Psychology is the study of the human mind and its behavior. It is a very broad field that covers a wide range of topics, including the study of thoughts, behaviors, and emotions. If you are interested in this fascinating field, continue reading to find out about the 15 branches of psychology.
What are the 15 Branches of Psychology?
The 15 branches of Psychology are the following:
- Behavioral psychology
- Clinical Psychology
- Cognitive Psychology
- Counseling Psychology
- Cross-Culture Psychology
- Developmental Psychology
- Educational Psychology
- Evolutionary Psychology
- Experimental Psychology
- Forensic Psychology
- Health Psychology
- Industrial Psychology
- Neuropsychology
- Occupational Psychology
- Social Psychology
What is Psychology?
Psychology is the study of human behavior and mental processes. It is the scientific study of how people think, learn, and feel. It is a social science that uses scientific methods to study mental functions, such as memory, attention, perception, emotion, thought, language, and consciousness.
Psychologists use various methods to help people with a wide range of issues, including addiction, mental health, and relationships. There are many different fields of psychology, and each one has its own unique characteristics.
The goal of all of these fields is to help people in their everyday lives. The 15 branches of psychology are further discussed below
Behavioral Psychology
Behavioral Psychology or Behaviorism is the study of how environmental factors, such as social and physical settings, shape human behavior.
Behaviorism is a scientific approach to understanding behavior. Behaviorism was initially developed in the late 1800s by Ivan Pavlov, who studied the physiological effects of food and how it changed behavior.
Behaviorism was later expanded upon by John B. Watson who studied the effects of reinforcement on behavior. Behaviorism is a popular approach to understanding human behavior because it is a scientific approach and it can be applied to different fields such as medicine, psychology, and business.
Clinical Psychology
Clinical Psychology is the application of psychological principles and methods to clinical settings. They are applied to individuals, groups, families, and organizations.
Clinical psychologists work with people to help them deal with a variety of problems, including depression, anxiety, substance abuse, and personality disorders. Clinical psychologists are also trained to provide psychotherapy and other forms of counseling.
Cognitive Psychology
Cognitive psychology is the study of mental processes, such as memory, attention, language, perception, thinking, and reasoning. It is a field of study within psychology and neuroscience that examines how these processes work in the mind.
Cognitive psychologists use the tools of cognitive science to understand cognition and how it relates to behavior and other psychological concepts such as emotion, motivation, personality, and intelligence.
Counseling Psychology
Counseling Psychology is a broad field that focuses on the development and support of mental health, including counseling, clinical, educational, school, and organizational psychology.
Counseling Psychology is a relatively new field that was developed as an offshoot of psychotherapy. It is not a medical field and does not require a license to practice. Counseling psychologists are involved in the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and management of mental health problems.
Cross-Culture Psychology
Cross-Culture Psychology is the study of human behavior in different cultures. This can include how culture affects how we think, feel, and behave.
Cross-Culture Psychology can also be defined as the study of how cultures compare to one another. It is a field that focuses on the psychological consequences of living in a diverse society.
There are four main areas of study: individual and group differences, individual and group similarities, the effects of culture on learning, and the effects of culture on psychological disorders.
Developmental Psychology
Developmental psychology is the study of how individuals change and develop throughout their life. It is a discipline that looks at how people grow and develop into adults with regard to their mental and behavioral processes.
The development of children is the most studied area in developmental psychology. Developmental psychologists study the growth and development of children from infancy to adulthood. They study how children learn, how they develop mentally, and how they go about solving problems.
Educational Psychology
Educational psychology is the study of how students learn and the factors that influence their learning. It is a social science that applies psychological principles to education, with an emphasis on learning in school.
Educational psychologists study the cognitive, affective, and social development of students as they learn in schools. They examine how students’ needs and interests influence their learning, as well as how schools and teachers can facilitate students’ learning.
Evolutionary Psychology
Evolutionary psychology is the study of how human behavior has evolved through natural selection. It is a field that is based on the theory of evolution and is typically focused on understanding the current and past patterns of human psychological development.
Some examples of evolutionary psychology include looking at how men and women have different mating strategies. It differs from other fields of psychology in that it focuses on the study of human nature and behavior in relation to the evolution of humans.
Experimental Psychology
Experimental psychology is a branch of psychology that uses experimental methods to investigate the nature of human behavior. The term experimental psychology was coined by Wilhelm Wundt in 1879.
