Psychology

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Psychology (Greek: Ψυχολογία, lit. "study of the mind", from ψυχή psukhē "breath, spirit, soul"; and -λογία, -logia "study of") is an academic and applied discipline involving the systematic, and often scientific, study of human/animal mental functions and behavior. Occasionally, in addition or opposition to employing the scientific method, it also relies on symbolic interpretation and critical analysis, although it often does so less prominently than other social sciences such as sociology. Psychologists study such phenomena as perception, cognition, attention, emotion, motivation, personality, behavior and interpersonal relationships. Some, especially depth psychologists, also study the unconscious mind.

Psychological knowledge is applied to various spheres of human activity, including issues related to everyday life—such as family, education and employment—and to the treatment of mental health problems. Psychologists attempt to understand the role of mental functions in individual and social behavior, while also exploring the underlying physiological and neurological processes. Psychology includes many sub-fields of study and applications concerned with such areas as human development, sports, health, industry, media and law. Psychology incorporates research from the natural sciences, social sciences and humanities. A professional theorist or practitioner of psychology is called a psychologist.

For more information about Psychology, read the full article at Wikipedia.
This text uses material from Wikipedia and is available under the GNU Free Documentation License.

News tagged with psychological science

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Mad genius: Study suggests link between psychosis and creativity

Medicine & Health / Genetics

Sep 28, 2009 | 4.5 / 5 (26) | 10

Vincent van Gogh cut off his ear. Sylvia Plath stuck her head in the oven. History teems with examples of great artists acting in very peculiar ways. Were these artists simply mad or brilliant? According to new research reported ...

Out of darkness, sight: How the brain learns to see

Medicine & Health / Neuroscience

Sep 17, 2009 | 4.9 / 5 (17) | 0

(PhysOrg.com) -- Cases of restored vision after a lifetime of blindness, though exceedingly rare, provide a unique opportunity to address several fundamental questions regarding brain function. After being ...

The Link Between Weight and Importance

Medicine & Health / Psychology & Psychiatry

Aug 27, 2009 | 2.3 / 5 (3) | 2

(PhysOrg.com) -- A new study has demonstrated what we must have known all along at some level: that there is a link between the physical act of carrying heavy objects and the abstract concept of importance.

Invisible ink? What Rorschach tests really tell us

Medicine & Health / Psychology & Psychiatry

Jul 30, 2009 | 3.7 / 5 (3) | 7

One of the most well-known psychological tools is the Rorschach Inkblot Test. A viewer looks at ten inkblots, one at a time, and describes what they see. The rationale behind this test is the idea that certain aspects of ...

Why Saints Sin and Sinners Get Saintly

Medicine & Health / Psychology & Psychiatry

Jun 26, 2009 | 4.3 / 5 (11) | 6

(PhysOrg.com) -- To many, New York Gov. Eliott Spitzer's fall from grace seemed to make no sense at all. But a new Northwestern University study offers provocative insights that possibly could relate to why the storm trooper ...

Children as young as 19 months understand different dialects

Medicine & Health / Psychology & Psychiatry

May 06, 2009 | 5 / 5 (2) | 0

We are surrounded by a multitude of different accents every day. Even when a speaker of another English dialect pronounces words differently than we do, we are typically able to recognize their words. Psychologist Catherine ...

For your health, pick a mate who is conscientious and, perhaps, also neurotic

Medicine & Health / Psychology & Psychiatry

Apr 28, 2009 | 5 / 5 (5) | 2

Conscientiousness is a good thing in a mate, researchers report, not just because it's easier to live with someone who washes the dishes without being asked, but also because having a conscientious partner ...

What I was doing vs. what I did: How verb aspect influences memory and behavior

Medicine & Health / Psychology & Psychiatry

Mar 10, 2009 | 4.6 / 5 (5) | 0

If you want to perform at your peak, you should carefully consider how you discuss your past actions. In a new study in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science, psychologists William Hart o ...

Decoding short-term memory with fMRI

Medicine & Health / Psychology & Psychiatry

Feb 21, 2009 | 4.2 / 5 (5) | 0

People voluntarily pick what information they store in short-term memory. Now, using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), researchers can see just what information people are holding in memory based ...

Why C is not G: How we identify letters

Medicine & Health / Psychology & Psychiatry

Nov 25, 2008 | 3.4 / 5 (27) | 5

The next time you are reading a book, or even as you read this article, consider the words that you are seeing. How do you recognize these words? Substantial research has shown that while reading, we recognize words by their ...

Dyslexia defined: New study 'uncouples' reading and IQ over time

Medicine & Health / Psychology & Psychiatry

Dec 17, 2009 | 4.4 / 5 (5) | 1

Contrary to popular belief, some very smart, accomplished people cannot read well. This unexpected difficulty in reading in relation to intelligence, education and professional status is called dyslexia, and ...

Learning styles debunked

Medicine & Health / Psychology & Psychiatry

Dec 16, 2009 | 4.3 / 5 (15) | 3

Are you a verbal learner or a visual learner? Chances are, you've pegged yourself or your children as either one or the other and rely on study techniques that suit your individual learning needs. And you're not alone— for ...

Michelangelos make smart lovers: New study shows that partners sculpt each other to achieve their ideal selves

Medicine & Health / Psychology & Psychiatry

Dec 16, 2009 | 4 / 5 (10) | 0

Is that really Bob? You've seen him hundreds of mornings for the last 10 years at local coffee shops. Since he started dating Sara, he looks you in the eye -- and smiles. Sara takes every opportunity to let coffee shop cronies ...