1.

0 INTRODUCTION
Psychology is one of the most popular undergraduate majors, and applications to
graduate programs in Psychology continue to be strong. Over the years I have heard
many people criticize Psychology as a college major and as a career path, citing
reasons ranging from low pay and few jobs, to its not useful to its just an easy and
fun college major. People seem to forget that about ninety per cent of all our knowledge
cannot, in the very nature of things, be applied in a practical way to add to our material
happiness or to lessen our misery. Only the smallest fraction of our scientific knowledge
can have any such practical application to our daily lives. This is so because only an
infinitely small percentage of our conscious mind is on the sensuous plane. We have
just a little bit of sensuous consciousness and imagine that to be our entire mind and
life; but, as a matter of fact, it is but a drop in the mighty ocean of subconscious mind. If
all there is of us were a bundle of sense-perceptions, all the knowledge we could gain
could be utilised in the gratification of our sense-pleasures. But fortunately such is not
the case. As we get further and further away from the animal state, our sense-pleasures
become less and less; and our enjoyment, in a rapidly increasing consciousness of
scientific and psychological knowledge, becomes more and more intense; and
"knowledge for the sake of knowledge", regardless of the amount of sense-pleasures it
may conduce to, becomes the supreme pleasure of the mind. (Philippe,2015)

But even taking the Western idea of utility as a criterion by which to judge, psychology,
by such a standard even, is the science of sciences. Why? We are all slaves to our
senses, slaves to our own minds, conscious and subconscious. The reason why a
criminal is a criminal is not because he desires to be one, but because he has not his
mind under control and is therefore a slave to his own conscious and subconscious
mind, and to the mind of everybody else. He must follow the dominant trend of his own
mind; he cannot help it; he is forced onward in spite of himself, in spite of his own better
promptings, his own better nature; he is forced to obey the dominant mandate of his
own mind. Poor man, he cannot help himself. We see this in our own lives constantly.
We are constantly doing things against the better side of our nature, and afterwards we
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upbraid ourselves for so doing and wonder what we could have been thinking of, how
we could do such a thing! Yet again and again we do it, and again and again we suffer
for it and upbraid ourselves. At the time, perhaps, we think we desire to do it, but we
only desire it because we are forced to desire it. We are forced onward, we are
helpless! We are all slaves to our own and to everybody else's mind; whether we are
good or bad, that makes no difference. We are led here and there because we cannot
help ourselves. We say we think, we do, etc. It is not so. We think because we have to
think. We act because we have to. We are slaves to ourselves and to others. Deep
down in our subconscious mind are stored up all the thoughts and acts of the past, not
only of this life, but of all other lives we have lived. This great boundless ocean of
subjective mind is full of all the thoughts and actions of the past.( Philippe,2015)

2.0 YOU LOOK FOR A DEEPER MEANING OR REASONS BEHIND THINGS

In educational psychology, we should never take our observations at face value. The
human brain is a complex organ, and often times the results and outcomes we see are
due to many factors working behind the scenes. Rather than look at someone that has a
difficult time learning in a specific area and accepting it as a fact, we need to be able to
probe deeper and figure out just why they are facing a challenge and what steps can be
done to work around the obstacles that are in their way.

For an example,when we got more understanding of psychology we can find that the
person's personality strongly interconnected. A girl might fear darkness because deep
inside her she is feeling insecure in life as a result of seeing her jobless dad spending
his time drinking instead of securing the future for the family.The subconscious mind at
this point unconsciously reminds the girl of her insecurity whenever she finds herself in
a dark room.Because of this she might unable to sleep at night because she fears
ghosts. If we talked to her we can discover that the feelings of insecurity she
experienced for her fear of darkness.

When attempting to understand people psychology you must not separate their actions,
habits, the dreams they get and their attitude from each other because all of these
things are connected to each other either directly or indirectly.Learning pyschology
might help us by understanding deeper deeper meaning or reasons behind things.The
girl I have mentioned in the example might be a person who is close with us also.

