Unit 1: Psychology’s History and Approaches
Name:
Date:
A.P. Psychology
Psychology’s Subfields
Psychology vs. Psychiatry

Psychologist: a scientist who studies the mind and behavior of humans and
animals; often possess their doctorate in psychology

Psychiatrist: a physician who studies the mind and behavior of humans; is a
medical doctor (MD) and can prescribe medicine and/or operate on patients
Basic vs. Applied Science:

Basic Science: pure science that aims to increase the scientific knowledge
base (e.g. studying Psychology for its own sake)

Applied Science: scientific study that aims to solve practical problems (e.g.
studying Psychology to work as a counselor)
Subfields of Psychology

Clinical Psychology: a branch of psychology that studies, assesses, and treats
people with psychological disorder (e.g. depression, obsessive-compulsive
disorder)

Counseling Psychology: a branch of Psychology that assists people with
problems in living and in achieving greater well-being (e.g. problems with
one’s family, relationships, etc.)

Psychometrics: the scientific study of the measurement of human abilities,
attitudes, and traits (e.g. IQ test)

Developmental Psychology: the scientific study of physical, cognitive, and
social change throughout the lifespan (e.g. changes during childhood,
adolescence)

Educational Psychology: the study of how psychological processes affect and
can enhance teaching and learning (e.g. learning styles, skills, disabilities,
etc.)

Personality Psychology: the study of an individual’s characteristic pattern of
thinking, feeling, and acting (e.g. Myers-Briggs personality test)
Unit 1: Psychology’s History and Approaches

Social Psychology: the scientific study of how we think about, influence, and
relate to one another (e.g. family, environment)

Industrial/Organizational Psychology: the application of psychological
concepts and methods to optimizing human behavior in workplaces (e.g.
mediation/intervention programs for a corporate business)

Human Factors Psychology: the study of how people and machines interact
and the design of safe and easily used machines and environments (e.g.
analysis of human-machine productivity)

Cognitive Neuroscience: the interdisciplinary study of the brain activity linked
with cognition (e.g. neurological influences on perception, thinking, memory,
and language)

Psychobiology: the study of the biological influences on behavior (e.g.
electrical/chemical activities of the nervous system, hormones, etc.)

Environmental Psychology: the study of the effects of the environment on
people (e.g. one’s physical surroundings, family, social networks, etc.)

Forensic Psychology: the study of criminals’ mental health and motivations
(e.g. abuse)

Experimental Psychology: the study of behavior and thinking using the
experimental method (e.g. psychological lab experiment)