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 psychology

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Physics Model Determines Dynamics of Friends and Enemies

Physics / General Physics

Dec 02, 2009 | 4.5 / 5 (16) | 6

(PhysOrg.com) -- Sometimes friends can become enemies and enemies become friends, and it’s difficult to understand exactly how or why the changes took place. A new study shows that when the shifting of alliances ...

Researchers discover new 'golden ratios' for female facial beauty

Medicine & Health / Psychology & Psychiatry

Dec 16, 2009 | 4.4 / 5 (20) | 11

(PhysOrg.com) -- Beauty is not only in the eye of the beholder but also in the relationship of the eyes and mouth of the beholden. The distance between a woman's eyes and the distance between her eyes and ...

Fit teenage boys are smarter, but muscle strength isn't the secret

Medicine & Health / Health

Dec 07, 2009 | 5 / 5 (5) | 0

In the first study to demonstrate a clear positive association between adolescent fitness and adult cognitive performance, Nancy Pedersen of the University of Southern California and colleagues in Sweden find that better ...

No pain, no gain: Mastering a skill makes us stressed in the moment, happy long term

Medicine & Health / Psychology & Psychiatry

Oct 29, 2009 | 5 / 5 (6) | 1

No pain, no gain applies to happiness, too, according to new research published online this week in the Journal of Happiness Studies. People who work hard at improving a skill or ability, such as mastering a math problem or lea ...

Light at night linked to symptoms of depression in mice

Medicine & Health / Neuroscience

Oct 21, 2009 | 4 / 5 (7) | 2

Too much light at night can lead to symptoms of depression, according to a new study in mice. Researchers found that mice housed in a lighted room 24 hours a day exhibited more depressive symptoms than did similar mice that ...

Where religious belief and disbelief meet in the brain

Medicine & Health / Neuroscience

Oct 01, 2009 | 4.2 / 5 (13) | 3

(PhysOrg.com) -- Researchers have found that the process of believing or disbelieving a statement, whether religious or not, seems to be governed by the same areas in the brain.

Consciousness is the brain's Wi-Fi, resolving competing requests, study suggests

Medicine & Health / Neuroscience

Sep 30, 2009 | 3.8 / 5 (12) | 9

Your fingers start to burn after picking up a hot plate. Should you drop the plate or save your meal? New research suggests that it is your consciousness that resolves these dilemmas by serving as the brain's ...

Nature Makes Us More Caring, Study Says (w/ Video)

Medicine & Health / Psychology & Psychiatry

Sep 30, 2009 | 4.8 / 5 (4) | 0

(PhysOrg.com) -- Want to be a better person? Commune with nature. Paying attention to the natural world not only makes you feel better, it makes you behave better, finds a new study to be published October ...

Our Emotions Can Lead Us Astray When Assessing Risks

Medicine & Health / Psychology & Psychiatry

Sep 23, 2009 | 4.8 / 5 (4) | 3

(PhysOrg.com) -- If you find yourself more concerned about highly publicized dangers that grab your immediate attention such as terrorist attacks, while forgetting about the more mundane threats such as global warming, you're ...

The Handwriting of Liars

Medicine & Health / Psychology & Psychiatry

Sep 21, 2009 | 3.1 / 5 (37) | 17

(PhysOrg.com) -- Forget about unreliable polygraph lie detectors for identifying liars. A new study claims the best way to find out if someone is a liar is to look at their handwriting, rather than analyzing ...

The Role of Sleep in Learning New Words

Medicine & Health / Psychology & Psychiatry

Sep 11, 2009 | 5 / 5 (9) | 1

(PhysOrg.com) -- A new study has demonstrated for the first time the importance of sleep in learning new words, and has shown the process has fast and slow components. The slow component is associated with ...

Study: Men Losing Their Minds Over Women

Medicine & Health / Psychology & Psychiatry

Sep 07, 2009 | 4.8 / 5 (24) | 20

(PhysOrg.com) -- Research reported in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology has shown that men go ga-ga over pretty women. They simply lose their minds (while women keep theirs).

What she sees in you -- facial attractiveness explained

Medicine & Health / Psychology & Psychiatry

Aug 24, 2009 | 3.2 / 5 (19) | 10

(PhysOrg.com) -- When it comes to potential mates, women may be as complicated as men claim they are, according to psychologists.

Lefty or Righty? A new hold on how we think

Medicine & Health / Psychology & Psychiatry

Aug 06, 2009 | 4.3 / 5 (22) | 5

(PhysOrg.com) -- Whether you’re a lefty or righty, chances are you never thought your dominant hand played a role in the decisions you make. But what may seem as an unimportant trait might actually influence ...