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The Four Goals of Psychology: Describe, Explain, Predict, Control

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Abstract

This paper examines the four core goals of psychology: describing behavior, explaining behavior, predicting behavior, and controlling or modifying behavior. Each goal is defined and contextualized within the broader discipline of psychology, with a distinction drawn between applied and theoretical branches of the field. To illustrate all four goals in practice, the paper presents a brief case study centered on a four-year-old boy diagnosed with autism, walking through how psychologists would describe observed symptoms, explain their biological origins, predict risk factors and behavioral patterns, and apply strategies to control or mitigate those behaviors.

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What makes this paper effective

The paper follows a clean, parallel structure — each of the four psychological goals is introduced conceptually before being illustrated with a concrete example, making abstract ideas accessible to readers.
The autism case study effectively grounds each theoretical goal in observable, real-world application, demonstrating how the goals build sequentially on one another.
The distinction between applied and basic/theoretical psychology is concisely integrated without disrupting the paper's flow, adding disciplinary nuance in a compact way.

Key academic technique demonstrated

The paper demonstrates the use of a running case study as a unifying pedagogical device. Rather than treating each goal in isolation, the author applies all four goals to a single subject — a child with autism — which shows how the goals are interconnected and cumulative. This technique transforms a list of definitions into a coherent analytical narrative.

Structure breakdown

The paper is organized in two parallel halves: the first defines each of the four goals of psychology in turn (describe, explain, predict, control), and the second mirrors that structure by applying each goal to an autism case study. This symmetrical organization makes the argument easy to follow and reinforces the relationship between theory and application. The paper concludes with the controlling/modifying section, which naturally serves as the applied endpoint of the psychological process.

Introduction to the Goals of Psychology

Psychologists in various areas of specialty emphasize different aspects of behavior, though often with similar overarching goals — chief among them, understanding human behavior. The four goals of psychology are to describe behavior, to explain behavior, to predict behavior, and to control or modify behavior. Each goal builds upon the previous one, forming a coherent framework that guides psychological inquiry and practice.

Describing Behavior

The first goal of psychology involves the naming and classification of behavior displayed by an individual or a group of people. A description is normally based on careful, systematic observation — a contrast to haphazard accounts that lack the backing of well-researched data. Description is important because it clarifies the phenomenon under study, and it is only after a description of the behavior has been established that one can move on to the other goals of psychology (Pastorino & Doyle-Portillo, 2013).

Explaining Behavior

The second goal of psychology is to provide an explanation of the described phenomenon and to find out why the behavior or behavioral pattern exists or is manifested by the individual, whether it occurs once or repeatedly. Psychologists typically draw on existing theories and accumulated knowledge to explain behavior. In cases where no established theories or prior research can account for a behavior, psychologists formulate tentative statements and test these as hypotheses (Pastorino & Doyle-Portillo, 2013). This process of hypothesis testing is central to the scientific method as applied within psychology.

3 Locked Sections · 385 words remaining

Predicting Behavior · 80 words

"Forecasting future behavior through variable analysis"

Controlling or Modifying Behavior · 85 words

"Changing existing behavior using psychological techniques"

Applying the Four Goals: An Autism Case Study · 220 words

"Autism case illustrating all four psychological goals"

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Key Concepts in This Paper

Four Goals Behavioral Description Behavioral Explanation Behavior Prediction Behavior Modification Applied Psychology Autism Psychological Theory Case Study Biological Causes