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Top Reasons to Study Psychology
There are as many justifications to study psychology as there are students studying psychology. It's
a personal choice. But there are five reasons I want to share with you that are often mentioned as an
important reason to study psychology.

1. You Learn Why People Can Act Strangely

People are fascinating creatures! We all enjoy learning about the crazy things people do. This is
what makes psychology, especially social psychology, fascinating. For instance, you will learn about
the bystander effect, which explains why you are more likely to be helped when one person sees or
hears you in your hour of need than when a large group is watching.

2. You Learn About Kick-Ass Experiments

Many early scientific studies wouldn't pass the ethical test nowadays. Still, it's interesting to read
about them.
One of the best known is the Stanford prisoners experiment, which studied the psychological effects
of the power dynamic between prisoners and guards by having volunteers simulate a prison
situation. Or that of Little Albert, a little boy who was taught to fear a little rat. Little Albert ended up
being afraid of fluffy white animals for the rest of his life. The video below explains the research in six
minutes. Fascinating and outrageous.

3. You Learn to Do Research

Studying at university is cool because you learn academic skills. As a result, you end up with a more
critical attitude, and you do not believe everything published or broadcast. And at one time or
another, you'll get to do research about a topic of personal interest.
One of the most important tools that a psychologist has to his disposal is research. Research
provides insight into human behavior, provided the psychologist makes use of scientific methods.

4. You Learn About Mental Disorders and Treatment Options

Many psychologists also deal with mental disorders and options for their treatment. Mental disorders
are many and can have a debilitating effect on people's lives. Fortunately, various psychological
treatments have been developed for many mental issues. Best practices have been written down in
treatment and diagnosis protocols.
The prospect of being able to help others in their struggle to live a "normal" life appeals to many
students.

The benefits of learning about mental disorders

5. You Gain Insight Into People's Behavior

Doing, thinking, feeling, and actingas a student of psychology, you will get to study all aspects of
human behavior. You will learn not only about the general characteristics of human behavior, but
also about the differences.
What drives people? And how can you influence human behavior? These two questions are central
to the practice. Examples of questions psychologists address include:

How do people react to stress?

Do athletes perform better after mental training?

What is love, anyway?

Why does one child perform better in school than the other?

How is it that some of us are friendly and relaxed while others are often tense or stressed
out?

The reason I chose to study clinical psychology was a direct result of suffering from panic attacks. I
was dealt a bad hand of psychologists. As a consequence, my condition only worsened. And when I
hit rock bottom, I decided to take matters into my own hands. I set out to learn more about

psychologyin particular, I wanted to learn about anxiety disorders and find the best treatment
options.
For me, this turned out to be a smart choice that I never regretted. I got my life back.
Truth be told, I enjoyed all the other reasons listed above as wellexcept for the research, which
involves a lot of statistics and math, subjects I try to avoid like the plague.

http://classroom.synonym.com/benefits-learningpsychology-2509.html
What Are the Benefits of Learning Psychology?
by Erin Schreiner, Demand Media
Through the study of psychology, students work to understand the complex mental
processes that dictate human actions. Along with presenting an interesting academic
challenge, psychology has a host of applicable uses. Those who dedicate themselves to the
study of this discipline will find that they are able to apply their understanding of human
behavior to numerous situations and use their knowledge in their everyday life.

Improved Communication Skills

Many prominent psychologists have explored how humans engage in communication. By
developing an understanding of these individuals' findings, you can better your personal
communication skills and increase the effectiveness of your communication efforts.
Understanding the psychology of human interactions also makes it possible for you to avoid
potential pitfalls that can lead to a costly communication breakdown.

Better Understanding of Self

Psychology can help you understand how and why you feel as you do. Through a study of
psychology, you can see that you are not alone in your emotions or ideas, even when it may
seem that you are. Additionally, an understanding of psychological principles can help you
determine what you can do to respond to unwanted emotions and alleviate painful or
undesirable emotional situations.

Enhanced Understanding of Others

The study of psychology gives students a window into the actions of others as well, reports
Heidelburg University, Ohio. Understanding the emotional drives behind human actions can
make it easier to comprehend seemingly incomprehensible actions. It can also help you
improve your ability to assist others in dealing with emotional hardship or empathize with
those struggling with a difficult dilemma.

