Have you ever wondered what makes a person to do what they do and feel what they feel? While certain things can be diagnosed by sight and touch, these intricate and abstract thoughts and feelings that drive a person to action (or inaction) require an understanding of Psychology.

Psychology is both an applied and academic field that studies the human mind and its behavior. Psychology seeks to understand and explain how we think, act and feel. The ultimate goal of studying and understanding individuals and groups is to benefit society as a whole.

The study of the human mind has its ancient origins starting as far back as ancient Greece with thinkers like Aristotle and Socrates. In fact, the word psychology is derived from the Greek word psyche, meaning 'soul' or 'mind.'

Being a psychologist is no different from any other science in that studies and experiments are devised to confirm or disprove theories or expectations. However while a physicist studies atoms and electrons, a Psychologist uses human behavior as their raw data.

The study of Psychology is broad and diverse with several major areas that a student may specialize in. These areas include; Abnormal Psychology – the research and treatment of a variety of mental disorders, Cognitive Psychology – focusing on attention, memory, perception, decision-making, problem-solving and language acquisition, and Developmental Psychology – that looks at the human’s cognitive abilities, morality, social functioning, identity and other life areas.

Applications for psychology include mental health treatment, performance enhancement, self-help, ergonomics and many other areas affecting health and daily life.

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