Want to major in an area that incorporates benefiting the needs of other people and understanding human behavior? Then psychology is the field for you! Psychology as defined by the American Psychological Organization (APA) is the “study of mind and behavior.”
Psychology allows us to develop an understanding of why we act in the ways that we do and apply our understanding to other areas including cognitive, behavioral, experimental and social psychology. We can achieve this by examining the current psychological research and theories, and by observing the actions of the people around us.
As a current psychology major, I have found that psychology has related to much of my experiences in life. Specifically, the ones that I experienced during my childhood and adolescent years and have shaped my interest in pursuing school psychology.
1. Learning about yourself and the world around you
One of the best things about majoring in psychology is that you learn about yourself as a person and why people act the way they do in everyday situations. From learning about what shapes personality and interests to why people conform to the interests of authority and peers when under pressure, you will learn about a myriad of psychological aspects that relate to your individuality and those that have been used in everyday situations.
2. Knowing what factors influence our everyday behaviors
Knowing what strengthens and weakens our behaviors helps us identify the factors that benefit our abilities in achieving our goals that are associated with our wants and needs. When our behaviors are reinforced, our behaviors are strengthened through stimuli (events) that will lead to us engaging in these behaviors in the future.
For example, if we study for an exam using flashcards and earn a high grade, then we are more likely to use flashcards to study for future exams. However, if our behaviors are weakened through punishment, then we are unlikely to engage in these behaviors in the future. In this instance, if we were to copy a term paper and receive a failing grade on the paper as a result, then we would be unlikely to do this on the next paper.
In observational learning, where we learn a set of behaviors by observing another person engage in the behaviors, it will depend on how much influence that person has on our behaviors and individuality. For instance, if we perceive that person as desirable, then we will be more likely to engage in those sets of behaviors. But if we perceive that person as undesirable, then we will be less likely to engage in those behaviors.
3. conducting research
One of the most exciting parts of majoring in psychology is getting to conduct research with a group of other psychology students or under the direction of a faculty member. In conducting research, there are experimental research classes where you conduct research with a group of other students or get to direct research. Either way, getting involved in the process of psychological research is an exciting way to gain experience in conducting and directing research.
4. can be paired with other areas of study
The field of psychology can be paired with just about any other career field. If you are majoring in law and justice, biology, medicine, and education you can easily pair these fields with psychology.
Whether you desire to have a background in psychology or want to pursue a career in the field of psychology, you can apply your expertise from one area to psychology. In pairing psychology with another area of study, you can become exposed to a variety of careers that incorporate both of your interests.
The psychology field can be applied in all areas of life, as there are a variety of subfields and opportunities to consider. From cognitive psychology to psychological research, there are several ways to pursue psychology if you choose to major in this exciting field.