心理学专业外语.docx

心理学专业外语.docx

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心理学专业外语

心理学专业英语

WhatPsychologyIs

Whypeopledothethingstheydoisanage-oldquestion.However,psychology--thescienceconcernedwithbehavior,bothhumansandanimals--isonlyabout125yearsold.Despiteitsyouth,itisabroaddiscipline,essentiallyspanningsubjectmatterfrombiologytosociology.Biologystudiesthestructuresandfunctionsoflivingorganisms.Sociologyexamineshowgroupsfunctioninsociety.Psychologistsstudytwocriticalrelationships:

onebetweenbrainfunctionandbehavior,andonebetweentheenvironmentandbehavior.Asscientists,psychologistsfollowscientificmethods,usingcarefulobservation,experimentation,andanalysis.Butpsychologistsalsoneedtobecreativeinthewaytheyapplyscientificfindings.

Psychologistsarefrequentlyinnovators,evolvingnewapproachesfromestablishedknowledgetomeetchangingneedsofpeopleandsocieties.Theydeveloptheoriesandtestthemthroughtheirresearch.Asthisresearchyieldsnewinformation,thesefindingsbecomepartofthebodyofknowledgethatpractitionerscallonintheirworkwithclientsandpatients.Psychologyisatremendouslyvariedfield.Psychologistsconductbothbasicandappliedresearch,serveasconsultantstocommunitiesandorganizations,diagnoseandtreatpeople,andteachfuturepsychologistsandothertypesofstudents.Theytestintelligenceandpersonality.Theyassessbehavioralandmentalfunctionandwell-being,steppingintohelpwhereappropriate.Theystudyhowhumanbeingsrelatetoeachotherandalsotomachines,andtheyworktoimprovetheserelationships.AndwithAmericaundergoinglargechangesinitspopulationmakeup,psychologistsbringimportantknowledgeandskillstounderstandingdiversecultures.

Manypsychologistsworkindependently.Theyalsoteamupwithotherprofessionals--forexample,otherscientists,physicians,lawyers,schoolpersonnel,computerexperts,engineers,policymakers,andmanagers--tocontributetoeveryareaofsociety.Thuswefindtheminlaboratories,hospitals,courtrooms,schoolsanduniversities,communityhealthcenters,prisons,andcorporateoffices.

Psychologiststraditionallystudybothnormalandabnormalfunctioning,andalsotreatpatientswithmentalandemotionalproblems.Today,theyareincreasinglyconcentratingonbehaviorsthataffectthementalandemotionalhealthandmentalprocessesofhealthyhumanbeings.Forexample,theyworkwithbusinessexecutives,performers,andathletestocombatstressandimproveperformance.Theyadviselawyersonjuryselectionandcollaboratewitheducatorsonschoolreform.Theyshowupimmediatelyfollowingadisastersuchasaplanecrashorbombing,tohelpvictimsandbystandersrecoverfromthetrauma,orshock,oftheevent.Theyteamwithlawenforcementandpublichealthofficialstoanalyzethecausesofsucheventsandpreventtheiroccurrence.Involvedinallaspectsofourfast-pacedworld,psychologistsmustkeepupwithwhat'shappeningallaroundus.Whenyou'reapsychologist,youreducationneverends.

Psychologyisadisciplinewithabrightfuture.Amongfieldsrequiringacollegedegree,itisexpectedtobethethirdfastest-growingfieldinAmericathroughtheyear2005andtocontinuetogrowsteadilyforatleastanotherdozenyearsafterthat.

Opportunitiesforworkinpsychologyareexpandinginnumberandscope.Themovetowardpreventingillness,ratherthanmerelydiagnosingandtreatingit,requirespeopletolearnhowtomakehealthybehavioraroutinepartofliving.Indeed,manyoftheproblemsfacingsocietytodayareproblemsaboutbehavior,forexample,drugaddiction,poorpersonalrelationships,violenceathomeandinthestreet,andtheharmwedotoourenvironment.Psychologistscontributesolutionstoproblemsthroughcarefulcollectionofdata,analysisofdata,anddevelopmentofinterventionstrategies--inotherwords,byapplyingscientificprinciples,thehallmarkofpsychology.

Inaddition,anagingAmericaisleadingtomoreresearchandpracticeinadaptingourhomesandworkplacesforolderpeople.Thepromisesoftheelectronicrevolutiondemandmoreuser-friendlytechnologiesandtraining.Morewomenintheworkplacecallsforemployerstoaccommodatetheneedsoffamilies.Psychologistsarehelpingemployerstomakethechangesthatareneeded.ThediversityofAmericatodaycallsforpsychologiststodevelopandrefinetherapiestomeettheuniqueneedsofdifferentethnicgroups.Furthermore,researchadvancesinlearningandmemory,andtheintegrationofphysicalandmentalhealthcare,makepsychologymoreexcitingthanever.

Mostpsychologistssaytheylovetheirwork.Theycitethevarietyfromdaytodayandtheflexibilityoftheirschedules.Theyarethrilledbythemostexcitingchangestakingplaceinthefield,fromworkingwithprimarycarephysicianstousingcomputers.Mostofall,theyarecommittedtohelpingpeoplemanagetheupsanddownsofdailylife.

