2. Why Study Psychology? Psychology is the scientific study of human behavior and mental processes.

3. Distinguishing Between Terms Beginning with the Letters, Psychology: the scientific study of behavior and mental processes. Scientific means... beliefs are based on empirical evidencecareful, systematic observations. Psychiatry: the branch of medicine concerned with the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of mental disorders. Most similar to clinical psychology. Psychotherapy: the treatment of psychological disorders using psychological rather than biological methods. Psychoanalysis: a field introduced by Sigmund Freud consisting of a theory of personality and a method of psychotherapy; emphasizes the unconscious mind. PSYCH

4. Some Specialty Areas Within Psychology Clinical Psychology: concerned with the diagnosis and treatment of relatively severe mental and behavioral disorders. Counseling Psychology: deals with problems of adjustment in everyday life (marital, social, occupational). Developmental Psychology: focuses on how people change and grow over the lifespaninfancy, childhood (child psychology), adolescence, adulthood, and old age. Social Psychology: studies how an individuals thoughts, feelings, and behavior are affected by other people.