Studying human behavior is an integral part of Psychology; thus my fascination for the subject began when I started to notice certain characteristics shown by my brother, who has Asperger's Syndrome. His behavior led me to question why people act in certain ways and what drives their thoughts and behavior. This was the establishing point of my goal to study Psychology at university.
Developmental psychology is a specific sector that I find distinctly fascinating. As a result of my interest I volunteered at a nursery and an early years centre. This enabled me to observe how children act, as well as develop my skills in communication with the pupils as well as the staff, such as using sign language to talk with a nonverbal student who has Down Syndrome. Volunteering has allowed me to work closely with children who have special needs and learning difficulties, enhancing my understanding of how behaviors such as sensory sensitivity and hyperactivity develop and the impact that they can have.
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My independent research led me to the work of child psychologist Sam Wass, reading his studies has advanced my knowledge of autism and ADHD. For example, as a result of one of his studies, he proposed the idea that early diagnostic of ADHD could be linked back to the level of eye movement as an infant. These discoveries have fueled my curiosity and have inspired me to help people with these conditions. As well as this, his appearance on the TV series 'The Secret Life of..' has enabled me to see the practice of child psychology applied to everyday life, such as the idea of observing sensitivity to categorize children as 'orchid' or 'dandelion' children and how this can impact the child's learning style.
Another area of Psychology that I am particularly interested in is Forensic Psychology. Reading 'The Psychopath Test' was something that drew my interest to this area, the ideas shown in this book fascinated me due to the formulaic method used to determine someone's entire character. Following on from this, I went on to read 'The Lucifer Effect' by Philip Zimbardo. This book depicts the everyday conflicts between evil and heroism, explaining that our responses to these scenarios are not due to our disposition, but the situations we are placed in. Both of these books gave me a great insight into a different aspect of influence on people's behavior.
Whilst studying Psychology, I have developed an appreciation for other fields within the subject, categorically the ideas of biological influence on behavior, supplemented by my studies of Level Biology, which has allowed me to understand how certain people are predisposed to influential conditions, for example, the use of the diathesis-stress model to explain how genetic vulnerability combined with environmental stressors can lead to various mental disorders, namely schizophrenia. I have also largely benefitted from my study of Sociology as this has enabled me to look at the influence of people on a wider scale. My studies have also enabled me to improve my efficiency in independent research and written communication.
In addition to this, I am also a sales advisor at Superdrug. I believe this has enhanced my leadership skills by allowing me to manage a group as well as interact with members of the public and learn to adapt my approach to various challenges that come with each day.
I believe that obtaining a degree in psychology would give me a great opportunity to pursue a career in the subject as well as sustain a passionate interest in this field. In the future, I hope to use this to lead me to a career as a forensic developmental psychologist, where I can apply my knowledge and interest in both developmental and criminal areas of psychology to something that could have a great impact on people's lives.
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