psychology
n.-
1 scientific study (n.) B2 Upper Intermediate Academic Sciencethe scientific study of the human mind and how it influences behavior.
the academic and applied discipline involving the scientific study of mental functions and behaviors.
ExampleShe decided to major in psychology because she wanted to understand why people react differently to stress.
ExampleModern psychology increasingly integrates neurological data to explain how cognitive processes manifest as observable behavioral patterns.
- behavioral science
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2 mental characteristics (n.) B2 Upper Intermediatethe way a specific person or group of people thinks and feels.
the mental, emotional, and behavioral characteristics of a specific individual, group, or activity.
ExampleTo win the game, you need to understand the psychology of your opponent.
ExampleThe marketing team spent months analyzing the psychology of the teenage consumer to ensure the campaign resonated with their values.
From French psychologie, from Renaissance Latin psychologia, from Ancient Greek ψυχή (psukhḗ, “soul”) + -λογία (-logía, “study of”), equivalent to psycho- + -logy. The Latin term is believed by some to have been coined in a lost treatise by Croatian humanist Marko Marulić (1450–1524), but this is disputed by other scholars. It is first attested in the 1570s, at which time it was apparently already current, and may be a Hellenization of the established expression dē animā (“on the soul”) in titles.
- Nounpsychologist
- Nounpsychology
- Adjectivepsychological