Self reflection and personal development

Psychology Analysis

When I first began this class, I felt that psychology was a field designed to help people who were 'mentally challenged' or having emotional troubles better deal with the challenges that faced them on an every day basis. As a business/finance major working full time for a residential/appraisal firm, I was not certain that I would benefit from a class on psychology, but was interested to learn about psychology in general. Much of my experience with psychology had been limited to things I had read in the newspaper or seen in the media. I assumed that most of psychology was concerned with counseling, and I had primarily considered the field of psychology as one reserved for social workers and medical physicians, and not something that could benefit an individual in an ordinary working environment.

My opinion of the field and its application to my life have changed significantly from this course. I feel that psychology is now tremendously relevant to any field and any industry, and can help people not only learn to communicate but also cope, interact and interpret behaviors and perceptions. I have learned through this course that psychology is a diverse field that is multi-faceted, with applications for the medical and also business community. I learned that human nature is the result of psychological processes.

During the course I began to recognize my own behavior patters, motivators and thinking processes, and also began to realize how my attitudes, beliefs and emotions might impact my relationships with others, personal and professional.

I would define psychology as the holistic study, observation, evaluation and even interpretation of human emotions, attitudes and behaviors. Psychology is a field that embraces human behaviors and attempts to define them. The field of psychology has also developed behavioral models that help explain methods of thinking and acting.

I feel that psychology can be applied to prevent and even eliminate problematic behaviors or conditions in people from a personal or a work perspective. It can also be used to help individuals excel in their chosen field, understand the complex nature of relationships, and build successful teams when used appropriately.

There is virtually no aspect of every day existence, human behavior or emotions that psychology does not address. Interestingly I learned that it is a profession that embraces educators and skilled counselors, employment and otherwise, to work toward a common goal of helping humans achieve their very best.

The field of psychology doesn't simply involve helping people with mental or emotional challenges. Rather the practice is wide ranging and involves many different areas including intelligence and personality, skills and abilities, psychological well being, behavior analysis, emotions and feelings, illness, injury, consultation and education. Psychology can be applied to individuals or groups.

I can use psychology in my chosen field to asses my own motivations and interests in employment and to help me interpret my own beliefs, attitudes and behaviors. I can also use it to analyze interactions and my interpersonal relationships with other members of the team, in an effort to create a more holistic and collaborative work environment.

In times of stress psychology can also be utilized to help problem solve and negotiate. From a personal perspective the course has helped me understand the links that exist between physiological processes and psychological ones. The two in some instances can be intertwined. For example, if I were to feel depressed it could be because of unresolved emotional issues or it could be because of a biochemical imbalance, not eating well or suffering an illness for example.

I believe I have learned many things in class that will help make me more effective and successful in my personal life. Perhaps the most evident thing I have learned is how to determine my own conscious motivators and recognize how my unconscious beliefs and morals may impact my attitudes, beliefs and behaviors. This falls more into the realm of social psychology. I have learned exactly how critical environment can be to ones success or distress.

With regard to my profession, I believe that I can use psychology in many ways. Psychology is an important tool for employees and managers alike. When used correctly it can help foster a collaborative and open work environment that encourages individual thinking, behavior, and goal setting. It can also be used to mitigate and problem solve. Psychology can also be used to address more difficult aspects of the workplace environment.

A learned for example how impacting stress can be on one's emotional state and subsequent behaviors. In a work environment one may acknowledge that some jobs are more stressful than others. The more stressful the job environment the more likely an employee to suffer the deleterious effects of stress, which can include anxiety, depression and other physical ailments. Psychology can help managers and employees be more in tune to the stressors they face so they learn coping mechanisms and methods for alleviating their stress.

Psychology can also be used to facilitate a collaborative working environment where employees feel free to express their idea, emotions and motivations. Psychology helps explain complex interactions, and provides a framework of reference for individuals working on a one on one and in a group environment. The field provides several paradigms for analyzing common problems and conflicts that occur on the personal level and at the work level, so that teams can work more cohesively and more effectively.

Psychology can also lead people into a particular career field. Psychologists can use a battery of tests to assess an individual's unique skills and abilities and unique personality traits. If a person is unhappy on the job, it could be because they are not in a job that matches their own unique personal skills, abilities and traits. Psychology can be used in a positive way to help employees identify their strong points to ensure that they are working in a position that is capitalizing on their strengths rather than weaknesses.