This week’s Psychology Update looks at the topic of applying Psychology to everyday life.  Though the first of the three is dated, it can serve as the basis of beginning a discussion on the topic.  The next two are pieces of direct application to business and sports.  These may also be used for a discussion of careers in Psychology.

ARTICLE #1

TITLE

Go Boldly Forth! Making Psychology a Household Word

DESCRIPTION

This is an easy to read essay wherein Dr. Levant extolls the virtues of studying Psychology and applying to everyday life, career, helping professions, self-help, and so on.   It answers many questions regarding what Psychology is “good for” and gives the reader the broad repertoire of where Psychologist make an impact on society in general.  It’s worth a read and good for discussion of the field in general.  Note the article is about 14 years old, but it is highly relevant to the discipline today.

SOURCE

APA Division 31, National Psychologist 2003, by Ronald F. Levant

LINK TO RESOURCE

http://www.apadivisions.org/division-31/publications/articles/individual/levant-household.pdf

(Tiny URL)  https://tinyurl.com/lvg7x8c

ARTICLE #2

TITLE

Sports Psychology: Mind And Body
Sports psychology emphasizes the mind and body for athletic success.

DESCRIPTION

This is a well written informative article about Sports Psychology:

“As a definition, the American Psychological Association’s Division 47 (Society of Sport, Exercise, and Performance Psychology) states the following:

Sport Psychology addresses the interactions between psychology and sport performance, including the psychological aspects of optimal athletic performance, the psychological care and well-being of athletes, coaches, and sport organizations, and the connection between physical and psychological functioning.”
The article discusses what Sports Psychologists do, their career in the field, and what types of educational background is necessary to enter the field.  This article would make a good center piece for the topic of careers in Psychology.

SOURCE

Psychology Today,Jan 01, 2017, by Jonathan Golding and Anne Lippert

LINK TO RESOURCE

https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/careers-in-psych/201701/sports-psychology-mind-and-body

(Tiny URL)  https://tinyurl.com/k9huyhy

ARTICLE #3

TITLE

Why Psychology is the Key to Growing Your Business

DESCRIPTION

The article ends with the author’s quote: “Now is the time for positive psychology in the workplace.”   The article discusses the importance of the application of Positive Psychology and empirically based evidence as it would apply to the business setting.  The author states, “Learning skills and activities from the field of positive psychology can enable businesses to get more out of the existing resources available to them and see their employees begin to flourish.”  The article points to many applications of Positive Psychology to business.  The article is an easy interesting reading to help students focus on applying the field to careers.   It would be used in either the discussion of the emerging field of Positive Psychology or in a discussion of careers in Psychology.

SOURCE

Huffington Post, January 6, 2016, By Dan Collinson

LINK TO RESOURCE

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dan-collinson/why-psychology-is-the-key_b_8916362.html

(Tiny URL)  https://tinyurl.com/hpvk4w4

CLASS DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

•What does the phrase “Applied Psychology” mean?

•According to the Levant reading, what are the various areas in society to which Psychology can be applied?

•What is Sports Psychology?  What areas of Psychology are most relevant to this field?  What are the educational requirements to enter the field?

•How can Positive Psychology be applied to the field of business?  What are the benefits of this approach?