In this chapter, you’ve learned what psychology is and where it came from. Today’s field is diverse, yet unified by a commitment to scientific research as the means of answering questions. Studies conducted at each of three levels of analysis—person, mind, and brain—inform one another, with mind and brain research deepening our understanding of phenomena first discovered by studying people in the social world. The success of the contemporary field rests on a long series of past achievements, especially the development of scientific methods.

Our next chapter describes research methods—strategies of research and methods of gathering evidence—that are used by today’s psychological scientists. These methods achieve the potential first glimpsed by Wundt: the possibility of a truly scientific psychology.

Chapter Review Now that you have completed this chapter, be sure to turn to Appendix B, where you will find a Chapter Summary that is useful for reviewing what you have learned in this introduction to psychology.