Here’s why psychologists pursue these goals and how the information they gather is used to solve real-world problems.
Describing Behavior
To understand a behavior, we have to start by describing it.
Simply describing the behavior of humans and other animals helps psychologists understand the motivations behind it.
Illustration by Emily Roberts, Verywell
Such descriptions also serve as behavioral benchmarks that help psychologists gauge what is considered normal andabnormal.
Researchers might start by observing human behavior and then describing a problem.
This gives advertisers greater insight into what is really happening in their target market.
Explaining behavior is probably what comes to mind for most people when they think about the goals of psychology.
Why do people do the things they do?
What factors contribute to development, personality, social behavior, andmental health problems?
Mini-theoriesfocus on a small aspect of human behavior, whereasgrand theoriesserve as all-encompassing explanations of human psychology.
Psychologists might thenconduct researchto understand whyconsumers purchase certain items or what factors motivate them to make particular purchases.
Prediction also allows psychologists to make guesses about human behavior without necessarily understanding the mechanisms underlying the phenomena.
By understanding what causes mental health problems, psychologists can create more effective interventions and support systems.
From treating mental illness to enhancing human well-being,changing human behavioris a major focus of psychology.
For example, they might develop advertising campaigns designed to appeal to a certain audience.
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