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Psychology deals with all internal aspects of the mind, such as memory, feelings, thought, and perception, as well as external manifestations, such as speech and behaviour. Psychology is also concerned with intelligence, learning, and personality development. Methods employed in psychology include direct experiments, observations, surveys, study of personal histories, and special tests (such as intelligence tests and personality tests). Psychologists make an important contribution to the diagnosis and treatment of mental and emotional problems. They play a major part in the use of behaviour therapy, counseling, and in the treatment of behaviourial disorders affecting people with a mental handicap. Within psychology, a number of different approaches are used. Neuropsychology attempts to relate human behaviour to brain and body functions. Behavioural psychology studies the ways in which people react to events and learn to adapt accordingly. Cognitive psychology concentrates on thought processes, and is based on the theory that what a person thinks about his or her behaviour is of equal importance to the behaviour itself. Psychoanalytic psychology stresses the role of the unconscious and of childhood experiences. There are many specialized
areas within the science. Educational
psychologists study learning and intelligence;
clinical psychologists
are concerned with emotional and behavioural problems; social
and industrial psychologists consider
the effects of work and the environment on behaviour. Experiment
psychologists concentrate on research
into new ways of understanding mental events.
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