The first and most important part of entering the field of psychology is understanding the amount of education needed for each of the three subareas. A psychologist is someone who has spent four to five years of postgraduate education and has received a Ph.D. in psychology Plotnik 17 . Next, is a clinical psychologist who has a Ph.D., specialized in a clinical subarea, and has spent an additional year in a supervised therapy setting to gain experience 17 . The last area is a psychiatrist who differs from the other two mainly because of the number of years spent in school, which gains them the ability to prescribe medication. A psychiatrist is a medical doctor who has spent several years in clinical training that includes diagnosis of abnormal behaviors and treating those behaviors with prescription drugs 17 .

Students who are planning a career in psychology will have to determine which type of psychologist they want to be and, in addition, what are they would like to specialize in. The field of psychology is divided into subfields each of which deal with a different area. These specialties include such areas as developmental psychology, experimental and physiological psychology, personality and social psychology, cognitive psychology and psychometrics Super 36 . Next, each of these subfields are divided into careers that students can choose to participate in such as residential care, community and social services, human resources, therapy, and teaching DeGalan 106 .

Residential care has grown in importance in the past years due to a number of social issues that have been recently addressed by the government. Since the demand for residence care has gone up so has the demand for psychologist who have training in this type of area. Many of the jobs in the residential care area are not permanent but are taken by those who are entry level and on their way up to more permanent employment. In addition, most residential care jobs are labeled as training jobs meaning that these jobs will train a student to specialize in a certain skill. Most residential care jobs are advertised as counselor positions 115 . Overnight counselors, relief counselors, and staff counselors are usually types of jobs on the residential care level. Since these positions are not permanent, job earnings are generally not competitive. Entry level salaries are in the 15,000 to 20,000 range.

Large numbers of people are in need of community and social services such as alcoholics, juvenile delinquents, and those with mental retardation 150 . This area of employment has numerous job openings and careers that meet with many different types of people. Job opportunities in this area include abortion counseling, children services, human services, and dozens more that are involved with almost all different types of people. In addition to sometimes-long hours, job salaries are usually not that high ranging in the 25,000 to 30,000 s 153 . However, if working with and helping people is an attraction, community and social services is an excellent job group.

Many students often feel that their degree in psychology would be best used in the field of human resources. If a students interest in psychology were in human behavior and social psychology than human resources would be an excellent route to take. Those in the field of human resources are primarily concerned with training development, organization development, and career development 166 . Typically, the role of someone in human resources would include: employment and placement, wage and salary administration, training and development, benefits administration, and research management 171 . In addition to a major in psychology those who would like to pursue a career in human resources would be well advised to gain skills in communication, data analysis, public presentation, and become familiar with computers and software. Salaries in the human resource area are generally much more competitive than those in community services and residential care 180 . Those with human resource skill often have a wide range of possible employers from which to choose a job. Schools, state and federal government, and finance companies are just some of the many possible employers for those interested in human resources.

Therapist are those who work to treat and help rehabilitate those with environmental, physical, or mental disorders 201 . Some of the more frequently encountered therapies are cognitive, behavioral, interpersonal, psychodynamic, and expressive therapy. Cognitive therapy focuses on changing negative thinking such as the case in alcoholics. Behavioral therapy focuses on changing certain behavior patterns, which is used in treating obsessive-compulsive disorder. Interpersonal therapy focuses on relationship or social difficulties. Psychodynamic therapy deals with the correction of internal emotional struggles developed at an early age like those of someone who was abused as child 202 . Therapist must be able to practice teamwork since many of the problems encountered will be evaluated as a team. Possible employers would include school, medical institutions, and private practices.

Teaching is one of the most familiar and rewarding of the career paths taken with a psychology degree. Almost all universities employ a substantial amount of people with a psychology degree to perform a number of different roles from teach classes to performing experiments in laboratory environments. When hiring most universities would require their job candidate to have a doctorate in psychology and may look at specialized areas such as research and publication 235 . The earnings for teachers vary greatly depending on the employer and the number of years spent teaching.

Students with degrees in psychology are employed in a number of different areas. Private practices in clinical psychology employ about 25 percent of those with a degree in psychology Super 20 . Hospitals and clinics make up about 13 percent of the psychologist population, businesses and industry combined with government agencies are about 6 percent, and public schools and nonprofit organizations make up about 4 percent of the psychologist. The largest employers of those with psychology degrees are colleges and universities which employee about 40 percent 22 .

Psychology has grown substantially in the past few years. The growth of society and disorders that continue to arise everyday are two of the reasons why this profession will continue to grow in demand. A life in psychology requires that many choices be made before embarking on a career path, but whatever decisions are made there are numerous job opportunities. Many people would not think so, but psychologists are at work in everyday life. Without psychologists playing the role they do most peoples everyday lives would seem much different than they do now.

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The role of a theory is to expand our knowledge beyond the obvious information and lead us to generalisations and predictions. In psychological research, a theory is the most significant factor: it determines the manner in which the research will be performed; the purpose of conducting the investigation; and defines the subject that is being researched.

A theory’s function is to stimulate and guide the research and researcher towards the explanation of how the results from the study were attained. It is also used in the identification of the primary causes that influence the particular studies final results.

The role of a theory in psychological research is to create a hypothesis that can be objectively tested. This testing is necessary in order for the hypothesis to be proven or refuted and for the ability to expand on the preceding theory with increased accuracy. Testing theories requires interpreting the information acquired in ways that can be validated and reproduced.

Theories are needed in investigations to allow the researcher “to make testable predictions about observable behavior” Bourne, Lyle Eugene, 1932 – Psychology: Behavior in context 1998 Lyle E. Bourne, Jr., Nancy Felipe Russo and to systematize experiences to assist the researcher’s focus on the relevant factors.

