How Studying Psychology Changes You – Have you ever wondered how studying psychology affects your perspective? And what can you do to prepare yourself for the impact it’s going to have on your life?
Psychology isn’t just an interesting field of study; it’s also an incredibly useful one that can help you understand yourself, other people, and the world around you in ways you may not have known existed before taking a certified psychology program. Here are 5 ways studying psychology changes your perspective on life, work, relationships, and more.
What is Psychology?
Psychology is the scientific study of behaviour, the mind and mental processes. It encompasses all aspects of human experience, from the simplest daily interactions to the most complex mental disorders.
Psychology surpasses the boundaries between natural and social sciences as it covers a wide range of topics, from studying the conscious and unconscious phenomena, and feelings, to the thought processes and more.
Who are Psychologists?
A psychologist is an educated and trained professional who studies, diagnose and helps people with mental health problems such as depression, anxiety disorders, addictive behaviour, eating disorders, schizophrenia, grief, panic, post-traumatic stress, phobias and many more.
By understanding how the mind works, they can help people manage their thoughts, emotions, and behaviours.
To become a licensed psychologist, you will need to complete 4-6 years of full-time undergraduate studies at an accredited institution. After that, you must complete a 1-year internship as well as take and pass a national exam.
Psychologists can work in a variety of settings, including hospitals, schools, private practices, and research organizations. They often work with other professionals to provide comprehensive care to patients. Psychologists typically have a lot of autonomy in their work, and they may be able to set their own schedules.
Types of Psychologists
The study of psychology has 4 various branches, this section will be explaining in detail what each type does. They are:
- Clinical psychology
- Cognitive psychology
- Behavioural psychology
- Biopsychology
1. Clinical psychology
Clinical psychology is the branch of psychology that deals with the assessment and treatment of mental illness and abnormal behaviour.
Clinical psychologists use a variety of techniques to help their patients, including psychotherapy and behavioural therapy. They may also use medication to treat some conditions.
2. Cognitive psychology
It is the scientific study of mental processes such as attention, language use, memory, perception, problem solving, creativity, and thinking. Basically, cognitive psychologists want to understand how people acquire, process, and store information.
Cognitive psychologists attend to people with personality disorders, depressive disorders, anxiety disorders, health-related problems and other behavioural problems.
3. Behavioral psychology
Behavioural psychology is the scientific study of behaviour. It looks at how we think, feel and behave, and how our environment affects our thoughts, feelings and behaviours. It can help us to understand why we do the things we do, and how we can change our behaviour if we want to.
4. Biopsychology
Biopsychology is the study of how our bodies and minds work together to influence our thoughts, emotions, and behaviours. It’s a relatively old field that combines biology and psychology to better understand the human experience. Research in this field is mainly carried out on non-human mammals.
How Studying Psychology Changes You
1. Teaches Critical Thinking
One of the core skills that psychology teaches is critical thinking. How to take a complex issue and break it down into smaller, more manageable pieces.
To evaluate different arguments and perspectives, and to make an evidence-based judgement. It’s a skill that is useful in everyday life, whether you’re trying to figure out why your partner is acting a certain way or trying to decide if a new product is worth buying.
As a psychologist, you learn to think critically about the world around you. You start to see how people’s actions are motivated by their thoughts, feelings, and experiences. You also learn to question assumptions and to look at the evidence objectively. All of these skills help you become a better thinker overall.
2. Improved Communication Skills
One of the first things you learn when studying psychology is how to communicate effectively. You learn about verbal and nonverbal communication, active listening, and how to read people. These skills are not only useful in your personal life but also in your professional life. Improved communication skills can help you build better relationships, resolve conflicts, and be a better leader.
Most importantly, you understand the importance of body language, tonality, and word choice when conveying a message. As a result, you find it easier to express yourself and connect with others.
3. Better at Solving Problems
As a psychologist, you’re trained to look at problems from all angles and to come up with creative solutions. This skill set comes in handy in all aspects of life, whether you’re trying to figure out why your best friend is acting strange or brainstorming ways to increase productivity at work.
You start to see the world differently. All of a sudden, you can’t help but try to analyse why people do the things they do. You become more patient. In order to understand someone, you become willing to listen to them and take the time to piece together their story.
You become more self-aware. As you start to understand human behaviour, you inevitably start to see yourself more clearly as well.
4. You Become your own Therapist
A big part of psychology is understanding yourself. After all, how can you help someone else if you don’t even know what’s going on inside your own head? The first way studying psychology changes you is that it allows you to become your own therapist.
As you study psychology, you’ll start to see patterns in your own behaviour and learn how to better manage your thoughts and emotions. You also learn how to communicate effectively with others, which can help reduce conflict in all areas of your life.
5. Behavioural Skills
Psychology teaches you about human behaviour and how to change it. You’ll learn things like why people do the things they do, and how to change negative behaviours into positive ones. As a result, you’ll be better equipped to deal with people in all areas of your life, from personal relationships to work colleagues.
If you want to learn how to change people’s behaviour, studying psychology is a great place to start. You’ll learn about the different methods psychologists use to change behaviour, including operant conditioning, classical conditioning, and social learning theory.
Conclusion
In conclusion, studying psychology changes you in a number of ways. It can improve your critical thinking skills, make you more open-minded, and help you understand yourself and others better. It can also give you a greater appreciation for the human experience and make you more empathetic. All of these things together can help you lead a more fulfilling and enriching life.
REFERENCES
- Psychology.osu.edu – What is Psychology?
- Medicalnewstoday.com – Who are Psychologists?
- Psychologytoday.com – How Studying Psychology Changes You
- Emedicinehealth.com – Types of Psychologists
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