What is General Psychology?

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General Psychology is a basic introduction to the field of psychology. At some colleges, this will be one class (Psy 101), at others, it will be broken down into (Psy 101 and Psy 102). The subject matter will generally cover a variety of psychology topics. Students will get a general overview of many subjects but not necessarily dive into great depth on any.

Think of this class as a test run to see if you like the field of psychology. Frequently people either love general psychology and want to take more or have a bad experience and want no more. Truthfully, your instructor and class will have a big impact on the overall experience. Give it a chance as there is so much that can be learned about people, behaviors, and the world in this class. 

Topics in General Psychology

Each class will vary on how much time is spent on the individual subjects. The subjects have great diversity. The field is varying with substantial differences in approach, ideology, and goals. Each topic you have in general psychology has its own separate class, if not multiple classes dedicated solely to that topic.

General Psychology will always involve the study of human behavior in some way or another. How humans behave is determined by many different factors and looking at singular explanations is short-sided. When taking General Psychology, be open-minded, willing to participate, and understand that psychology is all around you, all the time. The lessons from psychology can help you regardless of the career path or life goals you have. There is much to be learned about mental health, communication, relationships, self-improvement, studying, intelligence, and success from an introductory psychology course. Have fun, understand all the requirements, and seek to understand.

Psychology is all about people. How people are studied and investigated will depend on the specific subject and topic. Generally, the subject will revolve around humans or animals in some way or another, or at least the interaction with humans. Cultures, politics, relationships, motivation, and much more are part of this class. 

When asked, “What is Psychology?” Many people, even within the field, struggle to give an easy definition that someone can actually understand.

People hear and use the term psychology frequently. However, many people do not really know exactly what this social science is. There are a variety of definitions for psychology:

  • “The scientific study of the human mind and its functions, especially those affecting behavior in a given context” (google answers)
  • “The study of the mind and human behavior” (American Psychological Association, 2000)
  • “The scientific study of behavior” (Palladino and Davis, 2010)
  • Basically, psychology studies human behaviors, the brain, and the mind, but has expanded into a variety of areas.

These definitions are a little vague, but so is the field of psychology. Psychology is a large field that breaks down into other areas of psychology. All of these fields aim to observe, understand, and predict behavior in some way or another. They are in the field of behavior, but fundamentally they have significant, fundamental differences between them:

  • Biological/Physiological Psychology: The study of genes, DNA, and biological processes in an attempt to understand human behavior.
  • Clinical Psychology: The treatment in a clinical setting of mental health disorders, more focused on therapeutic methods than Abnormal Psychology.
  • Social Psychology: The study of how people impact and are impacted by others.
  • Personality Psychology: Understanding, observing, and analyzing the factors that go into the development of personalities.
  • Positive Psychology: The study of individual and group happiness, satisfaction, and thriving.
  • Abnormal Psychology: The study of mental health disorders, diagnosis and treatment, and therapy.
  • Gender Psychology: Studying the multifaceted construct of gender (masculine and feminine) and sex (male and female).
  • Cognitive Psychology:  Concerned with memory, thinking, and how thoughts occur.
  • Sport Psychology: Applying concepts of psychology to athletes and their performance in an athletic setting.
  • Animal Psychology: Studying animals and pets to understand their behavior and mind.
  • Evolutionary Psychology: Similar to Darwinian principles, applying natural selection to psychological constructs and behaviors.
  • Industrial/Organizational Psychology: Applying psychological concepts to the workplace and organizations.
  • School Psychology: Working with students in a school or other academic setting to help diagnose mental health disorders related to learning and identifying appropriate modifications.
  • Consumer Psychology:  Researching, analyzing, and understanding the behaviors of consumers, frequently work with marketing and advertising departments.
  • Forensic Psychology: Psychology applied to the legal field and understanding the behaviors of criminals.
  • Health Psychology: Understanding the psychological effects on health, and the effects of health on psychological wellness.

Believe it or not, there are even more sub-fields of psychology. All fields look to understand behavior in one way or another. Within each of these sub-fields, they will break down into different theories and beliefs that help to understand those sub-fields.

Careers in the field of Psychology

There are many different careers in the field of psychology. While psychology can be seen, used, and applied in virtually all jobs, there are some specific jobs that are directly related to the field of psychology. The tasks, responsibilities, and restrictions from job to job can vary greatly.

