CASE STUDY EXPERIENTIAL FAMILY THERAPY 1 CASE STUDY EXPERIENTIAL FAMILY THERAPY 6 Case Study: Experiential Family Therapy Cassandra Howery Marriage and Family American Public University July 12th, 2015 Case Study: Experiential Family Therapy I would use experiential family therapy with Judy. From the doctor's diagnosis, it is apparent that Judy's drastic weight loss is due to anorexia nervosa. This eating disorder is not directly linked to food and weight problems but rather caused by feelings of depression, insecurity, loneliness, feeling out of control or pressure from family, friends or the society to be perfect. Anorexia may also occur when individuals try to distract themselves from painful emotions. In other words, this condition acts like a way to fulfill a particular need in someone's life. For this reason, employing the experiential therapy can help Judy to discover her emotional need that her poor eating habit fulfills. Nevertheless, it is important to comprehend that anorexia is not only caused by psychological as well as family and social pressures but also caused by biological grounds. Research shows that the genetic disposition to anorexia may run in generations. Therefore, there is a possibility that a family member from Judy's generational family had the disorder and hence the family therapy will help both Judy and her family to understand better the disorder. The experiential family therapy entails movements, actions and activities rather than the customary talk-therapy. It inspires patients to recognize and address the subconscious issues though performing activities such as guided imagery, role-playing and other active encounters (Gerstein, 2013). Since Judy is possibly suffering from hidden emotional issues, this therapeutic approach will help her to identify and unravel her problems. Throughout the therapy period, the experiences and activities that are key to assisting Judy may provide a frontier to observe her response and behavior particularly in cases where she may appear unfocused on the therapy. Furthermore, since anorexia involves both the body and mind, a combined strategy is the best treatment. Treating the disorder involves three major phases: regaining the healthy weight, eating more food and changing one's thought regarding himself and food. Thus, besides employing the experiential technique, Judy must first focus on getting back to her healthy weight through beginning to eat more nutritious food. The therapy session will assist to recognize the negative thoughts and feelings that influence Judy's eating disorder and substitute them with less distorted and healthier beliefs (Frisch, Franko, & Herzog, 2006). Notably, experiential therapy will aid in teaching Judy to deal with challenging emotions, family problems, stress, and other pressures in a productive, instead of a self-destructive manner. Moreover, involving the other family members in the therapy will further give Judy the support and encourag ...

1. CASE STUDY EXPERIENTIAL FAMILY THERAPY
1
CASE STUDY EXPERIENTIAL FAMILY THERAPY
6
Case Study: Experiential Family Therapy
Cassandra Howery
Marriage and Family
American Public University
July 12th, 2015
Case Study: Experiential Family Therapy
I would use experiential family therapy with Judy. From the
doctor's diagnosis, it is apparent that Judy's drastic weight loss
is due to anorexia nervosa. This eating disorder is not directly
linked to food and weight problems but rather caused by
feelings of depression, insecurity, loneliness, feeling out of
control or pressure from family, friends or the society to be
perfect. Anorexia may also occur when individuals try to
distract themselves from painful emotions. In other words, this
condition acts like a way to fulfill a particular need in
someone's life. For this reason, employing the experiential
therapy can help Judy to discover her emotional need that her
poor eating habit fulfills. Nevertheless, it is important to
comprehend that anorexia is not only caused by psychological
as well as family and social pressures but also caused by
biological grounds. Research shows that the genetic disposition
to anorexia may run in generations. Therefore, there is a
possibility that a family member from Judy's generational

2. family had the disorder and hence the family therapy will help
both Judy and her family to understand better the disorder.
The experiential family therapy entails movements, actions and
activities rather than the customary talk-therapy. It inspires
patients to recognize and address the subconscious issues
though performing activities such as guided imagery, role-
playing and other active encounters (Gerstein, 2013). Since
Judy is possibly suffering from hidden emotional issues, this
therapeutic approach will help her to identify and unravel her
problems. Throughout the therapy period, the experiences and
activities that are key to assisting Judy may provide a frontier
to observe her response and behavior particularly in cases where
she may appear unfocused on the therapy.
Furthermore, since anorexia involves both the body and mind, a
combined strategy is the best treatment. Treating the disorder
involves three major phases: regaining the healthy weight,
eating more food and changing one's thought regarding himself
and food. Thus, besides employing the experiential technique,
Judy must first focus on getting back to her healthy weight
through beginning to eat more nutritious food. The therapy
session will assist to recognize the negative thoughts and
feelings that influence Judy's eating disorder and substitute
them with less distorted and healthier beliefs (Frisch, Franko, &
Herzog, 2006). Notably, experiential therapy will aid in
teaching Judy to deal with challenging emotions, family
problems, stress, and other pressures in a productive, instead of
a self-destructive manner. Moreover, involving the other family
members in the therapy will further give Judy the support and
encouragement to address her issue since they will understand
the emotional problems that she faces.
Through this therapeutic approach, Judy will have an
opportunity to identify obstacles, experience success, develop
enhanced self-esteem as well as take responsibility for her

