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Psychology is a social science with a history of a little over one hundred years. Over its history, psychology has developed and evolved into many different branches, but many mysteries about the human experience, including the way people behave, think, and things people feel are yet to be uncovered. Owing to this, the field of psychology is a vast and varied science; while the full extent is impossible to describe in a few paragraphs, listed below are the four major fields under which psychology can be categorized.
Clinical Psychology
According to Kendra Cherry, an author and educational consultant focused on helping students learn about psychology, clinical psychology covers mental disorders, adult therapy, neuropsychological rehabilitation, family and individual psychology, etc. It is the broadest category of psychology which includes evaluations, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of people with mental impairment. Issues like clinical depression, bipolar disorder, or other behavior disorders fall into this field.
Cognitive Psychology
The field of cognitive psychology deals with the explanation and study of how the human brain works, the decisions humans make, and interpersonal communication. Theories and principles of cognitive psychology are also used in clinical psychology to treat patients. Scientists use cognitive psychology to better understand the human brain and how it functions, while also finding new prognoses for different behavioral issues (Cherry).
Behavioral psychology
Behavioral psychology studies human responses based on their environment. Common examples include training a dog by rewarding them with treats and potty training a child by rewarding them with an M&M. As a social science, this field also includes education. Teaching students based on the type of learning style a student works best in is too a form of behavioral psychology (Cherry). Although humans are shown to behave in certain ways depending on the environment, there is more to the human psyche than conditioned responses and predictable behaviors. In this way, behavioral psychology can be used as a form of manipulation and is dangerous if practiced incorrectly.
Biopsychology
Biopsychology delves into the biology of human behavior, including cognitive processes such as sex drive, comprehension of the nervous system, sensory processes, motivation, learning, memory, and more (Cherry).
As the aforementioned, a few paragraphs only provide a cursory overview of the human brain. While much can be learned about God’s wisdom from psychology, as well as human conduct, its limitations should also be recognized. As it was said in Galatians, “Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another…if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ” (ESV, Gal 5:26-6:1). There is much to the field of psychology to be explored and discovered.
References
Arbués, Enrique Ramón et al. “The Prevalence of Depression, Anxiety, and Stress and Their
Associated Factors in College Students”. National Library of Medicine. 17 Oct. 2022.
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7579351/ Accessed 3 Sept. 2022.
Brazier, Yvette. “What is psychology and what does it involve?” Medical News Today. 1 Feb.
2018. www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/154874. Accessed 3 Sept. 2022
Cherry, Kendra. “Major Branches of Psychology 18 Types of Psychology You Can Study”. Very
Well Mind. 18 Aug. 2022.
www.verywellmind.com/major-branches-of-psychology-4139786 Accessed 15 Sept. 2022.
English Standard Version. 2001. Galatians 5:26, 6:1. Accessed 3 Sept. 2022.
Tuarez, Jaimar. “What are the 4 major areas of psychology?”. NeuroTray. 22 Oct. 2022.
neurotray.com/what-are-the-4-major-areas-of-psychology/. Accessed 3 Sept. 2022
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