Psychology principles and applications in everyday life and media

¶ … Daily Life

Typically when one hears the word "psychology" one immediately is drawn to thoughts of psychotherapy, people on a couch, Sigmund Freud like analysts using terms like "how does that make you feel?" And similar associations. Other things that immediately come to mind are: our lives are determined by our childhood experiences ("it's all my Mom's fault"), our desires are hidden in our unconscious and emerge in our dreams, drugs can cure depression, etc. Psychology typically brings to mind aspects of therapy and clinical work; however, if one thinks harder one can also envision animal studies of learning, subliminal persuasion studies, and other research topics. In social circles we often hear of people playing "mind games" in relationships or using "reverse psychology" as a means to get someone to do something they otherwise might not do voluntarily. We are all innate psychologists in our own way creating theories about how the world works in relation to us. But in reality psychology focuses on the scientific study of behavior. It is comprised of a series of subspecialties, theories, and procedures for asking and answering questions regarding human and animal behavior and studying mental processes (American Psychological Association, 2012).

Given this, we can see the principles of psychology operating in all facets of our daily lives. Psychology is not just an academic subject that exists in classrooms, labs and therapists' offices. The principles of psychology can be seen all around us in everyday situations. For example on television these shows with criminal profilers who get inside the mind of a killer in order to predict his next move are amazingly popular. The television commercials and print ads we all see on a daily basis rely on psychological principles to develop marketing messages that influence and persuade people to purchase these advertised products. The websites that people visit on a regular basis utilize psychological principles to understand how people read, use and interpret online information. With hopes of satisfying curiosity, many people listen to talk-radio counselors and psychologists or watch talk shows that employ more "pop" psychology to learn about themselves and others. The media is full of instances of everyday exposure or application of psychological principles.

Anyone who has ever taken a test for a job has stumbled on an application of psychological principles. In fact, all formal and standardized testing can be related to psychological principles (Kline, 2000). Today many employers rely on tests, applications, and other hiring techniques from industrial/organizational psychology that study and apply psychological concepts to optimize hiring, job fit, and human potential in the workplace. The evaluations of personnel in the work environment are based on the methods and principles of psychology. Books and seminars on improving management skills, job satisfaction, and productivity are all based on psychological principles (Jex & Britt, 2008).

There are also many instances in the legal system that are reflections of psychological principles. These include rehabilitation programs, pre-sentencing evaluations, profiles of people accused of crimes, methods police use to catch and interrogate lawbreakers, and a number of other areas. Punishment and sentencing methods used in the legal system are based on psychological principles.