  • Psychiatrist: This person is a medical doctor, he or she has either an M.D. or D.O. and has completed medical school. In the last few years of medical school they chose psychiatric as their focus (some orthopedics, oncology, gynecology, etc.). These doctors have chosen to specialize in psychiatry. Psychiatry deals with the treatment of mental illness, generally from a bio/medical standpoint. These doctors CAN PRESCRIBE MEDICATION. 
  • Psychologists: These people are also called Dr., but the major defining difference is that they CAN NOT prescribe medication. They have either received a Ph. D. or Psy. D and are all called Dr. but have not gone to medical school and usually have a clinical degree. They diagnose and treat mental illness in a clinical setting. They can focus on any of the sub-fields of psychology. Often using talk therapy and behavior modification is their approach.
  • Counselors/Therapists: A counselor or therapist usually has a Master’s Degree in counseling or a related field (Psychology or Social Work). They can also diagnose and treat mental illness. Generally, they practice talk therapy and behavior modification. There are many different forms of talk therapy and approaches to the field. Many counselors specialize in a certain area like couples, substance abuse, eating disorders, etc.
  • Psychiatric Nurses: These folks have a degree in nursing, and usually subsequent training specifically in the field of mental health. They will usually work more in a hospital setting. In some places, they can even write prescriptions under a doctor’s watch.
  • Psychological Researcher: No matter what the sub-field of psychology, research is necessary. The type of research that is being done will vary drastically based on the area of study.
  • Human Resources: Many people with degrees in psychology go into HR. The overlap is significant as they both deal with people. This is a natural cross-over and a route for people to go who do not want to be in a clinical setting but want to continue working with people.
  • Sales: Reading people, connecting, understanding customers, motivation and human reactions are all parts of both sales and psychology. Learning about people can really improve your ability to sell.
  • Any field with people: Realistically many fields deal with psychology because they involve people. So studying psychology can allow you to deal with people in a more positive and productive manner.

People with degrees in psychology often have a wide array of jobs that might not have anything directly to do with mental health treatment. Since the field of psychology deals with human behavior, it is applicable to almost all fields and is in no way limited to a clinical setting. Psychology is everywhere in the workforce.

Why Study Psychology?

Studying psychology is useful not just to people who want to be a therapist, but to everyone. Ranging from relationships to employment, all the way to your overall happiness and functioning. Having a good understanding of people and basic psychological concepts will help you in professional life, personal, relationships can improve your overall functioning, increased productivity, enhanced mental health and wellness, boost your immune system, and help you to understand this crazy world we live in.

Where is Psychology?

Psychology is everywhere. It is interpersonal (between people), intra-personal (within yourself), professional, society, culture, mental wellness, legal/criminal, advertising, and so much more. Psychology is all around you and the more you study in this field, the more you will realize psychology is always present. Here are a few areas where you can really see psychology:

  • Media: The media has an agenda of some sort, virtually all media. They are often trying to persuade you of one thing or another to support their goals. This can be on a big scale, like the Comedy News Network CNN persuading you to vote Democratic, or the Fox Fiction channel trying to get you to vote for Donald Trump. Neither of these agencies is likely to provide the “absolutely truthful” story and will often spin things one way or another. The media also paints pictures of people or events that may or may not be true, they use psychology. You need to use psychology as well to cipher through these biased messages.
  • Advertising: Businesses are always trying to persuade you to buy their products. They use psychological concepts to try to market directly to you, so you spend money on whatever it is they are offering. Billions of dollars are spent annually on the psychology of advertising.
  • Relationships: We are all involved in multiple relationships. They can be family, romantic, friendship, professional, or just everyday interactions with people. Understanding how human beings interact with one another, why people act the way they do, and how they behave in relationships is a huge part of psychology. Having a good understanding of people can be extremely beneficial.
  • Mental Health: Usually when people think about psychology, they think about mental health or counseling. There are many factors that go into overall mental health and functioning, largely self-care. Psychology often looks to understand and improve mental health through an array of tools.
  • The Workplace: Ever have a co-worker that you just can’t stand? Have ideas of how your company could improve but don’t get a voice? Want to murder a customer? Want to improve your ability to sell?  All of these are psychology-related topics that improve by learning more about human behavior.
  • Every day: Ever get road rage? Wonder why you can’t get the courage to ask a girl or guy out on a date? See two people arguing and want to help? Ponder why people act the way they do? All of these thoughts are regarding psychology.

Psychology is all around us, always. It is extremely important to study this field as it can be very beneficial to you and the people around you. Finding the sub-field of psychology that interests you the most will enhance your overall experience and enjoyment of the class. Try out a few areas and see which is the best fit for you.

References

American Psychological Association. (n.d.). Psychology. Retrieved January 21, 2016, from http://www.apa.org/support/index.aspx#answer

Davis, T., & Palladino, G. (2012). Psychology. New York, NY: Pearson.