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  • What everyone else would talk about

    What everyone else would talk about

    What topics do you like to discuss?

    Human being interacts with each other through communication. When we meet, the first instinct is saying something to one another. In psychology we say that human beings are social beings and socialize by communicating to each other. When we are together with other people, we feel obliged to keep talking with them and prolonged moments of silence are usually uncomfortable to us.

    But there are unwritten rules that dictates what kind of conversations an average person is likely to use to ensure that discomfort from silence when in company of each other is broken. Let me highlight a few common topics that almost everyone engages in when they meet.

    Introduction

    When we meet new people, our tendency and inclination is to know some basic informations about them like names, occupations, or where they’re from. Because we know what we expect from other people, we also give them information about ourselves as a way of triggering this kind of communications. This kind of conversation is almost universal to anyone, both schooled and unschooled.

    Weather

    I don’t know the reason but weather is among the first topic at our fingertips when we want to have a conversation with people, especially those we are not soo used to . We don’t talk about weather beacuse we care soo much about weather but probably because it is something both of us can observe and related quickly. Talking about the weather is a classic icebreaker and can lead to discussions about recent or upcoming events affected by weather.

    Location or Venue

    A average person will want to talk about their environment when they meet the other person as a way of connecting. I don’t know why they do that but research shows that is one of the most likely way people will strike a conversation.If they’re meeting at a specific location or event, they might comment on the surroundings, the venue, or any interesting aspects of the location.

    Hobbies and Interests

    Knowing about the other person’s hobby helps us find out what they like and can direct our next conversations with them. If we happens to share hobbies, we will become closer to each other quickly than otherwise.Sharing hobbies and interests is a great way to find common ground and spark conversation. People might talk about sports, books, movies, music, or any other activities they enjoy.

    Work or School

    Probably because school life reminds us how we used to easily connect with each other with fear, tension or anxiety. School connection was the most natural way of connecting effortlessly and maybe we use the same history to connect with each other.Discussing work or school can provide insight into each other’s lives and backgrounds. They might talk about their jobs, studies, or recent projects.

    Travel

    Sharing travel experiences or future travel plans is another common topic. People often enjoy talking about places they’ve visited or places they’d like to go.

    Current Events

    Most of people are interested with current events and probably we get something that unites us easily in the current events like politics.

    Discussing recent news or events can provide interesting conversation topics, but it’s important to be mindful of potentially sensitive or controversial subjects.

    Food and Drink

    Most of us love food and in food we easily connect with each other.Talking about food and drink is another popular topic, especially if they’re meeting over a meal or a drink. They might discuss favorite foods, restaurants, or recipes.

    what would you like to discuss with me?

    Personally I love discussing about nature and creation.The whole creation is full of mysteries. From the earth geographic structure to the galaxies, both visible phenomenal things like mountains to those tiny invisible particles that make matter, it is just amazing. The way mathematics has been used by the creator to define and lay foundation of these things, it is just beautiful and it amazes me. If you have something to say about nature and universe, i become interested immediately because it is fascinating to me.

    But the moment you start discussing about another person, I switch off
    because am weak on those areas. I love solving problems and if you present a
    problem, we will discuss it until we get a solution, but if you bring something
    about our boss or anyone else, I will comment in a neutral way and go to other
    businesses. I won’t waste time discussing people because such discussions does
    not help them become better, at best, it can only alter our view on them. I
    would rather form an opinion based on observations rather than hearing because
    I will not be biased.

    I like discussion what can be measured, observed and controlled to have
    alternative results….by now you should know am a scientist and not some sort
    of religious priest.

    I though you should know:; 😜

    Related topics

  • Nonverbal Communication

    Nonverbal Communication

    This is the kind of communication where messages are passed without word being spoken or being written. However, nonverbal communication has a great impact on the receivers interpretation of any message.

    In summary

    Nonverbal communications occurs in various forms that includes:

    • Body movements
    • Paralanguage
    • personal presentation
    • Proxemics
    • sign languages

    Body movements

    It is also known as the body language. Our body can send communication to other people without us uttering as a single word. kinesics is the field of study that deals with the ways people use their bodies to communicate or supplement their verbal communications. body movements may includes:

    • posture
    • gestures
    • facial expressions
    • eye contacts
    Posture

    posture refers to how your body is positioned. Your body position can send important messages to people and communicate a great deal about you. For example leaning forward in a conversation shows you r greatly interested and you are giving attention to what is being spoken. Leaning backward could mean disinterest or boredom. if you are standing and you reach a wall or a post for support can signify you are tired and no energy for talking.

    Gesture

    This includes movement of hands, fingers, arms or winking of eyes. For example when talking with your arms open wide can signify honesty and openness while talking when fingers interlocked can be interpreted as nervousness.

    Facial Expressions

    This includes arrangement of facial muscles to send a message. Our facial muscles are flexible and so can be rearranged to portray a certain image for communication purposes. We can stretch or relax our mouth, cheeks, eyes,eyelids, forehead, nose or chin to communicate a known symbol. For instance a folded face can show displeasure or a stretched mouth showing disapproval. Our face is the first point of contact when we meet people and hence likely to be the most observed part of our body. Our facial expressions can be read to decode and interpret our emotional feelings, telling whether we are happy, excited, sad, neutral etc.

    eye contacts

    eye contacts can be used to communicate different messages, for example direct eye contacts can communicate interests, intimacy or confident. diverted or downcast eyes may show intimidation or submission. People can avoid eye contacts with you if they are afraid or feel guilty about something they have done against you.

