Discussion: What is Psychology Not?
Without doing any reading or research in advance (this is not a test of what you can find out-there will be plenty of time for doing that in the remaining course weeks) reflect on your current understanding and knowledge of the following: What is psychology not?
Ask three acquaintances (friends, family, co-workers) what they think of when they hear the word "psychologist." What do they think psychologists do? What is (are) their answer source(s)? Ask them if they can name a famous psychologist. What opinions do they think the general public holds about people with mental illness? How do they see psychologists represented in the media? Make a mental note about whether they seem to be sharing negative or positive impressions in answering your questions. Post a summary of their answers in your initial post (Note: Although it is unlikely that anyone in our class would recognize names, out of personal courtesy you should not mention any identifying information and instead use "my friend" or "my relative" or "my co-worker" in your post when referencing persons you asked the above questions).
The response should include a reference list. Double-space, using Times New Roman 12 pnt font, one-inch margins, and APA style of writing and citations.