Help me with my psych paper!
Posted by Sea_of_Green on Aug 30, 2008 · Member since Feb 2008 · 2515 posts
I'm doing a research paper on what common beliefs and misconceptions are strewn about people's views, and I wanted to get people's thoughts from different locations on this-
I just need a brief description, a few sentences or less, about what you would define psychology as or what a psychologist does. Also, your age (it could be approximate, if you don't want to state it exactly) and education level.
Psychology is the objective, systematic study of the way individuals think and behave.
Psychologists do a wide variety of things. It depends on what kind of Psychologist they are. Some counsel, some conduct studies, some research individuals in social situations, some perform statistical analyses, and other work for advertising agencies to alter marketing startegies to appeal to a targer audience. Some train animals, some teach students.
Age, 23
Education, B.A., Psychology
Psychology is a con (IMHO).
Psychologists try to convince you that they know you better than you know yourself. After turning up to work one too many times with cuts and scrapes I was asked to attend one by my union and it was a total waste of money!
Age: 35
Education: Post Grad
My definition of psychology: The study of how the human mind affects behavior.
What a psychologist does: Help people explore the motivating/reaction triggers in their mind.
I personally distrust the effectiveness of a psychologist as anything more than a well-paid confidant. At the same time, I think veterans should have access to mental health care. Obviously, I'm still conflicted.
B.S.
35
I'm doing a research paper on what common beliefs and misconceptions are strewn about people's views, and I wanted to get people's thoughts from different locations on this-
I just need a brief description, a few sentences or less, about what you would define psychology as or what a psychologist does. Also, your age (it could be approximate, if you don't want to state it exactly) and education level.
Psychology: I think of why people do/say/act the way they do. Underlying causes of family and society on an individual. What I think a shrink would do is to be a professional listener and help people deal with their 'issues' through a sort of proactive series of questions. Basically, be a nonjudgmental mirror holder so patients can see what is going on clearly and find ways to deal with it appropriately themselves.
-I hope the above made sense to you. I'm 26, have an AA and currently working on my BA. You also said people "from different locations"...I am in Miami, Florida.
And now...on to reading what other people posted!! :read:
Psychology is the study of how we perceive and process information and how we behave as a result. A psychologist helps elucidate the connections between these, often for the purpose of improving people's mental health.
Love,
KMK
Age 21
B.S. in Engineering
(I pulled this explanation from what I learned in my Psych 101 class last year.)
Do you mean a clinical psychologist? A clinical psychologist is one who diagnosis and treats mental health problems using a medical model. Psychologists also do research into the mind/thought processes/mental health/behavior/emotions/human development, etc...
I'm age 29, I have a BA in Liberal Arts, a Masters in Social Work, and am a 2nd year doctoral student in Social Work.
As someone has already posted, there are many subfields in psychology, and therefore many kinds of psychologist. Some are more on the clincal side, others are more "talk therapists."
A good psychologist helps you think, walk around your ideas and your situation and see them from new angles that might not have ocurred to you. They first find out what you need and then try to help you find that in constructive ways.
They aren't there to "fix" you or to label you. Unfortunately psychology/psychotherapy, though rooted in science, has a lot about it of the art form, because every human (and therefore every psyche) is an individual. Labels and pigeonholes can only take you so far.
And from my experience, there is nothing more dangerous than a psychologist with a penchant for a particular disorder, because they may see it everywhere. This can lead to overmedication due to misdiagnosis because they may see something that isn't there.
I have also learned that what's in your file may reveal more about your psychologist than about you.
Age 46. Lots of experience being labelled and mis-medicated.
Psychology--the science of interperting human thought and behaviour.
That's all I know.
Capture
Age 28ish
A.A., A.A.S.,B.A.(almost there!)
those who have asked to which "type" of psychology I was referring to- It doesn't really matter, I mainly just want the first thing that comes to your mind.
Thank you to everyone who is contributing! ;)b
Uhm, they do all the dirty work for the psychiatrists, who then meet with the clients for 10 minutes, review the psychologist's case file and adjusts the medication as "needed" ;)b
B.S.W (Licensed for psycho-social intervention)
Put this in there:
Psychology-A pretty worthless load of crap to have a degree in. X2 (P and I)
I enjoyed it though.
AC, 24, B.S. Psychology and Biology
If you use my quote I expect baked goods in the mail. I hope this does not influence your decision.