This branch of psychology uses the scientific method to investigate topics such as perception, memory, language, emotion, thought, and consciousness. Experimental psychologists employ a variety of methods including laboratory experiments, surveys, field experiments, and computational modeling.
Forensic Psychology
Forensic psychology is the application of psychological principles to legal and judicial settings. It is a diverse discipline that encompasses the study of crime and justice, including court-adjudicated legal matters.
It is an interdisciplinary field that draws from psychology, law, sociology, criminology, and others. Forensic psychologists may specialize in the analysis of criminal behavior, the legal impact of mental illness, or the impact of trauma on human behavior.
The field has seen a dramatic increase in popularity over the past decade due to the increasing number of high-profile cases and their subsequent media coverage.
Health Psychology
Health psychology is the study of the psychological, biological, and social factors that influence health and illness. Health psychologists are typically involved in the prevention of illness, the promotion of health, and the treatment of illness.
Health psychologists also work with other professionals to help improve the quality of life for individuals. It’s a field that studies how our thoughts, emotions, and behaviors can affect our health and well-being.
Industrial Psychology
Industrial psychology is the scientific study of the psychological and sociological aspects of work. This field of study has a long history in both psychology and sociology, but it has only recently been made an independent discipline.
Industrial psychologists are typically employed in businesses, government agencies, or educational institutions to help companies become more productive and efficient. They conduct research, analyze data, design and evaluate training programs, and provide consultation services.
Industrial psychologists also conduct studies on how employees interact with each other, their managers, and supervisors. They may also investigate how work impacts employees’ mental health and well-being.
Neuropsychology
Neuropsychology is the study of the brain and nervous system. The term was coined in the early 20th century, and it is a recent field of study. It is a complex science that requires a lot of background knowledge and training in order to understand.
Neuropsychology has many different topics and some of these include cognitive function, neuropsychological assessment, neuropsychiatric disorders, neuroimaging, neuropharmacology, neuropsychiatry, neuropathology, neuroanatomy, neurophysiology, neurogenetics, and neurochemistry.
Neuropsychologists work with individuals who have mental illnesses, such as schizophrenia, depression, and addiction. Neuropsychologists also examine how the brain processes information and how it affects our thoughts and emotions.
Occupational Psychology
Occupational psychology is the study of the psychological aspects of work, including the individual and group aspects of work. It is a combination of organizational and industrial psychology.
This field of study is concerned with how people’s work and work environments affect their well-being, health, and safety. Occupational psychologists can be found in a variety of occupations, including, but not limited to:
- Psychologists
- Human Resources
- Social Workers
- Psychometrists
- Health Care Workers
- Occupational Therapists
Social Psychology
Social psychology is the scientific study of how humans think about, influence, and relate to one another. Social psychologists study behavior in social situations and how people’s actions impact the well-being of others.
They also study the consequences of stereotypes, prejudice, and discrimination. Social psychologists have helped develop public policies in areas such as health care, education, and the criminal justice system.
Conclusion
Psychology is the study of human behavior and mental processes. This includes how people make decisions, how they react to different situations, and how they respond to their own feelings. Psychology is a very broad field, with a lot of different types of people studying different parts of it.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): What are the 15 Branches of Psychology?
What is the oldest school of thought in psychology?
The oldest school of thought in psychology is psychoanalysis, which was developed by Sigmund Freud. Freud believed that humans have an unconscious mind that operates outside of our awareness and is responsible for our behavior. This idea has been influential in the development of branches of psychology, such as behaviorism and cognitive psychology.
Who is the father of psychology?
Wilhelm Wundt was a German psychologist who is often called the father of psychology. He studied the human mind and how it functions. He was the first to use psychological experiments in his research.
What are the 4 goals of psychology?
The four goals of psychology are to describe, explain, predict, and change behavior. The four goals of psychology can be achieved by studying the individual’s behavior and how it is determined.
Reference
Koch, S. E. (1959). Psychology: a study of a science.
James, W. (1892). Psychology. H. Holt.
The Major Branches of Psychology. Retrieved from https://www.verywellmind.com/major-branches-of-psychology-4139786
What Are The 15 Branches Of Psychology? | OptimistMinds. Retrieved from https://optimistminds.com/what-are-the-15-branches-of-psychology/
