Psykologisk

Psykologisk is an adjective used in several Scandinavian languages, most commonly Swedish, to describe things that relate to psychology, the science of mind and behavior. The term is applied to phenomena, processes or methods that involve mental activity, cognition, emotion, perception and social interaction. In everyday language it appears in phrases such as psykologi, psykologisk forskning (psychological research), and psykologisk bedömning (psychological assessment).

Etymology and linguistic notes: The word is formed from the noun psykologi (psychology) with the adjectival suffix -isk, a productive pattern in Scandinavian languages. The root psych- or psyko comes from the Greek psykhē (mind, soul) combined with logos (study, discourse). The adjective is used across professional and educational contexts to distinguish psychological aspects from medical, biological or social ones.

Usage and scope: Psykologisk is used to describe theories, methods, tests and interventions that originate in or pertain to psychology. It covers a broad range of subfields, including cognitive, developmental, social and clinical psychology. Researchers may talk about psykologistik testning or psykologi-based approaches, while clinicians discuss psykoterapi or psykologisk diagnostik in professional terms. The term can also appear in popular discourse to refer to mental processes or behavior in a general sense, though in formal writing it typically signals a basis in psychological science.

Relation to related terms: Psykologisk contrasts with fields like biologisk (biological) or medicinsk (medical) in contexts where distinctions between mental and physical aspects are important. It is distinct from psychiatric or psychiatric-psykologisk usage, which relate more specifically to mental health disorders and clinical treatment.