Statistics: Statistics Are the Mathematical

Statistics: Statistics are the mathematical computations that result from empirical research. The media loves statistics. Statistics sound impressive, adding seeming credibility to statements about human nature. Statistics are one of the goals of empirical research. When a hypotheses is tested empirically, the statistical analysis reveals trends such as "50% of people who take Paxil experience relief from their symptoms." Unfortunately, statistics are often distorted and unreliable. The population sample, experimental conditions, and flaws in the research design make statistics less glamorous than they seem in the media. Media articles on psychology should take care to address potential biases when citing statistics from psychological research.

Human development: Human development refers to natural biological and psychological changes over time. The study of human development helps psychologists understand how we learn and under what conditions we learn best. In our daily lives, we can see how issues related to human development impact individual differences. Human development teaches us how we change over time. For example, children at different stages of development will communicate, think, act, and learn differently.

Intelligence: Intelligence is a multifaceted, complex psychological issue partly but not fully defined by the ability to learn new things. Measuring intelligence is a controversial issue in the field of psychology, as there are too many nuances and types of intelligence for any test to accurately describe the aptitude of individuals. For example, we all know people who are "street smart" but not "book smart" and the other way around. Some are musically skilled, and others may only excel in math. In our daily lives we can become more aware of the different types of intelligence instead of focusing only on the intelligence measured in school exams.

Personality: Personality is a subtle and difficult to define aggregate of traits and qualities that define an individual. To talk about personality is to refer to the way someone communicates, thinks, and acts in the world. Differences in psychology are often due to differences in personality. When things like family background and neurology are ruled out, personality can account for why one friend is shy and another one is gregarious. Some people's personality changes, whereas others' personality remains relatively stable throughout their life.

Psychological Assessment: A psychological assessment can be based on clinical observations, interview data, or formal tests. Assessments are crucial to determine a client's needs, course of treatment, and to measure treatment outcomes. If a person experiences symptoms like extreme fatigue, that person would get assessed and the clinician may offer a diagnosis such as depression.