Testing a Theory

Testing a Theory

Part of growing up is learning as we go, trial and error, or learning from one’s mistakes. It is common for us as human beings to create our own theories on an idea and test them ourselves. I can recall a certain theory I created and tested when I was younger. When I was in grade school, up until high school, my mother constantly moved me around. I ended up going to 14 different schools throughout my school career and five of them alone were high schools. Throughout these relocations I began to develop a sense of not being accepted or fitting in. The theory I created to try and overcome this issue was trying to dress as the popular kids did and act as if I was into the same hobbies and other things they were into. I was going through an identity crisis as my mother always told me. The first step I took when testing this theory was deciding which group of kids I actually wanted to hang with. Once I decided I wanted to hang with the skateboarder kids I started wearing the clothes they did such as baggy and ripped pants, graphic t-shirts, and skater shoes. The next step I took was paying attention to things they talked about in conversations such as the music they were into or where what kind of skateboards they preferred. I then started listening to the music I heard mentioned. I never got a real fancy skateboard but I did own one and practiced as much as possible. Over time I eventually realized it wasn’t about how I dressed, what kind of music I listened to, or what kind of skateboard I had. It was about the kind of person I truly inside and discovering this made me fit in and acquire more friends than ever. I used my critical thinking skills to solve this problem just as most psychologists do. I spent a lot of my free time logically thinking of several solutions to my problem and comparing the results of each one. I also used experimental research as do most psychologists. If given another opportunity the only thing I would change would be...