Definition of Psychology

Mind • Behaviour • Experience • Scientific Study • Application

1. What is Psychology? — Core Definition

Psychology is the scientific study of behaviour and mental processes. It seeks to understand how individuals think, feel, act, perceive, learn and adapt to their internal states and external environments.

Standard Definition:
Psychology is the scientific study of behaviour (observable actions) and mental processes (thoughts, emotions, perceptions, motivations and consciousness).

Key Elements Embedded in the Definition

Scientific: Uses systematic observation, experimentation and evidence
Behaviour: Observable actions (e.g., reactions, responses, habits)
Mental Processes: Internal experiences (thinking, feeling, remembering)
Individual & Social: Studies both individual and group behaviour

flowchart TB
  WM[IASNOVA.COM]
  A[Psychology] --> B[Behaviour]
  A --> C[Mental Processes]
  B --> D[Observable Actions]
  C --> E[Thoughts Emotions Perceptions]

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2. Evolution of Definitions — How Psychology Expanded

The definition of psychology has evolved historically as the discipline matured from philosophy to experimental science and then to applied human science.

Stage	Dominant Definition	Focus
Ancient–Medieval	Study of the soul	Metaphysical & philosophical
19th Century	Study of consciousness	Introspection & mental experience
Early 20th Century	Study of behaviour	Observable, measurable actions
Modern Psychology	Study of behaviour & mental processes	Integrated scientific approach

Psychology moved away from speculation to scientific verification, making it a rigorous empirical discipline.

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3. Behaviour vs Mental Processes — Conceptual Clarity

(a) Behaviour

Directly observable and measurable
Includes actions, reactions, speech, gestures
Example: crying, decision-making, aggression

(b) Mental Processes

Internal and subjective
Inferred through behaviour and self-report
Includes memory, thinking, motivation, emotion

flowchart TB
  WM[IASNOVA.COM]
  A[Human Experience] --> B[Behaviour - Seen]
  A --> C[Mental Processes - Inferred]

Modern psychology treats behaviour and mental processes as interdependent and inseparable.

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4. Psychology as a Science

Psychology qualifies as a science because it follows the scientific method:

Objective observation
Hypothesis formulation
Controlled experimentation
Statistical analysis
Replication and verification

Unlike common sense or philosophy, psychology relies on evidence-based conclusions.

flowchart TB
  WM[IASNOVA.COM]
  A[Psychological Question] --> B[Hypothesis]
  B --> C[Experiment]
  C --> D[Data Analysis]
  D --> E[Conclusion]

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5. UPSC & Global Exam Relevance — How to Write Definitions

Exam Demand	How to Frame Answer
Define Psychology	Scientific study of behaviour & mental processes
Short Notes	Evolution of definition + modern scope
Analytical Questions	Behaviour vs mental processes with examples
Applied Questions	Link definition to real-life behaviour

Golden Rule: Always include the words scientific, behaviour and mental processes in definition-based answers.

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Definition of Psychology — Vertical Concept Map

flowchart TB

%% ===== COLOR DEFINITIONS =====
classDef core fill:#D6EAF8,stroke:#1F618D,stroke-width:2px;
classDef defn fill:#D5F5E3,stroke:#1E8449;
classDef evo fill:#FCF3CF,stroke:#B7950B;
classDef comp fill:#FADBD8,stroke:#C0392B;
classDef sci fill:#EBF5FB,stroke:#2E86C1;
classDef exam fill:#E8DAEF,stroke:#7D3C98;
classDef appl fill:#FEF9E7,stroke:#D68910;
classDef wm fill:#FFFFFF,stroke:#FF0000,color:#FF0000,font-weight:700;

%% ===== ROOT =====
P((Psychology)):::core

WM[IASNOVA.COM]:::wm
P --- WM

%% ===== 1. DEFINITION =====
P --> D[Definition]:::defn
D --> DS[Scientific Study]:::defn
DS --> EV[Evidence-based]
DS --> OB[Objective methods]
DS --> RP[Replication]

D --> B[Behaviour]:::defn
B --> BO[Observable]
BO --> ACT[Actions]
BO --> REA[Reactions]
BO --> SP[Speech]
BO --> GE[Gestures]
B --> BM[Measurable]

D --> M[Mental Processes]:::defn
M --> MI[Internal]
MI --> TH[Thoughts]
MI --> EM[Emotions]
MI --> PE[Perceptions]
MI --> MO[Motivation]
MI --> ME[Memory]
M --> MF[Inferred from behaviour & reports]

%% ===== 2. EVOLUTION =====
D --> EVOL[Evolution of Definition]:::evo
EVOL --> S[Soul → Philosophy & Metaphysics]
EVOL --> C[Consciousness → Introspection]
EVOL --> BH[Behaviourism → S–R]
EVOL --> MD[Modern Psychology → Integration]

%% ===== 3. CORE COMPONENTS =====
EVOL --> CC[Core Components]:::comp
CC --> IND[Individual → Personality, Intelligence, Emotion]
CC --> SOC[Social → Groups, Interaction, Culture]
CC --> BIO[Biological → Brain, Nervous System, Hormones]

%% ===== 4. PSYCHOLOGY AS SCIENCE =====
CC --> PS[Psychology as a Science]:::sci
PS --> SM[Scientific Method]
SM --> O[Observation]
SM --> H[Hypothesis]
SM --> EX[Experimentation]
SM --> DA[Data Analysis]
SM --> CN[Conclusion]

PS --> TL[Tools → Statistics, Measurement, Testing]

%% ===== 5. CONCEPTUAL DISTINCTIONS =====
PS --> CD[Conceptual Distinctions]:::core
CD --> BVSM[Behaviour vs Mental Processes]
BVSM --> BV[Behaviour → Seen & Measured]
BVSM --> MP[Mental → Felt & Thought]

CD --> OVS[Objective vs Subjective]

%% ===== 6. EXAM RELEVANCE =====
CD --> ER[Exam Relevance]:::exam
ER --> UPSC[UPSC → Definitions, Short Notes, Conceptual Answers]
ER --> GL[Global Use → Research, Clinical, Organizational]

%% ===== 7. APPLICATION =====
ER --> AL[Application Link]:::appl
AL --> UH[Understanding Humans → Explanation, Prediction, Control]
AL --> PSO[Problem Solving → Stress, Conflict, Maladjustment]

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