3.0 YOURE GOOD AT MAKING OBSERVATIONS AND SOLVING PROBLEM

The next importance of learning psychology is we can be good at making observation
and solving problems. In order to be effective in making observation and solving a
problem, we need to be very observant and pay a good deal of attention to detail. What
may seem like an unimportant fact to the untrained eye may be of the upmost
significance when it comes to understanding the way someone learns. By learning
pychology,we able to pay attention to everything, note your observations for later review
and then use all of these notes to reach our objectives. In psychology, problem solving
refers to a state of desire for reaching a definite 'goal' from a present condition that
either is not directly moving toward the goal, is far from it, or needs more complex logic
for finding a missing description of conditions or steps toward the goal.In psychology,
problem solving is the concluding part of a larger process that also includes problem
finding and problem shaping.

Considered the most complex of all intellectual functions, problem solving has been
defined as a higher-order cognitive process that requires the modulation and control of
more routine or fundamental skills. Problem solving has two major domains:
mathematical problem solving and personal problem solving where, in the second,
some difficulty or barrier is encountered.Further problem solving occurs when moving
from a given state to a desired goal state is needed for either living organisms or an
artificial intelligence system.

While problem solving accompanies the very beginning of human evolution and
especially the history of mathematics,the nature of human problem solving processes
and methods has been studied by psychologists over the past hundred years. Methods
of studying problem solving include introspection, behaviorism, simulation, computer
modeling, and experiment. Social psychologists have recently distinguished between
independent and interdependent problem-solving.

4.0 PSYCHOLOGISTS PROMOTE HEALTH AND WELL-BEING THROUGHOUT OUR

NATION
Psychology is important in many different ways, one example of why it is so important
is, the research that has been done on many life threatening health problems. By using
psychology, psychologist have studied diseases such as diabetes, obesity, cardiac care
and cancer. Today, we know a whole lot more about these diseases than we did in the
past, scientist have even been able to produce medicines that may help victims of these
diseases.

Diabetes
An alarming 3.6 million adults are estimated to be affected by diabetes in
Malaysia, according to the Obesity Prevention Council President, Jong Koi
Chong. People with both diabetes and depression have an increased likelihood
of experiencing diabetes complications compared to those without depression.
Psychologists deliver a number of interventions to help patients address
diabetes. For example, psychologists help diabetic individuals maintain diet and
insulin treatments through psychotherapy.

Obesity
Obesity is now recognized as a major national health concern due to its
prevalence in adults and children, and its impact on mortality, diabetes, cancer,
cardiac and other health conditions. In fact, Malaysia has been rated as the
highest among Asian countries for obesity. Science Advisor to the Prime Minister,
Tan Sri Zakri Abdul Hamid, said new findings from British medical journal, The
Lancet, showed that 49% of women and 44% of men in this country were found
to be obese. Psychologists are helping to fight obesity through behavioural
interventions and counselling programs.

 Cardiac Care
In Malaysia, the number 1 killer in terms of diseases and health-related problems
is coronary heart disease. In 2010, the total number of deaths in Malaysia
resulted from coronary heart disease was at 22,701 according to the WHO
(World Health Organisation). This constitutes to about 22.18% of the total deaths
in the country. Psychosocial factors contribute significantly to coronary artery
disease. Psychologists have expertise to help people reduce the risk of heart
disease and the incidence of heart attacks. Psychologists also help patients
recover from heart attacks. Incorporating psychological interventions, such as
stress management, into the overall treatment of cardiovascular disease has
been shown to have significant economic and health benefits.

Cancer
The incidence of cancer in Malaysia increased from 32,000 new cases in 2008 to
37,400 in 2012. This number is expected to rise to 56,932 by 2025 if no action is
taken. Psychologists serve on multidisciplinary teams that treat cancer patients,
working directly with patients and their families to personalize decisions, manage
symptoms and treatment side-effects, improve communications, provide support
and enhance recovery.

5.0 STRONGER CONFLICT RESOLUTION SKILLS

One of the main reasons why we are learning psychology is stronger conflict
resolution skill. We may not know how to handle some problem which occurs. By
learning about the reasons behind people's actions in psychology you can become
more adept at solving conflicts. When you understand how a person is likely to respond
to a situation, and the emotional processes that lead to that response, you can more
effectively predict how a situation will transpire. You will speak to an individual with
whom you are having a conflict in a level-headed and logical manner. Going through the
process of resolving conflict expands people's awareness, and gives them an insight
into how they can achieve their goals without undermining others.

