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Education News >> Subjects >> Psychology
Psychology News
Definition: The acronym ISFJ stands for Introverted, Sensing, Feeling, Judging and represents one of the 16 different personality types identified by the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). The MBTI is based upon Carl Jung's theory of personality types at categorizes personality based on preferences across four different dimensions.
People with an ISFJ personality type are often described as down-to-earth, organized, kind-hearted and practical. ISFJs try to avoid conflict and confrontation and are very good at understanding the feelings of others. Psychologist David Keirsey, approximately 9 to 14 percent of people have an ISFJ personality type.
Learn more about the characteristics of this type in this overview of the ISFJ personality.
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ISFJ - Psychology Definition of the Week originally appeared on About.com Psychology on Friday, February 3rd, 2012 at 10:02:05.
The theory of psychosocial development created by Erik Erikson is perhaps one of the best known personality theories. The theory differs from many others in that it addresses development across the entire lifespan, from birth through death.
At each stage, the individual deals with a conflict that serves as a turning point in development. When the conflict is resolved successfully, the person is able to develop the psychosocial quality associated with that particular stage of development.
Learn more about each of the points of development, including the conflict confronted and major events that occur in this overview of the psychosocial stages.
More About the Psychosocial Stages
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A Closer Look at the Psychosocial Stages originally appeared on About.com Psychology on Thursday, February 2nd, 2012 at 10:00:13.
Editing is one of the most important steps in the writing process. Before you complete a psychology paper, it is essential to check your work for spelling, grammar and style. Psychology papers also need to conform to the standards of APA format, so it is a good idea to check your writing and references thoroughly.
After you have spent countless hours researching, writing and re-writing, sometimes the last thing you want to do is have to read through your paper one more time. Skipping this final step might save you a little time, but tiny mistakes in grammar, punctuation and formatting can lead to big losses in points. For example, imagine that you lose a points for some typos and a few more for mistakes in the formatting of your reference section. Before long, an A+ paper becomes a B- paper. It is certainly worth investing a little time and energy into editing your paper one last time before you hand it in.
Follow these steps for editing a psychology paper to ensure your paper is at its best.
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How to Edit a Psychology Paper originally appeared on About.com Psychology on Wednesday, February 1st, 2012 at 10:01:45.
Earning a Ph.D. in Psychology can open up a whole new world of career opportunities, but is it the best choice for you? Pursuing a Ph.D. is a big investment of time, effort and money, so you should definitely spend some time exploring your options, researching different programs and determining if the Ph.D. degree is the right choice for your needs. Learn more about the Ph.D. psychology degree as well as a few alternative graduate options that might also want to consider in these frequently asked questions about the Ph.D. in Psychology degree.
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Frequently Asked Questions About Ph.D. in Psychology Degrees originally appeared on About.com Psychology on Tuesday, January 31st, 2012 at 10:00:23.
In an article published in this month's issue of History of Psychology, researchers present compelling evidence that Little Albert, aka Douglas Merritte, was not the "normal" and "healthy" infant that behavior John B. Watson claimed him to be in his famous 1920 experiment. Instead, they discovered that the boy suffered from congenital hydrocephalus, a medical condition that can lead to problems such as as tunnel vision, convulsions, mental disability and death.
Previously, psychologist Hall P. Beck Beck uncovered the mystery of Little Albert's identity and made the sad discovery that the little boy died of hydrocephalus just five years after the experiment. Further exploration revealed that the boy's condition was not caused by a bout of meningitis he suffered from two years after the Little Albert experiment as was originally believed, but that the boy had suffered from the ailment since birth.
Most disturbing, the authors of the article present convincing evidence that Watson knew about the boys neurological impairment and intentionally misrepresented the child's condition. "The Little Albert study was always controversial because of the ethics of fear-conditioning a child," explained Alan J. Fridlund, lead author and Associate Professor of Psychology at University of California at Santa Barbara. "These new findings, however, bring up issues of the widespread use of children in medical experimentation, the medical misogyny in wet nursing, the protection of the disabled, and by representing Little Albert as "healthy" and "normal," the nearly inescapable conclusion that the investigators committed scientific fraud."