    Para-language

    This is how we speak like how is our pitch,speed of talking, how loud are we and quality of our voice. When we are frightened,anxious or excited, the pitch our voice can rise but it is lower when we sound more powerful or authoritative.

    Volume

    Refers to relative softness or loudness of our voice. Some people talks with loud voice and others in low tones. There are people that feels intimidated by people talking too loudly and others find it hand to concentrate on a speech given in low tones. Volume can be determined by the communication environment. Like in noisy places, even people that talks with low voices could be speaking with high voice because they are trying to raise their voice above the voices in the environment while in quite place, you feel to be in more control and hence you lower your voice.

    Rate

    Rate in speech could be used to mean how many words are given per unit time. People who thinks very fast tends to talk very fast but people who process information slowly will find it difficult following a fast talker.

    Voice quality

    some people has better and pleasant voices than others. A voice could be harsh, calm, strident, soothing etc.

    personal presentation

    How we groom ourselves can determine how we will be perceived by our audience especially when meeting them for the first time. If we appear dressed nicely, it can show we are resourceful, respectable, reliable and organized. If we dress shabbily, it can show we takes things casually or we lack seriousness with our things.

    Grooming habits communicates a great deal about who we are and how we want to be perceived. People can decode different messages based on our hair length, makeups, cologne and perfumes, length of our nails and how we have have painted them, how shiny is our shoes etc

    Touching

    social psychologists argues that touching is the most intimate form of nonverbal communication. Touching means how we use our hands towards the other person

    Proxemics

    It is the study of how we use space. It is attributed to the work of Edward hall in his book, “The Hidden dimension”. Edward argues that, taking a case of two people in a conversation, our personal space can be broken into four zones that includes:

    • Intimate distance(0-18 inches
    • personal distance(18 inches-12 feet)
    • social distance(4 feet – 12 feet)
    • public distance(12 feet – 25 feet)
    Intimate distance

    It is a distance reserved for intimate activities including love making, intimate or confidential conversations, hugging, kissing and snuggling.

    Only our most intimate relationships are permitted in this distance from us and if an invited person invades this space,we usually moves away slightly to maintain the distance. When a stranger invades this distance, we feel threatened and we develop flight or fighting instincts causing us to increase distance between us and them or try to push them away when we are not able to move.

    Personal distance

    It is the distance reserved for conversations with family, friends and close acquaintances. It is a distance that we allow people we feel comfortable with.

    Social distance

    It is the distance we are most comfortable when interacting with people in a way that is not intimate. It is the distance we maintain when interacting with people on a day to day basis for example when transacting business, having meetings, eating in hotels, sitting in bank halls, when talking to police etc.

    public distance

    it is the distance used for public ceremonies, speeches, large group meetings and class lectures. If the distance is greater than 25 feet, communication is characterized with shouting and exaggerated nonverbal gestures. The distance our ears can comfortably receive messages passing through air is quite limited and is subject to distortion from noise and other physical hindrance like diversion and absorption by physical objects.

    sign language

    It involves the use of hands to make symbolic gestures which have specific meanings. Sign language is a skill and a field of study taught in colleges in order to help the people with hearing impairments communicate with the world

    Functions of non-verbal communication
    • Message reinforcement or supplementation of verbal messages
    • negation of verbal messages
    • substitution of verbal messages (when talking is not possible or not allowed)
    • message accentuation (putting emphasis)
    • message regulation (controlling a conversation)

    Importance of nonverbal communication

    • have almost an instant effect because of quicker grasp by the receiver. Speed in conveyance and response makes non-verbal communications very useful in situations like traffic control by police
    • aids verbal communication. By use of nonverbal symbols, a large amount of complex data can be presented in a compact form so that large message can be communicated with just few non-verbal cues.
    • Response to visual symbols and images is usually more powerful than spoken language.
    • It is the best method to communicate with illiterate people or people that don’t understand your language. For example illiterate drivers can understand road signs and directives with non-verbal traffic signals.
    • Helps the hearing impaired communicate, learn and be able to work.
    related posts
  • Dating

    Dating

    Daily writing prompt
    What is the biggest challenge you will face in the next six months?
    View all responses

    Dating is a stage of romantic relationships in which two individuals engage in an activity together, most often with the intention of evaluating each other’s suitability as a partner in a future intimate relationship.
    It falls into the category of courtship, consisting of social events carried out by the couple either alone or with others.

    The reason dating is a challenge is because am an indoor person. I prefer spending time alone, writing or coding. I can easily forget about our dating and this will really upset my partner. Sometimes am soo tired to talk and all i want is just sleep or scroll my phone endlessly without evening seeing what is on the screen, thinking nothing. This is a state i refer as hanging. It happens when i have been teaching the whole day long or have been writing for some hours and so am mentally tired. My partner may wonder why am not calling.