The role of a theory is to mould the way we perceive the world, to assist us in forming principles, and to provoke new questions that surpass our previous observations and beliefs. ” psychological theory must concern itself with the context and moral significance, and with the formation of principles rather than casual laws.” Martin, Jack 1996 Journal of Theoretical and Philosophical Psychology, 16 1 , 1 – 18 .

There are many steps to developing a theory. First of all steps is the basic theory or idea, then the hypothesis, then the research – testing of the hypothesis. The results of the research determine the actions to follow: If the results verify the hypothesis, then the reliance in the theory increases; however, if the results disprove the hypothesis, then the faith in the theory decreases and the theory is either altered or discarded.

Psychological research begins with a theory. Theories are a “set of self – consistent principles that organize and explain individual “facts” or observations” Bourne, L. E., Russo, N. F. 1998 Psychology: Behavior in context .

After a theory there is a hypothesis, which is a prediction evolved from a theory that is used to foretell how a variable will relate to another. A hypothesis is a testable proposition that describes a relationship that may exist between events, objects, and people. It is also a specific prediction of a relationship that exists between or among the variables. The result of testing a hypothesis is used to either support, reject, or modify the basic theory.

A variable is a characteristic that can have two or more values and are defined so that methods can be used to test the relationship of the variables to determine if the theory is accurate. Predictions of how a variable relates to another is called hypothesis.

Methods are used to compile information and analyze hypotheses that have been developed from theories. There are three kinds of research methods.

The first is the descriptive method. With this method, research is aimed at displaying what has occurred under a specialised set of conditions.

The second is the correlational method. With this method, research is designed to determine how strongly a chosen variable relates to another.

The Third is the experimental method. With this method, research is specifically adapted to the purpose of an experimental investigation. In an experiment, one variable is manipulated by the researcher to examine its affects on another variable, while the other variables in the experiment are held constant.

Sometimes in research, two or more methods are applied simultaneously to the same problem in order to gain a improved understanding of the theory being investigated

Different methods can produce results consistent or inconsistent with a hypothesis. Either compatible or incompatible, the outcome may suggest new ideas be developed and studied to improve on the basic theory.

Theories arrange distinct observations and data and place them in a context that gives them unique meaning and connection to each other.

From theory development to theory, to hypothesis and methods of testing. No matter what the variables, theory is just an integrated set of principles that are researched and developed in order to explain and predict aspects of social phenomena.

REFERENCES:

Bourne, L. E., Jr., Russo, N. F. 1998 Psychology: Behavior in context.

Martin, J. 1996 Journal of Theoretical and Philosophical Psychology, 16 1 1 – 18.

Coleman, J. S. 1990 Foundations of Social Theory. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

Macy, Micheal W. 1990 Learning theory and the logic of critical mass. American Sociological Review 55:730 – 747.

Burt, Ronald S. 1981 Toward a Structural Theory of Action. New York: Academic Press.

Berger, J., Zelditch, M., Jr. eds. , Theoretical Research Programs: Studies in the Growth of Theories. Stanford, CA: Stanford U. Press.

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How do dreams start? Do dreams start in our brains? A dream is a form of perception stimulated by some particular sensation. If our eyes are closed and our body’s are shut down, where is the sensation coming from? Can dreams be a form of extrasensory perception (ESP)?

Two main theorists that were prominent in the study of dreams. First there was Sigmund Freud. He believed that dreams were a way to preserve sleep. He was widely contradicted. Carl Jung, an early follower of Freud, later broke away to form his own thinking on a variety of psychological topics. He believed that dreams were a way of helping to develop a persons personality that remained undeveloped while awake. If one was shy when awake, they will be shy while in our dreams.

This contradicts Freud’s ID and Ego theory. The Ego, our conscious state, is the control factor that has the ID, inner desires, under control. The ego suppresses the inner desires so that the only way for it to be released is while dreaming. If our inner desires are so suppressed, our dreams could take on a life of their own.

For example, a successful business person is always busy and on the go. Deep in the mind, they have certain desires, such as being in a biker bar, shooting pool and having a beer with friends. An interesting place to dream about. For those successful business people that their inner desires are so suppressed that their dreams take on a life of their own almost like astral projection, projecting oneself to a place that they really want to be. It is like being in two places at the same time.

Another school of thought that I happen to believe in is that dreams have a sought of problem solving function. By dreaming we work through our issues that we were having trouble with during the day. This probably explains why so many great ideas come about when one was sleeping. One wake up and immediate go turn on the computer and start writing down their newfound thoughts. If we can’t dream, our problems go unresolved, and our stress levels begin to rise which could then lead to self-destruction.

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It is very easy to find yourself criticizing an outcome after it already happened. After the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, commentators mentioned about why the victims in the second tower did not evacuate after the first plane hit. Whether it is the dot com bubble bursting, a recession looming about, a terrorist attack, or even hiring your next employee, we are all subject to being a Monday morning quarterback, also known as hindsight bias.

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One can acquire the tools needed for researching the topic of paranormal, such as thermal imaging cameras or digital electronic recorders to gather evidence. If something was captured on camera, the researcher would experiment to try and recreate the phenomena. If the phenomena cannot be recreated, you have solid evidence to report that there is something paranormal in the research environment you are investigating.

When dealing with topics such as the paranormal, there will be skeptics. Skeptics can turn into believers if they have a first hand experience. Such crazy sounding ideas do find support when subjected to a scientific attitude. Other researchers can further experiment with the time of day. For example, some researchers in this field believe that most spirits manifest during the early morning hours.

To test this, researchers can use a concept called dead time to try and communicate with a spirit. Dead time is where you turn off all electronic devices and electricity such as lights. The environment should be completely dark and quiet.

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Everything psychological is simultaneously biological.

Related article: Love Won Out

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