10 Reasons to Study Psychology (Literally, for Everyone)

As you learn more about how development occurs, how personality forms, and how factors like society and culture impact behavior, you might find yourself gaining a deeper understanding of the many influences that have impacted your own life.

Having a basic understanding of psychological research methods can help you better understand some of the many claims that you’ll encounter in books, magazines, television shows, and movies. Becoming a better-informed consumer of psychology means that you will be equipped to sort out the truth from the fiction surrounding many pop psychology myths.

The next time someone behaves in a certain way, you might be better able to understand the influences and motivations behind their actions.

Studying subjects such as emotion , language, and body language can help you fine-tune your interpersonal communication skills. By learning more about these things, you can gain a greater understanding of other people and what they are trying to say.

As you study psychology you will learn more about topics such as the scientific method, decision-making , and problem-solving, all of which might help you hone your ability to think deeply and critically about different issues.

Sure, there are plenty of exciting careers in psychology that you might want to explore, but studying the subject can help you in many other professions as well. For example, if you want to become a business manager, understanding human behavior can improve your ability to manage and interact with your employees.

Understanding how people change and grow throughout the lifespan can make it easier to understand the children in your life, as well as your aging parents. It can also shine a light on your own experiences as you encounter different challenges and opportunities as you age.

Because different areas of psychology encompass a range of topics including philosophy, biology, and physiology, studying the subject can help you gain a richer understanding of these related areas.

While you might not be interested in becoming a psychotherapist, studying psychology can help you better understand how psychological conditions are diagnosed and treated.

From intriguing optical illusions that reveal the inner workings of the brain to shocking experiments that expose how far people will go to obey an authority figure, there is always something amazing and even downright astonishing to learn about the human mind and behavior.