Noun

Singular psychology

Plural countable and uncountable; plural psychologies

psychology (countable and uncountable; plural psychologies)

1. (uncountable) The study of the human mind.
2. (uncountable) The study of human behavior.
3. (uncountable) The study of animal behavior.
4. (countable) The mental characteristics of a particular individual.

   1970: Mary M. Luke, A Crown for Elizabeth, page 8:

   • "For generations, historians have conjectured everything from a warped psychology to a deformed body as accounting for Elizabeth's preferred spinsterhood..."

   1969: Victor Alba, The Latin Americans, page 42:

   • "In the United States, the psychology of a laborer, a farmer, a businessman does not differ in any important respect."

Related terms

• psychologist
• psychiatry
• psychiatrist
• parapsychology
• psychotherapy
• psyche
• psyched up

Psychology (lit. "study of the soul" or "study of the mind") is an academic and applied discipline which involves the scientific study of human or animal mental functions and behaviors. In addition or opposition to employing scientific methods, psychologists often rely upon symbolic interpretation and critical analysis, albeit less frequently than other social sciences such as sociology.

A professional theorist or practitioner of psychology is called a psychologist. Psychologists study such phenomena as perception, cognition, attention, emotion, motivation, personality, behavior and interpersonal relationships. Some, especially depth psychologists, also consider the unconscious mind. Psychologists attempt to understand the role of mental functions in individual and social behavior, while also exploring the underlying physiological and neurological processes.

Psychological knowledge is applied to various spheres of human activity including the family, education, employment, and the treatment of mental health problems. Psychology includes many sub-fields that span areas as diverse as human development, sports, health, industry, media and law. Psychology incorporates research from the social sciences, natural sciences, and humanities.

The word psychology is from Greek: ψυχή psukhē "breath, spirit, soul"; and -λογία, -logia "study of".

Psychology is an academic and applied discipline involving the scientific study of mental processes and behavior. Psychologists study such phenomena as perception, cognition, emotion, personality, behavior, and interpersonal relationships. Psychology also refers to the application of such knowledge to various spheres of human activity, including problems of individuals' daily lives and the treatment of mental health problems.

Sourced

Psychotherapy

• Despite the burgeoning technologies in the field of "helping", on many levels psychotherapy is still a crapshoot. Some of the goal of training, I think, is to help students accept that fact. The work is part science, part art, and part luck. Learning to tolerate the anxiety inherent in that recipe is critical for any clinician.
  • Martha Manning Undercurrents (1st edition ed.). HarperCollins. 1995. pp. p. 9. ISBN 0-06-251183-1.