Psychology has advanced by leaps and bounds in its approximately 100-year history and is now an established science. There remains some confusion over what the field is all about. Psychology signifies the scientific study of the human mind and mental states, and of human and animal behavior. It seeks to observe, predict, and control behaviors while finding the causes through the observation and reasoning process.
The sole purpose of psychology is to know and understand why people behave the way they do. The domain of psychology has, over time, emerged as one of endeavors, such as employment, industry, education, and personality development, and, as one of its popular branches, the treatment of mental and emotional problems. A few of its branches may be briefly outlined here.
Organizational Psychology
This branch of psychology is also known as Industrial or occupational Psychology. It is meant to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of business organizations while solving organizational problems. It seeks to identify leadership styles, organizational conflicts, and psychological characteristics of the workplace so that there may be considerable improvement in the functioning of a business. Not only is it concerned with business development, but also with the effectiveness and efficiency in terms of employees’ performance. The psychologists or consultants in this branch are in great demand, as they contribute significantly to the organization’s overall system and development.
Social Psychology
While addressing social behavior, it is meant to help people solve their social problems. It focuses on how society and its culture influence the development of one’s personality. This field of psychology is interested in identifying the social situations and people’s attitudes towards them, so as to help people alter and improve their attitudes, reduce tensions, and become better human beings.
Clinical Psychology
This area of psychology is much more popular than other branches. It deals with people’s mental, emotional, and abnormal behavior. It seeks to help people come out of their mental disorders. Its practice involves psychological assessment and psychotherapy, while various training programs and personality and intelligence tests are conducted within this branch of Psychology to treat mental problems. Mostly, psychologists in this field work with psychiatrists.
Counseling Psychology
Counseling psychologists are concerned with the problems of everyday life, including academic, social, emotional, occupational, and organizational issues. They acquire a reasonable knowledge of their field and help their clients overcome situations that cause everyday stress. They are employed in colleges, universities, and hospitals. Though the distinction between a clinical psychologist and a counseling psychologist may be difficult, the area of counseling psychology primarily involves similar methods to those of clinical psychology.
Educational Psychology
It deals with educational processes and practices and focuses on how individuals learn in educational settings. It is concerned with teaching methodologies and processes. It is helpful to students in achieving merits while providing the required services and guidance to physically handicapped students. Psychologists in this branch are appointed to schools and colleges.
Conclusion
Whatever the area of psychology, the ultimate objective is to understand human nature, help individuals with various problems, and become better human beings. Psychology seeks to understand, predict, and control behavior that may ultimately enable one to live peacefully by helping one overcome life’s problems.
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