Why Study Psychology?

1
Why Study Psychology?

• Psychology is the scientific study of human
  behavior and mental processes.

2
Distinguishing Between TermsBeginning with the
Letters,
P
S
Y
C
H

• Psychology the scientific study of behavior and
  mental processes. Scientific means...
• beliefs are based on empirical
  evidencecareful, systematic observations.
• Psychiatry the branch of medicine concerned
  with the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of
  mental disorders. Most similar to clinical
  psychology.
• Psychotherapy the treatment of psychological
  disorders using psychological rather than
  biological methods.
• Psychoanalysis a field introduced by Sigmund
  Freud consisting of a theory of personality and a
  method of psychotherapy emphasizes the
  unconscious mind.

3
Some Specialty Areas Within Psychology

• Clinical Psychology concerned with the diagnosis
  and treatment of relatively severe mental and
  behavioral disorders.
• Counseling Psychology deals with problems of
  adjustment in everyday life (marital, social,
  occupational).
• Developmental Psychology focuses on how people
  change and grow over the lifespaninfancy,
  childhood (child psychology), adolescence,
  adulthood, and old age.
• Social Psychology studies how an individuals
  thoughts, feelings, and behavior are affected by
  other people.