Systems psychology

Systems psychology is a branch of both theoretical psychology and applied psychology that studies human behaviour and experience as complex systems. It is inspired by systems theory and systems thinking, and based on the theoretical work of Roger Barker, Gregory Bateson, Humberto Maturana and others. Groups and individuals are considered as systems in homeostasis. Alternative terms here are "systemic psychology", "systems behavior", and "systems-based psychology". In the scientific literature, different kinds of systems psychology have been mentioned: Applied systems psychology In the 1970s the term applied systems psychology was being used as a specialism directly related to engineering psychology and human factor. Cognitive systems theory Cognitive systems psychology is a part of cognitive psychology and like existential psychology, attempts to dissolve the barrier between conscious and the unconscious mind. Concrete systems psychology Concrete systems psychology is the study of human systems across the varied biological contexts and situations of everyday life. Contract-systems psychology Contract-systems psychology is about the human systems actualization through participative organizations. Family systems psychology Family systems psychology is a more general name for the subfield of family therapists. E.g. Murray Bowen, Michael E. Kerr, and Baard and researchers have begun to theorize a psychology of the family as a system. Organismic-systems psychology Through the application of organismic-systems biology to human behavior Ludwig von Bertalanffy conceived and developed the organismic-systems psychology, as the theoretical prospect needed for the gradual comprehension of the various ways human personalities may evolve and how they could evolve properly, being supported by a holistic interpretation of human behavior. Ergonomics Ergonomics, also called "human factors", is the application of scientific information concerning objects, systems and environment for human use (definition adopted by the International Ergonomics Association in 2007).