Overview

Psychology is the science of behaviour and the mind. It uses a variety of scientific methods to explore key areas related to how we live our lives and perceive the world, such as: the influence that our biology has on behaviour; the ways in which we develop from early infancy to adulthood; the ways in which we perceive the world, think, solve problems and make decisions; and the ways we interact with each other. At Heriot-Watt we start by identifying a problem that people face in the world and then ask ourselves: how can we find a psychological solution to this problem? Understanding individual differences in the ways in which we think and behave provide other important considerations. All of these approaches to the science of mind and behaviour enable theories to be developed and tested within psychology.