Psychology is..

Psychology (Chinese: 心理學, Korean: 심리학)

 

Psychology is a field of empirical science that focuses on the scientific study of human and animal behavior. It explores the psychological, physiological, and social processes behind these behaviors and examines the interactions between them. Psychology is divided into various branches, such as cognitive psychology, developmental psychology, and abnormal psychology, and is applied in many areas including industry, education, humanities, natural sciences, engineering, the arts, and everyday life.

 

Psychology is broadly categorized into 'basic psychology' and 'applied psychology'. Basic psychology deals with fundamental principles and theories, while applied psychology uses these principles and theories to solve practical problems. As of 2020, South Korea has 14 divisions of psychology, and the United States has 56 divisions, not counting the main branches.

 

Historically, psychology was considered a branch of philosophy because the mind was seen as intangible and not suitable for scientific study. However, in the late 19th century, scientific research in psychology began, leading to its separation from philosophy and the establishment of its own academic framework.

 

Today, psychology has moved away from the speculative approaches of past philosophers and now primarily uses rigorous scientific experiments. As a result, psychology often aligns with natural sciences or social sciences. Because it approaches problems empirically using strict research methods, psychology is regarded as the most scientific and rigorous discipline within the social sciences.

 

Psychology contributes to a wide range of fields because it supports research into human behavior and thought processes in all areas where humans are involved, either directly or indirectly. As our society becomes more information-driven, issues related to the quality of human life are gaining more importance. Since these issues involve human characteristics such as sensation, perception, thinking, personality, intelligence, and aptitude, psychology—which seeks to clarify human behavior and underlying principles—is expected to become increasingly important in future societies.

 

 

Definition

Due to the diversity in psychology, it is challenging to provide a clear definition. This leads to differing opinions among psychologists about what psychology is, its goals, and its research methods. However, psychology can generally be defined by considering two key aspects. First, psychology aims to comprehensively explain human behavior. Second, to be considered a science, psychology must follow a general scientific methodology that emphasizes strict definitions, clearly outlined procedures, and consistent results. Keeping these two important factors in mind, psychology can be defined as “the scientific study of mental processes and behavior in humans.”

 

 

Etymology

The word psychology comes from the Greek words psyche, meaning "soul," and logos, meaning "study" or "science." Initially, psychology was described as “the study of the soul,” reflecting the influence of theology on early psychologists. In the 17th century, Thomas Willis (1621–1675), a notable British clinical physician, studied brain functions to treat psychiatric conditions. He coined the term psychology to refer to the field as "the study of the mind’s laws," marking the first use of the term.