Basics of Psychology

Understanding the mindset or the psychology of a person is extremely important to not only understand why a person is the way he/she is but also for the individual himself/herself to overcome difficult times and problems. This is where the field of Psychology and Psychologists play a crucial role.   The term ’Psychology’ has been derived from two Greek words ’Psyche’ which means life and ’logos’ which means explanation.  Psychology as a social science scientifically studies the mind and behavior, which influences our day-to-day lives, professional well-being, and our relationships with family members and society.

Psychology as a social science has evolved a lot over several years and has widespread applications in clinical field, forensic field, counselling, and psycho-therapy sessions for people who are distressed, for research and observation for understanding certain behavior patterns and differences in personality, attitude, or perception. The origin of Psychology finds its mention in the studies of scholars like Buddha, Confucius and Hebrew, who philosophized on the functioning of mind in a broader sense. Even the Greeks, like Plato and Socrates, philosophized that mind is different from the rest of the body and also that we all are born with knowledge which is innate. Later in 1600s, Rene Descartes tried figuring out the relationship between the mind and body, for which he performed a dissection on the animals to study their nerves as well as the brains. Francis Bacon conducted experiments using scientific techniques, for which he is known as the father of modern science.

Dramatic changes took place during 1800s due to the efforts of Wilhelm Wundt, German Psychologist (1832–1920) and William James, American Psychologist (1842–1910). The father of Modern Psychology is Wilhelm Wundt, who introduced the first psychology lab in Germany in 1879. In the ‘first’ psych experiment, Wundt measured the time it took people to hit a switch when they heard and perceived a sound. German psychologist was the main proponent of structuralism.  Human beings have brains which is the most complicated thing in the whole universe. They even have minds, which cannot be seen in its physical form, but it does have an existence. People are keen on observing and analyzing other people’s behavior and assessing their mindset.

Psychological disorder is a condition characterized by abnormal thoughts, feelings, and behaviors whereas psychopathology is the study of such psychological disorders, including their symptoms, their causes, and treatment.