In its early days, psychology had some trouble being recognized as a legitimate science; therefore, the definition contains a specific reference to scientific study as a contingency for its practice. Psychology makes a point of studying the scientific basis of all behaviors and the cognitive processes that lie behind them, as well as the physiological processes that support, affect and motivate behavior. As a study, it is always empirical, meaning that the only accepted ideas in psychology have been acquired through observation instead of arbitrary guesses or assumptions.
Another important aspect of the definition of psychology is the presence of its seven unifying themes that form a common foundation for all its areas of research. The first theme, as aforementioned, is that psychology is an empirical science. Another theme is that psychology is theoretically diverse, containing dozens of theories that explain different phenomena. The third theme is that the evolution of psychology evolves in a sociohistorical context, changing with the times and society in the context of history. These three themes all relate to psychology as a field of study.
The next themes refer to the subject matter of psychology. The fourth theme is that behavior is determined by multiple causes, meaning that there is no single explanation but rather multiple contributing factors. The fifth theme is that behavior is shaped by the cultural heritage of those being observed. The sixth and seventh are that heredity and environmental factors both influence behavior, and that the world experience is highly subjective from person to person.
Applied psychology features a number of established areas of research and specialization. One of the most prominent is clinical psychology. In this field, psychologists evaluate and diagnosis psychological disorders and treat them. They provide support through therapy and can offer diagnostic testing if necessary, as well as psychotherapy either in groups or individually.
Counseling psychology is a field that provides therapy to those who are struggling with emotional or personal problems, but may or may not have a psychological disorder. Generally they specialize in one of a number of counseling specialties, including marriage counselors or career counselors. They have the ability to refer clients to a clinical psychologist if the client has problems that are beyond their specialty.
These are just a few common applications of psychology; there are many more established areas in which psychology is practiced. Each of them has its own place in the field, so it is important to differentiate between them as appropriate. Having a complete understand the definition of psychology can make it easier to differentiate between the applications and understand in what contexts their use is appropriate.
