psychology: Meaning and Definition of

psy•chol•o•gy

Pronunciation: (sī-kol'u-jē), [key]
— pl. -gies.
  1. the science of the mind or of mental states and processes.
  2. the science of human and animal behavior.
  3. the sum or characteristics of the mental states and processes of a person or class of persons, or of the mental states and processes involved in a field of activity: the psychology of a soldier; the psychology of politics.
  4. mental ploys or strategy: He used psychology on his parents to get a larger allowance.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
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