Psychology
Psychology is the scientific study of thought and behavior, and as such, is an
extremely broad discipline. To understand the events, internal and external, that
lead us to behave as we do, we need to know a number of things. We must look at the
biological basis of behavior, such as the nervous system, the endocrine system, and
genetic influences. We also need to consider the role of learned behaviors acquired
through experience and about the roles of sensation, perception, memory, and
cognition. We have to address individual differences, such as the characteristics
that distinguish the individual from all others. We also need to consider the
effects of social interaction, since people live among others and are influenced by
their contacts and communications with other people. Because people change over
time, we also need to know something about developmental processes. Understanding
the roles of these various factors in the production of thought and behavior is a
complex task, which makes psychology a complex and fascinating discipline.
Apart
from the topics that are studied, psychology is distinguished from other
disciplines by its wide array of methodologies. As a field, psychology has its
roots in philosophy. Thus, it shares with philosophy the use of careful reasoning
from first principles as a means of discovering and verifying claims about the
world. In psychology, this process is most often stated in terms of generating
predictions or hypotheses from a theory. Psychology shares with physics, chemistry,
biology, and other sciences the use of empirical observations (data) to discover
and verify hypotheses about the world. In sum, psychology combines the intellectual
rigor of philosophy with the empirical techniques of the scientific method.
Majoring
in psychology will provide you with a special combination of intellectual skills.
As a psychology major, you will learn how to reason in a coherent manner, to break
down a complex problem into its component parts, to use empirical information to
evaluate a claim, and how to communicate your ideas effectively. These general
skills, such as critical thinking, are important to your success in both personal
and professional life. Psychology provides students with a unique mix of training
in critical and coherent reasoning, application of the scientific method, and
effective communication. Add to these skills a general knowledge of why people act
and feel the way they do and you have a foundation that will prepare you for the
challenges of the future whether you decide to pursue a career in business, law,
medicine, religion, politics, or psychology and related fields.
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