Psychology is a science that studies human behavior and mental processes, seeking to understand how individuals think, feel, act and interact. She is concerned with all aspects of the human experience, from brain function to child development, from how humans and animals feel, think and learn to adapt to the environment around them.
The word "Psychology" comes from the Greek "psyche", which means soul, and "logos", which means study. So psychology was originally the study of the soul. However, over time, the definition of Psychology has evolved to the scientific study of behavior and mental processes.
The history of Psychology is quite rich and complex, as Psychology has its roots in many other disciplines, including philosophy, medicine, biology, and even physics. Early philosophers such as Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle explored questions related to the human mind, including memory, learning, motivation, perception, and dreams.
In the modern era, Psychology began to develop as a distinct scientific discipline in the 19th century. The first Psychology laboratory was established by Wilhelm Wundt at the University of Leipzig, Germany, in 1879. Wundt is often considered the "father of Psychology" because he was the first to call himself a psychologist and his laboratory was the first to be widely recognized as being devoted to Psychology.
Since then, psychology has expanded into many different areas, with many different schools and theories emerging. Some of these schools and theories include behaviorism, psychoanalysis, humanistic psychology, cognitive psychology, evolutionary psychology, social psychology, and developmental psychology, to name just a few.
Today, psychology is a vast and diverse discipline that encompasses the study of many different aspects of human behavior. It is an applied science that is used in a variety of fields, including healthcare, education, business, sports, and criminal justice, to name just a few.
