Difference Between Sociology and Psychology – Sociology vs Psychology
By BYJU'S Exam Prep
Updated on: November 14th, 2023
The difference between Sociology and Psychology is that sociology is the scientific study of human communities and their cultures, whereas psychology is the scientific study of the human mind and behaviour. Though sociology and psychology are regarded as social sciences, they are unique in their respective contexts, career paths, and subjects.
Difference Between Sociology and Psychology PDF
Psychology and sociology are two of their most important disciplines, which gained momentum in the 20th century. The difference between sociology and psychology is that sociology studies human society’s growth, organization, and operation. However, psychology studies the human mind and its processes, particularly those that impact behaviour. Let us discuss the difference between sociology and psychology in detail.
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Difference Between Sociology and Psychology
The key difference between sociology and psychology is that sociology is a branch of social science that examines social interactions among groups of people, such as families, nations, businesses, and other social structures. Psychology is focused on the individual’s ideas and actions.
Regarding the issue, sociology analyses a person’s behaviour in a group or when surrounded by others, whereas psychology studies the human mind and behaviour.
Sociology and Psychology
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Difference Between Sociology and Psychology |
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Sociology |
Psychology |
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Sociology deals with groups of people. |
Psychology focuses on the individual. |
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With a degree in sociology, one explores roles such as policy analyst or work in criminal justice and public health fields. |
Careers in psychology have focused pathways such as working as a counsellor or therapist. |
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Sociology feeds into and plays a transformative role in multi-disciplinary fields such as urban planning and sister disciplines like economics. |
Psychology is playing a transformative role in the mental health revolution. |
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Those pursuing sociology study must have a keen interest in understanding human relationships and activities in the context of social structures and must have a scientific bend of mind, critical thinking skills, and powers of observation. |
Those pursuing the study of psychology must be good listeners, have a keen interest in understanding human behaviour, have empathy, and understand how the human brain works. |
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Prominent sociologists include Emile Durkheim and Max Weber. |
Famous psychology practitioners include Sigmund Freud and Jean Piaget |
Sociology and Psychology
Both sociology and psychology are broad fields that examine people on several levels. In clear words, the difference between sociology and psychology is that sociology studies human societies and their cultures, whereas psychology studies the human mind and behaviour.
Sociology is a comprehensive science in which sociologists examine how individuals interact and the structure of organizations, societies, and institutions, while Psychology is a separate branch of science that analyzes a single person’s mind and functions, which govern and influence behaviour.
What is Sociology?
As the name suggests, sociology involves the study of society or collective groups of people who may be connected through associations such as social class, age demographics, religious beliefs, geography, gender, race, and sexuality.
- Sociologists attempt to answer complex questions about modern social issues by doing so.
- These social issues span a wide spectrum, from poverty and non-inclusive work cultures to discrimination and lack of access to healthcare.
- Sociologists leverage scientific methods to understand how various communities engage, the evolution of social constructs, and their impact on social change.
What is Psychology?
Psychology is an in-depth study of the mental and psychological processes behind the human behaviour of the individual. This discipline also delves into how individuals relate to themselves and the context of groups.
- Psychologists delve into the human mind and how it is influenced by social and emotional factors such as stress, intelligence, and anger.
- Psychology also studies cognitive and emotional capabilities and explores how experiences like ageing, abuse, and memory psychologically impact human beings.
- This discipline also aims to understand human behaviour in work environments or marital relationships.
Conclusion:
Key Difference Between Sociology and Psychology
The key difference between sociology and psychology is that Sociology studies human relationships and examines how people interact in a social setting, in contrarily, the study of a person’s experiences, mental health, and behavioural patterns is called psychology. Sociology is concerned with human interactions, whereas psychology is focused on human emotions.
