psychology

[ sahy-kol-uh-jee ]

noun

, plural psy·chol·o·gies.

1. the science of the mind or of mental states and processes.
2. the science of human and animal behavior.
3. the sum or characteristics of the mental states and processes of a person or class of persons, or of the mental states and processes involved in a field of activity:

   the psychology of a soldier; the psychology of politics.

4. mental ploys or strategy:

   He used psychology on his parents to get a larger allowance.

psychology

/ saɪˈkɒlədʒɪ /

noun

1. the scientific study of all forms of human and animal behaviour, sometimes concerned with the methods through which behaviour can be modified See also analytical psychology clinical psychology comparative psychology educational psychology experimental psychology
2. informal.
   the mental make-up or structure of an individual that causes him or her to think or act in the way he or she does

psychology

/ sī-kŏl′ə-jē /

1. The scientific study of mental processes and behavior.
2. The behavioral and cognitive characteristics of a specific individual, group, activity, or circumstance.
3. ◆ Clinical psychology ◆ is the application of psychological knowledge to the diagnosis and treatment of patients.

psychology

1. The science dealing with mental phenomena and processes. Psychologists study emotions, perception, intelligence, consciousness, and the relationship between these phenomena and processes and the work of the glands and muscles. Psychologists are also interested in diseased or disordered mental states, and some psychologists provide therapy for individuals. In the United States, however, psychologists, unlike psychiatrists, are not medical doctors. ( See psychiatry .)

Notes

The two main divisions of psychology are individual or personality psychology and social psychology; social psychology deals with the mental processes of groups.

Derived Forms

• psyˈchologist, noun

Other Words From

• prepsy·cholo·gy noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of psychology¹

From the New Latin word psȳchologia, dating back to 1675–85. See psycho-, -logy

Example Sentences

And then I studied psychology.

From Los Angeles Times

In a 2020 study Hart coauthored in Frontiers of Psychology reviewing the evidence behind the latter point, the authors reported that the changes in cognition that were observed among children whose mothers smoked cannabis in pregnancy still fell in a normal clinical range and concluded that “the current evidence does not suggest that prenatal cannabis exposure alone is associated with clinically significant cognitive functioning impairments.”

From Salon

Jesse Watters unlocked new frontiers in conservative psychology on Friday, saying on Fox News' "The Five" that "dad" Donald Trump was going to kick off a "hysterical" program of mass deportation.

From Salon

But according to Carolyn Mair, a behavioral psychologist who created the University of Arts London’s Psychology of Fashion department, the tech billionaires are “choosing not to adhere to the sartorial codes of old-money elites, who tend to favor refined, understated luxury.”

From Salon

“One thing we know from psychology is that people really hate uncertainty and also hate a lack of control,” associate psychology professor Rodolfo Mendoza-Denton told UC Berkeley News.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• attitude
• medicine
• mindset
• therapy