g now made a rapid preliminary survey of the field of psychology,
and of the aims and methods of the workers in this field, we ought to
be in a position to give some sort of a definition.

We conclude, then: psychology is a part of the scientific study of
life, being the science of mental life. Life consisting in process or
action, psychology is the scientific study of mental processes or
activities. A mental activity is typically, though not universally,
conscious; and we can roughly designate as mental those activities of
a living creature that are either conscious themselves or closely akin
to those that are conscious. Further, any mental activity can also be
regarded as a physiological activity, in which case it is analyzed
into the action of bodily organs, whereas as "mental" it simply comes
from the organism or individual as a whole. Psychology, in a word, is
the science of the conscious and near-conscious activities of living
individuals.

Psychology is not interested either in dead bodies or in disembodied
spirits, but in living and acting individuals.

One word more, on the _psychological point of view_. In everyday life
we study our acquaintances and their actions from a personal
standpoint. That is, we evaluate their behavior according as it
affects ourselves, or, perhaps, according as it squares or not with
our standards of right and wrong. We always find something to praise
or blame. Now, the psychologist has no concern with praise and blame,
but is a seeker after the facts. He would know and understand human
actions, rather than pass judgment on them. When, for example, he is
introduced into the school or children's court, for the purpose of
examining children that are "problems", his attitude differs
considerably from that of the {18} teacher or officer of the law; for
while they almost inevitably pass judgment on the child in the way of
praise or blame, the psychologist simply tries to understand the
child. The young delinquent brought into the laboratory of the court
psychologist quickly senses the unwonted atmosphere, where he is
neither scolded nor exhorted, but asked to lend his cooeperation in an
effort to discover the cause why his conduct is as it is. Now, this
psychological attitude is not necessarily "better" than the other, but
it is distinctly valuable in its place, as seen from the fact that the
young delinquent often does cooeperate. He feels that if the
psychologist can find out what is