Psychology

Psychology as a subject of study has largely developed in the West since the late nineteenth century. During this period there has been an emphasis on scientific thinking. Because of this emphasis, there have been many scientific studies in psychology that explore different aspects of human nature. These include studies into how biology (physical factors) influence human experience, how people use their senses (touch, taste, smell, sight, and hearing) to get to know the world, how people develop, why people behave in certain ways, how memory works, how people develop language, how people understand and think about the world, what motivates people, why people have emotions and how personality develops. These scientific investigations all contribute to an understanding of human nature. This means that people who have knowledge of psychology can use or apply that knowledge in areas such as the ones listed above.