Who am I to judge you?
In this course I have learned a lot about myself and how I perceive the world around me and how the world has and will continue to perceive me. I've learned how far psychology has come in such a short amount of time and helps us understand how we, as humans, work.
Does psychology matter? Yes, it affects us and influences us every minute of every day and we would be ignorant to disregard its impact. Every day as a court reporting student, I have to physically block things out while I'm writing in order to focus. I cannot let someone's age or skin color or manner of speaking distract me from my task, but the fact that this is so hard is how I know that psychology is constantly a factor.
Does psychology make a difference in communities and nations? As someone who has seen and experienced bias and mental afflictions firsthand, I know that psychology makes a significant difference. I once heard a girl say that "Black and Puerto Rican people don't look right." She, of course, didn't know that I am Black and Puerto Rican. When I told her that I was she told me that I was fine. As if I needed her approval to be who I am already. I don't know what she went through in life to give her such obvious biases but they were clearly present, and from her perspective, justified. These biases are in everyone, but in specific degrees and extents in each of us. In our government, schools, restaurants, and sometimes in our own homes.
Can the field of psychology demonstrate that it's theories, research, professional practice, methodologies, ways of thinking about the mind, brain and behavior make life better in a measurable way? Can psychology's benefits to society be measured? absolutely. Without psychologists we would still think that homosexuality was a disease to be treated with institutionalization and medication. Psychology helps us understand the world and the way we see and perceive our world. Bias, mental illness, learning, dreaming, and development are all fields of study within psychology that are measurable and incomprehensibly significant.
Has what psychology has to show as a discipline been applied in the real world beyond academia and practitioners' offices to improve health, education, welfare, safety, professional & organizational effectiveness, or other? Yes, psychology can be applied to every aspect of our daily lives and routines. Psychology affects us every day, whether in other people or within ourselves. We are constantly learning and changing our opinions, beliefs, biases and affectations. We can improve or worsen our conditions based on our knowledge of psychology and how we perceive and are perceived.
Can the field of psychology demonstrate that it's theories, research, professional practice, methodologies, ways of thinking about the mind, brain and behavior make life better in a measurable way? Can psychology's benefits to society be measured? absolutely. Without psychologists we would still think that homosexuality was a disease to be treated with institutionalization and medication. Psychology helps us understand the world and the way we see and perceive our world. Bias, mental illness, learning, dreaming, and development are all fields of study within psychology that are measurable and incomprehensibly significant.
Has what psychology has to show as a discipline been applied in the real world beyond academia and practitioners' offices to improve health, education, welfare, safety, professional & organizational effectiveness, or other? Yes, psychology can be applied to every aspect of our daily lives and routines. Psychology affects us every day, whether in other people or within ourselves. We are constantly learning and changing our opinions, beliefs, biases and affectations. We can improve or worsen our conditions based on our knowledge of psychology and how we perceive and are perceived.
