1...Thinking Critically With Psychological Science

Before I started this class, I felt as if I had a pretty decent understanding of what psychology was, regardless of never having studied it. It has always been of interest to me, so I grasped the different elements quite easily. When many people think of psychology, they think of "shrinks". I know there is a lot more to it than that. Aside from the counseling end of things, I knew that psychology is used to conduct studies to determine how people interact with not only others, but within themselves. Although I have lacked important details and correct definitions until now, I understand that psychology includes, but is not limited to, mental diseases, relationships, dreams, determination, personality, interactions, goals, perception, intelligence, emotions, and therapy.

Psychology affects my life drastically. Not only I, but many of my friends and family have experienced the effects of mental and emotional disesases and the help of counseling. Also, psychology affects me just for the mere fact that I am a part of this world. I strongly believe that a better understanding of psychology will solve a lot of the world's issues today. I think if everybody has a better understanding and acceptance of how the mind works and what drives others to act they way they do, the world would be a much more peaceful place.

I found it very intriguing that the book admitted how silly and obvious some of most breakthrough thoughts or ideas are. Since psychology is a realitively new subject and course of study for many individuals, a lot of the breakthroughs that have made seem exceptionally obvious. I am so interested in this, I cannot wait to learn more about what psychologists today are discovering. With the vast amount of tools, resources, technology, and interest, the advances today must be phenomonal.

I also find "Perceiving Order in Random Events" facinating. From little on, we were all taught that if we received a good hand in cards, or got lucky playing a game, it was rare. The truth is, we were taught wrong the entire time. Sure, its special to get a certain hand of cards, but what many fail to realize is that it is just as likely as any other hand. It feels special to us because we are watching for order in the random data. It is amazing how confusing it can be to understand such a simple concept, just because the correct concept is not what we were originally taught to understand.


**I would like to mention that some of the things I mention in my blogs may seem personal, but I feel willing to open up merely because it is how I relate my information, and I feel that when I use my own experiences and/or opinions, I can express more knowledgable answers to the questions given. Thanks for reading, and thanks for understanding.**