Psychology is the study of the human mind and any of its functions. It also includes the behavior resulting from any changes in our environment. Psychology is very important to mankind in that it is important in understanding the world we live in. Psychology helps us and allows us to better understand the emotional and behavioral effects of our surroundings. According to Taylor (1988), many prominent researchers believe a healthy mental outlook on the world and what we perceive it to be is very important. Psychology is a mandatory course for so many programs of study because it is so widely used in occupations across the world. Using any number of research methods, a psychologist can apply research to the field of Public Relations in order to predict how a demographic will respond to certain things that occur. Not only is psychology widely used in many professions, but basic elements of psychology affect us as individuals each day.
The research that psychologists glean from their subjects benefits all of us through better understanding of how our minds work. This is possible through testing of subject groups and adjusting environmental conditions. With the resulting data, psychologists can improve our lives. While most can speculate about behavior and emotion, psychologists us the scientific method to more legitimately predict describe and even explain human behavior. The simple fact that psychology contains so many sub-fields makes it unique. This allows specialized psychologist to concentrate on a more specific aspect of the human mind, such as, developmental psychology where researchers observe human mental growth from birth to death (Feldman 2009). A cross-cultural psychologist could be of help in the conflict affecting Syria. A researcher in cross-cultural psychology could shed light on how people in the region react to the violence and horror that has been occurring over the past couple of years. Through this, mankind can
References: Illusion and well-being: A social psychological perspective on mental health. Taylor, Shelley E.;Brown, Jonathon D. Psychological Bulletin, Vol 103(2), Mar 1988, 193-210. doi: 10.1037/0033-2909.103.2.193 Cognitive adaptation to the experience of social and cultural diversity. Crisp, Richard J.;Turner, Rhiannon N. Psychological Bulletin, Vol 137(2), Mar 2011, 242-266. doi: 10.1037/a0021840 Habit and intention in everyday life: The multiple processes by which past behavior predicts future behavior. Ouellette, Judith A.;Wood, Wendy Psychological Bulletin, Vol 124(1), Jul 1998, 54-74. doi: 10.1037/0033-2909.124.1.54