Meaning of psychology (what is it, concept and definition)

What is Psychology:

Psychology is a discipline that aims to analyze the mental and behavioral processes of human beings and their interactions with the physical and social environment.

The word "psychology" comes from the Greek psycho or psykhé , which means 'soul', 'psyche' or 'mental activity', and from logía , which means 'study' or 'treatise'. Therefore, psychology means study or treatise of the psyche.

According to the Austrian psychologist H. Rohracher, psychology is the science that studies or investigates processes and conscious states, as well as their origins and effects.

Within psychology at least two approaches are possible and justifiable: that of the natural sciences, which seeks a causal explanation, and that of the philosophical sciences, which seeks an explanation of meaning and meaning.

Much of the research in psychology is carried out through the method of systematic observation. In some cases, observation may be occasional.

Origin and development of psychology

Philosophers of antiquity such as Socrates, Plato and Aristotle were forerunners of psychology, while reflecting on the human soul and its way of relating to the world.

The same was done by later authors such as Saint Thomas Aquinas in the Middle Ages, Descartes in the Renaissance, Christian Wolf and Immanuel Kant, just to name a few.

Naturalistic-oriented psychology had its heyday in the 19th century. It was associated with the sensory physiology of J. Müller and H. Helmholtz, and the invention of the psychophysical measurement methods of EH Weber and G. Th. Fechner.

In 1879 experimental psychology emerged in Germany with Wundt, who founded the first experimental psychology laboratory. It was from there that the separation between philosophy and psychology occurred.

Soon psychology expanded through the investigation of thought, of the will, of conditioned reflexes (Pavlov), of the introduction of factor analysis (Ch. Spearman) and, finally, of the measurement of intelligence (A. Binet).

See also:

• Psyche soul

Main currents of psychology

The psychological currents known today originated from the following main lines:

• Gestalt: based on the psychology of form, created by Christian Von Ehrenfels in 1890. Psychoanalysis: refers to analytical psychology developed by the Austrian physician and neurologist Sigmund Freud (1856-1939). Behaviorism: current focused on the analysis of human behavior based on Pavlov's contributions. Cognitive psychology or cognitivism: current dedicated to the study of cognition or the processes of knowledge acquisition. It was powered by Jerome Bruner and George Miller.

In addition to these currents, there are many branches of psychology. Among them we can mention: humanism, functionalism, systemic psychology, psychobiology, physiological psychology, functionalism, associationism and structuralism.

Within basic psychology, there is evolutionary psychology, learning psychology, art psychology, psychopathology, and personality psychology.

Within applied psychology, there is clinical psychology, child psychology, educational psychology, social psychology, occupational psychology (psychology of work and organizations), health psychology, emergency psychology, psychology community and forensic psychology.

See also:

• GestaltPsychoanalysisBehaviorism

Clinical psychology

Clinical psychology is the field that studies and analyzes the patient's mental and behavioral processes in order to alleviate their pain and improve their human condition so that they are integrated into society.

Social psychology

The objective of studying social psychology is the social behavior of human beings in the collective context. Analyze phenomena such as social gathering or meeting, interdependence and social interaction.

Occupational psychology

Occupational psychology, also called occupational, occupational or organizational psychology, studies the human behavior of workers in organizations and institutions. It also intervenes in labor processes and in the management of human resources.

Child psychology

Child psychology is the area of ​​evolutionary psychology that deals with the investigation and study of psychic manifestations in childhood through adolescence. In addition to recording each of the evolutionary stages, various functions in particular are investigated, such as the evolution of speech, memory, feelings of value, etc.

Color psychology

Color psychology analyzes the effect that colors have on human perception and behavior. It is applied in the design and marketing areas in order to send messages and provoke specific behaviors in people. According to this theory, some of the emotions that colors transmit are:

• Yellow: optimism Orange tree: kindness and sympathy Red: excitement, attention Purple: creativity and mystery Blue: confidence and strength Green: peace, organic Gray: balance and calm

See also:

• Reverse psychology Forensic psychology Personality theories.