Psychology Basics: What You Should Know

What is psychology?

Psychology is the scientific study of the mind and behavior, including our thought processes, decision-making, emotions, personality, and relationships. Psychology uses scientific research, studies, and observations to describe, explain, predict, and change our behavior—the ultimate goal being to improve how well we function in life. The word psychology comes from combining the Greek words “psyche” (meaning “spirit” or “soul”) and “logia” (meaning “study of”).

While interest in the mind and behavior dates back to the ancient civilizations of Egypt and Greece, the science of psychology didn’t formally develop until the nineteenth century. German physician and philosopher, Wilhelm Wundt, is often credited as one of the founders of psychology. He published “Principles of Physiological Psychology” in 1873 and was a key figure in establishing psychology as a science. He used introspection, where you look inward at your own mental experiences, to help determine how the mind works. His attempts to understand the structure of the mind and how the different characteristics form complex mental processes was known as “structuralism.”

While Wundt’s work in structuralism was continued by his student, Edward Titchener, American psychologist and philosopher, William James, took a different approach that became known as “functionalism.” Rather than focus on the structure of the mind—because the mind is always changing and evolving—functionalism tried to establish the purpose of thought and behavior. Born out of Darwinism, functionalism speculated that the mind’s primary objective was to enable humans to better adapt to our environment.

From these early schools of thought, new theories encompassing psychoanalysis, behaviorism, humanism, and cognitive psychology grew. Today, psychology continues to evolve, with new ideas and viewpoints emerging all the time. Most psychologists no longer subscribe to a single

doctrine, but rather draw on a spectrum of ideas to better understand the human experience.

As the way we live our lives changes, psychology can help us shed light on the mysteries of the mind and comprehend why we think, feel, and act the way we do. Learning about basic psychology concepts can help you look at your own and others’ behavior in new ways. It can provide insight into how basic psychology impacts your everyday life or even help you choose a career in one of the many different branches of psychology.

How psychologists study the mind and behavior

Psychologists employ scientific methods to study the mind and behavior. To investigate questions and test theories or hypotheses, they may use methods such as:

• Sampling. Participants are chosen to represent the group being studied. Students at one college, for example, could be selected as participants to represent students across the country.
• Experiments. Conducted in the lab or in a natural setting, experiments aim to determine cause-and-effect relationship between variables. For example, an experiment could be conducted to measure the impact of caffeine on anxiety levels.
• Observations. Researchers document the behavior they witness, such as how fans at a sports game react to their team scoring.
• Case studies. These are in-depth investigations of a single person or small group, such as lone survivors of airplane crashes, for example.
• Surveys. Having people complete interviews or questionnaires can help psychologists understand the experience of large groups of people. A survey could cover how online therapy compares to in-person therapy, for example.
• Technology. Brain scans may be used to record changes in brain activity. For example, it may be used to understand how the brain responds when someone on a diet is offered a tempting snack.

When using these scientific methods to study the mind and behavior, a psychologist will:

1. Pose a question that they want to answer about human behavior.
2. Research the topic related to the question to gather all the background information.
3. Form a hypothesis or testable assumption about what they think the answer will be.
4. Test the hypothesis in a scientific way, using studies, observations, and surveys to collect data.
5. Analyze the data and draw conclusions, noting whether the hypothesis was proved or disproved.
6. Report and share the findings with other researchers.

Any research in the U.S. that involves human or animal participation needs to adhere to ethical guidelines. An experiment with human participation, for example, has to be voluntary, come with informed consent, and be approved by an institutional review board (IRB). Research involving animals needs to be designed to minimize distress and be approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC).

Psychology vs. “common sense”

Many people ask the question, “Isn’t psychology just common sense?” In other words, they think that people behave in such predictable ways that the answer to any psychological assumption is the same as the “common sense” answer. For example, if someone tested the hypothesis that people who eat lots of junk food are more likely to be unhealthy, the outcome would tally with the common sense answer: we all know that junk food is bad for our health.

However, common sense and psychology don’t always match. We all know junk food is unhealthy, yet we continue to eat it. In a different example, if you collapsed with a heart attack in the middle of a busy street, would you expect someone to help you? The “common sense” answer would be “yes, someone is likely to help.” But in reality, people are less likely to help when they’re in a crowd. They’re more likely to defer to others or feel excused from responsibility because so many other people are around.

Rather than just accept assumptions based on common sense, psychology requires that every hypothesis is scientifically tested.

How to interpret psychological research as a reader

Reading and interpreting psychological research isn’t always easy. But there are ways to better understand how research is presented and some of the key points to look out for.

You’ll find that most research is formatted with the following sections:

Abstract. This provides a summary of the study, including the hypothesis, the methods used, and key findings or conclusions.

Introduction. This details background information on the study, including other research that’s been done on the topic.

Method. This section explains how the study was conducted, the participants, how data was collected, and the procedures employed.

