20+ Different Fields of Psychology and their Definition - Hafiza Rabbia Shafiq

Different Fields/Branches of Psychology Explained

Psychology is a very vast field and is divided into various branches. In this article, I am discussing all the important different fields of Psychology and their definition.

In the previous article, I have discussed an “Introduction to psychology” and “History of psychology” in which different people have defined psychology according to their views.

We can’t merge all fields of psychology in one place, therefore; psychology is classified into many other branches. We will be looking to all of them in this article.

Use and Importance of Subfields of Psychology:

Each type has its own usage and advantages and is applicable to the right place for the right person.

Different types of psychology have their different researchers and psychologists that perform some work and research for that particular and specific field.

This subdivision of the psychology field will help us in knowing about different fields and carriers of psychology.

Now I am going to discuss all branches of psychology and their definition one by one.

Different Fields of Psychology and their Definition:

1: Abnormal Psychology:

The word “abnormal” means something like unusual or not normal or something that isn’t happening in a regular manner.

Abnormality in behavior means the behavior that is unusual and not according to the rule. Abnormal behavior is also the behavior that does not meet the demands of our society. These curious people need to be dealt with immediately. So behaviors of all such people are studied in Abnormal Psychology.

This is the branch of psychology that deals with people’s unusual behaviors. The psychologist tries to find out the reason and factors of their abnormality and then discover the best possible way to solve their problems and to make them normal.

These patients need to be treated in the clinical background.

2: Biological Psychology:

We know that Biology is basically called the study of life.

Combining biology and psychology is called biological psychology. It is also called physiological psychology and psychobiology.

In this, the behavior is studied according to the biological point of view. Here behavior is linked to the nervous system.

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Biological psychologist studies how the brain functions to understand human behavior.

3: Child Psychology:

Child psychology is the branch of psychology that mainly deals with the mentality and behavior of a child. Child psychology deals with physical, mental, emotional and social development.

Among all the branches of psychology, child psychology is one of the most complex branches of psychology.

Child psychologists van works in following different ways:

  • Abnormal child psychologist.
  • Developmental Psychologists.
  • School and Educational Psychologists.

4: Clinical Psychology:

By the word clinical I mean observation, therapy, and treatment of a suffering patient. Clinical psychology is important according to the medical point of view.

Clinical psychology is one of the branch of psychology that mainly deals with the involvement of a person’s mental sickness and his/her abnormal behavior.

These patients are treated by Psychiatrist rather than by Psychologists because Psychiatrists treats the patient with the help of medicines.

I greatly recommend this field to those who are interested in the field of medical and not have sufficient approaches to involve themselves in other medical fields.

5: Cognitive Psychology:

By the word cognitive I mean something that is related to cognition. Cognition is basically the process by which we understand someone’s thoughts, perceptions, feelings etc. through experiments and observations.

Cognitive psychology is basically the study of the mental development of a person by which we can check their memory power, their views and opinions regarding things, their creativity in different ways and their thoughts over different areas.

Also Read: How to Increase Memory in Psychology

6: Comparative Psychology:

Altogether Comparative psychology refers to the study of animals. In comparative psychology, we study the psychology of animals. We study the mental level and behavior of animals apart from human beings.

Most of the fields of psychology study of human nature and behavior while comparative psychology is the highlighted field that typically studies the nature and psychology of animals that are generally linked and related to humans.

7: Community Psychology:

All my readers might have familiar with the term community. The community is basically the society in which we are living.

Community psychology tells us how our society and human beings are correlated with each other. Society has a great influence on an individual.

Also Read: How Does Psychology Impact Society

Community psychology mainly targets the problems of society and many other things that can directly or indirectly influence the life of an individual.

The community psychology focuses on the protection of rights of its members and tries to find out the solutions for their problems.

8: Counseling Psychology:

By the word counseling I mean to give advice to someone or to recommend something.

Counseling psychology focuses on the normal or regular problems of a person like for example taking suggestions in the selection of a career.

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Counseling psychologists also help people who are under stress or seriously depressed. They help them to come out of traumas and take them to the path where they can live happily like other normal people.