When you resolve conflict effectively, team members can develop stronger mutual
respect, and a renewed faith in their ability to work together. Conflict pushes individuals
to examine their goals and expectations closely, helping them to understand the things
that are most important to them, sharpening their focus, and enhancing their
effectiveness. But conflict can also be damaging. If you don't handle it effectively, it can
quickly turn into personal dislike, teamwork can break down, and talent may be wasted
as people disengage from their work and leave.

6.0 IMPROVES CRITICAL THINKING

Not only that, we also able to think critically if we learn psychology. A great deal
of psychological content and the methods taught and used by psychologists, focus on
how to think critically. Critical thinking is considered to be essential to being an educated
person, and is often a general education requirement in colleges. Psychology courses
develop the critical thinking skills that are important in business, law, and other
professions.

Critical thinking is the rationally well-organized method of dynamically and competently

conceptualizing, applying, analyzing the authenticity and truthfulness of the statements
or propositions already offered by the method of observation, experience, retrospection,
logic, or communication. Critical thinking is an important crucial factor in the field of
psychology as it focuses on evaluation and analyzing various research components by
virtue

of

arguments

made

by

theorists

and

researchers.

As a human being, our thinking pattern is not free from any potential source of bias, so
in the application of psychology, we cannot indeed rely on the informal observation or
common sense to come into conclusion about human motive and behavior. In order to
reduce such bias, careful engagement into critical thinking may help us a lot. By the
method of critical thinking, we can closely examine claims and assumptions associated
with a hypothesis, cautiously assess existing evidence, and vigilantly measure all
conclusions.

7.0 IMPROVES COMMUNICATION SKILLS

Excellent communication skills are a great skill to have and for a number of jobs it is a
very important skill. In Psychology communication skills encompasses many things
including communicating with co-workers, students and the wider community. However
communication skills are often a skill that we need to work on and develop over time.

Although it can sometimes be a skill we work on to develop and improve, it is an

important skill as being able to communicate effectively is necessary in many jobs and
career paths which carries an important role in importance of psychology. This is also
the case in Psychology. It is a key skill which allows us to communicate effectively in a
number of ways for example communicating with co-workers, communicate with
students and communicating with a wider audience. In addition, communication skills
are important when searching for new job opportunities. During an interview it is
important to be able to communicate why we are the best person for the job and our key
skills which are relevant to the post. Communication skills not only encompass being
able to communicate a point or the ability to present information well but also body
language, tone and pitch of voice and so on. Good body language with a confident tone
and pitch of voice can also play an important part in communicating information
effectively. We can learn these things clearly in psychology.

However it is always good to be aware of communication skills both whilst job searching
and afterwards whilst in post. If communication skills need improving there are a
number of ways of doing this such as practice and communication skills courses
however communication skills is a skill worth developing and utilizing. And this will be
our plus point for a successful life. Learning psychology is worth enough for us to
improve our communication skills.

8.0 CONCLUSION

Whatever career you pursue, a background in psychology will enhance your

employability. Studying psychology can help you understand yourself and other people
by learning about aspects of human behaviour that will help you in daily life, including
looking for a deeper meaning or reasons behind things, making observations and
solving problems, being healthy and well-being, stronger conflict resolving skills, critical
thinking and communication skills.

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BIBLIOGRAFI
1. 8 Reasons Why You Should Consider Educational Psychology.
Retrieved from : http://www.teachingeducpsych.org/educational-psychology.html

2. APA Practice Organization, 2011 .Psychologists Promote Health and Well-Being

Throughout Our Nation. Retrieved from :
http://www.apa.org/health/promote-well- being.aspx

3. Community,2014. Rise in cancer deaths in M'sia. Retrieved from :

http://www.thestar.com.my/news/community/2014/02/18/rise-in-cancer-deaths in
msia-conference-and-expo-this-saturday-to-educate-public-on-how-to-deal-wit/

4. Position of Critical Thinking in the Field of Psychology.Retrieved from:

http://academicportfolio-sudipa.blogspot.my/2007/09/position-of-critical-thinkingin-field.html
5. https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/cutting-edge-leadership/201208/the-5top-reasons-study-psychology
6. http://classroom.synonym.com/benefits-learning-psychology-2509.html
7. https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/happiness-in-world/201008/theimportance-tone

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