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Psychology
is
the
study
of
people:
how
they
think,
how
they
act,
react
and
interact.
Psychology
is concerned with all aspects of behaviour and the thoughts, feelings
and motivations underlying such behaviour.
In a sense, you are already a psychologist: we all are.We
are all interested in what makes people tick, and how this understanding
can help us to solve major problems in society. But this booklet will
show you how to go from being an ‘amateur psychologist’ to
a professional one.
How can you learn the science behind behaviour? How can
you use it to improve people’s quality of life?
How can you put your knowledge to good use in a career?
If you tell your friends you are interested in psychology,
common reactions might be ‘well can you tell what I’m thinking
then?’ or ‘Psychology? That’s all just common sense
isn’t it?’
Because we are so familiar with our own behaviour we all
have theories about it, which are often reflected in everyday sayings:‘Absence
makes the heart grow fonder’, or ‘too many cooks spoil the
broth’. But what about ‘out of sight out of mind’, or
‘many hands make light work’?
Common sense isn’t so simple after all.
The science of human behaviour can give us a clearer picture.To
study psychology you have to learn scientific methods: observing, measuring,
testing, using statistics to show that what you find is reliable evidence
and not just down to chance.
But psychologists do not simply collect evidence to explain
people’s behaviour; they use their understanding to help people
with difficulties and bring about change for the better. For example,
psychologists are concerned with practical problems such as:
• How can we ease the effects of parental
divorce
on
children?
•
How
should
drug
awareness
campaigns
frame
their
message?
•
How
can
we
minimise
accidents;
on
roads,
rails,
in
the
air?
•
How
can
the
courts
ensure
that
eyewitness
testimony
is
reliable?
•
How
should
people
act
on
a
date
–
what
do
others
tend
to
find
attractive?
•
How
can
footballers
keep
their
anger
in
check
on
the
pitch?
•
How
can
we
help
people
overcome
depression,
stress
or
phobias?
•
How
do
you
best
train
a
person
to
work
with
a
guide
dog?
•
How
can
governments
promote
peace
between
warring
nations?
•
How
can
we
speed
recovery
from
brain
injury?
•
How
can
bosses
stop
strong
leadership
spilling
over
into
bullying?
•
How
can
teachers
or
lecturers
ensure
students
are
really
learning?
So psychologists have a valuable contribution
to make to all areas of life today.This booklet will tell you about some
key areas of psychology, how you can go from studying psychology to becoming
a fully qualified psychologists, and how the British Psychological Society
can help.
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