    During dating period, the partners presents the best of themselves to their partner, am not likely to do that because am always real, 24 hours 7 days a week. I will not be different three years later from what you saw in the first day, and so my inability to impress is likely to make me loose good people that are looking for perfection, causing me emotional pain in the process.

    The idea of always going for a date is not pleasant to me because am addicted to indoor activities, hope my partner will enjoy it, otherwise i expect conflict of interests.

    Otherwise i don’t expect any other difficulties in future, because i can manage every situation and everything, except another human being. I can work on computers, repair hardwares and correct softwares, but when it comes to dealing with another human beings, i find it difficult because human beings are complicated creatures. You will upset them when you intends the bests and leave without giving proper explanations. If i have to avoid difficulties, then i have to stay alone for the next six months, and everything about me will be just fine.

    please tell me about what you finds difficult in the comments.

    Related Topics

  • What is communication

    What is communication

    Communication can be described as an active process of exchanging information between individuals using common system of symbols, signs and behavior (wilkinson,1984).

    There are various levels of communication that includes:

    • Intrapersonal level(internal monologue/reflection)
    • Interpersonal level
    • Group Communication
    • mass communication

    Intrapersonal level of Communication

    It is a communication that individuals do within themselves without releasing any message to a target audience outside themselves.

    It is also known as autocommunication or inner speech. It can be described as what you tell yourself.

    It constitutes our own imaginations and our inner thoughts. For example if am preparing for an interview, i would imagine some of the questions that would be asked. I would create a virtual interviewer and imagine them asking me the questions, then i would answer them within myself as if am answering to the panel. All this is intrapersonal because the the participants of the communication resides inside self and no external participants. If i called my sister and i ask her to pretend to be an interviewer, then that would be an interpersonal communication.

    Intrapersonal communication occurs, when you evaluate or examine the interaction that occurs between yourself and others. This form of communication occurs before and during other forms of communication as well. For instance, you might argue with yourself during a conversation in which someone asks you to do something you don’t really want to do and before you accept or decline, you mull over the alternatives in your mind. Intrapersonal communication also includes such activities as solving problems internally, resolving internal conflict, planning for the future, and evaluating yourself and your relationships with others.

    Interpersonal level of communication

    It refers to exchange of information between two or more people and it involves exchange of messages, ideas and information between individuals. It can involves some methods like face-to-face conversations, phone calls, text messages, sending emails, social media chats etc.

    Interpersonal communication can be described as the process of using messages to generate meaning between at least two people in a situation that allows mutual opportunities for both speaking and listening.

    With interpersonal communication, two or more individuals exchange messages using verbal and non-verbal cues.

    Group level Communication

    It refers to communication among three or more individuals with a common goal of sharing ideas and information collaborating on a project,resolving conflicts or negotiations.

    A group is a collection of people with specific goals or objectives.

    Group communication is used to take a collective decision on a problem, an issue or a matter of common interest. Participants involved in group communication takes an active part in communication to achieve a set of goals, develop social contacts or find the solution to a problem that concerns all members of the group.

    Public communication

    It is a communication that happens when a message sender is focused on transmitting a message to a specific group. In public communication, a person or a group of people share information to an audience or give presentation on a certain topic to deliver a certain message. Good examples of public communication is a classroom lecture, sermon or speech from public gatherings.

    People delivering public speech may allow their audience to respond to the message and ask crucial questions.

    Illustrating Communication

    Mass Communication

    It is the process of imparting and exchanging information through mass media to a large group of population using various forms of media technology like print media, radio broadcasting, television broadcasting etc.

    Mass communication focuses on using of a particular resource in transmitting information to various receivers.

    It can also be described as the transmission of messages to many recipients at a time.

    Through mass communication, information can be transmitted quickly to many people who do not necessarily stay near the source of information.

    Mass communications is usually done through various channels that includes:

    • Social networks
    • magazines
    • books
    • films
    • Internet
    • billboards
    • newspapers
    • Radio broadcasts
    • Televisions
    • websites

    components of communication

    There are various components that makes up a communication which includes the message sender, message receiver, the message, channel, feedback, context, barriers and effects.

    Communication is often seen as a transaction and interactive process such that it is a process of constructing meaning by taking into account the different perspectives of the participants.

    communication has three major functions no matter the context in which it is applied:

    • Assists individuals understand subject matter, their environment, job processes, themselves and others.
    • Persuasion and influence
    • Initiate and maintain human relations
    • It is a key to initiating and maintaining human relationships

    Apart from verbal communication where participants rely on the spoken and written words, we also communicate through behavior and by using non-verbal symbols and signs.

    Many a times, non-verbal communication is given more importance than verbal communication because it be more accurate than the verbal one.

    non-verbal communications includes:

    • Facial expressions
    • Gesture
    • Body movements
    • Posture
    • Appearance
    • Dressing
    • Space and distance
    • Tone of voice
    • Paralinguistic features
    • Time and artefacts.

    Paralinguistics encompasses voice elements such as the pitch, volume, tone, intonation, rhythm, and silence and non-voice elements such as facial expressions, body language, hand gestures, and eye contact.

