Managers of businesses at any level, and in any profession, have used psychology within their daily routines for many years. This could be in the form of the selection process- (a potential employee may have to fill out a questionnaire about their motivation and perceived personality, for example. This could be useful, as it will allow the employer to have an insight into what makes this person work harder, how to make them work to the best of their ability, and also shows whether this person will be suitable for the job.
Also, through previous psychological research, we have been able to dentify things which motivate people to work. This is all psychological research, and has been proved through relentless testing and re-testing. For example, it has been shown that by giving people responsibility, it boosts their motivation. Also, the Attribution theory, first introduced by Weiner in 1980, was a vital piece of research, which set out to explain what makes someone a high achiever, and what stops people achieving well.
For example this theory states that a high achiever only strives to achieve if success does not appear to be impossible. Also, with the attribution heory, it shows us that people either make an internal or and external reason for why they achieved or failed. Those people with internal attribution factors, tended to achieve more. Other psychological investigations into this have shown ways in which people in authority can influence whether people this internally or externally. Therefore a manager would make us of the psychology in this by encouraging their employees to think internally.
I. e. By making them think there success is due to their effort, not necessarily their natural ability; therefore they will put more ffort into their work. This theory also shows us how psychology is not only of use within the office, but also in a school setting. (Ref 1. ) Motivation is an area which is very important, especially when it comes to people working. A highly motivated workforce will achieve much more than a poorly motivated one. Research regarding motivation has been completed by psychologists for many years.
Without this information, today’s workforce would be not be as motivated, and therefore it is again of use! (Ref 2. ) Also the ability of employers, to be able to understand their mployees better is obviously going to make it easier for them to get them to do the things they want and to get them to co-operate. This can be achieved so simply, by asking a simple questionnaire. If the employer discovers that one particular employee prefers to work on their own with only a small amount of responsibility, whilst another prefers to work leading a group of people along with them.
The tasks within the work force can then be split up, so that these employees can work in their preferred field. This would increase their motivation, and would also boost the staff oral. There is so much information about motivation, staff moral, understanding social behaviour, understanding stress, which is vital to understand within the workforce. This understanding comes about through psychology. Therefore it is obvious that psychology has such vital importance within the work force.
Another area in every day life in which psychology plays such a large part, is crime. Not just in the area of criminal profiling, which is vital and of so much importance when it comes to knowing what the criminal mind s thinking, and therefore what it will be doing next. This helps us to identify their next moves, and therefore increases our chances of catching them before the re-offend. But also, in there area of methods used by police. Some police officers abuse their roles, and can intimidate people.
Therefore there are guidelines put in place now, using psychological ideas about the dangers of ‘false confessions, and the impact that such evidence may have on jurors’ This shows how vital it is that the correct psychological methods are used when interrogating suspects. Kassin, S. M (1997) The Psychology of confession evidence, American Psychologist, 52 (3) 221-233. Concluded that the criminal justice system in the U. S “does not sufficiently protect suspects from such techniques. ”
He stated that the problem was threefold. , Police “routinely use deception, trickery and psychologically coercive methods of interrogation. 2, such techniques may cause false confessions; and 3, when false confessions are presented in court, juries do not sufficiently discount the evidence”. This goes to show that whether people agree of disagree with the statement Psychology is of no real use” it is clear that it is used constantly, whether its use was intended or not. Within the police, it is vital for psychological guidelines to be enforced, to stop this corruption which is apparent.
Also, suspect profiling is so important within modern day crime. Trained psychologists spend their lives trying to get inside criminals minds, to try and maximise their chances of catching the criminal before he strikes again. The Australian Institute of Criminology states that although criminal profiling s “increasingly being incorporated into criminal investigations and law enforcement organisations, the acceptance and development of Profiling has progressed with a conspicuous lack of empirical examination into the actual accuracy of the technique.
Furthermore, no studies have addressed the issue of whether the assistance of the Psychological Profiler does actually out- perform the services of similar forensic consultants or police personnel themselves. ” (Ref 4. ) This goes to show, that although it is clear that it is useful, not much research has been completed to prove its use. However it is still widely used. There are many more things that psychology is used for within the crime sector, but it is clear from just the above how important psychology actually is.
One last area I would like to highlight is the use of psychology in a clinical setting. Psychology has been used to help cure many different illnesses that previously were thought to be only curably through physical means. E. g. mental illness, used to be a taboo subject, and people who were suffering with this illness were given treatments such as electric shocks, and tablets. Now, in modern times, counselling, psychotherapy and psychoanalysis are used more and more frequently, when trying to cure these problems.
Research has now shown that approximately one third of people will suffer with some kind of mental illness within their life. This has been found through various psychological research. Also, now there are many more strategies in place to help people overcome these problems, and to encourage people who are suffering, to help themselves through working out their problems, instead of taking a tablet in order to suppress their feelings. As stated by Dr Reesal, “Medications can help control biological imbalances and reduce the severity of symptoms.
They cannot solve life problems” therefore, counselling can help to cure life problems, by talking about these problems and finding solutions. If a psychological problem has developed over something that has happened to a person in the past, what good will it do, to take and anti-depressant and numb the pain, where it is always going to stay and therefore the person will become reliant on the medication, whereas, through therapy, the patient will be encouraged to alk through their problems and find a solution to it.
I’m sure you will agree, after looking at the above information, and taking into account that there is so much more that psychology does for today’s society not discussed above, that psychology is vital today, and helps us in so many aspects of our daily lives. Without people studying our minds and how we think and behave, our understanding and interpretation of people and events would be so much different, and our time would not be utilised to the best of its ability. Therefore I reject the statement that Psychology is of no real use in today’s society.
