Theories and Research in the Basics of Psychology (2024)

Psychology is one of the most popular majors for undergraduate students in the U.S. But this doesn't mean that you have to earn a psychology degree to better understand the human mind and behavior. There are plenty of great ways to learn psychology basics, as long as you know where to look.

Here we provide links to several online resources designed to expand your knowledge of psychology and what this field entails. These links can help you learn psychology concepts, how this field has evolved, different branches of psychology, top theories, and more.

To Learn Psychology Basics

When learning something new, it's always a good idea to start with the basics. Gaining a foundational overview of psychology can provide the building blocks needed to understand some of the more in-depth topic areas.

As you begin your investigation into psychology, you can spend some time learning more about:

• What psychology is
• Key psychology facts and concepts
• Main schools of thought in psychology

To Learn Psychology's History

Psychology has a long history, dating back to Hippocrates, Plato, and Aristotle. Understanding how this field began can make it easier to recognize how certain ideas or theories came about. Learning about psychology's evolution over time also provides a clearer picture of how it has progressed to where it is today.

Here are some resources for learning more about this topic:

• How psychology began
• The first psychology lab
• History of intelligence quotient (IQ) tests

To Learn About Key Psychology Figures

Several researchers have contributed to what we know about the human mind and behavior. While some of their theories are no longer popular, learning about the lives of these important historical figures makes it easier to understand some of their thoughts and how they were developed.

Some of the most famous thinkers in psychology include:

• Wilhelm Wundt, the father of psychology
• William James, the father of American psychology
• Sigmund Freud, the founder of modern psychology
• Ivan Pavlov, who discovered classical conditioning
• John B. Watson, the pioneer of behaviorism
• B.F. Skinner, named the most influential psychologist of the 20th century
• Carl Rogers, the founder of client-centered therapy

To Learn About Different Psychology Branches

Psychology is an extremely broad and expansive field. To help separate its many different subsets, several branches of psychology have been created. Each of these branches focuses on a more specific area of psychology, providing more insight into why we think and behave the way we do.

Being familiar with the various psychology branches can help you decide what area to focus on in your career, should you want to work in this field. For others, it gives you a smaller, more defined area of psychology to check out based on your interests.

Here are a few psychology branches that you may want to explore:

• Abnormal psychology - the study of psychopathology, abnormal behaviors, and behaviors associated with mental illness
• Behavioral psychology - a branch of psychology formed on the belief that all behaviors are a result of environmental conditioning
• Clinical psychology - focuses on identifying and treating mental health issues, as well as on increasing mental illness awareness
• Developmental psychology - the study of human development from a psychological standpoint, including how our behaviors and emotions change with age
• Experimental psychology - uses experimental research methods to learn more about the human mind and behavior
• Health psychology - the study of how human psychology and behavior impact a person's level of health or disease
• Industrial-organizational (I-O) psychology - seeks to explain factors that impact worker productivity and mental well-being
• Media psychology - a newer branch of psychology that studies the impact of media on human thoughts, behaviors, and emotions
• Personality psychology - the study of personality, including how it develops and the way that certain traits might impact our thoughts and actions
• Social psychology - the branch of psychology focused on how people are affected by others around them

To Learn Psychology Research Methods

Psychology is a field heavily rooted in research. Understanding some of the methods used to learn more about psychology gives insight into how some schools of thought or key concepts have formed. For psychology students, being familiar with the most-used research methods is critical.

Here are a few resources that can help you learn more about psychology research:

• Main psychology research methods
• How the experimental method works
• Simple experiment examples
• How cross-sectional research works
• Case studies in psychology
• What longitudinal studies are
• Psychology research topics

Famous Psychology Experiments

If you like to get more into the details, you may also enjoy learning more about some of the most famous experiments in psychology's history. This helps you better understand how certain conclusions have been drawn about the mind or behavior.

Some of the most well-known psychology research includes:

• Harry Harlow's Monkey Mother experiment
• Ivan Pavlov's dog experiments
• Solomon Asch's conformity experiments
• B.F. Skinner's "Skinner box" research
• Stanley Milgram's obedience experiment
• Philip Zimbardo's Stanford Prison experiment

To Learn Main Psychology Theories

When learning about psychology, you'll likely come across many different theories. These theories seek to explain certain concepts or ideas related to the human mind, emotions, and behavior.

Among the top psychology theories are:

• The Big 5 Theory of Personality
• Erikson's Theory of Psychosocial Development
• Freud's Theory of Psychosexual Development
• Kohlberg's Theory of Moral Development
• Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs
• Piaget's Theory of Cognitive Development

Additional Psychology Resources

While these resources can help you learn more about psychology, you can expand your knowledge even more by checking out other prominent organizations in the field. Here are a few to consider:

• American Psychological Association
• American Board of Professional Psychology
• The Association of Black Psychologists, Inc.
• Association for Psychological Science
• Society for Personality and Social Psychology