3. actions. The regular activities performed during the sessions
will result in change, personal empowerment, and emotional
growth (Gerstein, 2013). Research suggests that the experiential
therapy strategy helps patients to focus on the activity at hand
hence are likely to act in a genuine and more guarded way
(Frisch, Franko, & Herzog, 2006). Therefore, this approach will
assist in better understanding Judy's behavior that will in turn
help to identify her emotional needs. At the same time, Judy
will have an opportunity to evaluate her behaviors throughout
the experiential therapy as well as the prior encounters and
thoughts that may have triggered those behaviors.
Experiential therapy also offers a wide variety of other
treatments like yoga, art therapy, adventure therapy and other
experiential techniques. These treatments allow patients to re-
enact momentous experiences, relationships or feelings in their
lives and address the depression. Through working out the
trauma, individuals develop skills that help them to avoid
masking their emotional issues with eating disorders, drugs,
alcohol and other unhealthy managing methods. Thus, Judy will
most likely benefit from this approach since she will ultimately
find ways to deal with her emotional pain.
Based on recent studies, individuals who have engaged in
experiential therapy have recounted success in the counseling
technique and recorded several benefits. First, the technique
leads to increased self-confidence and self-belief in their
abilities (Frisch, Franko, & Herzog, 2006). For Judy, it is likely
that she has a low self-esteem, and she believes she is a total
failure thereby concentrates on pleasing others. She is hiding
these emotional problems through having a negative attitude
towards food and starving herself. Therefore, this therapeutic
mechanism will likely heighten her self-esteem and confidence.
Secondly, the same reports state that the individuals who have
participated in experiential therapy possess a greater ability to

4. concentrate on the present as well as trust themselves (Frisch,
Franko, & Herzog, 2006). The experiences and activities they
undertake during the sessions help them to discover themselves
as well as focus on the positive aspects of life. The individuals
also report having felt more connected with themselves as the
process enhanced their communication and self-expression
skills (Frisch, Franko, & Herzog, 2006). Ultimately, they
realized reduced feelings of anxiety, hopelessness and
depression while at the same time improved their problem-
solving skills. Moreover, so, based on this studies, it is apparent
that the experiential therapy is the most effective technique to
assist Judy to counter her eating disorder.
Additionally, Gerstein (2013) states that the technique provides
a therapeutic experience with family members, inspiring
mutually open, truthful and direct expression of feelings and
emotions. Its self-disclosure role has four major functions. It
helps to model an honest and open communication of feelings
among family members. As such, Judy's family can develop a
more open relationship and truthful relationship with each other
that can assist in reducing the family pressure that is likely to
affect her. The method also helps to lessen the distance between
the therapist and patient as well as the family members. This is
because the process involves a series of activities that bond
both the therapist and the family members. As a result, the
patient and the family members can learn the origin of the
problem and develop amicable ways to solve them. On the other
hand, the therapist can easily observe the progress of the family
members together with the patient and assess the next course of
action. Judy's family will most likely benefit since the method
serves as a faster and easier way to treat her anorexia nervosa.
Thirdly, the process helps to enhance the degree of empathy in
the counseling context. It also provides feedback on how a
patient's behavior affects the rest of the family members. This
will in turn help to formulate ways to deal with a patient in such

5. circumstances. For instance, Judy's family can learn how to
encourage her to take up good eating habits so that she regain a
healthy weight. Also, Judy will be in a position to reveal and
share her innermost thoughts and feelings that are likely to be
masked by defensive and distancing behaviors. The sharing of
emotions and thoughts will thus strengthen the emotional bonds
in Judy's family (Frisch, Franko, & Herzog, 2006).
In conclusion, experiential therapy provides an active,
charismatic and careful technique of counseling that does not
undermine a patient's autonomy. In other words, it provides a
self-healing approach where the session is facilitative instead of
instructive. As a result, patients can identify and address their
emotional issues without coercion. Accordingly, this method
will help Judy to identify her emotional needs and find ways to
deal with them since they are the source of her eating disorder.
Moreover, Judy's family members will learn how to deal with
and support Judy throughout her challenging time.
References
Frisch, M. J., Franko, D. L., & Herzog, D. B. (2006). Arts-based
therapies in the treatment of eating disorders. Eating Disorders,
14(2), 131-142.
Gerstein, J. S. (2013). Sticking Together: Experiential
Activities For Family Counselling. New York: Taylor &
Francis.
Industrial-Organizational Psychology
1
INDUSTRIAL-ORGANIZATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY
5
Industrial-Organizational Psychology
Cassandra Howery

