Chapter 21: Psychology: Present and Future
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Psychology Journal What do you think will be the most serious problem in this century? Write your answer in your journal. ■ PSYCHOLOGY Chapter Overview Visit the Understanding Psychology Web site at glencoe.com and click on Chapter 21—Chapter Overviews to preview the chapter. 602 Careers in Psychology Reader’s Guide ■ Main Idea Exploring Psychology Human behavior plays a key role in many areas of study. Studying psy- Choosing My Destiny chology can prepare you for many Many of the students at the school had career opportunities. been given intelligence tests and scored at ■ Vocabulary the lowest and most handicapped level. Yet • crisis intervention program it was evident that these young people had skills that were relevant to their culture. I ■ Objectives recall a Down’s syndrome child who could • Outline the requirements needed to beat out complex rhythms on the drum, become a psychologist. young women who learned to card and • List several careers available in weave rugs from foster grandparents, and psychology. Yazzie, our survival artist, who could go for days in very severe weather conditions with little clothing or food and would turn up in a distant town days later seemingly no worse for wear. Obviously, the intelli- gence tests were missing something that was very important. —from “Pathways to Change and Development: The Life of a School Psychologist” by Stephen F. Poland, in Career Paths in Psychology, edited by Robert J. Sternberg n the passage above, author Stephen Poland describes his experiences with teaching a group of mentally challenged Navajo children. This Iadventure led him to seek his destiny and his career—becoming a school psychologist. CAREERS IN PSYCHOLOGY “What are you going to do when you get out of school?” “Beats me. My grandparents want me to learn the shoe business and take over when they retire. Mom and Dad want me to think about law as Chapter 21 / Psychology: Present and Future 603 Figure 21.1 Areas of Expertise of Ph.D. Psychologists a career. I was leaning toward business administra- Over the past 30 years, the number of people receiving doctorate tion, but my sister just grad- degrees in the field of psychology has grown by nearly 170 percent. uated with an M.B.A. I Which area of expertise has enjoyed the greatest growth? don’t want to be just like her. I’ve got more choices 1975 1995 2004 than I can handle.” Clinical/Counseling/School 35% 50% 53% This conversation is Experimental/Comparative/Physiological 17% 16% 2% imaginary but typical for juniors and seniors in high Developmental/Child/Social/Personality 14% 13% 2% school. You do have many Educational 5% 3% 7% options. Because you have Industrial/Organizational 3% 3% 2% spent a period of time study- ing psychology, it may be Other psychology subfields 26% 15% 34% beneficial to respond to ques- Sources: NSF/SRS Surveys of Doctorate Recipients; Digest of Education Statistics, 2005. tions about psychology: What will I do with what I have learned? Was it worth it if this is the only psychology course I ever take? What careers in psychology are open to me? To help you find answers to these questions, this section offers several descriptions of opportunities in psy- chology careers. The careers described here, though, are only a few in the vast field of psychology and related fields. What Are Employers Looking For? Employers are most likely to hire someone who offers special skills. In psychology, as in many other fields, job choices are limited if you have only a high school diploma. Surprisingly, when you have a Ph.D., you also have relatively few choices, but by that time you have chosen to fine-tune your education and experience for a specific kind of job; you are a specialist. Those with a bachelor’s degree in psychology may have the most options with the widest array of possible employers. Moreover, psy- chology is a logical undergraduate major for those planning graduate work in such fields as sociology, social work, law, medicine, or education. Human behavior plays a key role in all of these areas. Some Career Options Reading Check Psychology is both a science and a profession. As a science, psycholo- How is psychology both gists study how people perceive, think, feel, and act. In the professional a science and a profession? arena, careers that are based on psychological principles seek to predict how people will act; help people modify their behavior; and help organi- zations, businesses, and communities to change. Crisis Hot Line Adviser crisis intervention program: short-term psycho- Employer: a large hospital logical first aid that helps indi- Can you do it? viduals and families deal with A person holding this job might be a senior in high school. emergencies or highly stressful For crisis intervention programs, applicants must complete a com- situations prehensive training program. A county hospital, for instance, might offer 604 Chapter 21 / Psychology: Present and Future such training over three weekends. Following training, a typical assign- ment would involve two 4-hour shifts a week. What’s involved? Crisis hot line personnel respond primarily to two kinds of problems. One involves the immediate, possibly life-threatening situation that can arise as a result of a personal or family crisis—perhaps an argu- ment or the unexpected death of a loved one. Drug use, whether from withdrawal or overdose, can also bring about an immediate need for help. The other type of problem is the crisis evolving from long-term stress, such as that experienced in the family, on the job, or in a failure to develop one’s career. Crises like these are not as threatening, but still need to be resolved. A person handling a hot line will have a list of psychologists and counselors as well as information about a wide array of treatment facili- ties and programs operating in the vicinity. This job requires being able to calm the caller, identify his or her problem, and help that caller to see the wisdom—once the immediate crisis has been dealt with—of contact- ing the most appropriate agency or professional for long-term follow-up. Word Processor Salesperson Employer: a local computer dealer Can you do it? People with an interest in psychology are likely to have a higher-than-average interest in behavior—both theirs and others. That interest, even if backed only by a high school diploma, is a vital element of the successful salesperson. One report suggests that the best salespeo- ple are motivated by the need for status, control, respect, routine, accom- plishment, stimulation, and honesty. With those needs met, a salesper- son will feel happy regardless of level of education. A basic understand- ing of people’s driving forces—their needs for achievement, affiliation, and safety—is but one aspect of psychology that would aid someone seeking a career in sales. What’s involved? The key requirement may be experience. One psychologist has suggested that you cannot educate Try Out a someone to be good in sales, but sensi- Career in tivity to others can be improved by Psychology training. You must also be persistent, skillful at language, able to query As you search the want ads in your local newspaper, prospective customers, and able to relate you may not see very many entry-level job openings for their needs to those answered by the psychologists. There are jobs, though, that can expose you product you are offering. to psychology-related work. Look for jobs that utilize peo- ple skills, such as communicating or relating to people; ana- Mental Health Assistant lytical skills, such as figuring out and resolving problems; writing skills, such as writing logical reports; and research Employer: a senior citizen service skills, such as using statistics or tables to analyze issues. center These skills are called for in a variety of jobs, such as work- Can you do it? This is a new career ing for case workers, business managers, probation or cor- field, usually requiring at least an asso- rections officers, city managers, and human services. ciate degree. An associate degree is Chapter 21 / Psychology: Present and Future 605 awarded after a two-year course preparing for para- Profiles In Psychology professional occupations in nursing homes, com- munity mental health Linda L. McCarley centers, centers dealing with mental retardation, 1946– or even special-education “Artmaking opens centers for the variously windows to the disabled in public schools. inner world.” What’s involved? Typically supervised by a staff psy- chologist, an assistant helps with or conducts admission interviews. He inda L. McCarley, an art therapist, is founder and director of or she may be respon- L the Art Therapy Institute in Dallas, Texas. She helps people — — create drawings, paintings, sculptures, and other art forms that sible under supervision provide a glimpse into their inner world. for administering various How does art therapy work? Have you ever felt better after psychological tests, either expressing yourself with music, dance, drama, or art? That is to new patients or to because words may not adequately express some of your deepest assess the progress of feelings or life experiences. Artmaking provides another avenue of those already admitted. self-expression, helps release tension, and is known to be life enhancing. As we can see by studying the images etched on the Personnel Director walls of caves dating back to ancient times, people have always Employer: a large depart- relied upon imagery to express their most significant life experi- ment store, for example ences. The art made by people throughout history enriches our Can you do it? The suc- understanding of those people.