Types of psychology
Psychology is the study of mind and behavior. It focuses on understanding how the brain operates and how the functioning affects the act an individual exhibits. Psychologists specialize in the study of psychology. Although they work closely with psychiatrists, they are not the same. A psychiatrist provides medical care to patients to cure diseases, while a psychologist concentrates on behavior change to get rid of symptoms. There are different types of psychology.
1. Developmental psychology
Developmental psychology encompasses the systematic study of psychological developments. It includes both the micro and macro sense. The micro studies development from childhood to adulthood. The macro concentrates on the evolvement of culture. Developmental psychology focuses on factors such as personality development and language acquisition.
It focuses on understanding growth and change within an individual. Developmental psychologists focus on different theoretical areas, such as biological, cognitive processes, and emotions. Since the development process of people is different, the psychologists explain these differences.
2. Cognitive psychology
Cognitive psychology focuses on mental processes; it studies the acquisition, processing, and storage of data. It concentrates on thoughts, memory, learning, and problem-solving. This branch of psychology looks at how people learn and remember. It analyses how they make decisions and solve problems.
Since cognitive psychology focuses on internal thought processes, psychologists apply it in treating people with learning disorders, recovery of brain injury, accurate decision-making, and proper structuring of the education curriculum.
3. Forensic psychology
Forensic psychology focuses on the application of psychology in the criminal justice system and the courts. Forensic psychologists are responsible for examining witnesses and criminals. They present the findings to courts. These psychologists are significantly involved in law-making and enforcement.
Apart from courts, forensic psychologists also work in correctional centers, rehabilitation centers, and law firms, and police departments. In correctional centers, the psychologists attend to mental issues of the inmates through counseling and therapy.
4. Industrial psychology
This type of psychology evaluates personnel in workplaces. Industrial psychologists are responsible for examining the aptitudes and skills of recruits. They aid in solving problems in organizations by hiring staff with the requisite skills. They are also known as organizational psychologists.
Apart from job placement, industrial psychology also looks at training and performance evaluation. Its overall goal is to improve productivity. It accesses on how norms, leadership styles, and role expectations of an organization affect the behavior of individuals. It studies the attitudes and behaviors of people in the workplace.
5. Social psychology
Social psychology studies the psychological aspects of individuals in a community to understand their characteristics. It is also known as critical psychology. Social psychology seeks to understand how social settings influence individual behavior. It aims to discover how societies shape the beliefs, goals, thoughts, and feelings of an individual.
Its history dates back to the discoveries of Aristotle, Plato, and Hegel. According to Aristotle, humans are social beings. Plato discovered that the state-controlled individuals by advocating for social responsibility. Hegel stated that the mind couldn’t develop without the influence of society. These statements made group thinking essential to the study of psychology.

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