Claim: Psychology is a branch of academic study.

Psychology is the science of behavior and mind , embracing all aspects of conscious and unconscious experience as well as thought . It is an academic discipline and a social science which seeks to understand individuals and groups by establishing general principles and researching specific cases .   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 biological processes that underlie cognitive functions and behaviors .   Psychologists explore behavior and mental processes , including perception , cognition , attention , emotion -LRB- affect -RRB- , intelligence , phenomenology , motivation -LRB- conation -RRB- , brain functioning , and personality . This extends to interaction between people , such as interpersonal relationships , including psychological resilience , family resilience , and other areas . Psychologists of diverse orientations also consider the unconscious mind . Psychologists employ empirical methods to infer causal and correlational relationships between psychosocial variables . In addition , or in opposition , to employing empirical and deductive methods , some -- especially clinical and counseling psychologists -- at times rely upon symbolic interpretation and other inductive techniques . Psychology has been described as a `` hub science '' , with psychological findings linking to research and perspectives from the social sciences , natural sciences , medicine , humanities , and philosophy .   While psychological knowledge is often applied to the assessment and treatment of mental health problems , it is also directed towards understanding and solving problems in several spheres of human activity . By many accounts psychology ultimately aims to benefit society . The majority of psychologists are involved in some kind of therapeutic role , practicing in clinical , counseling , or school settings . Many do scientific research on a wide range of topics related to mental processes and behavior , and typically work in university psychology departments or teach in other academic settings -LRB- e.g. , medical schools , hospitals -RRB- . Some are employed in industrial and organizational settings , or in other areas such as human development and aging , sports , health , and the media , as well as in forensic investigation and other aspects of law .