When considering a major in psychology, it is helpful to review the positions of a few related fields. Sociology is a field similar to psychology in that human behavior is being considered. The focus of psychology tends to be upon the individual while the focus of sociology tends to be upon the individual functioning as a part of a group, or on groups, organizations, and institutions in general.

Educational psychology, social work, and human development also fall within the same tradition as does psychology. Discrepancies exist, however, because psychology concerns itself with an individual throughout the total life span, while human development and educational psychology are concerned with the individual while he or she is in a particular age group. Educational psychology is different yet, due to its focus on the educational process (the psychology of learning) an individual will experience from, roughly, ages two to 22 years. [It is not limited to the ages of 2-22, as it also includes adult learners.] Human development, on the other hand, is interested in an individual's problem solving abilities and how these abilities are implemented. Social work takes more of a community approach, identifying the specific needs of an individual and matching those needs with a particular agency's resources, as well as providing family therapy. The individual's environment tends to be the focus.

It is human behavior that draws all of these fields together, so if you are struggling to determine which field is for you, you should look at the separate curricula and note that each field's applications are different.

Psychology is the study of human and animal behavior (normal and abnormal) and the psychological, social, and biological processes related to that behavior. Psychology has three faces: It is a discipline, a major subject of study in colleges and universities. It is a science, a method of conducting research and of understanding behavioral data. Finally, psychology is a profession, a calling which requires one to apply special knowledge, abilities and skills in order to solve human problems.

There is diversity within the broad field of psychology so one may choose to focus on a particular area within the field. Follow this link for an explanation of the major areas of specializations and concentration for psychologists. This list is not all-inclusive however, because new opportunities for study in psychology are constantly emerging.