9: Developmental Psychology:

In Developmental psychology, we study the development of human over its complete life cycle. It does not include the person’s physical growth and development but also its mental, social, emotional, personality and intellectual development.

Developmental psychology is basically the cognitive study of humans that how and why human beings change with the passage of time.

10: Educational Psychology:

Educational psychology is the branch of psychology that scientific studies about the processes of human learning. It studies human learning from both aspects i-e from cognitive and behavioral.

It studies the human execution in learning.

Also Read: How Educational Psychology Helps Teachers

11: Environmental Psychology:

Environmental psychology basically studies the interconnection between the environment and human beings. It studies how does environment create its influence on human beings.

12: Forensic Psychology:

Forensic psychology is that branch of psychology that deals with the understanding of both psychology and law at the same time.

It is basically the relation between psychology and social justice. This is mainly involved in criminal sort of things.

13: Health Psychology:

Health psychology basically deals with our health sectors. It studies that how our behavior and social factors can have a great impact on human health.

Health psychologist also studies the mental condition of a patient that if a person is suffering from some disease and having proper treatment then why that person isn’t following proper medications as prescribed by the doctors.

14: Media Psychology:

Media psychology mainly targets an interaction between human behavior and media. Basically, media psychologists study how does people links with its media and an influence of media on our society.

15: Personality Psychology:

Personality Psychology is one of the branch of psychology that studies how one’s personality and its variety through each and every individual.

Personality psychologists study the properties of one’s feelings, thoughts, emotions, expressions that identify that person as exclusive.

16: Social Psychology:

Social psychology is that branch of psychology which deals with the interaction of society and human. It studies how the nature of human beings is influenced by its surroundings or social environment.

17. Family Psychology:

Family psychology is a broad and wider field that is considered to be an applied psychology. Family psychology matters a lot in order to have a strong relationship with our family.

It teaches individuals of the family that how can they manage and adjust themselves in a given environment.

Family psychology teaches us to solve the problems of our family members with the help of which we can create a strong bonding and network with them.

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The Family psychologists are basically concerned with the better brought up of your family. A newly married couple basically prefers to seek guidance from family psychologists in order to live their lives peacefully.

18. School Psychology:

School psychology is considered to be a professional psychology. School psychology plays its positive role for the betterment of our schools, our society and especially for our grown-ups in our schools, school psychology is applicable for both students and teachers.

From the student point of view, school psychology holds a great importance. School psychology not only improves their learning capabilities but also improves their social and emotional behaviors.

From the teacher point of view, it is even more important. It tells the teachers that how they can teach effectively. Its teaching style, directly and indirectly, affects the students.

School psychology is important for a teacher because a teacher is responsible for its student’s academic success and professional success.

19. Sports Psychology:

Sports psychology is basically concerned with your mental health and your physical health that is important from the sports point of view.

With the help of sports psychology, a sense of teamwork develops in your personality and you behave better with your coaches and captains.

Sports psychology makes you sharp minded and helps you to focus on your target. It increases your concentration power. It teaches you that how to hit stress and

20. Cross-Cultural Psychology:

Cross-Cultural is a newly arising branch in the field of psychology. It basically studies the behaviors of human beings from a cultural point of view.

It mainly highlights the differences and similarities between cultures and then examines an individual from a cultural point of view.

21. Experimental Psychology:

Experimental psychology is mainly concerned with the precise, logical and methodical investigation of a feedback. It deals with our emotions as well as our mental exertion.

22. Industrial-Organizational Psychology:

It is considered as an applied psychology and applies certain principles to a sector. It basically works for the betterment and well-being of an organization.

Industrial-organizational psychologists figures out the behavior of employees and their concern and dedication towards their work.

After reading this article, I hope you are well known for different fields of psychology. Each field has its own applications and is applicable to its specific area.

Leave a comment if you have any question in your mind or you want more explanation to any of the field of Psychology. Thank you.

Download Branches of Psychology in PPT and PDF Files:

  • 20 Branches of Psychology and their Definition PPT
  • Branches of psychology PPT and PDF files
  • 15 Different Fields of Psychology PDF and PPT files
  • Largest subfields of Psychology

Fields Branches of Psychology and their Definitions PPT PDF Download



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