Stronger Conflict Resolution Skills

By learning about the reasons behind people's actions in psychology you can become more
adept at solving conflicts. When you understand how a person is likely to respond to a
situation, and the emotional processes that lead to that response, you can more effectively
predict how a situation will transpire. You will speak to an individual with whom you are
having a conflict in a level-headed and logical manner.

Good Career Prospects

Studying psychology has financial benefits as well. Anglia Ruskin University, U.K., reports
that those who study psychology prepare themselves for many jobs both within the mental
health industry and in business and educational settings. Student easily apply skills learned
in psychology class to business or social situations, making then an asset in almost any line
of work.

https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/cutting-edge-leadership/201208/the-5-topreasons-study-psychology

Ronald E Riggio Ph.D.Cutting-Edge Leadership

The 5 Top Reasons to Study

Psychology
Psychology is a useful and employable degree
\

Psychology is one of the most popular undergraduate majors, and applications to

graduate programs in Psychology continue to be strong. Over the years I have heard

many people criticize Psychology as a college major and as a career path, citing
reasons ranging from low pay and few jobs, to its not useful to its just an easy and
fun college major.
But there are many positive reasons to study Psychology that go beyond career
possibilities (although those are not nearly as bleak as some suggest).
Understanding Basic Psychological & Scientific Principles. Psychology as a social
science relies on the scientific method. Although Psychologys emphasis on research
methods and statistics turns many Psych majors off (these are the least popular
courses in surveys of psychology graduates), years later, Psych graduates say that
research methods and ability to interpret statistical results are the biggest contributors to
their career success, regardless of whether they pursued a career in psychology or
elsewhere.
Critical thinking. A great deal of psychological content, and the methods taught and
used by psychologists, focus on how to think critically. Critical thinking is considered to
be essential to being an educated person, and is often a general education requirement
in colleges. Psychology courses develop the critical thinking skills that are important in
business, law, and other professions.
More Effective in the Workplace. Industrial-Organizational Psychology (one of the top10 highest paying professions) focuses on understanding human dynamics in the
workplace. A knowledge of human behavior is one of the selling points for Psych
majors when it comes to gaining employment, and a knowledge of basic psychology
makes you a more effective supervisor/manager.
Understanding of Relationships and Well-Being. Although studying psychology
doesnt necessarily make you psychologically healthier (any more than studying
medicine makes you physically healthy), Psych majors do have this knowledge at their
fingertips and should be more aware of the fact that good interpersonal and family

relationships require attention and work. Psych majors should, at least, know where to
go when they need counseling or psychotherapy.
Improves Employability. Contrary to popular belief, Psychology is a very good,
general major for careers in law, social services, education, business, and many other
occupations. The trick is knowing how to sell your Psychology degree and background
to a potential employer (the employer may hold to stereotypes that Psychology is an
empty major without real skills). However, savvy employers (and savvy job applicants)
know that an understanding of human behavior is essential to success in the workplace,
and this needs to be emphasized as an important, and employable, competency.
Graduates with psychology degrees end up in a wide array of occupations, and most
are quite successful because of what they learned in college.
http://www.psy.unsw.edu.au/future-students/undergraduate/why-study-psychology

Why study Psychology?

Whatever career you pursue, a background in psychology will enhance your employability. Studying psychology can
help you understand yourself and other people by learning about aspects of human behaviour that will help you
in daily life, including your interactions with others, your learning and memory performance, your ability to cope with
pressure and your understanding of the causes of psychological disorders.
complement other learning by combining Psychology with other courses. Many courses in the Faculty of Arts and
Social Science, as well as those in the Australian School of Business, benefit from an understanding of human
behaviour, be it social interaction, language and communication, human motivation and emotion, or the process of
decision-making. Knowledge about brain function and behaviour is of considerable benefit to students studying other
science degrees.
develop sound analytical skills through the application of scientific method. Psychology is a science. The
defining feature of any science is the objective approach that is used to advance our knowledge. In psychology we
use this scientific approach to learn about behaviour and mental life. Psychology provides an excellent training in
analytic thinking and scientific research methods that are applicable to a broad range of careers.
prepare you for a career as a professional Psychologist. Psychologists work in a wide variety of different
contexts, including clinical, legal, organisational, educational and research settings in both the private and public
sector. The initial training required to work as a psychologist is an accredited undergraduate degree in psychology.
Specialist training in different professional areas is then provided in postgraduate degrees.

