science
n. the systematic study of structure and behavior in the physical, natural, and social worlds, involving the generation, investigation, and testing of hypotheses, the accumulation of data, and the formulation of general laws and theories. There are several major branches, including the natural sciences (e.g., biology, physics) and the social sciences. The subdisciplines of psychology are themselves divided among the different branches. For example, neuroscience and the study of the biological bases for behavior can be classed with the natural sciences, whereas social psychology and many aspects of clinical psychology can be seen as belonging to the social sciences. See scientific explanation; scientific method.