psychological

Psychological is an adjective relating to psychology, the scientific study of mind and behavior. It derives from the Greek psyche, meaning mind, and logos, meaning study. In common usage, psychological describes phenomena related to mental processes such as perception, memory, emotion, and thought, and the ways these processes influence behavior and interaction.

The term appears in diverse contexts: psychological research investigates cognition and emotion; psychological assessment employs tests and interviews to measure functioning; psychological services include counseling and therapy; and psychological insights inform education, health, marketing, sports, and technology.

Research methods include experiments, observation, surveys, and case studies. The aim is to describe, predict, and explain mental processes and behavior and to apply findings to improve well-being, treatment, performance, and decision-making. Subfields include cognitive, developmental, social, clinical, and neuropsychology.

Ethical considerations, methodological rigor, and replication are central to psychological work. The term is distinct from psychiatric, which concerns medical treatment of mental illness, though clinical psychology overlaps with mental health care.

As knowledge advances, psychological concepts are increasingly integrated with neuroscience and cultural perspectives to understand diverse human experiences.