6. Professional Careers and Education in Psychology
American Public University
July 5th, 2015
Introduction
The workplace at times can be a frustrating place for
employees. This has compelled organizations to seek services of
industrial and organizational psychologist to smoothen the
operations of a firm. Industrial and organizational psychology
mostly referred to as I/O psychology deals with organizations,
workplace environment, and their employees. Industrial
psychologists concentrate on the relationship between
employees and their workplace. This involves employee
training, job performance measurement, employee hiring
systems, and job analysis (Kuther& Morgan, 2013).
The types of work professionals in specialty areas within the
larger field of psychology do
It is important to note that there are various forms of industrial
physiologists. For example, recruitment and selection
psychologists analyze jobs, develop recruits, develop selection
procedures and validate tests.Training and development
psychologists, on the other hand, formulate and implement
training programs, evaluate the effectiveness of a training
program and coach employees. There are also performance
measurement psychologists who evaluate the effectiveness of an
organization, develop criteria, and determine the economic
utility of a given performance. Other psychologists include
motivation and reward psychologists, organizational
development psychologist who analyze a firm’s structure, and
consumer behavior psychologists who assess consumer
preference(Kuther& Morgan, 2013).

7. The type and level of education one must achieve to work in
those specialty areas
Anyone aspiring to be an industrial psychologist must possess a
master's degree. Master's programs require at least two years of
postsecondary study. The master’s program includes topics such
as research methods, psychology statistics, employee selection
techniques, career coaching and team coaching. However,
before going for a master’s program, individual ought to have a
bachelor’s degree in psychology(Kuther& Morgan, 2013).
A description of work settings and average incomes one can
expect in careers within the specialty areas.
Industrial and organizational psychologists can be described in
three forms; scientists who develop principles of groups,
organizations and individual behavior through research.
Secondly, they are consultants who derive scientific knowledge
and use it to solve various problems, and lastly as teachers who
train learners in research as well as application of Industrial-
Organizational Psychology(Kuther& Morgan, 2013).
The salary for I/O psychologists depends on their experience
and the organizations they are working for. However, as per a
survey carried out by the Society for Industrial and
Organizational Psychology in 2012, the starting salary for any
I/O specialist in public sector who had a master’s degree was
averaged at $65,000 per year whereas those with a doctoral
degree was averaged at $81,000. Their counterparts in the
private sector earned around $100,000.
Whether after researching the areas you find them to be career
possibilities you are interested in or careers that don’t capture
your interest and why
A career as a consumer behavior psychologist looks more
interesting. This is because one can study the relationship

8. between the producer and consumer of goods and services. This
includes examining features of a product that influence a
customer to buy it, brand preferences, buying habits and
patterns as well as the study of the economic expectations of
people. On the other hand, a career as career development
psychologist was not appealing. This is because most
individuals already know what they want to be and have already
made plans for their careers(Kuther& Morgan, 2013).
A description of the most interesting thing not previously
known that you learned about the specialty areas
The most interesting thing I learnt was how I/O psychologists
utilize quantitative research as well as evaluation methods to
develop effective practices for a firm. Their research method is
involved observing how employees work in various
environments, study issues surrounding their working
environment and come up with mechanisms of enhancing
productivity, and increase workplace quality(Kuther& Morgan,
2013).
A description of everyday and real-world human experience
related to two podcasts you select to listen to on the specialty
web pages provided
Careful analysis ofI/O psychologists revealed that their day to
day lives are characterized by increasing productivity at
workplace, increasing the quality workplace to make workers
comfortable, to guide and counsel employees on various
matters, screening procedures for recruiting employees, and
lastly develop firm policies that benefit everyone. Their work
also involves dealing with business owners, supervisors, CEOs
and employees on a daily basis to figure out ways of enhancing
the operation of a firm(Kuther& Morgan, 2013).
A description of a “Hot Topic that fits with what you know
about each specialty area after researching it and how the two
are related

9. Job employment is related to recruitment and selection
psychologists. This is because the specialists are able to
develop criteria for selecting qualified employees. Career
development is linked to training and development
psychologists because they develop methods of enhancing
employee’s careers. Lastly, job promotion aligned to motivation
and reward psychologists because they develop criteria for
promoting employees (Kuther& Morgan, 2013).
References
Kuther, T. L., & Morgan, R. D. (2013).Careers in Psychology:
Opportunities in a changing world.
WEEK 4 MODULE REPORT
1
WEEK 4 MODULE REPORT
7
Week 4 Module Report
Cassandra Howery
Professional Careers and Education in Psychology
American Public University
06/26/2015
Week 4 Module Report
1. Career and Interest Self-assessment Results
Interests are fundamental to comprehend in relation to career

