Are you interested in how the human mind works? Want to help others and enjoy a rewarding career? If this sounds like you, consider a psychology degree program. So, what is psychology?

What is Psychology?

Psychology is the scientific study of the mind and behavior. The science of psychology benefits society and enhances our lives, according to the American Psychological Association (APA). It examines the relationship between the brain, environment, and behavior.

What Do Psychologists Do?

Psychologists conduct research, consult with communities, diagnose and treat patients, and teach those pursuing the discipline. They assess behavioral and mental function compared to a patient’s well-being. As a psychology student, you will learn about different types of psychology that include:

Clinical Psychology integrates science, theory, and practice to understand, predict, and relieve problems. The psychologist will focus on a patient’s intellectual, emotional, biological, psychological, social, and behavioral aspects of life. Clinical psychology can help understand, prevent, and alleviate distress.

Cognitive Psychology investigates internal mental processes, including problem-solving, memory, learning, and language. It also looks at how people acquire, process, and store information.

Forensic Psychology – the application of psychology to criminal investigation and the law.

Social Psychology – uses scientific methods to understand the influence of society on human behavior.

Developmental Psychology – a study of the psychological changes over a human’s lifespan. It focuses on motor skills, problem-solving, moral understanding, acquired language, emotions, personality, self-concept, and identity formation.

What Do You Learn During a Psychology Degree Program?

When you complete the Psychology Degree program, you gain essential knowledge and skills that help you become a successful psychologist. Some of the knowledge and skills include:

Psychological Theories, Concepts, and History

The Grand Theories of Psychology attempt to explain the nature of human behavior, thought, and emotion. During the Psychology degree program, you will learn about essential theories and concepts in Psychology. They include psychoanalysis, behaviorism, cognitive psychology, humanism, and evolutionary psychology, to name a few.

The Scientific Method is a systematic process of collecting and evaluating evidence to test theories in Psychology. Psychologists use intuition, authority, rationalism, and empiricism to generate new ideas. Still, the scientific method uses controlled observation to test theories.

Intuition – knowledge that appears in the consciousness without deliberation. It is a hunch that is based on past experiences and learned knowledge.

Authority – the capacity to influence others. Psychologists can be an authority figure in the eyes of the patient. Authority can manifest from confidence. This confidence is built throughout the Psychology degree program with the exhaustive learning of theory and concepts within Psychology.

Rationalism – a psychologist will make decisions based on reason and logic rather than emotion. Reason is the foundation of knowledge.

Empiricism – the psychologist ascribes to the fact that knowledge arises from experience or requires experience for its validation.

Cognitive Skills

Cognitive skills involve how your brain thinks, reads, learns, remembers, reasons, and pays attention. Psychologists must be able to carry out mental processes like problem-solving, adaptation, comprehension, reasoning, knowledge acquisition, and abstract thought because cognitive ability is the foundation for learning.

Problem-Solving

Problem-solving is a core trait in human evolution. It helps us understand what is happening and how to change our behavior to create the desired outcome. Problem-solving is crucial because it allows us to control our environment.

During the curriculum, you will learn:

To identify and attain a goal with complex logical analysis.
To define a problem and determine the cause.
To identify, prioritize, and select the best solutions.
To implement that solution to improve the psychology of your patients.

Adaptation

Adaptation is a central concept in the theory of evolution. It is how an organism evolves through natural selection or for humans’ healthy behavioral changes. Psychologists must be adaptable and can adjust to new information and experiences.

Comprehension

Comprehension is the process of extracting meaning from information and experiences. It is essential to learning, reasoning, problem-solving, and decision-making.

Reasoning

Reasoning is the controlled thinking toward a solution to a problem. Reasoning is divided into two types: inductive and deductive reasoning. Inductive reasoning tries to discover a generalized principle by using case studies, unique examples, and identification of their elements. Deductive reasoning is the ability of a psychologist to draw a logical conclusion from known evidence.

Knowledge Acquisition

As a student of Psychology, you will learn about knowledge acquisition from countless hours of reading, studying, attending classes, and asking questions. However, knowledge is acquired by deliberate practice rather than rote repetition. Deliberate practice involves attention, rehearsal, and repetition.

Abstract Thought

During your Psychology degree program, you will learn to understand fundamental concepts without direct ties to physical objects or experiences. This often includes the discussion and research of hypothetical concepts within Psychology.

Decision Making

Decision-making is forming opinions and choosing actions from mental processes influenced by biases, reason, emotion, and memories. Psychologists use informed decision-making to think critically to make good decisions without bias.

Critical Evaluation

During your curriculum, you will learn to break down arguments into their parts, ask the right analytical questions, and find evidence supporting your opinion or theory. Critical evaluation is used in psychological writing to identify the evidence to support or refute an argument and the quality of that evidence. Good evidence will have both internal and external validity.

Communication Skills

Most of what you do as a psychologist involves speaking with patients and doing research. This means both verbal and written communication are essential skills. The good news is that you will hone these skills during your Psychology Degree program. You can mock interview patients and write up research about Psychology during your studies.

What Classes are Part of the Psychology Curriculum?

In addition to general education classes, you will complete many Psychology-specific courses that will prepare you to become a psychologist. These classes include:

Abnormal Psychology – an examination of the pathology of mental health and illness. The class focuses on psychological disorders, theories of their development, symptomology, and classification systems.

Foundations of Clinical Psychology – an introduction to clinical psychology concerning etiology, nature, development, and treatment of behavioral, emotional, and relational problems.

Behavior Modification – an introduction to behavior analysis and application of learning principles, behavioral assessment, research design, and interventions.

Psychology of Childhood – a focus on child growth and developmental process. This includes biological and environmental factors that shape personality and affect achievement throughout childhood.

Adolescent Psychology – an introduction to biological, psychological, and sociological perspectives on adolescence. It focuses on the dynamics of socialization, self-concept and identity, peer groups, and problems of adolescence.

Psychology of Aging – an introduction to gerontology, including the development of psychological processes in the aged, psychological problems, and theoretical issues in the study of older people.

Cognitive Processes – an introduction to human cognitive abilities. This includes perceptual and motor skills, attention, learning and memory, language, and thinking.

Psychology of Personality – the study of personality development, assessment, and defining processes.

Biological Basis of Behavior – a focus on the structure and function of the nervous system.

Psychological Research Methods – a course on the logic of experimental design, control concepts, and experimental data analysis.

History and Theories of Psychology – a review of the scientific method and an emphasis on the history of psychology in America.

Social Psychology – an introduction to the social factors influencing individual behavior focusing on socialization, social influence, social conformity, social interaction, decision-making, attitudes, and opinions.

Cross-Cultural Issues in Psychology – focuses on culture and psychology, including cross-cultural research and critical thinking.

Psychology and Gender – an introduction to the psychology study of gender, including development, biological, social, and cultural perspectives.

Final Thoughts

Now that you know what you will learn during a Psychology Degree program, it is time to learn more about Florida National University. In two years, you can prepare for a career in Psychology. Get the knowledge and skills you need to succeed in Psychology with the help of Florida National University.

Eager to Learn More?

This program prepares the students for entry-level positions and advanced professional education in psychology. Students will be exposed to the significant domains of psychology. They will acquire a solid knowledge base in each of these domains and be able to integrate and apply knowledge and meet their career goals. Upon program completion, Florida National University awards a Bachelor of Science Degree in Psychology.