Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025
Verified for the 2026 exam
Verified for the 2026 exam•Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025
Definition
In psychology, the term "field" refers to the specific area or domain of study within the broader discipline. It can also refer to a particular perspective or approach used to understand and interpret psychological phenomena.
Related terms
Subfield: A subfield is a more specialized area within a broader field of study. For example, clinical psychology is a subfield of the larger field of psychology that focuses specifically on diagnosing and treating mental health disorders.
A perspective refers to an overall approach or framework used to understand human behavior and mental processes. Examples include psychodynamic perspective, behavioral perspective, and cognitive perspective.
Trait theories are approaches in psychology that focus on identifying and describing individual personality traits and how they influence behavior. These theories seek to explain consistent patterns of thoughts, feelings, and behaviors across different situations.