psychology is the study of “individual” behavior and mind

Branches/Approaches of Psychology

Approaches to Psychology	Description
structuralism	determining the structure of immediate conscious experience through the use of systematic introspection in which one attempts to describe the fundamental elements associated with simple thoughts and sensations
functionalism	determining the functions of conscious experience through the use of introspection, naturalistic observation, and the measurement of individual differences
behaviorism	rejects the study of immediate conscious experience and mental events, unless they are defined in terms of observable behavior. It dominated research until “cognitive revolution” in 1950s
psychoanalytic	analyzing personality and treating psychological disorders by focusing on unconscious determinants of behavior. Also contends that childhood experiences play an important roles in shaping adult behavior
humanistic/humanism	each person’s unique self, and capacity for growth. A reaction against Freud’s psychoanalytical approach, it emphasized that humans are basically good and have unique capacity for self-awareness, choice, responsibility, and growth
eclectic approach	the idea that it’s useful to select information from several sources rather than to rely entirely on a single perspective or school of thought

Branches of Psychology	Description
behavioral psychology
cognitive psychology	the study of mental processes such as “attention, language use, memory, perception, problem solving, creativity, and thinking”
developmental psychology	moral development cognitive development social development language development emotional development other developments
personality psychology
social psychology
biological psychology
psychosocial psychology

Factors Behind Behavior

evolutionary - the idea that we’re born with mental processes that guide our thinking and behavior. And that these innate mechanisms were acquired through natural selection
biological - the idea that chemistry in our brain and bodies determines our behavior
cognitive - the idea that behavior is determined by how we think
cultural - the idea that shared values, customs, and beliefs of a group or community affect our behavior

Types of Psychologist

clinical psychologist - diagnosis and treatment of psychological problems
applied psychologist - extending psychological principles to practical problems in the world
research psychologist - conduct research to discover the basic principles of behavior and mind

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