Psychology and Sociology are two fields of study that have always been in the same category. They are both social sciences, so it is understandable why they would be linked. However, there are subtle differences between psychology and sociology and how they work to understand behavior and society.

Psychology was created by a doctor while Sociology was created by a philosopher. The research process for both disciplines is similar.

Psychology looks at individual behavior while Sociology looks at group behavior. Psychology focuses on mental health issues while sociology focuses on cultural norms.

Psychology Vs Sociology
Let’s get to see the similarities, differences and reasons for Psychology and Sociology.

Here we will define Psychology and Sociology and look at ways the are inter-related.

What is Psychology
Psychology is defined as the scientific study of behavior and mental processes.

It has its roots in philosophical thought dating back to Aristotle, but it wasn’t until 1879 that psychology was recognized as a separate field from philosophy with Wilhelm Wundt establishing the first experimental psychology laboratory.

Since then there have been many theories within psychological research such as:

Skinner’s behaviorism
Cognitive psychology
Psychoanalysis
What is Sociology?
Sociology was created by the French philosopher Auguste Comte who believed that society itself caused deviant behaviors. He also contributed to positivism and established sociology as a separate discipline from philosophy in 1838 with his book, “The Course in Positive Philosophy”.

Sociology looks at social institutions and how they influence behavior. Like psychology, sociology has evolved over the years to include many different perspectives:

Conflict theory
Functionalism
Postmodernism
Psychology vs Sociology Similarities
Similarities between Psychology and Sociology are that both study people in their society or group. Social institutions are also studied in both disciplines which is why they have many similarities.

Psychology vs Sociology Difference
There are several differences between psychology and sociology that separate them including the way that each discipline looks at behaviour, their research process, what they study and how society influences individuals.

Reasons for Psychology Vs Sociology
The differences between psychology and sociology are that one looks at individual behaviour while the other looks at group behaviour. Psychology focuses on mental health issues, while sociology focus cultural norms. The research process is similar for both fields; however psychologists were originally philosophers who looked to understand why people behave in certain ways whereas sociologist look towards social institutions to explain their findings.

Click here to see the different career paths and best universities in Psychology and Sociology.