Pure Branch

Pure branch is also known as the basic branch of  Psychology. It includes the study of;

1. General Psychology:

It is Concerned with the establishment of the basic principles of human behaviour. It studies the activities of the man such as attention, perception, motives and drives, emotions, intelligence, learning, memory etc. It also tries to evolve certain fundamental principles underlying them.

Thus this branch constitutes the basis for all of the other branches and its application. Usually it is studied referring to a normal human being although references are made to some of the other aspects also. 

2. Social Psychology:

Every individual is born into a society. Every society whether it is eastern or western has a culture, tradition and religion of its own. these will have their deep impression on the individual and determine his cognitive, co-native and affective activities to a very great extend. He is not free from the influence of the society at any stage and walk of life. Hence, social psychology studies the individual in the context of society to which he belongs to. It studies about the way in which the individual becomes a member of and functions in a social group.

The problems with which it is concerned are socialization, inter group and intra group relations, propaganda  public opinion, attitude, change of attitude, social motives, juvenile delinquency, social perception, social inter relations, etc. 

The important social psychologists who have contributed much to this field are Kimball Young, Charles Bird, Britt, Bogardus, Murphy, Allport, Kuppuswamy etc.

3. Child Psychology:

Child Psychology studies the individual from his birth up to puberty. It studies the various developments and behaviours of childhood period. Childhood is a very crucial period during the life span of a man. Because the normal and abnormal of the individual at the later periods of life depends upon the childhood experiences. The success or failure, adjustment or maladjustment of the individual all depends upon the childhood period. Child psychology is an important aspect which studies the sensory  motor, emotional, motivational, intellectual, social and personality developments. While studying these developments the interaction of heredity and environment are taken into consideration. 

The important Psychologists who have contributed much to this area are Brooks, Carmicheal, Arnold Thompson, etc.

4. Abnormal Psychology:

This area studies the abnormality of the individual. Abnormality is unusual, a typical or far away from the norms or the standard. Abnormal psychology is concerned with the theoretical aspects of abnormality and helps us to understand the nature of abnormal behaviour and the importance of frustrations, conflicts and pressures in causing abnormality. 

Frued, Adler. Jung, Charcot are some important persons who have contributed to this field. Sigmund Frued is called the father of abnormal psychology.

5. Physiological Psychology:

This area is concerned with the physiological correlates f psychological functions. The physiological structures concerned with the behaviours are nervous system, sense organs, glands, motor organs, etc. In order to understand the structures and their relations to response mechanism, as well as in order to understand the nervous system especially the central nervous system and its relationship with behaviour physiological psychology plays its role.

Lashley, Sherrington and Morgan have contributed much in our understanding of human behaviour from the point of view of the physiological structure, particularly of the brain.

6. Animal Psychology:

Animal psychology studies the behaviour of animals. This is important not only to understand the behaviour of animals but also to understand the behaviour of man to some extent. Modern studies on psychological problems have shown that there are many common areas between man and animal behaviour. In spite of the differences between man and animal the data collected on animal behaviour are found to be useful to understand human behaviour at its simplest level. Animal psychology has also contributed to the development of scientific laboratory experiments and techniques to study psychological problems.

The important contributors to this area are Thorndike, Pavlov, Morgan, Kohler, Lashley and Skinner.

7. Para Psychology:

It is an area which deals with the extra sensory perception like telepathy, clairvoyance etc. Telepathy is the action of pre-mind on the other at a distance through emotional influence without communication through sense. Clairvoyance is the factuality of seeing mentally what is happening or existing out of sight. It also deals with extra cortical memory. Eg. Memory of previous birth. Most of the problems of para psychology are investigated under the strict experimental conditions.

J.B Rhine is the founding father of Para Psychology.