Thestudyofpsychologyisalsogoodpreparationformanyotherprofessions.Manyemployersareinterestedintheskillsthatpsychologymajorsbringtocollecting,analyzing,andinterpretingdata,andtheirexperiencewithstatisticsandexperimentaldesign.

TheJobOutlookfortheNextTwoDecades

Psychologygraduatesaregenerallypleasedwiththewaywhattheystudiedinschoolhelpedpreparethemforbothlifeandwork.Awomanwhoopenedherownbusinessshortlyafterearningabaccalaureateinpsychologyexplains,"Afterall,psychologyisthebusinessoflife."Psychologygraduatescontinuetobeexcitedbythechangestakingplaceinthefieldthatrelatetowhattheyarenowdoing.

DoctoralGraduates

Asmightbeexpected,thehighestpaidandgreatestrangeofjobsinpsychologyareavailabletodoctoralgraduates.Althoughthenumberofdoctoralgraduateshasatleastdoubledoverthepast12years,thedemandcontinuestomeetthesupply.Furthermore,unemploymentandunderemploymentratesfordoctoralpsychologistsareslightlybelowtheaverageforotherscientistsandengineers.Fewdropoutofthefield.

Thegreatestexpansionofcareeropportunitiesfordoctoralpsychologistsinthelastdecadehavebeeninthesubfieldsofclinical,counseling,school,health,industrialandeducationalpsychology.Asaconsequenceportionallyfewernewdoctorateshaveheadedintofacultypositionsascomparedwiththepast.

Master'sGraduates

Thenumberofpsychologystudentswhopursueaterminalmaster'sdegreehasincreasedsixfoldsince1960.Competitionforpositionsinpsychology-relatedjobsiskeen;nevertheless,approximatelyone-thirdofthosewithamaster'sdegreeinpsychologyfindsuchwork.Manyhandleresearchanddatacollectionandanalysisinuniversities,government,andprivatecompanies.Othersfindjobsinhealth,industry,andeducation,theprimaryworksettingsforpsychologyprofessionalswithmaster'sdegrees.Withgrowingrecognitionoftheroleofthepsychologistinthecommunity,morejobsforpsychologistswithmaster'sdegreesmayalsobecomeavailableincommunitymentalhealthcenters.

Psychologistswithmaster'sdegreesoftenworkunderthedirectionofadoctoralpsychologist,especiallyinclinical,counseling,school,andtestingandmeasurementpsychology.

Somejobsinindustry,forexample,inorganizationaldevelopmentandsurveyresearch,areheldbybothdoctoral-andmaster's-levelgraduates.Butindustryandgovernmentjobsincompensation,training,dataanalysis,andgeneralpersonnelissuesareoftenfilledbyprofessionalswithmaster'sdegreesinpsychology.

Bachelor'sGraduates

Somestudentsstopwithabachelor'sdegreeinpsychologyandfindworkrelatedtotheircollegemajor.Forexample,theymaybeassistantsinrehabilitationcenters.Iftheymeetstatecertificationrequirements,theycanteachpsychologyinhighschool.

Butthestudyofpsychologyatthebachelor'slevelisalsoafinepreparationformanyotherprofessions.Infact,psychologyisthesecondmostpopularundergraduatemajorbehindbusinessadministration.In1996,about65,000collegeseniorsgraduatedwithadegreeinpsychology,butmanywerenotnecessarilyinterestedinacareerasapsychologist.Ofthese65,000students,lessthan1in10enrolledingraduateworkinpsychology.Thesestudentsoftenpossessgoodresearchandwritingskills,aregoodproblemsolvers,andhavewell-developed,higher-levelthinkingabilitywhenitcomestoanalyzing,synthesizing,andevaluatinginformation.Mostfindjobsinadministrativesupport,publicaffairs,education,business,sales,serviceindustries,health,thebiologicalsciences,andcomputerprogramming.Theyworkasemploymentcounselors,correctioncounselortrainees,interviewers,personnelanalysts,probationofficers,andwriters.Two-thirdsbelievetheirjobiscloselyorsomewhatrelatedtotheirpsychologybackgroundandthattheirjobsholdcareerpotential.

Psychologymajorshavemanyqualitiesthatareattractivetojobrecruiters.Employersfindthatpsychologygraduatespossessstrongpeopleskills.Andpsychologymajorsalsovaluetheseskillsthemselves."Onceyoulearntheprinciplesofhumanbehavior,"saysabankerwithabachelor'sdegreeinpsychology,"they'realwaysatthetopofthemind,'readytobeused.Youdon'thavetostumbleacrossthembyaccident."

WhatPsychologistsDoandWhereTheyDoIt

Psychologyisanextraordinarilydiversefieldwithhundredsofcareerpaths.Somespecialties,likecaringformentallyillpeople,arefamiliartomostofus.Others,likehelpingwiththedesignofadvancedcomputersystemsorstudyinghowwerememberthings,arelesswellknown.

Whatallpsychologistshaveincommonisasharedinterestinmindandbehavior,bothhumanandanimal.Intheirwork,theydrawonanever-expandingbody