the top 5 things I love about the field of psychology

Disclaimer: This post is based on my specific interests and experiences in the field of psychology. From General psychology to Applied Behavior Analysis to a major focus on biology and zoology, my favorite things about psychology are from some of these specializations and fields.

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As requested, I will be discussing my top favorite things about the field of psychology and its specializations. I'll be ranking my top things from #5 to #1, of course, #1 being my favorite thing about psychology

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#5 - The Different Specializations

So we know the field of psychology has many specializations, ranging from industrial/organizational (I/O) psychology to Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) to Clinical Psychology to Counseling Psychology and more! There's a specialization within psychology and that's what I love about it. I've always had dreams of being a marine biologist, but I want to specifically focus on animal behavior, mostly of orcas (killer whales) and bottle-nosed dolphins, as well as the behavior of animals who live at the bottom of the ocean near hydrothermal vents. I'm a nerd, I know.

#4 - Applied Behavior Analysis Used for Animal Enrichment

First thing's first, I love animals, especially marine animals and dogs. So I love to figure out ways to maintain those animal-specific behaviors, especially with those that are in captivity. I love how in ABA, we can look at what is motivating to the subject that may signal for a target behavior to occur. Zoos and aquariums use chaining and token economy to maintain behaviors and challenge animals, which I find so interesting.

ABA can also be used to train your dog, by using shaping, schedules of reinforcement, types of reinforcement and punishment, and measuring the number occurrences that have occurred for the target behavior. When I was completing my B.S at Western Michigan, you were required to complete a practicum. So of course, I chose the practicum to work with and train shelter dogs to make them more adoptable. We focused on certain behaviors, such as sitting on a cue (verbal and hand signal), laying down on a signal, and walking on a leash. It was challenging but so rewarding! Most of our pups (mostly pit bulls, like my fur baby Jade) were adopted to their fur-ever homes!

#3 Figure Out What Controls/Maintains a Behavior

I'm guilty of analyzing people's behaviors and breaking down what's maintaining it. Yes, for all my fellow ABA nerds, I look at the MO, the EO, antecedent, behavior, and consequence, and determine if reinforcement or punishment is occurring. But, in my defense, for those I am not a fan of or I feel like are just being obnoxious and attention-needy, I look at what's reinforcing that behavior and I do the opposite of that behavior so that person doesn't go out of their way to get that "reinforcer."

But if I look at my dog, she's been trained to sit and lay down to have her ears cleaned and nose moisturized, but then walks over to the counter where her treats are. Her treats are a huge reinforcer when it comes to cooperating for hygiene maintenance, especially baths. ABA is more than working with those with ASD, it's all how you utilize those skill sets in different settings.

#2 Behavior and Brain

The brain is a fascinating, and complex organ. I love to see how the physiological changes in the brain impact how we behave, such as hormonal changes or changes in brain structures and neural circuits. Science truly is my first love and I love seeing its relationship with psychology, especially abnormal psychology and behavior unfold.

And finally...

#1 How Psychology Can Be Utilized In Many Settings and Situations

I find psychology so fascinating because you can combine it with other fields to learn more about a research focus. Psychology can be combined with biology, sociology (ex. the biopsychosocial model). Psychology can also be utilized in classrooms to reinforce students as they develop their knowledge and skill set. I really love how versatile psychology can be, depending on what you are focusing on, whether it's research, work, or your personal life. Especially, since I focus on the experiences of higher education minority students, psychology provides me the opportunity to analyze their experiences while presenting opportunities to research how behaviors come into play later on down the line.

Also, psychology can be used in marketing. Seriously, researchers look at how certain products make their consumers feel based on commercials and other forms of advertising. Additionally, color psychology is a real thing as well, such as red goes with hunger...and anger, BUT blue can produce calm emotions, yellow = happiness. Like I said, psychology is fascinating with how you can use it.

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What are some of your favorite things about psychology? Let me know in the comments!

@TheStudentForLife