...provide excellent job prospects in a wide range of careers. Job Outlook, the careers and labour market
research information site of the Australian Government, makes the following points about Psychologists:
Psychologists are employed across several industries including Health Care and Social Assistance; Public
Administration and Safety; Education and Training; and Administrative and Support Services. This mix of industries is
highly favourable for employment growth prospects. In fact, employment growth over the next ten years is predicted to
exceed 140%, with growth in the top 10% of all careers over the next 2-10 years. For Psychologists working full-time,
average weekly hours are 37.8 (compared to 41.3 for all occupations) and earnings are above average in the top
20% of all careers. Unemployment for Psychologists is low.

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Benefits of Learning Psychology

Teachers and Prospective Teachers

Education

For

Posted by The New Economics Education

Benefits of studying educational psychology for teachers and prospective teachers

can be divided into two aspects, namely:

A. For

Studying

the

situation

in

the

Learning

Process

Educational psychology contributes a lot to teachers and prospective teachers to

improve the efficiency of the learning process at different conditions as below:

1.

Understanding

Individual

Differences

A teacher must deal with a group of students in the classroom with caution,
because the characteristics of each student is different. It is therefore very
important to understand the different characteristics of students at various levels of
growth and development to create effective learning and efficient. Educational

psychology

can

help

teachers

and

prospective

teachers

in

understanding

differences in student characteristics.

2.

Creation

of

Conducive

Learning

Climate

in

the

Classroom

Good understanding of the classroom used in the learning process helps teachers to
deliver material to students effectively. Climate conducive to learning must be
created by the teacher so that the learning process can be run effectively. A teacher
must know the correct principles in teaching and learning, a different approach in
teaching to the learning process better. Educational psychology plays a role in
helping teachers to create socio-emotional climate that is conducive in the
classroom, so that the process of learning in the classroom can be effective.
3.

Selection

Teaching

of

methods

Learning

are

based

Strategies

on

the

and

characteristics

Methods
of

students'

progress. Educational psychology can assist teachers in determining the strategy or

method of learning the proper and appropriate, and able to relate to the
characteristics and uniqueness of the individual, the type of learning and learning
styles

and

4.

levels

of

development

Provide

being

experienced

guidance

by

the

to

learner.

students

A teacher must play different roles in the school, not only in the implementation of
learning, but also act as mentors for students. Guidance is the kind of assistance to
students to solve problems they encounter. Knowledge of educational psychology
allows teachers to provide educational and vocational guidance necessary for
students
5.

at

different

Evaluate

ages.

Learning

Outcomes

Teachers have to do two important activities in the classroom as teaching and

evaluating. The

evaluation

helps

in

measuring

student

learning

outcomes. Educational psychology can help teachers and prospective teachers in

developing the evaluation of student learning that is more just, both in the technical
evaluation, compliance with the principles of evaluation and determine the results
of

evaluations.

B. For the Application of the Principles of Teaching and Learning

1.

Establish

Learning

Objectives

The purpose of learning refers to changes in student behavior that is experienced

after the implementation of the learning process. Educational psychology helps the
teacher in determining the shape of the desired behavior change as the learning
objectives.
2.
Knowledge

Use
of

of

educational

Learning

psychology

teachers

need

to

Media
plan

appropriate

instructional media to be used. For example, the use of audio-visual media, so as to

give
3.

real

Preparation

picture
of

to
Lesson

students.
Schedule

Timetable should be drafted based on the psychology of the learner. For example,
which is considered difficult subjects such as mathematics students placed at the
beginning of class, where the conditions and spirit of the students were still fresh in
receiving

course

materials.

Based on the description, it can be concluded that the overall educational

psychology untu role in helping teachers to plan, organize and evaluate teaching
and learning activities in schools