Watson has long been a controversial figure in psychology. After his affair with graduate student Rosalie Rayner came to light, his marriage fell apart and he was eventually forced to leave John Hopkins University. Both his ethics and experimental methodology have long been questioned by critics. However, the evidence presented by Fridlund and Beck is compelling and, if true, places a dark shadow over Watson's legacy. "My take is that the psychology field's attitude toward Watson has always been deeply ambivalent, in part because his evangelism for, and overselling of Behaviorism aroused such fierce antagonism, and because his affair with Rayner and forced resignation from Johns Hopkins was so tawdry and embarrassing for the times," Fridlund suggested.
Read more about these new discoveries: The Sad Tale of Little Albert
Researchers Uncover New Evidence About Little Albert originally appeared on About.com Psychology on Monday, January 30th, 2012 at 09:00:48.
Definition: Self-report inventories are often used in personality tests and can be administered in a computer or pen-and-paper format. On a typical self-report inventory, test-takers are presented with a number of questions or statements and are then asked to select the response that best describes them. These inventories are popular because they allow researchers to collect a great deal of information quickly and easily. Learn more about self-report inventories.
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Self-Report Inventory - Psychology Definition of the Week originally appeared on About.com Psychology on Friday, January 27th, 2012 at 10:01:28.
How well do you know the basics of psychology? This 43-question quiz covers material included in an introductory psychology course including psychology history, research methods, branches of psychology, memory, development and personality. Put your knowledge to the test by taking the Psychology 101 Quiz.
Want to learn more about psychology? Then be sure to sign up for the free Introduction to Psychology E-Course
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Take the Psychology 101 Quiz originally appeared on About.com Psychology on Thursday, January 26th, 2012 at 10:00:55.
One Reader Writes: "I always get so confused about how to tell which is the mean, median or mode! Can you explain what each of these terms mean and how to calculate each one? Thanks!"
Understanding mean, median and mode can be tricky at first, especially if you have little experience with statistical concepts. Each measure is one way to express the central tendency of a set of numbers or scores. In order to understand the differences between the mean, median and mode, let's start by quickly defining the terms.
- The mean is the arithmetic average of a set of given numbers.
- The median is the middle score in a set of given numbers.
- The mode is the most frequently occurring score in a set of given numbers.
Learn more about how to identify and calculate the mean, median or mode.
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Mean, Median or Mode? originally appeared on About.com Psychology on Wednesday, January 25th, 2012 at 10:00:42.
No matter where you are at in your psychology studies, you are probably going to have to deal with graphs at some point. Statistics are essential in psychology whether you are summarizing research or reporting on lab results. One of your major goals should be to present information to readers in a meaningful and manageable format. Graphs are an excellent way to display information visually and, as many so often say, a picture can be worth a thousand words.
In many cases, you might be using graphs to support information found in the results section of your lab report or APA paper. How should you present this type of information? What type of graph should you use? Before you create your visual displays for your results, it is important to be familiar with the types of graphs commonly used in statistics including pie charts, scatter-plots and bar graphs. Courtney Taylor, About.com's Guide to Statistics, provides a great overview of these visual aids in his article on the seven common graphs in statistics.
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Types of Graphs originally appeared on About.com Psychology on Tuesday, January 24th, 2012 at 10:00:05.
Choosing a college major can be a very difficult task, especially if you are torn between competing degree options. In order to select the major that is right for you, it is important to start by assessing your interests and goals. Psychology is one of the most popular degrees at colleges and universities throughout the world, but is it the right choice for you?
Before you decide:
- Assess your interests. Psychology might be a good choice if you enjoy learning about the human mind and behavior, have an interest in psychology research or love working with people.
- Explore different options. Be sure to spend some time researching different psychology careers in order to get a good idea of the the different opportunities that are out there.
- Visit your academic advisor or campus career center. Students sometimes overlook the many resources that are available through their own college or university. An academic advisor can help you asses your strengths and interests in order to determine which college major might be best.
In addition to offering a tremendous opportunity for personal growth, majoring in psychology opens up a huge range of career opportunities. If you are still wondering if psychology is the right choice for you, then be sure to check out some of these ten great reasons to earn a psychology degree.
More tips:
- Before You Major In Psychology
- 10 Psychology Courses You Should Take
- Things to Consider Before You Sign Up for a Psychology Class
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10 Great Reasons to Earn a Psychology Degree originally appeared on About.com Psychology on Monday, January 23rd, 2012 at 10:00:34.
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