methodologies with that of developmental Psychology. However, unlike developmental psychology which relies and studies the individual, social psychology is focused on analyzing both the individual and collective thoughts. This field of psychology maintains that human beings are inherently social individual, and their actions and way of thinking are the results of their surroundings rather than their biological structure.
Cultural. Mostly considered as a sub-branch of Social Psychology, cultural psychology is the scientific study of a person’s cognitive patterns with regard to their culture. According to the researched on this area of psychology, there are certain human behaviors which are universal - smiling and crying are considered universal, hence biological behaviors - while there are also those which are acquired from their place’s culture. For instance, the simple gesture of shaking hands is not a universal custom for showing courtesy (In Japan, people bow their hands when meeting new person).
Cultural psychology is aimed at understanding how much culture affects human’s way of thinking. In Bulimba psychology facilities dedicated for this field of study are noticeably increasing.
The emergence of this field of study tracks back to Philosophy and Biology. Because of the fact that it evolved out of two contradicting practices (Philosophy dwells on the subjective, while biology is hinged on scientific), many people are often confused with psychology because of the broadness or variety of its subject matter and methodologies.
To clearly understand psychology, one would need to study its different branches. Below are some of them and their defining characteristics.
5 Branches of Psychology
Experimental. This branch of Psychology is considered as the most scientific of all branches. Experimental Psychology involves the use of scientific experimental design in analyzing behavior. Specifically, it aims to draw causality between thinking and resulting action.
Biological. As its name connotes, this field of psychological study is strongly tied with the biological structure of human brain. It aims to explain and associate human behavior with specific brain parts and functions. They would like to answer which brain fluid or brain particle is responsible for impulsive behavior, or if absence of hypothalamus could result in changed pattern of thinking.
Developmental. Unlike Biological Psychology which maintains that human behavior is dictated by brain structure, Developmental Psychology views a person’s action as a result of the systematic psychological changes throughout his whole life. This field of study pushes that human beings are capable of change, and that their development is tied with responses that they obtain and employ.
Social. This fourth branch of psychology employs similar methodologies with that of developmental Psychology. However, unlike developmental psychology which relies and studies the individual, social psychology is focused on analyzing both the individual and collective thoughts. This field of psychology maintains that human beings are inherently social individual, and their actions and way of thinking are the results of their surroundings rather than their biological structure.
Cultural. Mostly considered as a sub-branch of Social Psychology, cultural psychology is the scientific study of a person’s cognitive patterns with regard to their culture. According to the researched on this area of psychology, there are certain human behaviors which are universal - smiling and crying are considered universal, hence biological behaviors - while there are also those which are acquired from their place’s culture. For instance, the simple gesture of shaking hands is not a universal custom for showing courtesy (In Japan, people bow their hands when meeting new person).
Cultural psychology is aimed at understanding how much culture affects human’s way of thinking. In Bulimba psychology facilities dedicated for this field of study are noticeably increasing.
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