10. planning. As such career interests encompass both skills and
activities that one enjoys or is interested in. The results of my
career and interest self-assessment based on the RIASEC
spectrum are as follows:
My Strongest Inventory Interest
RIASEC traits
Realistic
Social
Enterprising
Occupations
Drafter
Manufacturing worker
Quality control inspector
Counselor
Social worker
Minister
Marketing manager
Realtor
Buyer
Subject areas
Administrative of justice
Engineering
Architecture
Human development
Health sciences
Occupational therapy

11. Business administration
Finance
Purchasing
Activities
Building things
Using tools or machinery
Solving concrete problems
Guiding and counseling
Encouraging others
Helping others
Convincing others
Managing people
Selling or purchasing
Skills
Mechanical dexterity
Problem solving with machine or tools
Repairing things
Understanding and listening to others
Developing relationships
Verbal communication
Business savvy
Social interaction

12. Accomplishing organizational goals
Values
Bodily strength
Craftsmanship
Common sense
Personal growth
Others welfare
communication
Influencing others
Leadership positions
Risk taking
From self-assessing myself, I learned more about the possible
avenues for my career path. The results displayed a full set of
the probable careers that I can undertake in the future based on
my interests and skills. Also, I learned that self-assessment
provides an opportunity to reflect and enunciate personal
values, abilities, interests and personality preferences.
Accordingly, my responses provided a criteria for evaluating the
pros and cons of varying career paths or jobs.
2. What can I do with a degree in psychology?
A degree in psychology is a highly marketable, flexible and
useful liberal arts course that any student can undertake (Kuther
& Morgan, 2012). Psychology provides students with insights
into the behavior of human beings which is important to all
careers. Therefore, psychology students are well prepared for
many careers. A degree in psychology offers students with a
vast amount of knowledge and skills including human service
and research skills which form a basis for any career path that

13. one chooses. In other words, one is not bound to follow a career
path that is directly related to the degree.
All the same, the job options that are directly linked to a degree
in Psychology include: education lecturer, clinical, forensic,
educational, counseling, sports and exercise as well as
occupational psychologist. Then again, other careers in
psychology that are not directly related to it include:
psychotherapist, careers adviser, human resource officer,
counselor, advice worker, social worker, advertising account
planner as well as market researcher.
3. Do I Have to Go to Grad School and What Should My
Undergraduate Degree Plan Be
It is important to go through undergraduate training so as to
gain the necessary skills and understanding that can be useful in
the field of psychology (Kuther & Morgan, 2012). Nevertheless,
comprehending self-interests and abilities is also crucial in
choosing a career path particularly in the area of psychology.
For my case, the three areas of specialty in psychology would
include a counseling, forensic and human factors psychology.
Counseling psychologist tend to concentrate more on human
adjustment problems rather than psychological disorders. This
is parallel to my career interest in that I enjoy encouraging
others, guiding and counseling as well as understanding and
listening to others. Forensic psychologists focus on analyzing
crime evidence and assisting in enforcement of law. This
matches my interests in craftsmanship and problem solving.
Lastly, human factor psychologist assist in making appliances
or designing machinery for humans. This is in line with my
interests in building things as well using tools or machinery.
To be successful in the three areas of specialty, is necessary to
gain formal training from Schools of Education or Psychology

14. Departments. Thus, the educational requirements and road map
for each of the areas are as follows (American Psychological
Association, n.d.):
Counseling psychologist
· Minimum doctorate degree in counseling psychology
· A specialty certification
· A license
Forensic Psychologist
· Minimum master’s degree in psychology, though a Doctor of
Psychology degree is recommended.
· Certification in forensic psychology
· Licensure in psychology specialty
Human factor psychologist
· Minimum Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology, major in
Engineering
· Ph.D. in Human Factors Psychology recommended
The undergraduate courses in the APUS BA in Psychology that
best match the three areas above include; Bachelor of Arts in
Psychology with a major in law, counseling, human services or
law enforcement.
4. I need to know more
The most interesting information I recognized in completing the
report is the benefits of studying psychology. It is apparent that
pursuing a degree in psychology not only provides you with
skills and knowledge that can help define your career path, but
also offers an avenue to better understand oneself. It also helps
in gaining good career prospects through self-assessment of
personal interests.

