Which of the following statements accurately describes the primary focus of psychology?

• A. Psychology is the scientific study of behavior and mental processes.
• B. Psychology is the study of the Earth's physical structure and substances.
• C. Psychology is the branch of science concerned with the classification of living organisms.
• D. Psychology is the social science that studies human society and social behavior.

Answer: (A)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Step 1: Understand the definition of psychology by recognizing it as a scientific discipline focused on studying both observable behaviors and internal mental processes such as thoughts, emotions, and cognition.
2. Step 2: Differentiate psychology from other sciences by noting that it is not concerned with physical structures of the Earth (geology), classification of living organisms (biology or taxonomy), or the study of human society and social behavior alone (sociology).
3. Step 3: Identify key terms in the options such as 'scientific study,' 'behavior,' and 'mental processes' which are central to psychology's scope.
4. Step 4: Evaluate each statement by matching it against the core focus of psychology, which integrates both behavior (actions) and mental processes (internal experiences).
5. Step 5: Conclude that the statement 'Psychology is the scientific study of behavior and mental processes' accurately captures the primary focus of psychology.