According to Coon (2000), the word
“Psychology” comes from two Greek words: psyche (which means mind) and logos
(means knowledge or study). The etymology of the word “Psychology” clearly
defines Psychology as the study of mind, though as we shall see later in the
history of Psychology, behavior was formally included in its definition. The
American Psychological Association or APA, the world’s largest association of
psychologists, defines Psychology as the study of mind and behavior. With this
definition, it gives a general idea on what the field focuses on. According to
Feldman (2010), Psychology is the scientific study of behavior and mental
processes. As we can see, he included the word “scientific” which connotes a careful,
step by step procedure in dealing with the study of behavior. Also, the
inclusion of the word “mental processes” had made Psychology become a broad
concept. Cherry (n.d.) has a broader
definition of Psychology as she defines it as an applied and academic field
that studies human mind behavior. With this definition, Psychology can become
an applied science as well as an academic one. To compress all these definitions,
Henriques (2011) define Psychology according to the unified theory. It states
that Psychology is the science of mental behavior and the human mind, and the
professional application of such knowledge towards a greater good.
Psychology has a long past but a
short history. This could be pointed out with establishment of modern
Psychology as a science began in 1979 in Leipzig, Germany by Wilhelm Wundt
through his set-up of the first psychological laboratory which aims in studying
psychological phenomena (Coon, 2000; Feldman, 2010). This epitomized the
attempt of the field in becoming a natural science and separating itself from
its philosophical origin. From this start, many ideas regarding Psychology has
started to arise in different places with the aim of challenging each other’s
ideas. These are also known as the school of thoughts, which is known as the
dominating knowledge of psychology during a certain period. From that period,
the school of thought flourishes through various researches until another one
arises to challenge the dominating one. From Wundt’s perspective came Structuralism which focuses in
discovering the essential components of consciousness, thinking and other
mental states and activities (Feldman, 2010). Then, William James’ Functionalism is formed which aims on
how the mind functions in order to adapt on its environment (Coon, 2000).
Afterwards, Sigmund Freud’s Psychoanalysis
came in which it deals with the unconscious aspect of the human mind. As a form
of critic to the other previous school of thoughts, a new one arises in the
form of behaviorism. John B. Watson’s Behaviorism
deals solely on observable behavioral acts under an objective purpose (Schultz
& Schultz, 2008). Another school of thought, which is Humanism, solely focuses on understanding subjective human
experiences such as experience, problems, potentials and ideals (Coon, 2000).
Last but not the least on the school of thoughts, namely Cognitivism, which deals on the process of knowing how information
processing occurs to human to produce behavior (Schultz & Schultz, 2008;
Coon, 2000 ). Although these schools of thoughts criticize the ideas of each
other, they still provide the necessary foundation for Psychology to flourish
through time.
Like any other sciences, Psychology
has also subfields that deal with certain areas that need psychological
intervention for the solution of various problems. Some of them are mostly
focused in research while the others are through the application of the field
on a certain setting. First is the area of Abnormal
Psychology, which is the study
of abnormal behavior and psychopathology (Cherry, n.d.). Similarly, Clinical Psychology is the assessment,
diagnosis and treatment of psychological problem (Cherry, n.d., Coon, 2000). These
two fields primarily deal with various psychological disorders. According to
Feldman (2010), Industrial-Organizational
Psychology deals with work and job-related issues such as work motivation,
satisfaction, safety and productivity. Next is Biopsychology or Biological
Psychology, which focuses on how biological processes create influences in
the human mind and behavior (Cherry, n.d.). In addition to the field is Social Psychology which is the
scientific study of people’s thoughts, feelings, and action and how it affects
others (Schultz & Schultz, 2008). Likewise, Educational or School Psychology is the study of learning and
teaching in light of human’s age group and learning capability (Coon, 2000).
Subsequently, Developmental Psychology
studies human growth pattern and development across its lifespan in terms of
cognitive abilities, morality, social functioning and identity (Cherry, n.d.;
Schultz & Schultz, 2008). Another area is Forensic Psychology which deals with the application of
psychological research and principles in the legal and criminal justice system
(Cherry, n.d.). On the other hand, Cognitive
Psychology focuses on the study of higher mental processes such as
thinking, language, memory, problem solving, knowing, reasoning, judging and
decision making (Feldman, 2010). Last, but not the least in the field, is Comparative Psychology which is the
study and comparison of behavior in different species, especially between
animals and humans (Cherry, n.d.; Coon, 2000). With all definitions, it is
evident that the primary concern of Psychology is the welfare and development
of the mind and behavior of people across the different settings.
The definition of psychology has a strong relevance to various people, specifically to the society, the practioners of the field and to the students who are taking up this course as their major. Its relevance to the society is that it gives a better view and it also clears up ambiguous definitions that came from those who are unaware of it. Furthermore, it gives importance to the field since the society now has clearer view on it and on how it could be applied in solving problems. The relevance of the definition of Psychology to its practitioners is that it gives a more objective rather than subjective view of the field. Since psychologist aims the field to become a natural science, it is a great importance that its definition should be concrete and attainable. An implication of the definition for the students and future practitioners of Psychology, whether they are undergraduates or graduates, is that it gives a concrete foresight on what they would become and what they are studying about. This is important since this is where their training would start as future psychologists and for them to choose what field they would pursue if they decide to further enhance their knowledge about the field. In general, having a formal and concrete definition of psychology gives the field a sense of identity where everyone can agree upon and use it as an objective for future endeavors.
References:
Coon,
D. (2000). Essentials of Psychology: Exploration and Application (8th ed.).
Belmont, CA: Wadswoth.
Cherry,
K. (n.d.). What is Psychology? Retrieved from
http://Psychology.about.com/od/Psychology101/f/psychfaq.htm
Feldman, S. (2010),
Psychology and your life. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.
Haaga,
D. (2004). Defining Psychology: What can it do for us?. Journal of Clinical
Psychology, 60 (12), 1227-1229.
Henriquez,
G. (2011). Psychology Defined. Retrieved from
http://www.Psychologytoday.com/blog/theory-knowledge/201112/Psychology-defined
How
does APA define “Psychology” (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://www.apa.org/support/about/apa/Psychology.aspx#answer
Lilienfeld,
S. (2004). Defining Psychology: Is it Worth the Trouble?. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 60 (12), 1249-1253.
Schultz,
D. & Schultz, S.E. (2008). A History of Psychology (9th ed.). Belmont, CA;
Thomson Wadsworth.
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