    Related Topics

  • las emociones

    las emociones

    En resumen


    Si resulta que eres mi chica, me cuentas algo y no recibes respuesta alguna, no creas que no te he escuchado ni entendido. El procesamiento de información dentro de mí es totalmente invisible. Sucede en una caja negra, no os dejéis engañar por mi cara. sonreír no significa emoción, fruncir el ceño no significa desaprobación. El corazón, el rostro y la mente no siempre funcionan al unísono. Suelen trabajar con cadenas de mando.

    Las buenas noticias nos dan salud.


    Las buenas noticias son saludables para nuestros huesos, pero las malas noticias son la podredumbre de los huesos. Las buenas noticias dan salud a nuestras almas. Por supuesto, nunca fuimos hechos para recibir malas noticias, nunca fuimos conectados de esa manera, es por eso que las malas noticias nos hacen sentir muy mal, causan estrés emocional y crean ansiedad en nosotros. Las malas noticias perturban nuestra paz interior y nos causan mucha preocupación, y depende de la magnitud de la noticia y de seguro recibir malas noticias constantemente te causará trastornos mentales y de salud mental que se reflejarán en tu bienestar físico.

    Y el mundo está lleno de malas noticias. Cuando enciendes tu televisor, es casi seguro que recibirás una mala noticia. Por supuesto, los medios de comunicación se especializan en transmitir malas noticias ignorando las buenas. El hecho de que una gran población del mundo tenga problemas mentales se puede atribuir a las noticias que reciben a diario.

    Sabiduría de los sabios


    No puedes rodearte de personas que sólo dan noticias negativas y esperan tener buena salud.

    Si puedo citar las palabras del sabio rey Salomón: “Las palabras del chismoso son como llagas, y bajan hasta lo más profundo del vientre”. Esto muestra lo importantes que pueden ser las palabras para nosotros. A veces las palabras que escuchamos pueden sentirse como objetos punzantes que han atravesado nuestro cuerpo. Algunas personas usan las palabras como armas contra otras personas, y las palabras son armas efectivas:;

    En otro lugar de sus proverbios, el rey Salomón dijo que “Las palabras de la boca del hombre son como aguas profundas, y la fuente de la sabiduría como arroyo que fluye”. (proverbios 18:4). Esto muestra que las palabras pueden causar refrigerio en las almas.

    Nuevamente se dice “Como aguas frías para el alma sedienta, así son las buenas noticias de un país lejano”.

    Todos estos dichos y muchos otros que no mencionaré aquí enfatizan la importancia de las buenas noticias para el ser humano.

    mundo corrupto


    La naturaleza corrupta del hombre ha hecho que el hombre reciba malas noticias constantemente, haciendo que la presencia de buenas noticias sea muy rara en su vida. Hemos cuidado tanto las cosas materiales y lo que necesitamos tener que rara vez somos felices. Rara vez nos enviamos tarjetas de felicitación o enviamos pequeños obsequios a nuestros amigos solo por diversión. Estamos constantemente persiguiendo la bolsa e ignoramos a las personas que no parecen ayudarnos a perseguirla. Sin embargo, estamos rodeados de noticias sobre depresión económica, alto costo de vida e inflación. Cuanto más ganamos, más gastamos y nuestra búsqueda de la felicidad parece una ilusión. Las buenas noticias son raras y están repletas de malas.

    Las noticias de las redes sociales sobre la escuela, nuestros amigos mostrando su éxito constantemente nos recuerdan lo que no tenemos y despiertan preocupación y descontento dentro de nosotros, luego nos preocupamos más y creamos menos y eso hace que nuestras miserias sean más complicadas.

    Cada día nos despertamos con noticias de ataques terroristas, brotes de enfermedades, explosiones, incendios, accidentes de tren, accidentes aéreos, accidentes automovilísticos fatales, delitos, asesinatos, homicidios, violaciones, trata de niños y la lista es larga. Todo esto nos afecta porque el diseñador de nuestro planeta nunca esperó, o más bien no anticipó, que tendríamos todo esto con nosotros. Nuestros cerebros fueron diseñados para trabajar y vivir en felicidad, es por eso que las personas felices prosperan más que las personas rodeadas de negatividad.

    ¿qué hay de mí?


    Por mi parte, no esperen que salte y grite cuando reciba buenas noticias. No muestro emociones. Puedo desaprobar las buenas noticias, pero mi corazón está feliz. Está mal cuando me juzgas por la cara que tengo. Cuando estoy cansado, las buenas noticias no iluminan mi rostro de inmediato. Pero algunas veces pasará antes de que muestre mi entusiasmo. Recibiré buenas noticias y nunca reaccionaré en absoluto, y si eres una mujer que me está dando la noticia, te preguntarás y te confundirás con mi reacción. Esto se debe a que no soy muy rápido en reacciones emocionales, la mente tiene que aprobar la información que ha recibido, es decir, la procesará, cuestionará la autenticidad de la noticia, cuestionará la fuente, cuestionará al portador de la noticia y a veces tarda en acomodarse a la información. realidad de que algo significativo está sucediendo en mi vida.