15. Of particular interest, the second section, “What can I do with a
degree in Psychology?” provides an insight to better understand
the course. It also offers a foundation to further the degree to
higher levels so as to attain top career positions. Therefore,
learning more on the significance of taking up a psychology
degree would be beneficial in choosing a career road map as
well as gaining extra knowledge on human behavior.
References
American Psychological Association. (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://www.apa.org
Bureau of Labor Statistics. (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://www.bls.gov/oco/
Kuther, T., & Morgan, R. (2012). Careers in Psychology:
Opportunities in a Changing World. Boston: Cengage Learning.
FIELDS OF PSYCHOLOGY
1
FIELDS OF PSYCHOLOGY
7
FIELDS OF PSYCHOLOGY
Cassandra Howery
American Public University
Dr. Thomas
Professional Careers and Education in Psychology

16. June 22nd, 2015
Psychology is the science of behavior and mental processes.
Over half of the number of psychologists are actively engaged
in the practice so as to help people with various mental and
nervous problems while the rest perform other professional
activities. There is a big difference between psychiatry and
psychology, but both require a degree to practice. There are
four approaches to the psychology subject matter. The
biological perspective focuses on the nervous system; the
cognitive approach emphasizes the processing of information in
the mind and the behavioral approach measures the activity of a
person and how he responds to his environment. The last
approach is the phenomenological approach that studies things
as they appear to individuals.
According to (Toomela & Valsiner, 2010), there are various
fields in psychology namely clinical, community, counseling,
developmental, educational, environmental, experimental,
forensic, industrial, social and school psychology. The largest
psychology specialty is clinical psychology. A clinical
psychologist helps emotionally and mentally disturbed patients
to adjust to everyday life or surgical patients in physical
rehabilitation centers. Patients that require clinical psychology
are those suffering from spinal cord injuries, stroke, arthritis,
and neurological conditions. A clinical psychologist can also
help with a personal crisis such as the death of a loved one,
divorce or death. He/she can also develop and implement
treatment and programs that the patients are required to follow.
Clinical psychologists can also train graduate students in
medical schools to deliver mental health and services as well as
administer community health programs.
Community psychologist focuses on social issues, institutions
and other factors that influence individuals and organizations by

17. focusing on the person-environment interactions, and how the
community impacts on the functioning of an individual.
Counseling psychology focuses on the developmental approach.
In this case, a professional counselor helps clients to overcome
challenges they face through support and therapy. This form of
therapy is very important in human development. Development
psychology is the study of physiological, social and cognitive
development through all stages of life. This also includes the
study of developmental disabilities and their consequences.
With this knowledge, studies can be carried out to develop ways
to assist old people to remain independent as long as possible.
Education psychologists study student’s characteristics, their
learning outcomes, and institutional processes so as to establish
where there is an academic or behavioral problem among the
teachers or parents. Information gathered can also be used to
evaluate students thinking and assessing weaknesses and
strengths. School psychologist are trained to work on children
and teachers so as to make the schooling experience more
rewarding. The science of psychology is applied in forensic
psychology so as to combat crime, establish rehabilitation
programs in prisons and courtroom dynamics and select
candidate for police force. Psychology knowledge is used to
treat mentally ill offenders and analyze a criminal’s intent and
mind. Industrial and organization psychology helps to create
strategy to make better staffing and workforce development
decisions.
As maintained by (Helms & Rogers, 2015), the minimum
requirement for a psychologist is a graduate degree after which
the graduate is required to meet professional standards for
certification and a practicing license. After one gets a license,
he needs to complete a supervised residency, internship or
experience. School and industrial-organizational psychologists
require specialist degrees or masters’ degrees, while clinical,
counseling, research and counseling psychologists require

18. doctorate degrees. Psychologists have analytical, problem
solving, observational and communication skills and are also
competent with client data, statistical, test scoring and
scheduling software.
Since psychology has diverse professions, there is a wide range
of potential salary earnings. Some of these fields are lucrative
and can even fetch up to quarter a million dollars annually. As
written in (Occupational outlook handbook 2014-2015), one of
the highest paid fields is that of a psychiatrist and with a mean
annual salary of $177, 520, which is about $85.35 as mean
hourly wage. These positions require intense dedication,
specialty degree, four-year residency, four years of practice in
the field and approval from a psychology and neurology
examination board. It is, therefore, clear that a psychiatrist must
have a deep desire to help people with mental illnesses.
Industrial-organizational psychologists use their expertise to
improve overall performance in a workplace by boosting
efficiency and productivity. They are also involved in business
administration, marketing, human resource and employee
training. This field is suitable for students who are fascinated
by business and statistics and enjoy research. Job and salary for
this field increases when an individual gains a masters degree.
On average, an industrial organizational psychologist earns a
mean annual wage of $98, 900, that is, a mean hourly wage
$47.50.
A neuropsychologist specializes in the study of cognition and
the human brain; including the study of how different drugs
affect the nervous system and mental processes of learning and
cognition. The average annual salary is $86, 645. Another
lucrative field is engineering psychology that focuses on
improving machinery, technology that in turn enhances human
behavior by understanding abilities and limitation of human and
adjusting the factory’s systems accordingly. By minimizing

