What is Psychology? What is the Origin of Psychology, and Who is the Founder of Psychology?

Psychology is a quest for understanding behavior. Everyone wants to know about oneself and others. The search for such knowledge requires a scientific approach, with strong motivation. Psychologists have begun to understand a lot about human nature, but still, the work of psychology goes on in laboratories, as well as in natural settings. Psychologists study, how, what, and why of human behavior. 

Origin Of Psychology           

The word “psychology’ comes from Greek roots meaning..” The study of soul and spirit”. The combination of two Greek letters “psych” and ” logus” makes the term psychology. Psych means self, soul, or mind, and logus stands for knowledge.

Founder Of Psychology

Wilhelm Wundt is the founder or father of Psychology.

Mother Of  Psychology

In 1921′ APA president Margaret Floy Washbum was the first women to earn a Dectoral degree in American Psychology.

Goals Of Psychology

There are four main goals of  Psychology.

• Predict the behavior 
• Explain the behavior 
• Control the behavior
• Improve the behavior

Types Of Psychology

There are seven main types of Psychology.

• Biological Psychology 
• Learning Psychology
• Cognitive Psychology 
• Social-Cultural Psychology
• Psychodynamic Psychology
• Humanistic Psychology 
• Evolutionary Psychology 

Branches Of Psychology :

There are six main branches of Psychology.

• Behavioral Psychology 
• Cognitive Psychology 
• Developmental Psychology
• Personality Psychology
• Social Psychology 
• Psychosocial Psychology 

Main Theories Of Psychology :

• Biological Perspective
• Cognitive Perspective 
• Behavioral Perspective
• Psychodynamic Perspective 
• Humanistic-Existential Perspective
• Community-Cultural Perspective

Mental Process

Mental processes is an individual thoughts and feelings that are personal and can not be directly observed.

Behavior

Behavior is an any direct observable action made by a living person.

Types of behaviour

• Covert / Overt behavior
• Conscious / Unconcious Behaviour
• Rational Irrational behavior
• Voluntary / Involuntary behavior 

Psychology as a science of the soul

First of all psychology was defined as ‘ science of soul”. Soul is a concept we all know very well but can’t describe easily. This term has changed its meaning with the passage of time. In primitive era it was believed that each and everything has the soul, but afterwards this belief was limited to living organisn only. A nother strong notion about soul is that it is immortal. In Greek period concept or good and bad soul was prevailing yet Greek philosopher had described it by their own  Let’s discuss some of them,

Pythagoras : He proposed that body is a prison of soul. After yhe death of an individual soul becomes free and roam any where according to its will.

Socrates : He was the fitst who introduced the word psyche. He advocated that body is greater than soul. He believed that soul is immortal and not the body. He said that everybody must seek the knowledge to make the soul pure.

Plato : Plato was in oppinion that soul and body are separate system. Both remain active and functioning till the last breadth. He told that soul is just a shadow which can only be felt but no one can understand its reality.

Aristotle : He wrote a book ‘ De Amina “ which is considered the first book onPsychology. So he is considered the first Psychologist. He termed soul as living principle in all animate beings believed that life is nothing without soul because it is the basic principal.