Assignment
Introduction
Applied sciences have an impact on individual lives and the community at large. It is not debatable that scientific and applied psychology has an impact on individuals and the community. However, they way to ascertain this beyond any doubt is through measurable ways. This article questions whether the research, theories, professional practice, methodologies, ways of thinking about the mind and brain and behavior analysis as performed by psychologists helps improve the lives led by individuals and the community in measureable ways. The article also seeks to establish whether psychology has an impact beyond the practitioner’s office and academics in terms of improvements in education, organizational effectiveness, safety and welfare. The author uses an extravagant amount of references in order to give his work an in-depth perspective. The literary works used by the author to develop a premise for the problem span over two decades in terms of publication dates (Bayne & Jinks, 2013).
Methodology
Results and Findings
In adducing evidence to demonstrate the impact psychology has had on the community, the author among other things adduces evidence from his long illustrious career. For instance, while the author was a scientific advisor and a narrator of a Discovering psychology; a TV series, the answers provided in the program are viewable instances of the impact of psychology. Moreover, the series has provided a foundation for a very popular telecourse in the Ancenberg CPB’s Foundation’s academic programs. Given that part of the research question was whether psychology spans outside academics to impact on other spheres of life, more is required to convince of the significant differences that psychology makes in our lives.
Through the Yale Communication and Attitude Change Program developed by a psychologist to investigate the effectiveness of training programs and propaganda, the vague study of persuasion and communication was transformed into an identifiable process with integrative hypotheses and discrete variables thereby making applications of psychology and experimental research in the subject possible. Since this psychologist was a military officer, the training of pigeons through operant conditioning principles enabled them to be used for military duties.
These principles are used widely today in rehabilitative centers and parenting. Other applications include the use of psychological testing and assessment to beat the bias brought about by subjective judgments formerly used by teachers, clinicians and employers. Conversely, objective and quantifiable methods of assessing human, abilities, talents, strengths and weaknesses have been developed. Consequently, the assessment of different human traits is fair and unbiased. As posited earlier, positive reinforcement, a psychological principle is used by teachers in learning institutions and parents in order to encourage positive developments on the child (Zimbardo, 2004).
Traumatic disorders are affecting many individuals in the contemporary world. The efficacy of talk therapy in managing these disorders cannot be underscored more. Psychological therapies are the practitioners’ ways of relieving the suffering of those victimized by various stimuli. Cognitive behavior modification, exposure therapies and systematic desensitization have been effectively applied to treat phobias, panic attacks, and anxiety disorders (Donaldson, Berger, & Pezdek, 2006).
Conclusion
While you cannot fault the assertions by the author that the impact of psychology spans outside the boundaries of academics and professional practice to improve the quality of life, effectiveness of organizations, safety and welfare, it is my feeling that adducing primary data would have helped the author develop his argument more convincingly and strongly. Nevertheless, the applications of psychology that the author has presented are applied on a daily basis in the contemporary world.
References
Bayne, R., & Jinks, G. (2013). Applied psychology: Research, practice and new directions. London: SAGE.
Donaldson, S. I., Berger, D. E., & Pezdek, K. (2006). Applied psychology: new frontiers and rewarding careers. Mahwah, N.J.: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Zimbardo, P.G. (2004). Does Psychology Make a Significant Difference in Our Lives? American Psychological Association. Vol. 59, No. 5, 339–351
