Introduction to Psychology By: Sidra Farooq Butt
PURE AND APPLIED BRANCHES OF PSYCHOLOGY Pure Psychology Branches: 1. Experimental Psychology Experimental psychology is the pure branch of psychology which utilizes scientific methods to understand the underlying causes of behavior by studying humans and animals through experiments under controlled conditions. 2. Abnormal psychology Abnormal psychology is the branch of pure psychology that studies unusual patterns of behavior, emotion and thought in clinical context. This area looks at psychopathology and abnormal behavior. It covers a broad range of disorders, depression, Anxiety, mania etc. 3. Social Psychology Social psychology is the pure branch of psychology which studies people's thoughts, feeling and behavior in social context i.e. how we influence one another’s behavior and thinking. 4. Developmental Psychology Developmental Psychology is pure branch of psychology which looks at development throughout the lifespan, from childhood to adulthood. The scientific study of human development seeks to understand and explain how and why people change throughout life. This includes all aspects of human growth, including physical, emotional, intellectual, social, and perceptual and personality development. 5. Comparative Psychology Comparative psychology is the pure branch of psychology concerned with the study of animal behavior. It involves comparing the similarities and differences among species to gain and understanding of evolutionary relationships. The comparative method can also be used to compare modern species of animals to ancient species. 6. Physiological Psychology Physiological psychology is pure branch of psychology that is concerned with the biological basis of behavior, electrical and chemical functions and activities of the brain, and how they relate to a person's mental experience and behavior.
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Introduction to Psychology By: Sidra Farooq Butt
Applied Psychology Branches: 1. Clinical Psychology Clinical psychology is the branch of applied psychology concerned with the assessment, diagnosis and treatment of mental illness, abnormal behavior and psychiatric problems. It also promotes human adaptation, adjustment, and personal development. 2.
Counseling Psychology Counseling psychology is the branch of applied psychology that focuses on personal problems not classified as serious mental disorders, such as academic, social, or vocational difficulties of students. This is similar to clinical psychology, except that most of the issues addressed by counseling psychologists are less "serious". It emphasizes the importance of social life for the individual and focuses in their ability to adapt to the environment.
3. Educational Psychology Educational psychology is the applied branch of psychology concerned with the scientific study of human learning. It is concerned with schools and teaching, educational issues and student concerns. It often studies how students learn or work directly with students, parents, teachers and administrators to improve student outcomes. 4. Forensic Psychology Forensic psychology is branch of applied psychology which addresses issues related to psychology and the law by providing testimony in court cases, assessing children in suspected child abuse cases, preparing children to give testimony and evaluating the mental competence of criminal suspects. 5. Health psychology Health psychology is applied branch of applied psychology it studies how biological, environmental, psychological and sociocultural factors influence health, healthcare and illness. It apply psychological theories and methods in order to understand those factors which help people to remain healthy, cope with their illnesses or recover from them. 6. Industrial and organizational psychology Industrial organizational psychology is the branch of applied psychology that applies psychological theories and principles to organizations. This field focuses on increasing workplace productivity and related issues such as the physical and mental well-being of employees by perform a wide variety of tasks, including studying worker attitudes and behavior, evaluating companies, and conducting leadership training. The overall goal of this field is to study and understand human behavior in the workplace. 7. School psychology School psychology is the branch of applied psychology that deals with counseling and advising elementary and secondary level children to improve learning conditions in schools. The primary 2 | Page
Introduction to Psychology By: Sidra Farooq Butt methodologies include research, testing, and guidance.
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