Results. Here the data uncovered is recorded and the researchers note whether the hypothesis was proved or disproved.

Discussion. In this section, the researchers outline their interpretation of the study results and the conclusions they can draw from them. They may also highlight any limitations in the study and outline possible future research that’s needed.

References. At the end, the researchers list the sources cited and the materials examined for the study.

When interpreting psychology research, look to see if it has been peer reviewed. This means that other experts have evaluated the research before it was published. You’ll also want to consider the sample size. If the sample is too small, any results might be statistically irrelevant. A study of five people that concludes drinking coffee can increase the risk of anxiety isn’t as compelling as a study of 5,000 people that reaches the same conclusion.

Another important point to consider is bias in the research. Any kind of error in the design, execution, or interpretation of a study can cause misleading results. In the example above, if the sample of coffee drinkers studied had already been diagnosed with anxiety, the results could look very different.

If you want to be sure that you’re drawing the right conclusions from a piece of psychological research, look to see if the results have been replicated across multiple studies. Systematic reviews that examine and summarize multiple studies can be useful, as can meta-analyses that combine the results of multiple studies to show an overall picture.

Major perspectives in psychology

Psychology perspectives are the different theoretical approaches to explaining how we think, feel, and behave. Rather than adhering to just one perspective, psychologists often draw from a number of different perspectives when studying the mind and behavior.

Following on from the very early approaches of structuralism and functionalism, the five major perspectives in psychology today are:

Biological

The biological perspective focuses on how your thoughts, feelings, and behavior may have physical and biological causes. For example, you may be prone to mental health issues such as depression or addiction due to your genetics, hormones, or the biological makeup of your brain—or even because of a brain injury.

Cognitive

The cognitive perspective focuses on how internal mental processes such as memory, perception, decision-making, problem-solving, and how you process emotions influence your behavior. From this perspective, mental health issues could be a result of negative thinking patterns or negative core beliefs about yourself established as a child.

Behavioral

Behaviorism focuses on how environmental factors affect our observable behavior. This perspective considers all behavior to be learned. A mental health issue such as a fear of dogs could therefore be an acquired behavior after being exposed as a child to an aggressive animal.

Humanistic

Psychologists with a humanist perspective focus on the study of the whole person from a positive standpoint. They believe that we’re all different with unique experiences and, given the right conditions, have the freewill to determine our own well-being and reach our highest potential.

To attain those right conditions and fulfill our individual potential, the humanistic perspective emphasises positive steps, such as expressing gratitude or building resilience, to improve mental health.

Psychodynamic

Not as influential as it once was, the psychodynamic perspective stems from the work of Sigmund Freud. It focuses on how the unconscious mind and childhood experiences influence behavior. Freud likened the conscious mind to the tip of an iceberg visible above water, while the unconscious mind was the much larger iceberg hidden beneath the surface. He believed the unconscious mind consisted of three parts:

1. The “ id” (unconscious desires).
2. The “ego” (rational mediator)
3. The “superego” (moral compass).

Mental health issues stem from conflicts between the id and the superego that the ego struggles to mediate.

Other psychological perspectives

Other common psychology perspectives include:

Evolutionary perspective, which maintains that thought and behaviors develop to support human survival.

Cross-cultural perspective, which focuses on how your social or cultural background influences your thoughts, values, and behavior patterns.

How different psychological perspectives compare

Psychological perspective:	Problems caused by:	Possible remedy:
Biological	The biology of your brain, genetics, hormones, or nervous system.	Medication to produce a biological response, such as changing hormone levels.
Cognitive	Patterns of thinking, memory, decision-making	CBT to change unhelpful cognitive patterns.
Behavioral	Learned behaviors.	Exposure therapy to re-learn behaviors.
Humanistic	Your unique experience.	Build positive qualities such as gratitude, empathy, resilience.
Psychodynamic	Id and superego in conflict.	Resolve inner conflict through psychoanalysis.

Branches of psychology

When learning about basic psychology, it can help to understand how it can be applied in the real world. Psychologists often choose to specialize in a specific branch or subfield of psychology, such as:

Clinical psychology

This area of psychology focuses on assessing, diagnosing, testing, and providing care for individuals, couples, families, and groups experiencing mental health issues. Some clinical psychologists may provide care directly to patients, while others are involved in education and training, clinical research, or consulting with agencies or communities.

A clinical psychologist may work in private practice, at a hospital or other medical facility, at schools or universities, or government agencies. While some states allow clinical psychologists to prescribe medication, most use other therapeutic approaches such as different types of psychotherapy to support and treat patients.

There can be a significant overlap between clinical and counseling psychology. Clinical psychologists focus more on serious, diagnosable mental disorders while counselors tend to deal with a broader spectrum of patients requiring therapy for improving their overall well-being.

