Welcome to our comprehensive guide on “Definition of Psychology,” a key topic from the book of Psychology Class 11 Unit 1 of the West Bengal Board (WBCHSE). In this studymat, you’ll find detailed Notes from Psychology Class 11 Chapter 1. This is designed to clarify your understanding and help you excel in your Class 11 Psychology Semester 1 Exam. Additionally, this study material is a valuable resource for competitive exams for psychology students. Stay tuned as we dive into Psychology Class 11 Chapter 1 MCQs with Answers to enhance your grasp of this essential subject further.

Definition of Psychology | Notes

Psychology is hard to define because it covers many different things. When psychology first started, people debated what it should study and how it should study it. The most common definition today is that psychology is the science of behavior and mental processes. This definition has three parts:

Science:

Psychology is considered a science because it collects data by observing and recording behaviors of humans and animals under controlled conditions. This helps make the measurement of behavior as objective as possible. The knowledge gained is then used to solve real-life problems.

Behavior:

Behavior includes all actions and reactions of humans and animals, like actions, thoughts, emotions, and attitudes. These are things that can be observed and recorded.

Mental Processes:

Mental Processes are internal activities, such as thinking, feeling, and remembering, which cannot be directly observed.

In summary, psychology seeks to understand and predict human and animal behavior.

Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. The discipline embraces all aspects of the human experience — from the functions of the brain to the actions of nations, from child development to care for the aged. In every conceivable setting from scientific research centers to mental health care services, “the understanding of behavior” is the enterprise of psychologists.
-American Psychological Association

Some of the Definitions of Psychology by Famous Psychologists, are as follows:

• Psychology is the science of human and animal behaviour. It includes the application of this science to human problems. (Morgan et al., 1986)
• The scientific study of behaviour and mental processes. (Feldman,1996)
• The scientific study of behaviour and mental processes and how they are affected by an organism’s physical state, mental state and external environment. (Tavris and Wade, 1997)
• Psychology is all about human behaviour, about mental processes, and about the context in which behaviour and mental processes occur. (Das, 1998)
• The science of behaviour and mental processes. (Lahey,1998)
• The science of behaviour and cognitive processes. (Baron, 1999)
• Scientific study of behaviour and mind. (Nairne, 2003)
• A science in which behavioural and other evidence is used to understand the internal processes leading people (and members of other species ) to behave as they do. (Eysenck, 2004)
• The scientific study of behaviour and mental processes. (Ciccarelli & Meyer,2006; Coon & Mitterer, 2007, 2008)
• The science that studies behaviour and mental processes. (Rathus, 2008)

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):

• What is the Best Definition of Psychology?
• What is the Short Definition of Psychology?
• Definition of Psychology by Famous Psychologists.
• Definition of Psychology by Different Authors.

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