    Pero no me juzgues. Me he enfrentado a muchas dificultades y nada realmente me emociona. He observado y probado la vida en muchos escenarios y he notado que nada realmente importa. He visto riquezas y he estado arruinado, he recibido amor y he sido rechazado. Han recibido malas y buenas noticias a partes iguales. Así que todas las experiencias de la vida han dejado mi corazón entumecido, sin reaccionar nunca a los problemas, pero seguro que responderé a todo lo que reciba, tarde o temprano.

    Si resulta que eres mi chica, me cuentas algo y no recibes respuesta alguna, no creas que no te he escuchado ni entendido. El procesamiento de información dentro de mí es totalmente invisible. Sucede en una caja negra, no te dejes engañar por mi cara, sonreír no siempre significa emoción y fruncir el ceño no significa desaprobación. El corazón, el rostro y la mente no siempre funcionan al unísono. Suelen trabajar con cadenas de mando. El cerebro se toma su tiempo para considerar y procesar la información que recibe. Esto puede llevar unos minutos, unas horas o incluso unas semanas, dependiendo de la información que se procese. Si la mente está de acuerdo con lo que recibe, se lo entrega al corazón que almacena la copia de la información. Los algoritmos utilizados en el procesamiento de la información en los hombres son complejos y ocultos. Soy uno de los machos:;

    Si me dicen que he ganado un millón de dólares, no me emocionaré de inmediato, primero intentaré relacionar mi vida con alguien que sea millonario. Me imaginaré con un estilo de vida en el que tengo más dinero del que necesito, crearé imágenes mentales de lo que debo comprar y de los lugares a los que iré. Crear imágenes mentales de las personas que atraerá mi nuevo éxito, examinar los peligros involucrados, examinar los desafíos y luego volver a mi realidad ahora mismo. Me preguntaré: “¿Es una tabla o una realidad?”, las dudas en mí me impedirán celebrar de inmediato. Pero cuando la mente demuestre que es una realidad, guardaré las buenas noticias en el corazón y después de unos días mi rostro comenzará a brillar y el gozo en el corazón será evidente.

    Temas relacionados

  • Branches of psychology

    Psychology is a wide field of study and has many applications, from medicine,politics,education , management, marketing etc.

    here are some branches of psychology that may be important for us as we progress.

    In summary

    Here we discuss some of the branches of psychology that can lead a psychologist to a particular area of specializations. The branches we discuss here includes.

    1. Physiology
    2. cognitive psychology
    3. comparative psychology
    4. social psychology
    5. cognitive psychology
    6. development psychology
    7. clinical psychology
    8. Forensic psychology
    9. Educational psychology
    10. Occupational psychology
    11. Healthy psychology

    Bio-Psychology

    Also known as Physiology. It involves the physical basis of behavior and how functions of the nervous system particularly the brain and hormonal system collaboratively influence behavior and mental processes. For example, it shows that there are parts of the brain that is specifically concerned with particular behavior and abilities.

    Here we see things like:

    • the role of hormones in our emotions and how it is all linked to brain process.
    • Relationship between brain activities and states of consciousness is also discussed.
    • genetic transmissions
    • heredity and environment
    • how genetic factors interacts with the environmental one
    • Sensory processes and perception
    • motivation and stress

    Comparative Psychology

    It involves study of behavior of non-human animals with an aim to identify similarities and differences between species.

    It also involves trying to create more understanding about human behavior through study of non-human animal behaviors. For example psychologists have studied rats in a controlled environment in order to develop better understandings of motivation.

    Areas of study includes:

    • classical and operant conditioning
    • animal communication
    • language and memory
    • evolutionary description of human behavior
    • teaching of language to non-human animals

    Social Psychology

    social psychology asserts that all behavior takes place within a social context and even when we are alone, our behavior continues to be influenced by others but there are people that usually have more direct influence upon us when we are within their presence.

    social psychology is usually concerned with:

    • Social perception
    • interpersonal relationships
    • prejudice and discrimination
    • pro and antisocial behaviors

    we will be talking about social psychology in greater lengths in future lessons

    Cognitive Psychology

    It involves study of cognitive processes which are the mental operations the brain performs to process information where Through these operations, the brain interacts with the information around it, stores it and analyses it in order to make the relevant decisions.

    Cognitive processes includes:

    • attention
    • memory
    • perception
    • language
    • thinking
    • problem solving
    • decision-making
    • reasoning
    • concept-formation

    Cognitive psychology have great importance in applications of social psychology. We are likely to see that in future lessons.

    Development Psychology

    It involves itself with biological, cognitive, social and emotional changes that occurs in people as they grow with time. One important discovery by psychologists in this field of study is that development of the mentioned factors is not confined to childhood and adolescence but it is something that happens throughout the whole lifespan of human beings.

    Clinical Psychology

    Clinical psychology is a branch of psychology concerned with the assessment and treatment of mental illness and psychological problems.

    Clinical psychology uses psychology knowledge in treating complex human problems. It gives direction when treating people for mental health,
    promotion of community health, conducts research on mental health and strives promote mental health for people of all ages and backgrounds.

