PSYCHOLOGY 1010--General Psychology
Reflective Writing
Not only was psychology 1010 was a great introduction to the field of psychology, but I found this class to be very interesting and thought-provoking. The course material consisted of introducing and exploring the principles and foundations of the study of psychology. During the semester we also became acquainted with the different disciplines within the field of psychology, and were educated on the different perspectives and how each of them address human behavior.
As I learned about the various perspectives I found myself relating best with the behavioral and cognitive perspectives. As in the behavioral perspective, I believe behaviors both appear and dissolve from external reinforcement, and that observation is important to understanding how to successfully control behavior. However, observing behavior alone does not give the entire picture of what is happening internally through thoughts and feelings. The cognitive perspective focuses on the illogical thought processes, and I believe this view is key to getting to the source of the difficulties people experience, which is portrayed as abnormal or maladaptive behaviors. That being said, the biological perspective has much to offer in the realm of psychology. There is a great deal still to be learned about the body and how it affects the mind. As technology advances, there is more of an opportunity to learn how biology effects thoughts and behavior. The humanistic perspective, or third force, has some aspects that I really love. For instance, the concept of the real and ideal self, the perception of oneself and the perception of whom one should actually be, which creates conflict both in thoughts and behavior. Taking all of this into consideration, it makes sense that most psychologists take an eclectic psychological approach using and borrowing from multiple perspectives in an effort to understand and help the human family.
The defining of the different specialties in psychology has helped me to gain a better understanding of how they work together to help individuals effect change in their lives. Although I have plenty of time to decide and much more to learn, the class has helped me gain a better awareness of the different areas of specialty for where I might want to specialize.
All of this information has helped me establish good groundwork to build on going forward in the field of psychology and has reinforced my excitement for continued learning in the field.
As I learned about the various perspectives I found myself relating best with the behavioral and cognitive perspectives. As in the behavioral perspective, I believe behaviors both appear and dissolve from external reinforcement, and that observation is important to understanding how to successfully control behavior. However, observing behavior alone does not give the entire picture of what is happening internally through thoughts and feelings. The cognitive perspective focuses on the illogical thought processes, and I believe this view is key to getting to the source of the difficulties people experience, which is portrayed as abnormal or maladaptive behaviors. That being said, the biological perspective has much to offer in the realm of psychology. There is a great deal still to be learned about the body and how it affects the mind. As technology advances, there is more of an opportunity to learn how biology effects thoughts and behavior. The humanistic perspective, or third force, has some aspects that I really love. For instance, the concept of the real and ideal self, the perception of oneself and the perception of whom one should actually be, which creates conflict both in thoughts and behavior. Taking all of this into consideration, it makes sense that most psychologists take an eclectic psychological approach using and borrowing from multiple perspectives in an effort to understand and help the human family.
The defining of the different specialties in psychology has helped me to gain a better understanding of how they work together to help individuals effect change in their lives. Although I have plenty of time to decide and much more to learn, the class has helped me gain a better awareness of the different areas of specialty for where I might want to specialize.
All of this information has helped me establish good groundwork to build on going forward in the field of psychology and has reinforced my excitement for continued learning in the field.