The Diverse Nature Of Psychology - 1183 Words

The Diverse Nature of Psychology When a person is asked about what psychology means, typically the first definition heard is human behavior and then usually the mind and brain are next. While those definitions are partially true, the field of psychology is essentially an umbrella term used to describe several different subdisciplines of psychology. Some subdisciplines focus on different aspects of a person such as cognition, motivation, behaviors, personality and other subdisciplines focus the environmental impacts on a person such as nature, colors, and sounds. An indicator as to how diverse psychology is can be found in the American Psychological association which currently lists 54 different subdisciplines of psychology (APA, 2014).†¦show more content†¦The subdisciplines of psychology are essentially a way for psychologists to explain behaviors, predict changes in the behaviors, and as a way to help individuals optimize life. Subdisciplines within Psychology Since psychology can be both an interesting and confusing field for people, describing two subdisciplines of the field that may appear to not be connected, such as environmental psychology and industrial and organizational psychology, and making the connection can prove to be certainly interesting. Environmental Psychology Environmental psychology is a new field of psychology that was introduced in the late 1960s and studies the different impacts environmental factors can have on a person (Steg, van den Berg, de Groot, 2013). Environmental impacts can include color, size, air quality, noise control, and architecture within a room or building (Steg, van den Berg, de Groot, 2013). The field also focuses on how nature and aspects in nature such as plant formation can increase health and healing (Steg, van den Berg, de Groot, 2013). Environmental psychologists can conduct research and consulting, work in outdoor areas such as in parks, or can work indoors working toward sustainable interior design (Education Portal, 2014). Environmental psychologists can cross paths with the industrial and