What does psychology study?
Connect everyday actions with questions about thoughts, feelings and evidence.
The picture in words
- Behavior
- Walking, speaking and helping are examples of observable action.
- Mental processes
- Remembering, focusing and feeling are aspects of mental life.
- Evidence
- A clear question guides what researchers observe and measure.
Reading the illustration
Researchers combine observations, reports and biological measures to investigate mental processes.
Try a question
What evidence could help you investigate why someone offers help?
Show the explanation
You could observe when help occurs, ask about the person’s reasons and compare the circumstances. Each method contributes a different kind of information.
Read the sources
- Spielman, R. M., Jenkins, W. J., & Lovett, M. D. (2020). Psychology 2e. OpenStax. https://openstax.org/books/psychology-2e/pages/1-1-what-is-psychologySelected introductory passages inspected