There are many different subjects within psychology. Those who choose to study this major learn about hundreds of different topics ranging from:
-the ability to create and store memories
-what things drive us to act the way we do
-human development
-what makes people act and think they way they do
-if characteristics of a person change or stay the same over time
-the causes for aggression, prejudice, and bad behavior
-etc.)
(More information about these studies and can be read here: http://psychology.about.com/od/psychology101/u/psychology-basics.htm)
Once someone graduates with a psychology degree they can become a clinical psychologist, a forensic psychologist, an educational psychologist, a counseling psychologist, a sports exorcise psychologist and more. These jobs are directly related to this field of study. I am very interested in this field for a number of reasons. First, I love working with kids. Throughout high school I volunteered at a camp for kids with disabilities ranging from severe mental issues to physical ones. I've always been interested in learning about their behavior, what sets them off, and what is going on inside of their heads. Second, I find human development very interesting as well. I enjoy observing people arguing about controversy topics such as plan partentood and legalizing marijuana. Everyone has a different opinion on these topics, (and mine are personally very strong) therefore, I'm interested in learning why people believe what they believe and why some can be so hard headed about certain topics. Last, I find the idea of emotions very interesting. Being an eighteen year old I can't say I've had many life experiences however I've always wondered why I feel the way I feel, what triggers it, if there are things that make me happier and why, and simply what forces drive us to act the way we do.
The leading and most famous person in my field is Dr. Phil. This is simply due to his self promotion and television show. People enjoy watching others problems and learning how to fix them, therefore Dr. Phil's show flourished. The leading academic journal for psychology can be found from a website known as "APA Journals Dialogue" where one can listen to podcasts about many different psychological topics.
Listed below are the top three academic journals one can find online:
1. http://www.apa.org/pubs/journals/podcasts/index.aspx
2. https://www.socialpsychology.org/journals.htm
3. http://www.vanguard.edu/psychology/amoebaweb/full-text-journals/
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I read two other blog posts, one by Michael Gee and the
other by Laura Shoemake. Michael is a physiology major while Laura is a math
major. I’ve always been interested in learning about the body, therefore
Michael’s major walks hand in hand with my intended major, psychology.
Psychology is based around the mind however the human body plays a very large
role in the concept as well, connecting this major with physiology. Laura’s
major, math, also goes hand in hand with psychology. One needs math to be able to
read statics about surveys or other experiments performed for psychological
studies. Reading about my peers plans and interests made me realize that the
world is at my fingertips. There are so many different things I can learn which
will all give me incredible opputitinies for future jobs. It also showed me
that even though I may be majoring in one subject, many other subjects come
into play. I definitely want to work with people at some point in my life,
therefore studying psychology could be an amazing route because I am interested
in the mind and body as well. Michael and Laura’s blog links are listed below:
This is so true-there are so many interesting things to major in. I was originally going to be a psychology major, and I find it super interesting. If you do major in psychology, do you know what job you would want?
ReplyDeleteIf I do major in psychology I would like to pursue a career working with kids or those with mental or physical disabilities.
ReplyDeleteYour post specifically interested me because I have also volunteered with kids with disabilities, and it is something that I enjoyed also. The psychology behind it all seems very interesting to study. If you didn't major in psychology, what would your next choice be?
ReplyDeleteIf I do not end up majoring in psychology, I will most likely major in nursing or occupational therapy.
ReplyDeleteMy undergraduate major was psychology, too! I have always been fascinated with what makes people tick. That's one reason I study the depiction of emotion in literature (especially shame). Psychology is an excellent basis for a career in either healthcare or social services - but the jobs available with just a B.A. are poorly paid. You pretty much need to go to graduate school.
ReplyDelete