Relationship between anthropology and psychology

On the other hand psychology is defined as the science and study of behavior, both in animals and humans. This discipline seeks to understand the relationship brain function and behavior and the environment and behavior as well. Psychology and Anthropology are social science that provides distinctive viewpoints on individual behavior and their surrounding environment (Rivers). Although studies of both anthropology and psychology at times intersect, these two fields feature varied means of study and focuses. Psychology studied human behavior and to some level, anthropology incorporates its scope on the analysis and understanding of human behavior while psychology studies human behavior and their environment (Rivers). The closest relationship between anthropology and psychology is witnessed it their main branches of cultural anthropology and social psychology.

Social psychology is a branch of psychology that studies individual behavior under varied social environment while social anthropology is a branch of anthropology that studies social institution, human societies and their groups. The field of psychology and anthropology intersect in both scope and areas of study. The two fields have a biological perspective on human life. Nevertheless anthropology has a wider scope due to its focus on the numerous human communities and cultures while psychology mostly focuses on human behavior. Some of their differences include; • Anthropology will study the whole concept of humanity or human life while psychology will only study individual human behavior. • Social anthropology; the main branch of anthropology studies groups of people or communities while psychology will study human behavior in varied social environments.