19. risks and fatal errors in the workplace, they are able to save the
lives of the workers. The engineering psychologists begin to
work with a master’s degree but can expand chances for higher
salaries and employment by getting a doctorate. Engineering
psychologists earn between $48,000 and $ 75, 367 depending on
the expertise and area of employment.
A clinical psychologist can find employment in private practice,
schools, mental health clinics, inpatient and outpatient centers,
and government hospitals. In most cases, clinical psychologist
are required to have a doctorate degree, pass a licensing
examination, and complete a supervised residency. A clinical
psychologist earns approximately $72,220 annually with a
$34.72 hourly wage rate. Psychologists’ salaries may vary
depending on the years of expertise, location of employment,
industry sector, and the level of education qualification. In the
current state of the economy, students interested in a rewarding
career and a good income should consider pursuing one of these
psychology professions.
I have learned that a psychologists’ work is draining and
stressful and, therefore, one must learn how to separate work
and personal life. Psychologists on call must deal with issues of
the clients at very inconvenient times.
Psychologists help patients to overcome behavioral and
emotional problems and develop and implement treatment plans.
They also engage in further research of the human mind and
nervous system and study the human behavior in different
environments. They are driven by the ability to improve human
life by helping different people overcome their challenges.
One of the most common psychological disorders among the
elderly is dementia. Despite having excellent physical health, a
99-year-old man is most likely to have bad short term memory
and an average long-term memory. For example, when he meets

20. a new person, he keeps asking for the name of that person
repeatedly and, therefore, living with a person suffering from
dementia requires a lot of patience. The advantage of this is that
patients with dementia live in the moment and are less likely to
hold on to anger (Chapter 2). On the downside, patients require
home health care and feel like strangers in their homes. Most
progressive stages of dementia cannot be cured, but
psychologists manage the condition by administering
medications and recommending medicine that reduce neuro-
degeneration. These medications prevent symptoms of the
disease from getting worse. Unfortunately, dementia patients
are likely to suffer from depression and therefore the
psychologist can prescribe anti-depressants and more
importantly, provide support and care to the patients.
References
Helms, J. L., & Rogers, D. T. (2015). Majoring in psychology:
Achieving your educational and career goals. 138
Plotnik, R., & Kouyoumjian, H. (2011). Introduction to
psychology. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/Cengage Learning. 158
Top of Form
Toomela, A., & Valsiner, J. (2010). Methodological thinking in
psychology: 60 years gone astray?. Charlotte, NC: Information
Age Pub.
Top of Form
United States. (2014). Occupational outlook handbook 2014-
2015. New York: Skyhorse Publishing.
Top of Form
Top of Form
Bottom of Form
Bottom of Form

21. Bottom of Form
Bottom of Form
BIOPSYCHOLOGY AND PERCEPTION
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BIOPSYCHOLOGY AND PERCEPTION
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Biopsychology and Perception
Cassandra Howery
Professional Careers and Education in Psychology
June 14th, 2015
Biopsychology and Perception
Biopsychology and perception are specialities in the larger field
of psychology. Biopsychology merges the disciplines of biology
and psychology. It focuses on the interactions between the
environment and the mind, body and the consequent behaviour.
It studies the effect of the environment on the brain and
behaviour and with the ways individuals interact and respond to
stimuli. On the other hand, perception is a speciality of
psychology that deals with how sensory information is
perceived from the environment. It entails memory, cognition
and perception and how the stimulus is perceived and the
processes involved in the interpretation of stimuli into
meaningful data (Pinel, 2009).
There are various careers for students studying Biopsychology
and perception. One can become a teacher and teach the field
of biopsychology. Markedly, teaching can be done at all levels
including high schools, college, or the universities. Similarly,

22. one can become a research assistant and work depending on the
interests of the researcher or supervising professor. One can do
teaching and work as a research assistant concurrently. There is
the career of being a scientific researcher. It involves
neuroscientists who study the brain. Scientific researchers study
the various causes and effects of brain and mental illness and
the effectiveness of drugs. Additionally one can embark on the
profession of being a mental health counselling and work in
clinics, hospitals or mental institutions. Such a career deals
with counselling, monitoring and advocating for patients with
mental disorders.
The salary for such professions is approximately 39460 dollars
for a research assistant. For the teaching profession, the salary
ranges around 68690 dollars per month. On the other hand,
researchers such as scientists in the field of biopsychology have
a minimum salary of 75600 dollars monthly. Counsellors have a
minimum salary of 40850 dollars. Notably one has to be
qualified so as to engage in the above career. Such
qualifications include; having a bachelor's degree in the field of
biopsychology for the career of high school teaching and a
beginner in the career of a research assistant. Seemingly,
college and university teaching requires one to have master’s
degree in the field of biopsychology (Norwich, 1993).
Researchers and counsellors must have a doctorate in the
relevant fields for them to embark on their respective careers.
Worth noting is that thorough research was done on the
speciality of biopsychology and perception within the field of
psychology. The careers are really capturing. The profession of
doing counselling and research captured my attention. Such
careers will enable me to be in the field and discover more
interesting facts in the field of biopsychology (Helms & Rogers,
2015). This has made me gain interesting information and facts
that were unknown to me before. There are various careers that
one can embark on when specialising in the above disciplines. I

