Psychology is defined as a science which studies mental processes, experiences and
behaviour in different contexts.
In doing so, it uses methods of biological and social sciences to obtain data systematically.
It makes sense of the data so that it can be organized as knowledge.

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In research the main concern is with the understanding and explanation of behaviour and mental events and processes. Psychologists, who choose to engage in research, function more like other scientists. Like them, they drew conclusions which are supported by data. They design and conduct experiments or studies under controlled conditions on a wide range of psychological phenomena. The purpose is to develop general principles about behaviour and mental processes. The conclusions drawn on the basis of such studies apply to everybody and are, therefore, universal. Experimental, comparative, physiological, developmental, social, differential and abnormal psychology are generally regarded as domains representing basic psychology.
The themes of research in these fields differ from each other. For example, experimental psychologists study the purposes of perception, learning, memory, thinking and motivation; etc. using experiment as their method of enquiry, whereas physiological psychologists attempt to examine physiological bases of these behaviours. Developmental psychologists study qualitative and quantitative changes in behaviour from the beginning of human life to its end, whereas social psychologists focus on the study of experience and behaviour of individuals as they take place in social contexts.

Mind affects our stimuli our stimuli affect our nerves our nerves affect our Impulses our impulses affect our signals and our signals affect our reactions that what our behavior . Whenever u see anything u think about it in your mind and react for it that what's your behavior right? . If you see a girl and u start talking hesitantly that wasn't your behavior . it is your feeling . You behaviors ca be seen at public places . You can change your behavior for out of formality but it can represent your feelings right . All that matters is your brain controlling your behavior but its opposite in our daily life. Our mind has to be boss over our body because if our will power gets strong then we will become more powerful . that what we need in our life to live for present only .

Even though the growth of young children in the Preoperational stage of development has slowed down a bit compared to infancy, early childhood is still a time of tremendous physical changes. During this period, children's bodies change proportions and they start to look more like adults than babies. Physical growth slows down between five and eight years of age, while body proportions and motor skills become more refined. Physical changes in early childhood are accompanied by rapid changes in the child's cognitive and language development.

In a true experiment, participants are randomly assigned to either the treatment or the control group, whereas they are not assigned randomly in a quasi-experiment. Randomized trials are experiments in which the division into treatment and control groups is determined at random (for example, by tossing a coin). ... In some cases, quasi-experiments also involve random assignment, such as in the lotteries sometimes used to distribute school vouchers. In a true experiment, each participant who volunteered would have an equal chance of being assigned to any of the three groups. Quasi-experiments are employed when the researcher is interested in independent variables that cannot be randomly assigned. Quasi-experimental research involves the manipulation of an independent variable without the random assignment of participants to conditions or orders of conditions. Among the important types are nonequivalent groups designs, pretest-posttest, and interrupted time-series designs.

Largely, there are four approaches by which the effect of the extraneous variables can be controlled.

1) Randomization: In this approach, treatments are randomly assigned to the experimental groups. It is assumed that the extraneous factors are present equally in all the groups. This technique is only workable when the sample size is very large.

2)Matching: Another important technique is to match the different groups of confounding variables. Different confounding variables like gender, age, income etc. could be distributed equally amongst the group. It sometimes does become difficult to extend matching within all the groups and another drawback of the same is that, sometime the matched characteristics may be irrelevant to the dependant variable.

3)The use experimental designs:  In certain studies, the experimental designs may play a crucial role in reducing or completely removing the role and impact of the extraneous variables.

4)Statistical Control:  There may be situations, when all the above mentioned methods to control the extraneous variables do not show any significant outcome. It brings the entire research into question as then causal inferences are difficult to make. Another method that may work to bring down the effect of extraneous variables is the method of statistical control.  Among the various statistical tools and techniques, Analysis of Covariance ( ANOVA) helps in reducing the impact of the extraneous factors on the study.

Case study is a descriptive qualitative form of research that is used to look at subjects, a small group, or a group as a whole. Researchers collect data on participants using participants and direct observations, interviews, tests, and record exams.

The important characteristics of the case study method are as under:

1. Under this method the researcher can take one single social unit or more of such units for his study purpose; he may even take a situation to study the same comprehensively.
2. Here the selected unit is studied intensively i.e., it is studied in minute details. Generally, the study extends over a long period of time to ascertain the natural history of the unit so as to obtain enough information for drawing correct inferences.
3. In the context of this method we make complete study of the social unit covering all facets. Through this method we try to understand the complex of factors that are operative within a social unit as an integrated totality.
4. Under this method the approach happens to be qualitative and not quantitative. Mere quantitative information is not collected. Every possible effort is made to collect information concerning all aspects of life. As such, case study deepens our perception and gives us a clear insight into life. For instance, under this method we not only study how many crimes a man has done but shall peep into the factors that forced him to commit crimes when we are making a case study of a man as a criminal. The objective of the study may be to suggest ways to reform the criminal.
5. In respect of the case study method an effort is made to know the mutual inter-relationship of causal factors.
6. Under case study method the behaviour pattern of the concerning unit is studied directly and not by an indirect and abstract approach.
7. Case study method results in fruitful hypotheses along with the data which may be helpful in testing them, and thus it enables the generalised knowledge to get richer and richer. In its absence, generalised social science may get handicapped.

