developmental psychology

Developmental
Main article: Developmental psychology

A baby with a book.

Mainly focusing on the development of the human mind through the life span, developmental psychology seeks to understand how people come to perceive, understand, and act within the world and how these processes change as they age. This may focus on intellectual, cognitive, neural, social, or moral development. Researchers who study children use a number of unique research methods to make observations in natural settings or to engage them in experimental tasks. Such tasks often resemble specially designed games and activities that are both enjoyable for the child and scientifically useful, and researchers have even devised clever methods to study the mental processes of small infants. In addition to studying children, developmental psychologists also study aging and processes throughout the life span, especially at other times of rapid change (such as adolescence and old age). Developmental psychologists draw on the full range of psychological theories to inform their research.

psychology in general

Psychology is the science and art of explaining and changing human mental processes and behaviors. Its immediate goal is to understand humanity by both discovering general principles and exploring specific cases,  and its ultimate aim is to benefit society. In this field, a professional practitioner or researcher is called a psychologist, and is classified as a social or behavioral scientist. Psychologists attempt to understand the role of mental functions in individual and social behavior, while also exploring the physiological and neurological processes that underlie certain functions and behaviors.

Psychologists explore such concepts as perception, cognition, attention, emotion, motivation, brain functioning, personality, behavior, and interpersonal relationships. Some, especially depth psychologists, also consider the unconscious mind.a Psychologists employ empirical methods to infer causal and correlational relationships between psychosocial variables. In addition, or in opposition, to employing empirical and deductive methods, some—especially clinical and counseling psychologists—at times rely upon symbolic interpretation and other inductive techniques. Psychology incorporates research from the social sciences, natural sciences, and humanities.

While psychological knowledge is typically applied to the assessment and treatment of mental health problems, it is also applied to understanding and solving problems in many different spheres of human activity. Although the vast majority of psychologists are involved in clinical, counseling, and school positions, some are employed in industrial and organizational settings, and in other areas such as human development and aging, sports, health, the media, law, and forensics.