what is psychology [Music] psychology is the scientific study of human behavior and mental processes it is a broad field of study that can be broken down into many subfields when psychologists study mental processes and behavior they aim to understand how people perceive the world and their experiences in it to discover patterns in human behavior especially in social interactions and to design interventions to change or correct undesirable behaviors psychology is a relatively young science with its roots in philosophy it was originally seen as a branch of philosophy that would examine the mind and have more to do with moral development but over time it gained more independence from philosophy [Music] the first traces of psychology can be seen as far back as 3500 BC when Egyptian hieroglyphics displayed signs of emotion and suffering Egyptians believed that Gods caused pain and that these Gods could be appeased by animal sacrifice or prayer for relief from their suffering for a long time Psychology was more of an art than a science it was not until the early 20th century that it became more scientific and modernized [Music] during the 19th century psychological Laboratories emerged at universities across Europe and North America which were dedicated to experimental research on both healthy individuals and those suffering from mental illnesses like schizophrenia or depression modern psychology has been influenced by many other fields that have developed over the years such as Neuroscience neuro economics evolutionary biology and developmental psychology as these fields continue to evolve so does Modern psychology psychologists are interested in understanding not just what makes us tick but also why people have various thought patterns it has many practical applications like learning how to better Market to customers or treating mental illness and addiction or how to improve how we interact with each other studying psychology enables us to better understand ourselves others and the world around us [Music]