What is behavioral science vs psychology?

Behavioral Science vs. Psychology: A Comparison

While often used interchangeably, behavioral science and psychology have distinct, albeit overlapping, focuses. Both explore human behavior, but they approach it from different perspectives and with different scopes.

• Psychology: Psychology is the scientific study of the mind and behavior. It delves into the individual level, examining mental processes, emotions, motivations, and personality. Core areas in psychology include cognitive psychology, developmental psychology, social psychology, clinical psychology, and biological psychology. Psychologists use various research methods, including experiments, surveys, and case studies, to understand and explain individual behavior. The ultimate goal often is to help individuals understand and improve their mental health and well-being.

• Behavioral Science: Behavioral science is a broader, interdisciplinary field that encompasses psychology along with other disciplines like sociology, anthropology, economics, and political science. It aims to understand human behavior within social and cultural contexts. Behavioral science examines the systemic factors that influence decisions and actions, looking at groups, organizations, and even entire societies. Subjects like behavioral economics, organizational behavior, and public health are important subjects in this field. Behavioral scientists often use their knowledge to design interventions and policies that promote positive behavior change at a population level.

Key Differences Summarized:

Feature	Psychology	Behavioral Science
Scope	Individual mind and behavior	Systemic and social factors influencing behavior
Disciplines	Primarily psychology	Interdisciplinary (psychology, sociology, etc.)
Focus	Understanding individual mental processes	Understanding behavior in broader contexts
Goal	Individual well-being and understanding	Population-level behavior change and interventions

In short, psychology provides the foundational understanding of individual behavior, while behavioral science applies that knowledge (and knowledge from other fields) to understand and influence behavior at a larger scale.