    Clinical psychology deals with issues like :

    • assessment, and treatment of abnormal behavior, mental disorder, and psychiatric problems.
    • research
    • teaching
    • supervision and consultation
    • program development, evaluation, and administration;
    • courtroom testimony;
    • public policy development; and professional practice.

    clinical psychologists describes it as the study of individuals, by observation or experimentation, with the intention of promoting change within the clinical field where it involves observing and working directly with patients in clinics and related settings.

    Problems that may seek attention of clinical psychologists may include:

    • assessing people with learning difficulties
    • administering psychological tests to brain damaged patients
    • devising rehabilitation programmes for long-term psychiatric patients
    • assessing the elderly for their fitness to live independently
    • planning and carrying out programmes of therapy usually in behavior modifications
    • carrying out research into abnormal psychology including the effectiveness of different treatments methods mostly for adults with cronical illnesses and elderly people in psychiatric hospitals.
    • community care
    • teaching healthy professionals like nurses, psychiatrists and social workers.

    Forensic Psychology

    It is a branch of psychology that applies psychological principles and methods to the criminal justice systems.

    It is rooted in empirical research and draws on cognitive, development, social and clinical psychology.

    It’s main area is the study of criminal behavior and it’s management those it has been expanded recently to involve emergence of technological issues like stalking and cyber bullying.

    A crucial part of forensic psychologists involves research and evaluation of what constitutes successful treatment of criminal behaviors.

    Forensic psychologists works mostly with prison services and criminal investigation departments. You will find them in places like :

    • health services
    • police service
    • younger offenders unit
    • probation services
    • Universities and private consultancy

    some areas of study that are the focus of forensic psychologist includes:

    • Presentation of an evidence in a court proceedings
    • Eyewitness testimonies
    • false memory syndrome and recovered memory
    • offender profiling
    • Crime prevention
    • devising treatment programmes in emotional issues
    • assessing the risks of releasing prisoners
    • Jury selection
    • improving recall of child witness

    Counseling Psychology

    It is a branch of psychology that specializes in use of broad range of culturally informed practices to help people improve their well-being and prevent or alleviate distress and maladjustment, resolve crises, and increase their ability to function better in their lives. It focuses specifically normative lifespan development particularly on prevention and creating of awareness as well as improving and addressing individuals as well as the systems or contexts in which they function. It also helps people with work and career issues.

    counseling psychologists may work directly with individuals, couples, families and groups.

    braches of psychology photo

    Educational Psychology

    Educational Psychologists usually concerns itself with theories, methodologies and applications of psychology to broad range of teaching, training and learning issues. Sometimes it is referred to as the school psychology.

    The clients of social psychologists are mostly school going children and teenagers and they usually liaise with other professionals in the education field , health and social services.

    An educational psychologists will involve themselves with issues like:

    • administering psychometric tests particularly intelligence tests as part of assessment of learning difficulties
    • planning and supervising of remedial teaching
    • research into teaching methods, the curriculum, interviewing, counseling methods and techniques.
    • planning educational programmes for those with mental and physical impairments and other groups of learners with special needs that may not be catered for in normal schools.
    • advising parents and teachers on how to manage children and adolescences with physical impairments, behavior problems or learning difficulties
    • Training of teachers

    Occupational Psychology

    This is a branch of psychology that involves work related issues like selection and training of individuals for jobs and vocational guidance including administrations of aptitude tests and tests of interests. The work of occupational psychologists is similar to the work of personnel management specialists.

    issues that needs attentions of an occupational psychologist are like:

    • Helping people who for reasons of illness, accidents or redundancy needs to choose and retrain for a new career.
    • Designing and training for job placements
    • designing job ergonomics
    • advising on working conditions in order to maximize productivity
    • studying of peoples efficiency in their work environment for correct deployments
    • Helping flow of communication between departments in organizations with emphasis on physical rather than on practical or physical aspects of the working environment.
    • Helps in selling of products and services through advertisements and promotions.

    Healthy Psychology

    It is a branch of psychology that deals on how to use psychological principles in order to promote changes in people’s attitudes and behavior about health and illness.

    Health psychologists deals with issues identified by health care agencies which may includes:

    • Use of psychological theories and interventions to prevent damaging behaviors like smoking and drug abuse and change of health related behaviors in community and workplace settings
    • promote health by encouraging people in habits like exercise, healthy diet, teeth brushing, regular health check etc.
    • research and develop processes that can predict and change health and illness behaviors
    • Gives guidance on the nature and effects of communication between health care practitioners and patients, facilitates adherence in taking medications and in preparation for stressful medical procedures.
    • Helps in management of psychological impacts on acute and chronic illiness on individuals, work and members of the family

    Conclusions

    In this lesson, We have discussed various specialization in the field of psychology. Psychology is a wide field and people joining the field can specialize in a variety of options depending on whether their interest is in education, health, marketing, criminal justice or business managements. Therefore psychologists are needed in every field of human existence and people who studies psychology can fit in any field.

    Related topics and pages

  • Importance of social psychology

    In this lesson, we will discuss important reasons why one may need to be familiar with social psychology as a discipline.

    Because we are social being, we are involved in social psychology analysis in one way or another, consciously or subconsciously.

