What is Psychology?

Psychology is a science which concerns itself with the study of behavior, both human and animal, and therefore interrelates with other disciplines such as philosophy, biology and sociology. In the minds of most though, psychology is connected with the treatment of mental disorders (clinical psychology) or assisting the resolution of relationship problems (counselling psychology). Few realized that as the study of human and animal interaction involves how these organisms perceive the world around them and how they react to these perceptions, this interaction may be observed in all areas of human activity. The areas of investigation for psychologist are therefore vast and varied as illustrated by the many specialized fields of psychology open for study, such as: Organizational Psychology, Environmental Psychology, Educational Psychology, Forensic Psychology and Sports Psychology.
Psychologists therefore search for answer to the question why. From this research they develop theories of human functioning, often developing new approaches to current knowledge. From this perspective it can be seen that both normal and abnormal behavior are the psychologists domain.

Although psychology is a comparatively young science it is not static, it is growing all the time and influencing other disciplines, particularly those discipline which tended to place less importance on human interaction elements, such as: Engineering, Management and the Law.

However the cornerstone of psychological practice still revolves around the examination and treatment of mental and emotional problems whatever the trigger or area of concern. Be it stress related to the working environment, trauma or shock following a catastrophic life event or the development of a particular form of mental illness such as schizophrenia. Here from research, whether independently or within a multidisciplinary team, the psychologist attempts to offer answers and formulate treatment methods.