Psychology
Noun
UK
/saɪˈkɒl.ə.dʒi/
US
/saɪˈkɑː.lə.dʒi/
Level: b2
Definition
The scientific study of the mind, emotions, and behaviour.
Example
"She studies psychology at the university."
"Psychology helps us understand why people react differently in the same situation."
"Knowledge of psychology can improve communication, relationships, and decision-making in everyday life."
Explanation
Psychology is the study of how people think, feel, and act. It helps us understand emotions, behaviour, memory, learning, and relationships. For example, psychology explains how the mind works, why people behave in certain ways, why people feel stress, or how habits are formed. The word comes from Greek psyche meaning “mind” or “soul” and –logy meaning “the study of”. So psychology literally means “the study of the mind”, which matches its modern meaning exactly.