    Some of the few reasons why social psychology is taught in schools includes:

    To improve the accuracy in predictions of human behavior

    Most of conflicts we encounter when interacting with each other can be reduced when we understand that others behave the way they do because of underlying factors that has affected their lives.

    Understanding the theory behind their habits can equip us to better manage each others behavior. As an example, many marriage counselors grapple with problems whose origin can be traced to gross failure in the couple’s inability to predict and understand their behavior and interaction.

    Social programs that could result to huge benefits to societies like reducing poverty, crime prevention and conflict resolutions has failed because their originators were inadequate with understanding of the basic principles of social interaction.

    Could help reduce the dysfunction results of interactions

    Social psychology helps us in understanding social behavior and such knowledge can help us, not only individuals behavior but also in determining ways of interacting with them.

    Enables us understand better methods used to influence people

    Social psychology enables us to acquire better understanding of the methods used by powerful or knowledgeable individuals and groups to influence others.

    By developing a systematic statements of our social psychology knowledge and use of scientific data, we can encourage the wide spread sharing of social skills for the benefit of all.

    Study of Social psychology gives structured understanding of one another hence helping us develop clear understanding of how people affect one another.

    Be able to tackle mental illness

    Most of mental healthy problems can be traced from social interactions with others such as conflicts with the loved ones, death of people close to us, being married, family problems, work or professional relationships, comparing ourselves with neigbours, feeling rejected by other people, trying to fit in a group, people gossiping about us,people’s expectations on us,etc.

    Understanding social psychology can help a counselor deal with such issues much easier.

    Marketing

    Social psychology can be used in social engineering so as to change people’s view on a product being sold. A social psychologist can be useful in a marketing department of an organization in developing of adverts and hence increase productivity of the sales team. Adverts and products can be represented in a way that reflects peoples inherent behavior in a crowd and hence becomes more appealing to them.

    Management

    Managers opt to understand social psychology so as to create a social environment that can create motivating environment to the team members. Understanding social psychology can help a manager become better leader as it will help them become more empathetic to the employees and maintain better working relationships.

    parenting

    Parents that understands social psychology will be careful with social environments they create for their children because they understand how such environments can shape the future long life behaviors of the children they are trying to raise. Parents will also be able to detect change of social life of their children from their change of behavior.

    Creating and maintaining relationships

    Relationships with your spouse, friends and family members can be made better by standing sociology because we will approach each other with understanding.

    Social psychology is important to some few areas in which it has direct applications. Such fields includes:

    Education Psychology

    It is a branch of pyschology concerned with questioning, examining, measuring and analyzing behavior related to learning withing a school or classroom environment. It also deals with child growth and development as we will encounter in future lessons.

    clinical Psychology

    This is the application of psychological knowledge, methods and techniques in treatment of mental disorders. A clinical psychologist can diagnose mental illness using psychological testing and work closely with psychiatrists who have different roles from that of clinical psychologist.

    Social Psychology is built on two key assumptions:

    1. All behavior occurs within a social context

    It assumes that people are sensitive and always responds to other people’s feelings, thoughts and behavior. For example, you gets irritated with people that behaves badly.

    Another example is the study of empathy where we tend to be highly responsive to other people’s pain and before we realize it, we express emotions and other bodily states that drives us to act towards helping them.

    Another example is the study of social interactions between strangers. Often, before we even realize it, we have formed an impression of one another often based on superficial qualities. For example men with baby-face are trusted more than people with pointier faces.

    2. A major influence on people’s behavior, thoughts and feelings are other people and society.

    As social species we are always influenced by those around us and we always in turn influence those around us and this happens in all levels of social interactions.

    Individuals have an influence over us through social power and obedience.

    Society and groups always demand conformity of it’s norms and beliefs to every person that would have claim to be membership of the group nor the society. Most often, those that would not obey rules of the group are punished by ex-communication or other forms of punishment.

    What a society believes in is always considered more power superior as opposed to individuals point of view. Furthermore we usually behaves differently when we are in groups as opposed to when we are alone. For example when we engage in picketing, strike of football hooliganism.

    The assumption of the social approach to psychology is that people acts in a way so as to fit in a group mostly because failure to adhere to societal rules is regarded as abnormality and an acceptable especially in collectivist cultures. Thieves, rapists, lunatics, drug addicts and other social misfits are considered abnormal not because of their thoughts and actions, but because what they do does not fit into expected behaviors for the members of their community.

    Conclusion

    Social psychology is important because human beings are social in nature.You cannot separate human beings from social aspect of life and there are usually many contexts of social interactions

    We are born and develped in social environments and we shapes our behaviors to fit into those social environment into which we find ourselves in.Individual’s behavior is majorly dependent on their social environments.

    The way we see others, and the way we think they see us, can have a big impact on our thoughts, feelings, behaviours and decisions. Study of social psychology helps us understand how these factors can influence us as individuals or as a group.

    Related Topics

    Introduction to social psychology

    References:

    Sociology for healthy sciences, Zerihun Doda, M.A. Debub University.

    sociology, RAJIV Gandthi University Arunachal Pradesh, India.

