Which statement best captures the four goals of psychology?

Which statement best captures the four goals of psychology?

• A. Describe behavior, explain why it occurs, predict future behavior, and control/influence behavior.
• B. Only describe behavior.
• C. Explain behavior but not describe.
• D. Study brain anatomy only.

Answer: (A)

The four goals of psychology are to describe behavior, explain why it happens, predict when it will occur, and influence or control it. This choice is best because it covers the full program: describing what happens in various situations, explaining the causes or mechanisms behind those behaviors, using that understanding to predict future occurrences, and applying knowledge to change behavior through interventions or settings. The other options fall short because they focus on describing alone, explaining without describing, or concentrating only on brain anatomy rather than behavior and its causes.

The four goals of psychology are to describe behavior, explain why it happens, predict when it will occur, and influence or control it. This choice is best because it covers the full program: describing what happens in various situations, explaining the causes or mechanisms behind those behaviors, using that understanding to predict future occurrences, and applying knowledge to change behavior through interventions or settings. The other options fall short because they focus on describing alone, explaining without describing, or concentrating only on brain anatomy rather than behavior and its causes.