Psychology for Dummies (5 page)

We are material beings. We’re made of flesh and bones. Any discussion of thoughts, feelings, or any other psychological concept that doesn’t consider the body, especially the brain and nervous system, ignores the facts of our existence. Take the “mind” for example. Most of us think we have a “mind” and that others (well, most others) have one too. But where does this “mind” exist? These days, psychologists accept that the “mind” exists in, or is synonymous with, the brain — that lump of flesh inside our skulls. The biological metatheory is integrated into the biopsychosocial model because of this component.

I think that most people have this aspect of the biopsychosocial model in mind (no pun intended) when they think of psychology. Thoughts, feelings, desires, beliefs, and numerous other mental concepts are addressed through this aspect of the model, the role of the mind. What if this book was about botany? Would the biopsychosocial model still be useful? Only if you believed that plants had minds, and the “social” component of the model referred more to the ecological niche that plants exist within. In other words, it’d be a stretch!

This is a good illustration of the uniqueness of the biopsychosocial model of psychology. The mind is central to understanding human behavior and mental processes. Behaviorists neglect the mind. Biological psychologists study the mind as the brain. And social psychologists primarily focus on the third aspect of the biopsychosocial model.

Our brains and minds would be pretty lonely without the third component of the model, the social aspect of human behavior and mental processes. Brains don’t work, and minds don’t think in a vacuum. Behavior and mental processes are embedded within a context that includes other people and the material environment around us. The social aspect of the model also includes non-human aspects of our environment, such as nature and technology.

It’s important not to underestimate the power of other people in shaping and determining our behavior and mental processes. Most of us are aware of the detrimental effects that negative social events or experiences, such as physical or sexual abuse, can have on us. To neglect the social is to neglect reality.

Do behaviors and mental processes vary across cultures? Let me put the question to you this way: If I only conducted research with white, middle-class, college students, could I state that my results apply to all people? Definitely not. This subject has been a hot topic in psychology over the last 30 years or so. As technological advances help make our world a smaller place and different cultures come into contact with each other more often, understanding the role of culture in psychology becomes increasingly important.

Cultural influence needs to be addressed in psychology for at least two reasons, one is scientific, and the other is humanistic. Science seeks objectivity and truth. All us are vulnerable to cultural bias; therefore, psychology should try to understand the influence of culture in order to provide the most objective and complete picture of reality as possible. If not, all we’ll have is a bunch of “regional psychologies” that are useless and inaccurate outside of the cultures they were developed in.

Finally, from a humanistic perspective, many people generally agree that it’s wrong to impose their culture’s brand of truth onto other cultures. What if my American research shows that using baby talk to communicate with infants stunts the growth of mature speech, and I go to another culture and design a public education program based on these findings? Although they hold true for the United States, these research results may not be applicable to the other culture. My education program would be imposing a “truth” that’s not really a “truth” onto that culture. We should always be careful to respect the relativity of truth across cultural boundaries.

Experimental psychologists
spend the majority of their time conducting research, and they often work in academic settings. Experimental psychology covers a wide range of topics, but individual researchers typically have a specialty.

Applied psychologists
directly apply research findings and psychological theory to everyday settings and problems. Applied psychologists work in a wide variety of settings, such as business, government, education, and even sports.

Clinical psychologists
study, diagnosis, and treat psychological problems. The American Psychological Association states that in order for an individual to be considered a psychologist, he or she must possess a doctoral degree (a PhD, PsyD, or EdD, for example). And nearly all states in the United States require the individual to obtain a license to practice psychology, which typically involves taking an intensive licensing exam.