  • Social Psychology

    Human beings are essentially social beings.As we stay with others, our actions, thoughts and feelings are affected by them.

    when we are stayed next to a stranger; even though we may never be be able to talk to them, our minds thinks about them and our behavior at that moment will be dictated by the presence of the stranger. For example we are likely to avoid any behavior that may cause a stranger to think negatively about us. 

    We also influences behavior of others and this consists a large amount of human behavior. As an example, we always dress thinking about the people we will meet and how we want them perceive us.That is why you dress differently for an interview from the way you dress for a date. If we are not affected by other people around, we could as well walk into office with our night dress and continue working unbothered. But we cannot endure the unusual reaction from others and even possible disciplinary action against us for indecency. We are afraid walking naked because people will perceive us as mad or abnormal, yet some of us can comfortably walk around in nudity when inside our house undisturbed.

    A large part of human behavior is determined by his social environment and this explains the importance of social psychology.

    The scope of social Psychology is wide and may constitutes:

    • Social cognition
    • social perception
    • attitudes
    • self awareness
    • stereotyping
    • prejudice and discrimination
    • interpersonal attraction
    • close relations
    • social influences
    • pro-social behavior
    • aggression
    • group and individuals
    • etc

    We will be discussing most of this topics in this unit.

    This lesson aims at helping you understand social behaviors and motivate you to want to understand yourself and others and create better and more successful relationships.

    It could also help you in your course if your are a students in field of psychology.

    Definitions

    Social psychology is the scientific study of the manner in which the personality, attitudes, motivations and behavior of the individuals influences and is influenced by social groups.

    Social psychology is the discipline that uses scientific methods in an attempt to understand and explain how thoughts,feelings and behavior of individuals are influenced by the actual, imagined or implied presence of other human beings. (Gordon Allport,1954).

    Social Psychology is the scientific study of how people think, influence and relate with one another. (Myers and Spencer, 2006).

    Social Psychology is the scientific field that seeks to understand the nature and cause of individual behaviors and thoughts in social situations. (Barron and Byrne, 2007)

    Key questions in social psychology
    • what influences our point of view about a subject
    • what causes people to have a certain attitude
    • what has caused us to adopt certain ideas and values
    • why people acts ways considered irrational
    • what causes our fears towards what others will think about us

    Interactions

    Interactions with other people affects all aspects of human behavior from infancy through old age.The important people in our lives shapes our emotions, thoughts, personalities an our perceptions. We usually consider the mentioned traits as private and solitary events yet they are affected and influenced by our interactions with others.

    Behavior

    Behavior is something that can be observed about us.

    Behavior refers to gross motor activities like running, walking styles, arranging things etc and actions such as smiling, crying, putting on sad or happy face or how we talk.

    In social psychology things like feelings, thoughts,beliefs,attitudes, intentions and goals may not be observable directly but can be inferred from our behavior. Our actions are as a result of what is going in inside us; our feelings, our believes, our thoughts, our fears, our passion. These none-observable processes inside us are always working to influence what are going to do.

    social psychology is studied in social context as it deals with how people are affected by other people who are physically present around them. For example our best friend may influence us to dance in a party even though we are shy. Excitements in a crowd can cause us to do things we can never do when we are alone. A person who is usually reserved and calm could be shouting during picketing because of the influence he is getting from the crowd. A lady who is usually shy may drink bear in a party because she fear being labelled coward or reserved.

    Our social environment can sometimes be imaginative rather than real. Take for instance somebody preparing for a date, a lot of things could be running through their mind. They will imagine their reactions when they meet the person, they may think about people around their meeting restaurant or they could be thinking about discussions they will hold about the date with their friend among other things.

    Our earlier experiences with other people can also affect our behavior, for example if we had ever be laughed at when we did something silly, we will be cautious when in the crowd.

    If we comes from a home where parents were very strict and particular about cleanliness, we are likely to keep our environment very clean even when nobody watching.

    illustrations of how we affects each others mind and thoughts
    Themes common in social psychology
    • Interpersonal trust
    • human cooperation
    • social justice
    • forgiveness and revenge
    • self-regulation
    • culture e.t.c
    Conclusion

    Social psychology deals with the factors that leads us to behave in a certain way in the presence of others and looks at the conditions under which certain behaviors and feelings occur.

    Social psychology has something to do with the way feelings, thoughts, beliefs, intentions and goals are constructed and how such psychological factors in turn influences our interactions with others.

    Glossary:

    ConformityChanging your behavior to go along with the group even if you do not agree with the group
    ComplianceGoing along with a request or demand
    Normative social influenceConformity to a group norm to fit in, feel good, and be accepted by the group
    Informational social influenceConformity to a group norm prompted by the belief that the group is competent and has the correct information
    ObedienceChanging your behavior to please an authority figure or to avoid aversive consequences
    Group-thinkGroup members modify their opinions to match what they believe is the group consensus
    Group polarizationStrengthening of the original group attitude after discussing views within a group
    Social facilitationImproved performance when an audience is watching versus when the individual performs the behavior alone
    Social loafingExertion of less effort by a person working in a group because individual performance cannot be evaluated separately from the group, thus causing performance decline on easy tasks

    Related Topics