In the mid-1800s throughout Europe, psychology began as a field of scientific studies. Following this, the field began to spread worldwide. In 1879, a German scientist, William Wundt, marked the start when he founded the first laboratory dedicated to psychology in Germany. As time passes, different ways of thinking about psychology emerged and formulated, different schools of thought. New approaches of influential scientists laid the foundation and marked the evolution of psychology into modern science as society knows it today. Human beings implement psychology into their daily lives through our understanding of certain situations, uses of the established schools of thought, and how the psychological perspectives of prominent psychological thinkers help influence situations.
One situation in which psychology could play a major role is in a classroom. Teachers use various methods to promote good behavior and good grades in an academic setting. From a psychological perspective, behaviorism could play a key role in aiding teachers in classrooms. Behaviorism “investigates how observable stimuli in the environment affect behavior” (Gazzaniga, 18). For example, when certain students do well on a test, a teacher may award them with a sticker, a treat, or with positive comments such as “Good job” or “You did so well”. When teachers use rewards in a classroom, this is a perfect example of how psychology plays a major role in our everyday lives. Behaviorism helps us to understand that when teachers provide positive reinforcement whenever a student practices behavior that is wanted, it will help students learn to perform those positive tasks on their own. Essentially, teachers are shaping the students' behavior. This example demonstrates how psychology can be shown in how classrooms utilize behaviorism to help shape students' behavior.
The second example of a situation in which psychology could be essential is when someone would like to lose weight. Losing weight requires great discipline and self-motivation since most people have to change their lifestyles and commit to sticking to a routine. From a psychological perspective, humanistic psychology would serve useful. This school of thought focuses on “how people are free to choose activities that make them feel happy and bring them fulfillment” (Gazzaniga, 18). Exercising and losing weight is a free choice that helps individuals accept themselves and live up to their full potential, which is a key focus of humanistic psychology. However, committing to lose weight and stick to a routine can be hard for certain individuals. Through practicing a humanistic approach, individuals could set realistic short-term weight loss goals to meet and be active in their treatment and diet plans. By practicing this, it can aid in long-term results and improve the quality of their life. Exercising and losing weight reiterates that psychology can be useful in everyday life and how humanistic psychology can aid in self-motivation and care.
And the final situation in which psychology can play a key role is when a student is studying for a test. Studying for a test requires the elimination of distractions, focusing on the information, and a rehearsal of what you have learned. This is an example of the importance of cognitive psychology which is “concerned with investigating mental functions such as intelligence, thinking, language, attention, learning, memory, problem-solving, and decision-making” (Gazzaniga, 19). By learning more about cognitive psychology, you can find more effective ways to study for a test that will help retain information more accurately. Studying for a test can be stressful for most people and can result in bad outcomes. However, from this psychological perspective, humans will note that the best way to study for a test is to study small amounts of information at a time, test yourself, and correct mistakes by testing your memory and avoiding remembering the wrong information. The best ways to study for a test can be influenced by cognitive psychology to help humans understand the most efficient tasks that aid in retaining information.