What is Psychology, Anyway?
Introduction to Psychology (PSYC 110) is one of my favorite classes to teach because not only do I get to meet students from a wide range of disciplines (I always have a shockingly low number of Psych majors in my intro classes…), but I also get to teach a wide range of content. This class is a sampling of the very breadth of the field of psychology: Biological Psychology, Learning and Behavior, Memory, Development, Emotion and Motivation, the Psychology of Gender and so on. I have been teaching Intro to Psych for about 10 years now, and every semester I find something different and exciting in the content.
One thing that never changes, though, is the stereotypes and misconceptions about Psychology as a field and a career. I always start off the course by asking for three things that come to mind when students think about the word “psychology.” While there is some variation in the responses, some of the most commonly occurring answers are mental health, therapy, counseling, depression, anxiety, and so on.
Psychology certainly is about therapy and promoting positive well being; however, that is not the only thing the field does. For example, I am a developmental psychologist, whose research speciality is adolescent social development. My work looks at how adolescents navigate their social worlds: from social media to popularity to bullying/victimization. And yet, I am not a therapist. I, and other psychologists like me, do the behind-the-scenes work that enables therapists to do what they do so well. Research is the framework which helps therapy stand — without research, how do we know what kinds of therapy work best for which disorders? Or with which populations? Or which do not work at all?
There are so many different branches of psychology (this is a great resource to learn more!), which can certainly become overwhelming. Suffice it to say that psychology is, to put it simply, the scientific study of the mind and behavior. It seeks to understand how individuals think, feel, and act, exploring the underlying mental processes, emotions, and social dynamics that shape human experience. Are these questions vital for therapists? Sure. But the field is so much more than that.
During my first day of Intro to Psych, I always ask my students to name me a field which does not work with human beings in any capacity. Occasionally I get a cheeky answer such as “mortician” or “computer analyst in a remote area” (those jobs do still require human interaction; albeit, less than many other jobs), but most of the time students are stumped by this question. The reason is that it is a trick question — there is no job that enables us to completely avoid human interaction. No matter your major: Biology, Criminal Justice, Nursing, Psychology, Accounting, Education — you will be called upon to deal with human thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. And that, more so than just therapy, is the true value of psychology!
Want to learn more? Check out our Psychology Major.
