A Word From Verywell
Think of the scientific method as having four goals ( description, prediction, explanation and control ).
The four goals of psychology are to describe, explain, predict, and influence behavior and mental processes .
Psychology aims to change, influence, or control behavior to make positive, constructive, meaningful, and lasting changes in people’s lives and to influence their behavior for the better. This is the final and most important goal of psychology.
Psychology focuses on understanding a person’s emotions, personality, and mind through scientific studies, experiments, observation, and research. The study of psychology has four goals: Describe, Explain, Predict, and Change/Control .
To sum up, psychology is centered on four major goals: to describe, explain, predict, and change or control behaviors . These goals are the foundation of most theories and studies in an attempt to understand the cognitive, emotional, and behavioral processes that people face in their daily lives.
Psychologists conduct research in order to describe basic phenomenon, to make predictions about future behaviors, and to explain the causes of behavior . Basic research is conducted to learn about human behavior for its own sake, and applied research is conducted to solve some practical problem.
An hypothesis is a specific statement of prediction . It describes in concrete (rather than theoretical) terms what you expect will happen in your study. Not all studies have hypotheses. ... Let’s say that you predict that there will be a relationship between two variables in your study.
Many researchers agree that the goals of scientific research are: description, prediction, and explanation/understanding .
The goal of social psychology is to understand cognition and behavior as they naturally occur in a social context, but the very act of observing people can influence and alter their behavior. For this reason, many social psychology experiments utilize deception to conceal or distort certain aspects of the study.
It has largely focused on decreasing maladaptive emotions and behaviors, while generally ignoring positive and optimal functioning. In contrast, the goal of positive psychology is to identify and enhance the human strengths and virtues that make life worth living .
The five major perspectives in psychology are biological, psychodynamic, behavioral, cognitive and humanistic .
Psychology 101 studies behavior through an exploration of major concepts, theoretical perspectives, research findings, and historical trends in psychology . Designed to promote an understanding of human behavior and mental processes. In other words, Psychology 101 will journey through the discipline of Psychology.
James is a health and wellness writer providing evidence-based information on fitness, nutrition, mental health, and medical topics.