Matthew said the assignment given to him by his college instructor was to take a few of the 50 or so subdivisions of psychology, define the chosen ones, and put them in some type of order. He read his paper to me and it was very impressive. In relating my approach I said I would look up the definition of the word “psychology.”

The Eurocentric perspective is “the science of human and animal behavior;” the study of “the mind,” “mental processes,” or “conscious experience;” and “basically common sense.” In ancient Africa, “psyche” meant breath, “soul,” and spirit. This was borrowed by the ancient Greeks, brought into English in 1650, and embraced in psychiatry in 1846 in the sense of “healing of the mind.”

Then a group of specialist focused on this aspect of the mind applied the name “psychology” to it in 1879. Thereafter, the “study of the psyche” branched into many “leaves.” A big mess in understanding psychology occurred because different “leaves” and parts of a given leaf were variously named so that there was overlapping of subdivisions. Before we can make sense out of this mess, let us first use the commonly accepted definitions of each chosen “leaf” and then select one of the seven thinking tools to give some order.

First is clinical psychology, the largest subdivision of psychology. It diagnoses and manages emotional or adjustment problems based upon personality causes and effects.

Second, personality psychology is about one’s anxieties, self-esteem, sociability, aggressiveness, and need for achievement.

Third, experimental psychologist do research into what people think, feel, say, and do.

Fourth, social psychologist study the way individuals think, feel, and believe in social situations as well as how groups affect an individual (e.g. first impressions, attitudes, conformity, obedience, prejudice, altruism, aggression, and attractions).

Fifth, personnel psychologist focus on hiring, training, assignment, promotion of employees, and working with such tools as tests, interviews, and application blanks to predict success and happiness on the job.

Sixth, industrial and organizational psychologist help improve production, develop better working conditions (e.g. computers) and personnel policies.

Seventh, counseling psychologist work with people in establishing more effective problem-solving skills in career, coping, and marital realms.

Eight, developmental psychologist deal with physical and psychological changes from birth to death. Some sub-specialize in infant, childhood, adolescent, adult, or old age aspects with respect to the interaction of one’s biological inheritance, acquired experiences, intelligence, morality, social relationships, sexuality, and cognitive skills.

Ninth, biological psychologist focus on how our senses, hormones, brain, and nervous system affect our motives, emotions, a particular neuron, or gender differences.

Tenth, are cognitive (“to be born,” as in thinking seriously) psychologists. Attention, perception, learning, memory, language, thinking, and problem solving are all part of the cognitive or information-processing system.

Eleventh, humanistic psychology is concerned with the uniqueness of the individual, the validity of subjective experience, freedom of choice, the tendency for each individual to strive to reach his/her potential, self-understanding, and self-improvement.

Twelfth is positive psychology — the much needed realm related to one’s well-being, happiness, and having a good life.

Thirteenth is existential (“to exist and stand out”) psychology. Based on experience, it emphasizes personal decisions needing to be made in a world without reason and without purpose — apart from the role of society and social groups.

There are a host of other subspecialties that deal with various combinations of personal/societal, test/introspection, male/female, sport/school, business/war — as listed by the American Psychological Association.

Joseph A. Bailey, II, M.D