Branches of Psychology

• General Psychology:

  • Explains the underlying principles of human behavior
  • Includes the principles of the structural and functional mechanisms of the human body
• Comparative Psychology:

  • Treats on the behavior and mental processes of different species
  • Activities of both man and animal are compared and differentiated, particularly in relation to genetic and evolutionary theories
• Development or Genetic Psychology:

  • Concerns itself with the study of human behavior in all aspects of growth and development
• Child Psychology:

  • Scientific study of human behavior from post-natal beginnings up to early adolescence
  • Deals with stages of growth and maturation, effects of environmental influences, and psychological and social interactions between the child and society
• Adolescent Psychology:

  • Study of the behavior of individuals from puberty to later life, approximately from 12 to 20 years old
  • Involves physical and mental maturation, as well as emotional and social maturity
• Senescent Psychology:

  • Scientific study of human behavior in old age
• Consumer Psychology:

  • Investigation of varied facets of marketing and buying behavior
  • Studies effects of advertising, mass media, and problems arising from the relationship between buyer and seller
• Abnormal Psychology:

  • Scientific study of human behavior and the cause of personality defects or abnormal behavior
• Dynamic Psychology:

  • Scientific interpretation of mental phenomena emphasizing internal drives and motives as the cause of behavior
• Psychiatry:

  • Psychology applied in medicine
  • Concerned with the treatment of mental diseases
• Business Psychology:

  • Study of the principles of psychology as applied to business
  • Deals particularly with the behavior of consumers
• Social Psychology:

  • Study of the behavior of groups of individuals in their relationship to other groups
• Cognitive Psychology:

  • Concerned with the mental processes involved in acquiring and using knowledge
  • One important application has been efforts to program computers to simulate how the mind stores, retrieves, and sees information (artificial intelligence)
• Forensic Psychology:

  • Legal Psychology
  • Application of the principles of human behavior to law or any legal proceedings
• Community Psychology:

  • Dedicated to promoting health at the community level
• Areas of Specialization:

  • Clinical Psychology
  • Counseling Psychology
  • Educational and School Psychology
  • Experimental and Physiological Psychology
  • Industrial – Organizational Psychology