Does Psychology Make A Significant Difference In Our Lives Summary

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Maureen Hannan Philip G. Zimbardo's article, Does Psychology Make a Significant Difference in Our Lives?, discusses the ways psychological research,theory, methods, and practices affected the lives of individuals, communities, and nations. After relaying scholarly information about himself Zimbardo presents the contributions psychology has already made to our lives. The contributions include psychological testing and assessment, positive reinforcement, psychological therapies, self-directed change, parenting tips, treatment for psychological stress, and decreasing prejudice and discrimination. According to the author, psychology testing and assessment contributes to our lives by developing and depending on tests like the SAT and Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery to measure human talents, abilities, strengths, and weaknesses. Psychology brings about positive reinforcement with its emphasis on only punishing bad behavior. As a result time outs have become a popular behavior modification strategy. Psychological therapies have proven to be successful for treating those suffering from mental illnesses. Such therapies include cognitive behavior modification, systematic desensitization and exposure therapies. Those forms of treatment help treat phobias, anxiety disorders, and panic attacks. There are also a number of…show more content…
The "jigsaw classroom" called for students to share materials and put their grades at risk if they didn't cooperate. Self-esteem and academic performance increased as prejudice levels decreased. Psychologists also realized that ICPS (interpersonal cognitive problem solving skills) reduces physical and verbal aggression, and promotes positive peer

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