Cognitive psychology

Cognitive psychology focuses on brain science and how our mental processes such as thinking, remembering, and learning function. A cognitive psychologist may work in a private or government research facility, university, or clinical setting to conduct research on how the brain processes, stores, and retrieves information.

Some cognitive psychologists specialize in one specific area of brain function, such as memory. Others focus on particular health issues or populations, such as learning disabilities in children or cognitive decline in older adults.

Developmental psychology

Developmental psychology focuses on the study of how we as humans grow, change, and adapt at different life stages. This includes how we change physically, cognitively, intellectually, and emotionally.

Some developmental psychologists focus on research or teaching at universities. Others may work in clinical settings to diagnose and treat developmental issues, such as autism spectrum disorder or ADHD in children, or in senior housing facilities to help the elderly cope with memory disorders.

Social psychology

Social psychology focuses on how we as individuals influence and relate to each other and our social environments. Why do we think and behave the way we do in a group setting? How do other people influence our decisions? How can we deal with social challenges such as discrimination, bullying, or criminal behavior?

Social psychologists often work in teaching or research, as consultants, or creating and evaluating social policies for government or non-profit organizations.

Personality psychology

This branch of psychology studies the nature of personality, including its traits, structure, and development, as well as dysfunctional forms such as personality disorders. Personality psychologists look at how our personalities are unique to us as individuals and how we share similarities that can help us better understand overall human behavior.

As well as conducting research and treating personality disorders, personality psychologists may also work for consulting firms, human resource departments, or in marketing and advertising, helping companies understand customer or employee behaviors.

Industrial-organizational (I-O) psychology

I/O psychology focuses on human behavior in the workplace and within corporate organizations with the aim of resolving problems at work. I/O psychologists study areas of employment such as recruitment, training, motivation, performance assessment, and work-life balance. They may also address areas such as consumer behavior and customer satisfaction.

An industrial-organizational psychologist may work in academia, research, private industry, for local or national government agencies, or as a consultant.

Other branches of psychology

As you can see, psychology goes beyond just mental health. Other popular branches of the field include:

• Forensic psychology, which applies psychology principles to criminal investigations and the law.
• School psychology, which aims to help students cope with learning and behavioral issues at school or university.
• Health psychology, that focuses on the psychological aspects of coping with physical illness.

Branch of psychology	Focus of study	Typical setting
Clinical	Diagnosing and treating mental health problems	Private practice, medical facility
Cognitive	Brain science, how the brain functions	Research, medical facility
Developmental	How humans adapt to different life stages	Medical, pediatric, senior housing facility
Social	The influence of society on the individual and vice versa	Research, government agency
Personality	The nature of personality and its disorders	Research, consulting, advertising
Industrial-organizational	Behavior in the workplace	Private industry, government agency

How psychology affects your everyday life

You may not always be aware of it, but psychology shapes your daily life in many different ways, from your relationships and social life to your work, health, decision-making, and even your shopping habits.

Psychology influences your daily choices, from what you eat for breakfast in the morning to the route you take home from work in the evening. It shapes how you interact with others, how you cope with set-backs and disappointments, how productive you are at work or school, and the daily habits you adopt to improve your health and well-being. By understanding why you and others think, feel, and behave the way you do, you can better understand the world around you.

Some examples of how psychology affects your everyday life:

Health and well-being. Psychology can impact how you manage stress, prevent and cope with mental and physical health problems, and recover from hardships in life. Changing negative thinking patterns and adopting healthy behaviors such as self care and relaxation techniques can help support your health and well-being.

Behavior changes. Whether you’re looking to lose weight, quit smoking, exercise more, learn a new language, or just make healthier choices, psychology offers strategies to help you set goals, avoid procrastination, make better decisions, and stay motivated.

Relationships. If you want to improve your romantic relationship, build new friendships, improve your leadership skills at work, understanding how others think and feel can help you build emotional intelligence, productively manage conflict, and improve how well you communicate.

Technology and media. Understanding the role psychology plays in things like advertising and social media can help you better manage your shopping habits, finances, and productivity. Why are you compelled to check social media sites multiple times a day, even when you’re at work? Why can you never resist a sale at your favorite site? On the flip side, understanding consumer behavior can improve your marketing efforts or online influence.

Choosing a career in psychology

If you’re interested in finding a career in psychology, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that employment of psychologists is projected to grow at an above-average six percent from 2024 to 2034.

After earning a bachelor’s degree in psychology or a related field, you’ll typically need a doctoral degree (Ph.D. or Psy.D.) in psychology. To practice psychology in the United States, you’ll also need to be licensed by your state licensing board. While licensing requirements vary by state and position, in addition to the education requirements, you’ll likely need one or two years of supervised professional experience.

In 2024, the typical annual salary for a psychologist was over $94,000, although this can vary depending on the area you choose to specialize in. A school psychologist, for example, may typically make about $86,000 a year, while an I/O psychologist may typically earn over $147,000.

Last updated or reviewed on November 24, 2025