Traditionally, scientists have tried to define the mind as the product of brain activity: The brain is the physical substance, and the mind is the conscious product of those firing neurons, according to the classic argument. But growing evidence shows that the mind goes far beyond the physical workings of your brain. It is possible one's mind might exist without one's body. One's mind is a different entity from one's body. Subjectively, our thoughts come from nowhere: they just pop into our heads, or emerge in the form of words leaving our mouths. Objectively, we can say that thoughts emerge from neural processes, and that neural processes come from everywhere.

In Algebra, a variable is an alphabet which is used to represent the unknown number. It represents the value. A variable is a quantity that may be changed according to the mathematical problem. The generic letters which are used in many algebraic expressions and equations are x, y, z. In other words, a variable is a symbol for a number where the value is not known.

For example, x + 5 = 10

Here “x” is a variable.
 

Variables are broadly classified into two categories, namely:

Dependent Variable

The dependent variable is a variable that depends on the value of some other number or variable. In short, the dependent variable is the output of a function. The value of the dependent variable changes, if there is a change in the value of an independent variable. The variable is dependent because its value depends on what we put into the function.

Example: y = 4 + 2x

Here, y is called a dependent variable. The value of y completely depends on the function 4 + 2x

Independent Variable

The independent variable does not depend on any values. It is called the input of a function. The value of the independent variable is not affected by any values of a function.

Example: x = 2y + 3z

Here, x is called a dependent variable

y and z are the independent variables

Because the value of y and z are not affected by any other values.

Studying psychology will allow students to understand their own behavior, emotions and ideas. They will also realize that studying the principles of psychology will allow them to assess, evaluate and provide solutions to all unwanted emotional situations. By looking at the biological bases of human behavior, psychologists are better able to understand how the brain and physiological processes might influence the way people think, act, and feel.

In a true experiment, participants are randomly assigned to either the treatment or the control group, whereas they are not assigned randomly in a quasi-experiment. ... Thus, the researcher must try to statistically control for as many of these differences as possible. Quasi-experimental research involves the manipulation of an independent variable without the random assignment of participants to conditions or orders of conditions. Among the important types are nonequivalent groups designs, pretest-posttest, and interrupted time-series designs. In a true experiment, each participant who volunteered would have an equal chance of being assigned to any of the three groups. Quasi-experiments are employed when the researcher is interested in independent variables that cannot be randomly assigned.

• Mental process:
(i) Mental processes are activities of the mind and brain, related to cognition.
(ii) We use mental processes when we think or remember something, or solve a problem.
(iii) However, these mental activities are -different from neural activities, though they are mutually overlapping processes.
(iv) The mind emerges and evolves as our interactions and experiences in this world get dynamically organized in the form of a system which is responsible for the occurrence of various mental processes.
(v) Mental processes include reasoning, learning, thinking, problem solving, perception, etc.
• Experiences:
Experiences can be defined as the learning acquired through everyday life situation.
(i) Experiences are subjective in nature, different for every individual.
(ii) We cannot directly observe or know someone’s experience.
(iii) Only the experiencing person can be aware or conscious of his/her experiences. Thus, experiences are imbedded in our awareness or consciousness.
(iv) Experiences are influenced by internal and external conditions of the experiences.
(v) The nature of the experience can only be understood by analyzing a complex set of internal and external conditions.
(vi) Experiences are important because most of our learning is based on experiences.

Classical conditioning explains many aspects of human behavior. It plays an important role in generating emotional responses, advertising, addiction, psychotherapy, hunger etc. Classical conditioning also finds its application at school, post traumatic disorders or associating something with the past.

Evolution of Psychology:
1. Wundt of Germany first established an experimental laboratory in 1879 to study of conscious experience. They were called as structuralists.
2. William James developed a functionalist approach to/the study of human mind. He studied that instead of focussing on the structure of the mind, psychology should instead study what the mind does and how behaviour function in making people deal with the environment.
3. In 20th century a perspective called Gestalt psychology emerged in Germany as a reaction to the structuralism of Wundt. The Gestalt psychologists believed that what we experience is more than the inputs received from our environment.
4. Around 1910, John Watson rejected the ideas of mind and consciousness as a subject matter of psychology. According to him scientific psychology must focus on what is observable and verifiable. Thus he believed in behaviourism.
5. Sigmund Freud viewed human behaviour as a dynamic manifestation of unconscious desires and conflicts. Freudi an viewed human being as motivated by unconscious desires for gratification of sexual pleasure and sexual desires.
6. Humanist such as Carl Roger and Abraham Maslow emphasized the will of human being and their natural striving to grow and unfold their inner potential.

Psychology is an academic and applied discipline that involves the scientific study of mental functions and behaviors. Psychology has the immediate goal of understanding individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. and by many accounts it ultimately aims to benefit society. In this field, a professional practitioner or researcher is called a psychologist and can be classified as a social, behavioral, or cognitive scientist. Psychologists attempt to understand the role of mental functions in individual and social behavior, while also exploring the physiological and neurobiological processes that underlie certain cognitive functions and behaviors.

Emotional intelligence (otherwise known as emotional quotient or EQ) is the ability to monitor one’s own and other’s emotions to discriminate among them and to use the information to guide one’s thinking and actions.

Salovey and Mayer proposed a model that identified four different factors of emotional intelligence:

• the perception of emotion,
• the ability reason using emotions,
• the ability to understand emotion, and
• the ability to manage emotions.