Psychology is the study of mind, brain & behavior. This studies about humans and can be applied in all aspects of life. This study will not be extinct as long as there are humans in the world.
Are you interested in studying psychology in university or college? Before enrolling in a psychology major, you need to know the characteristics of people who are perfect for a psychology major. Check out the following information so that you will be on the right path.
7 Characteristics of People Who are Perfect for Psychology Major
Do you want to become a psychology student? Make sure to meet the following criteria:
-
- Like to interact with the others
Psychology is a study about humans, so it should not be surprising it involves interacting with people in its learning process. It is a must for a psychology student to be able to communicate and establish relationships. This ability will be able to be used when doing interviews, counseling, and so on.
There are several subjects that require students to do interviews with people. Interviews in psychology are very different from journalistic interviews. The interviewer should be able to make the subject comfortable so that they can dig in as much information as they can, listen intently and not be judgy.
While it is true that those who have graduated from psychology major are not allowed to do counseling, they still learn about the basics of counseling. In some cases, they may be asked to do counseling. That’s why it is important for the students to have the ability to establish relationships. If they have a good relationship with the clients, the clients will feel comfortable and they will be able to tell what they feel and all their problems without feeling afraid.
-
- Have emotional intelligence
Emotional intelligence is described as the ability to get to know, understand and control personal emotions and empathize with others. Interviewing someone or doing counseling means listening to some different kinds of stories, varying from sad, traumatic, and sensitive things. While doing so, they may feel surprised or feel like they want to cry. Even though these feelings occur often, they should stay calm and only show a neutral expression.
Every psychology student needs to have the ability to listen to a thing with empathy. Empathic listening means focusing on the topic, not judging and paraphrasing. At first, it may be hard to listen to something with empathy. However, as the time goes, it will be easy. The more experience they have, the better their skill.
-
- Like to read
Unlike natural sciences that focus on calculations, most psychology faculties are included in social sciences, so it is not surprising when the students have to read a lot as the courses are filled with reading. The kinds of things that they usually read include books and research journals.
As stated before, the psychology students require reading a lot and the things that they have to read vary and more than for the high school students. They need to do that so that they can gain various perspectives. Not only reading books, they will also have to read journals to be able to understand about the development of psychology.
While it is true that psychology is not always about calculations, it also includes it. In fact, the psychology students will have to learn about a few things such as statistics, quantitative research methods and the measurement of psychological tools. However, there is nothing to worry as everything will not be as it is not as complicated as they think.
Psychology majors may be a bit hard for those who are into arithmetic. However, it is perfect for those who love reading.
-
- Like to observe
Observation is one of the psychological assessments. It is known as a method to systematically collect data through observing and recording the symptoms of the object under the study. Observations are usually made during a few occasions such as interviews, group discussions, counseling, and so on.
As an observer, the student has to be sensitive, detailed, and neutral. The most important thing is to not make the subject feel uncomfortable and feel disturbed by their presence.
-
- Critical
A lot of theories about psychology were born in western countries. It means they focus on western culture and it is unknown if they are suitable with the eastern culture. There are a few theories about psychology that are contrary to the culture of Indonesia. That’s why all the psychology students from Indonesia should think critically about theories of psychology.
Humans are known to be complex and dynamic. There will always be changes in every era. Studying psychology has to be up to date to the current thing. One of the things that the students can do is to read a lot of psychology research of the last 5 years.
-
- Not the type of some who discriminate people based on their background
According to the Psychological Code of Ethics, it is a must for the psychological scientist to accept any client. It means they should not accept them based on their background, whether it is ethnicity, religion, race, sexual orientation, economic status and others. It is important to accept any background as it will make the clients feel comfortable to share their story and to not be judged.
-
- Good at keeping secrets
The psychology students have to keep the secrets of their clients and the other subjects. All information that they get should be kept secret. If they need to use the data for academic purposes, they will have to ask the permission of the person concerned and hide the personal data of the subject. There is no way for them to talk bad about the clients. If they fail to keep the secret belonging to their clients, then how will the clients trust and be comfortable with them?
These are 7 characteristics that a psychology student needs to have. Studying psychology can be both easy and difficult. Some students can graduate quickly while some others take longer to graduate.
Psychology is an interesting subject and studying it can be exciting, especially since there are many people who are aware of mental health. Before enrolling in a psychology major, think carefully. Do not enroll in it just because it is a trend. Do not try it just because your friend also takes it.
A bookworm and researcher especially related to law and citizenship education. I spend time every day in front of the internet and the campus library.
