When we think about psychology, we often picture a person actively listening to the story of someone lying on a couch. However, psychoanalysis is only one part of one branch of psychology as a whole. In reality, psychology is much broader and encompasses numerous different disciplines and schools of thought. My name is Robin Wollast. I am a Doctor in Psychology, and in this video, I will describe 16 major branches of psychology. Abnormal psychology Abnormal psychology focuses on unusual patterns of behavior. In the clinical world, abnormal psychology studies individuals who significantly deviate from normal behaviors. Examples of abnormal psychological disorders are phobias, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Behavioral psychology Behavioral psychology sees our behaviors as being acquired through conditioning. Behavioral psychologists try to understand why we behave in the way we do. They are concerned with discovering patterns in our actions and behaviors. Biopsychology Biopsychology analyzes how the brain, nervous system, and other aspects of our biology influence who we are. Biopsychology is also known as physiological psychology, behavioral neuroscience, and psychobiology. Biopsychologists often look at how biological processes interact with emotions, cognitions, and other mental processes. Clinical psychology is one of the most popular subfields within the discipline of psychology. Clinical psychology It deals with the diagnosis, assessment, and treatment of mental illness for individuals and families. Clinical psychologists aim at promoting subjective well-being and personal development, dealing with a wide range of conditions such as depression, anxiety, substance abuse, addictions, sexual dysfunction, eating disorders, and aggressive behavior. In this context, psychoanalysis is a branch of clinical psychology. Cognitive psychology focuses on mental processes such as perception, thinking, learning, Cognitive psychology and memory. What is consciousness? How different is our brain from a baby’s or monkey’s brain? These are the kinds of questions that cognitive psychologists ask. Comparative psychology Comparative psychology studies similarities and differences among living beings—from bacteria to plants to humans. Cross-cultural psychology Cross-cultural psychology analyzes human behavior through the lens of culture. What cultural differences influence how we perceive each other or behave in certain ways across the world? Developmental psychology Developmental psychology analyzes human behavior over the course of people’s lives. How is it that we begin life as babies, who are so similar to one another, and yet grow into such distinct adults? Are children passive recipients of experience? Or do we actively construct the way we develop? Educational psychology Educational psychology is the study of how individuals learn in school and other settings. Educational psychologists are interested in how people learn and retain new information. Experimental psychology utilizes scientific methods to research the brain and behavior. Experimental psychology This branch of psychology is often viewed as a distinct subfield within psychology, but experimental techniques and methods are actually used extensively in every subfield of psychology. Forensic psychology Forensic psychology combines the practice of psychology with the legal system and law. Forensic psychologists deal with sentencing recommendations, evaluate the risk of reoffending, consult with law enforcement, provide child custody evaluations, and carry out academic research on criminality. Industrial psychology studies human behavior in organizations and the workplace. Industrial psychology Industrial psychologists address issues of recruitment, selection and placement, training and development, performance measurement, workplace motivation and reward systems, quality of work life, and consumer behavior. Personality psychology Personality psychology studies personality and its variations among individuals. Why are people different from one another? Why do people stay the same or change? What is human nature? Quantitative psychology Quantitative psychology develops the methods and techniques used to measure human behavior and other attributes. Quantitative psychologists are involved in the study of statistical methods and data analysis. Social psychology, my favorite field, Social psychology analyzes how people’s thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are influenced by the actual, imagined, or implied presence of others. How do we perceive others? How do others think about us? How is our behavior influenced by others, both individually and in groups? Sport psychology Sport psychology involves the study of how psychological components affect factors related to physical activities such as motivation, persistence and so on. These are 16 major branches of psychology. Psychology is always changing and new branches Conclusions are emerging. Importantly, because all these branches analyze our mind and behavior, it is not surprising that their characteristics often overlap. In any case, they all tackle the same fundamental question: What makes us who we are? Thank you for watching. Let me know in the comments what fields of psychology suit you the best. If you liked this video, please subscribe, as I will publish more content like this soon. Stay safe and healthy! Bye!