Diverse Nature of Psychology

The Diverse Nature of Psychology Paper

Ashley Ramirez

PSY/490

March 21, 2012

Kay Rubin

The Diverse Nature of Psychology Paper

Psychology as a scientific discipline has philosophical roots. The field of psychology is diverse, encompassing many sub disciplines and areas. The American Psychological Association distinguishes more than 50 singular divisions in this field, discernible either by area of study or area of practice. Psychology itself has effectively been a practical field of relevance to the likes of instruction, professional, medical, sports, and the corporate areas of occupation. all the while maintaining a targeted focuses on the source of scientific knowledge about human and non-human behavior. Psychology is best portrayed by being a compilation of individual theories that compile a multitude of characteristics of human behavior to assemble a theory. In reviewing the diverse nature of psychology, it is important to assess the influences of diversity on psychology’s major concepts, give examples of sub disciplines, how the field of psychology has had an impact on contemporary society, as well as the relation of these sub disciplines to a theoretical perspective (Landrum & Davis, 2010).

Influences

The most prominent influence in the diversity of psychology’s major concepts stems from social persuasion. Social persuasion encompasses the ways in which external factors alter human behavior. There are many different types of social persuasion that have an influence on the diversity of psychology’s major concepts. Some of them include the concept of conformity as well as obedience to authority. Inclusive of this are the social forces that outline an individual's behavior from early childhood, such as faith, background, and social status that have a direct effect on the diversity of psychology’s major concepts. Other influences on the diversity of psychology’s major concepts include physiological ones such as an...