23. had initially thought that the speciality of biopsychology only
allowed me to do the profession of teaching of the high school.
However, my assumptions were proved wrong as I have come to
realize that there are diverse, exciting professions that I can do
(Jensen, 1970).
One of the interesting facts derived from the hot topics is about
depth perception and how the brains see what there is is how the
brain. I have learned how the brain synthesizes and processes
ambiguous information. Similarly, I have learnt about the
psychology of success. This explains how the environment, our
perception of success and positive thinking are great factors that
necessitate one to become successful. Watching the episode
about brains games enabled me to realize how the simple
critical thinking done on a daily basis are influential in
enhancing memory and help in preventing brain decline.
References
Helms, J. L., & Rogers, D. T. (2015). Majoring in psychology:
achieving your educational and career goals. John Wiley &
Sons. Retrieved from
https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=v0qVBgAAQB
AJ&oi=fnd&pg=PA3&dq=Biopsychology+and+Helms,+J.L.,%2
6+Rogers,+D.T.+(2015).+Majoring+in+Psychology:+achieving+
your+educational+and+career+goals+Perception&ots=bqKloi-
SPy&sig=XuXShulIsS-aeA6DZSd5ksp5qzM
Jensen, D. D. (1970). Polythetic biopsychology: An alternative
to behaviorism. Current Issues in Animal Learning, JH Reverse,
Ed, 1–31.
Norwich, K. H. (1993). Information, sensation, and perception.
Academic Press San Diego. Retrieved from
http://biopsychology.org/norwich/isp/cc.pdf
Pinel, J. P. (2009). Biopsychology. Pearson Education.

24. The Psych Files. (n.d.-a). Ep 199: Depth Perception – How Your
Brain Sees What’s Not There. Retrieved June 10, 2015, from
http://www.thepsychfiles.com/2013/08/ep-199-depth-
perception-how-your-brain-sees-whats-not-there/
The Psych Files. (n.d.-b). Ep 235: Want to Swap Bodies?
Retrieved June 10, 2015, from
http://www.thepsychfiles.com/2015/01/ep-235-want-to-swap-
bodies/
PSYCHOLOGY SPECIALTIES
1
PSYCHOLOGY SPECIALTIES
7
Psychology Specialties
Cassandra Howery
American Public University
Dr. Kathy Lewis-Thomas, Instructor
Developmental Psychology
Developmental psychology can be defined as the scientific
study of how human beings change in the course of their lives.
This branch of psychology was initially concerned with the
infants and childhood and later expanded its focus into
development in adolescents, development in adult, aging and the
entire life span. The field also emphasizes lifespan perspective
and examines the process of typical and atypical development in
humans, the normative transitions and the effect of non-

25. normative events too (Kaslow, 2004).
There are various professional careers to enter into on
completion of studies in developmental psychology. These
include gerontologist who studies the aspects of aging, military
psychologist who uses psychological research in the
identification, treatment and prevention, and combating mental,
emotional and developmental issues with military work, a health
psychologist is concerned with the emotional, mental and
socioeconomic factors that lead to certain illnesses and how to
prevent the diseases. Other professionals include
biogerontologist, the child psychologist, a clinical psychologist
but all are referred to as developmental psychologist.
The practitioners in this field require a methodology of
developmental research as an effort to generate knowledge and
theories that have the potential for application to social issues
related to the development of individuals in life. Therefore, for
one to qualify for the profession of a developmental
psychologist and related professions, he or she will have to
develop substantive knowledge bases necessary for teaching,
intervention, and research. The areas of developmental
psychology to be studied fit into three categories that include
cognitive development, socio-emotional development, and
psychopathological development (Kaslow, 2004). In cognitive
development studies, the focus is research in cognition that
includes memory, cognitive changes, cognitive styles and meta-
cognition in human beings. In socio-emotional development, the
studies focus on social and emotional development in infants,
early childhood, during adolescence and later in one’s life. This
includes education on attachment friendship and parenting
behaviors and support. The level of education required for one
to become a developmental psychologist is to earn a Ph.D. in
psychology development that involves a 4-year bachelor’s
degree, a master’s degree and 2 to 4- year PHD program in the
field.

