What is Psychology?
• Psychology is the science that studies behavior and the physiological, cognitive and emotional processes that underlie it. And it is the profession that applies the accumulated knowledge of this science to practical problems.
• Psychology as the study of behavior?
Although the field studies both human and non-human animals, most of our curriculum at Shasta College focuses on aspects of human behavior, with some information about animal behavior to round things out. When we talk about behavior and mental processes, what does this mean? It pretty much is anything that a person might do. This could include running a race, making a decision, feeling surprised, angry, or happy, having high blood pressure, communicating with others, experiencing hallucinations, or eating a meal. Anything from normal to abnormal; common or rare.
• Psychology as a science?
How can we study the subject matter of psychology—behavior, emotions, thinking—as a science? Isn’t science about chemicals, lab equipment and test tubes? Well, science is not the stuff that you study, but how you study it.
Science is a way of knowing. It is a way of seeking out information, interpreting that information and making conclusions. Science is a way of thinking about information; to follow a scientific way of thinking means that you are thorough and careful, systematic, and work to avoid bias and false conclusions. Psychologists work hard to find more objective and careful ways to study human behavior to reach well supported conclusions. If you take a psychology course, we hope that some of this critical thinking will rub off on you and the way that you interpret what you see around you.
• Psychology as an application of knowledge?
Of course, taking one psychology class (or even a few) will not make you a professional! However, much of the course content will be aimed at developing a better understanding of yourself, of those around you, and how the world around us makes us who we are and influences our behaviors and choices. You might also learn to better adapt your own behavior toward coping with the challenges that life throws your way. Psychology has much to offer in that regard.
Often the first thing you might think of with the applications of psychology are the areas of clinical and counseling psychology. And indeed, these areas of psychology that provide therapy and counseling do comprise about half of working psychologists. However, applied psychology goes far beyond therapy and counseling into the worlds of health psychology, sports psychology, workplace psychology, community psychology, and so on—you get the picture!
What Psychology Courses are offered at Shasta College?
Here at Shasta College we offer a total of eight different psychology courses. Two of these are at the introductory level, General Psychology (PSYC 1a) and Understanding Human Behavior (PSYC 14). Both of these will give you a broad introduction to psychology as a field. If you are planning on transferring to a 4-year school, it’s recommended to take PSYC 1a rather than PSYC 14 for your introductory psychology course, as PSYC 1a more frequently meets transfer requirements.
We also offer six courses in specialized areas of psychology: Social Psychology, Health Psychology, Abnormal Psychology, Cross-Cultural, Cultural-Social Context of Childhood, and Human Memory & Learning.
Any of the psychology courses will fulfill the Social & Behavioral Sciences requirement for Shasta College’s Associate Degree General Education Requirements. In addition, some of the psychology courses count toward the Multicultural/Living Skills requirements. See the Shasta College Catalog for details. The Catalog also lists the CSU and UC requirements for their General Education patterns; most Shasta College psychology courses fit into those patterns as well.
Can I earn a degree in psychology at Shasta College?
At Shasta College, we do not offer a degree specifically in psychology. However, if you are thinking about becoming a psychology major at a 4-year university, we recommend that you consider the Associate of Arts in University Studies. While earning this degree, you’ll choose an area of emphasis (see the Shasta College Catalog for a complete listing). If you are interested in psychology you might opt for either the Behavioral Science or Social Sciences area of emphasis. Depending on your specific interests, you might also look at areas of emphasis such as Child Development or Multicultural Studies.
If you are not planning on transferring to a 4-year school, but are interested in psychology and related fields, consider making the Associate of Science, General Studies Major your goal. While earning this degree, you’ll choose an area of emphasis (see the Shasta College Catalog for a complete listing). If you’re interested in psychology, you might consider selecting the Social Sciences area of emphasis.
Links to Explore Psychology
Association for Psychological Science (News from the world of psychology)
http://www.psychologicalscience.org/media/
American Psychological Association (More news from the world of psychology)
http://www.apa.org/releases/
Psychology Resources (listed by Yale University Library)
http://www.library.yale.edu/socsci/subjguides/psychology/resources.html
Psychology Resources (listed by Princeton University's Psychology Library)
http://psychlib.princeton.edu/links.htm
Interactive Psychology Tests (Participate through the BBC's Science & Nature homepage)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/humanbody/mind/index_surveys.shtml