Introductory Psychology

The systematic and scientific study of mind and behavior is termed as psychology. It tries to predict the effects of peer pressure, environmental factors and biological influences on the way humans think, react and feel. Some of the major areas studied under this field are personality, emotion, attention and intelligence. The major schools of thought in psychology are biological, behavioral, cognitive, social and psychoanalytical. Though different in nature, all of them have the same 4 goals of describing, explaining, predicting and changing the behavior and mental processes of others. Most of the advances in this field have happened in that last 150 years, but the subject itself goes back to 400-500 BC when great thinkers such as Socrates, Plato and Aristotle used to discuss topics such as attraction, memory, free will vs. determination etc. Modern day psychology is divided into fields like clinical psychology, health psychology, forensic psychology, criminal psychology etc. This book is compiled in such a manner, that it will provide in-depth knowledge about the theory and practice of psychology. It picks up individual branches and explains their need and contribution in the context of a growing economy. This book is an essential guide for both academicians and those who wish to pursue this discipline further.