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What is psychology? It is the study of the mind, as opposed to the brain. Psychology formulates its theories of behavior based upon the way the mind works, though not from a strictly biological basis. Bio/psych, the study of the body/mind interaction is a fascinating subject and will be touched on later when we get into specific disorders that affect some of the better known races found in Star Trek. Rather, psychology operates within the realms of perception, consciousness and the unconscious or subconscious processes which contribute to the complex process of personality development. Personality, in turn, is the exhibition or outward manifestation of a person’s world view, combined with temperament, and the driving force that determines how a person responds to and interacts with other people or situations. Through understanding personality, we are able to identify hindrances within one’s thinking processes which can adversely affect their interpersonal relationships, and also find alternative ways of behaving or thinking to counteract these hindrances. It should be noted that psychology is not a true science, in the literal sense of the word, although it does incorporate scientific study and methodologies to test its theories. Psychology and counseling fall into the realm of the Arts. Obviously, this primer cannot make anyone a certified counselor, in the real world sense, but it should help provide a framework within which the simmer can roleplay more authentically as a Ship’s counselor. With that in mind, lets examine some of the major schools of thought within the field of psychology.
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