26. The developmental psychologists specialize in certain ages and
stages during people’s lifespan, and this includes focus from
childhood to old age. The work setting of a developmental
psychologist included schools and learning centers such as
children homes, homes for the orphaned and aged, hospitals and
mental health facilities, and nursing and retirement home. The
average salary for developmental psychologist depends on
various factors such as the level of education attained and level
of experience. The average salary is set to be $86, 510 in
general. Those who work in substance abuse clinics and
psychiatric hospitals earn an average wage of $69, 150 while
those who work in physicians’ offices earn an average wage of
$109, 600.
After researching the different areas of psychology, I found
some of them to be a career possibility especially the area of
socio-emotional development because it is my area of interest.
The interesting course taught at the Air Force Academy was an
interesting area that offers me a career possibility as an air
force psychologist (Raimy, 1950).
The most interesting and new thing I learnt from developmental
psychology research is that Jean Piaget was one of the most
influential professionals in the field who theorized that humans
go through four stages of development that are sensorimotor
stage, the preoperational, concrete operational and formal
operational stages of in human development.
In the real world and day to day activities, the behavior of
adolescents feeling better and more experienced than others,
and the imaginary audience; a perception that they are being
watched and constantly judged by others is related to the
podcast of the “Mother Nature and Blaming victim”. These
feelings are mostly exaggerated, and this is, therefore, the
reason, for example, an adolescent feels offended when

27. punished or advised for doing wrong.
A hot topic that fits the specialty is “How anthropomorphism
affects a person’s attitude towards taking care of the world”.
Anthropomorphism is the giving of living things human
characters or abilities.
Personality Psychology
Personality psychology studies personality and its variation
from one individual to the other. It also focuses on the
construction of a coherent picture of the individual and the
psychological processes of that individual. This specialty in
depth focuses on the study if the personality in traits of people
and creates employment opportunities in areas such as clinical
psychology, counseling, research, teaching, marketing, and
business (Kaslow, 2004).
The various professionals in the personality psychology include
personality psychologist, mental health counselor, and clinical
social worker, consumer psychologist whose work is to study
the consumer and business trends and community psychologist,
etc. Personality psychology examines the nature of humans, the
individual characteristics and personality theories that are used
to understand behavior and actions in people. Professionals,
therefore, need to explore the social and personal influences
that impact people and applications in fields such as counseling,
health care, advertising and in business.
For one to qualify as a personality psychologist or a profession
in the field of personality psychologist, he or she has to attain a
doctoral degree in personality psychology or psychology related
courses. This entails four years in studying a degree course in
the field, a 2-year master’s degree and a Ph.D. doctorate in
personality psychology. The type of education required is the
understanding of personality and its variations. This involves a
well understanding of the theories of personality; trait theories,
behavioral theories and human theories, personality disorders

28. and tests. The personality psychologist examines individual
traits and how they influence the outcome of a particular
individual and group actions. As a result, the career requires
them o have substantial education culminating a doctorate and
great deal of research experience in the field.
The work of a personality psychologist is to observe situations
and how they influence individual emotions and conduct of a
person. They also explain a behavior in areas such as aggression
and persuasion, the theories of attraction conformity and group
interactions and actions and related aspects. Therefore, they
specialize in aspects of leadership, group behaviors and conflict
resolution niches. Their work settings include industries in
research and analysis, applied concepts and consultation
(Raimy, 1950). These personality psychologists also train
government officials and develop programs to improve attitudes
at the workplace and analyze the business and consumer trends.
They also offer consultation practices in hospitals and other
health care work settings. The average salary for a personality
psychologist and other professions in the field vary. Clinical
counselors and school psychologists earn an average salary of
$72, 710, industrial organization psychologists earn $87, 960
and others earn an average of $88, 400 per year.
During the research, I did not find anything interesting in
personality psychology. It appeared to be a very challenging
field and less valued no career possibility hence.
The most interesting thing I learned from the research is the
mnemonic trick of memorizing Freud’s stages of psychosexual
development in human beings. The psychoanalyst gives the
mnemonic and explains the five stages of development which
are the Oral, the anal, the phallic, latency and the genital stages
of psychosexual development. The mnemonic trick given is
OAPLG and in full it means Orangutans Always Play with Little
Gorillas.

29. Bullying and racism encountered in day to day activities in real
world is an experience that is related to the podcasts used, the
immersion or strong interest one feels in watching a movie or
reading a book or the development of high interest and feeling
of joy or pain of a character in a movie is explained in the
podcasts. The immersion is the result of certain factors that can
also help combat racism and bullying that is experienced in
society.
A hot topic fitting the personality development is “study of
personality psychology can help eliminate racism”. Racism
refers to the personal or group feeling or perception their ethnic
group of origin or community is better or superior compared to
others. Therefore, the topic should examine whether personality
factors discussed in the podcasts can help combat racism.
References
Kaslow, N. J. (2004). Competencies in professional psychology.
American Psychologist, 59(8), 774.
Raimy, V. (1950). Training in clinical psychology. Prentice-
Hall.