In English vocabulary, which one-word substitution refers to the scientific study of elections?

Introduction / Context:
In English vocabulary and general knowledge questions for competitive exams, you are often asked to identify one-word substitutions for longer definitions. The phrase in this question is “the scientific study of elections”, which is a standard topic in political science and current affairs. Knowing the precise term used by political scientists and media commentators helps you understand news articles, editorials, and exam passages that discuss voting patterns, election forecasts, and democratic processes around the world.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• We are given the definition: “the scientific study of elections”.
• We must pick the correct one-word substitution from the four alternatives.
• Only one option is correct; the other three are real English words but refer to different fields of study.
• We assume a standard general-knowledge and English-vocabulary exam context.

Concept / Approach:
The key idea is to link specific Greek or Latin roots to the fields they describe. Many academic disciplines end with the suffix “-logy”, meaning “the study of”. The prefix gives a clue to the subject. For example, “paleo-” refers to ancient things, “patho-” relates to disease, and “psepho-” is linked to pebbles used for voting in ancient Greece. Therefore, understanding word roots can quickly guide you to the correct answer without memorising every term separately.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Identify the core meaning of the phrase: it clearly talks about a field that scientifically studies elections and voting behaviour. Step 2: Examine option C “Psephology”. It is formed from the Greek “psephos”, meaning pebble, because the ancient Greeks used pebbles for voting. Hence “psephology” literally means the study of voting and elections. Step 3: Check option A “Pathology”. That is the study of diseases and their causes, which is unrelated to elections. Step 4: Check option B “Palaeontology”. That is the study of fossils and prehistoric life forms, usually found in geology and biology, not in political science. Step 5: Check option D “Philology”. That refers to the study of language in written historical sources, combining linguistics and literary studies. Step 6: Only option C matches the required definition, so it must be the correct answer.

Verification / Alternative check:
You can verify this by recalling how political analysts are sometimes introduced as “psephologists” on television during election seasons. Their job is to analyse opinion polls, exit polls, vote shares, swing percentages, and historical election data. They belong to the discipline of psephology. None of the other three options are ever associated with elections, voting, constituencies, or polling data, so cross-checking with real-life usage strongly confirms that “Psephology” is correct.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Pathology: deals with the nature, causes, and effects of diseases; associated with medical labs and hospitals, not elections. Palaeontology: focuses on fossils and prehistoric life; connected to dinosaurs and rock strata, not voters and constituencies. Philology: examines historical texts, languages, and literature; important for understanding old manuscripts, not for interpreting election results.

Common Pitfalls:
Students sometimes confuse “psephology” with “psychology” or “sociology” because all three can be involved in understanding voter behaviour. However, psychology is the broader study of the mind, and sociology is the study of society in general. Another common error is to pick an option simply because it “sounds scientific” without analysing its root meaning. In vocabulary questions, relying only on sound is risky; instead, you should connect prefixes and suffixes to their meanings through regular practice.

Final Answer:
The correct one-word substitution for “the scientific study of elections” is Psephology.