pszichika

Pszichika is the Hungarian term commonly used to refer to psychology, the scientific study of mind and behavior, as well as to related mental phenomena. In ordinary usage it can denote mental processes, while the formal academic discipline is usually called pszichológia.

The word derives from Greek psyche and logos and was borrowed into Hungarian with the prefix pszich-; the form pszichika appears in common-language contexts and in derivatives such as pszichikus.

Contemporary pszichika covers many subfields: cognitive, developmental, clinical, social, neuropsychology, as well as applied areas such as counseling, educational psychology, organizational psychology, and psychological assessment.

The discipline originated in the late 19th century; in Hungary, psychological science and practice developed through universities and medical institutions. Notable figures include Sándor Ferenczi, a Hungarian psychoanalyst and collaborator of Sigmund Freud.

See also: psychology; psychoanalysis; mental health.