Literally meaning "science of the soul," psychology is simultaneously an academic discipline, a human science, and a profession practiced in a wide range of institutions: hospitals, schools, businesses, and so on. It is often lumped together under the umbrella term "psy" and suffers from a somewhat vague image. Yet, it is experiencing growing success, evidenced by the enthusiasm of young people for psychology studies, the proliferation of popular science magazines, and the increasingly frequent use of psychology as a subject of study.
Literally meaning "science of the soul," psychology is simultaneously an academic discipline, a human science, and a profession practiced in a multitude of institutions: hospitals, schools, businesses, and so on. It is often lumped together under the umbrella term "psy" (psychology) and suffers from a somewhat vague image. Yet, it is experiencing growing success, evidenced by the enthusiasm of young people for psychology studies, the proliferation of popular science magazines, and the increasingly frequent use of "psychological support units" in response to disasters, both large and small.
By placing psychology in its history and in its different contexts, Annick Ohayon and Régine Plas offer points of reference to navigate the thicket of psychologists and coaches of all kinds.
