Question 23 - Reading and Writing Practice Test for the PSAT/NMSQT Exam

Psychology, or the study of mind and behavior, feelings, and thoughts, is a discipline that has been around for millennia. Although we may think of psychology as being a relatively new field of study, researchers suggest that many ancient civilizations studied psychology. Early Egyptian writings mention thought disorders and depression. Ancient Greek philosophers, including Aristotle and Plato, addressed how the mind works and what motivates humans to act. Similar psychological philosophies came out of China and India.

There are several different types or “schools” of psychology, ____ behavioral psychology that studies the learned behaviors of both humans and animals; cognitive psychology, focused on understanding mental processes such as language comprehension, memory, and problem solving; and social psychology, which studies how the social environment influences human interactions, behaviors, thoughts, and feelings.