The Diverse Nature of Psychology

The Diverse Nature of Psychology
Dawn Morris
PSY/490
December 16, 2013
Cassandra Ferreira
The Diverse Nature of Psychology
Psychology itself attempts to define people’s behavior through aspects of the human minds ability to process information and stimulants. The diversity of psychology is very evident within the many different branches of the American Psychological Association, each addressing a unique perspective within psychology of understanding human behavior (Plante, 2011). This diversity within psychology, allows psychologists the ability to expand in all areas of explanation, assessment, and diagnoses, which furthers the science of psychology through many different subfield specialties. This paper will discuss the subfields of psychology, the importance of diversity, and the practical applications of psychological principles.
The Impact of Diversity in Psychology
Each of the major concepts within psychology emphasizes different parts of human behavior, such as the cognitive, social, spiritual, and unconscious factors, which contribute to a person’s behavior. One main defining feature of psychology is that it is a data based scientific study of behavior, in which each step of research used to procure knowledge has contributed to advancements in the development of sound theories within psychology. Three important features related to the science of psychology include the use of systematic empiricism, the production of public awareness, and the examination of problems (Plante, 2011). Psychology attempts to understand and explain psychological phenomenon using empirical techniques to advance scientifically. As the study of psychology progresses, it has further advanced into a diverse field.
Subfields within Psychology
Some of the major divisions of psychology include clinical psychology, psychotherapy, forensic psychology, industrial/organizational psychology, and environmental psychology. These major fields of psychology then branch off into subfields within psychology. One such example is Abnormal Psychology, which derives itself from roots in psychotherapy, clinical psychology and even neuroscience. Abnormal psychology studies abnormal behavior and psychopathology and emphasizes the research and treatment of mental disorders (Plante, 2011). Within Abnormal psychology there are further subtopics such as each individual mental illness and their implications on behavior, in addition to treatments for such disorders, illnesses and diseases which could also vary based on subtopic.
Another good example of a subfield within psychology is Lifespan Development, which derives its roots from developmental psychology, the nature vs nurture psychological debate and behavioral psychology. Lifespan Development devotes it’s time to studying the effects of childhood development on human growth and the lifespan of an individual and their experiences. Lifespan development aids in the popular ideas of raising children and disciplining unruly teens. In addition Lifespan Development seeks to understand and justify adult behavior based on childhood experiences, and then retrain the adult to more practical behavioral practices. This type of theory can be applied in contemporary society through detention and juvenile delinquent facilities (Landrum & Davis, 2010).
Conclusion
Psychology is a scientific study of behavior and mental processes. The discipline is divided into a variety of subfields, each focusing on specific areas of psychological functioning. The diversity of the discipline allows psychologists a broader array of speculation to advance in areas of understanding, prediction, explanation, and intervention measures. Psychological principles can be applied to a wide variety of human functioning including clinical diagnosis, personality measures, legal operations, phobia treatments, and many more. The discipline of psychology focuses on behavior and mental processes advancing the field with scientific techniques to help optimize the lives of others. The diverse character of the psychodynamic and cognitive-behavioral perspectives exemplifies the distinct nature of psychological perspectives, although both support the unifying goal of psychology to improve the quality of life for people and resolve human conflict. Although viewpoints and perspectives in the science of psychology sometimes appear different in nature, each attempts to address disease and disorder from its distinct scientific point of reference. Each perspective addresses human behavior from a distinct viewpoint, although none is an all-encompassing. Diversity permeates the major perspectives in psychology as well as their divisions and subtopics, which affects other disciplines as well as secular and popular thought. Abnormal psychology and lifespan development affect thought in education and neuroscience as well as other disciplines and fields of psychology (Plante, 2011).

References
Landrum, R. E. & Davis, S. F. (2010). The psychology major: Career options and strategies for success (4th ed). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson/Prentice Hall.
Plante, T. G. (2011). Contemporary clinical psychology. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.
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References: Landrum, R. E. & Davis, S. F. (2010). The psychology major: Career options and strategies for success (4th ed). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson/Prentice Hall. Plante, T. G. (2011). Contemporary clinical psychology. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons. This is a hanging indent. To keep the hanging indent format, simply delete this line of text using the backspace key, and replace the information with your reference entry.