Introduction
One would agree that psychology is now an integral part of people’s lives. Many men and women prefer visiting their psychologist once or twice a week and discussing all their concerns and joys, hoping that a mental professional can help them more than their friends. Children in schools have psychological testing every year, which is very effective for assessing their mental state. However, not all people are aware of the strong connection between applied psychology and wars.
Applied Psychology and Wars
To begin with, it is essential to define applied psychology. Generally, it is the use of scientific psychological findings and methods to analyze and address practical issues of people (Hardy Leahey, 2018). Therefore, when World War I began, professionals in this field could not remain indifferent. According to Hardy Leahey (2018), “psychologists enlisted to apply themselves to a truly massive task: the evaluation of men for fitness to serve in the US Army” (p. 433). They tried to find those who could potentially show the symptoms of different mental conditions, including PTSD. Further, the psychologists wanted to take an even more active part in the war efforts. Thus, “the APA formed 12 committees concerned with different aspects of the war, ranging from acoustic problems to recreation” (Hardy Leahey, 2018, p. 435). Another practical appliance of psychological findings was to boost the confidence and morale of the American soldiers and demoralize the enemies. Therefore, applied psychology played a significant role in ensuring that the war would be successful and that the soldiers were morally prepared.
Conclusion
To draw a conclusion, it is possible to say that applied psychology participated greatly in the preparation of soldiers for war and helped them in the post-war period. Different mental states of young men having to murder enemies could result in devastating outcomes. Therefore, the fact that psychologists effectively sorted the soldiers, looking for the ‘mentally unfit,’ and boosted their moral qualities allowed America to be more successful.
Reference
Hardy Leahey, T. (2018). A history of psychology from antiquity to modernity (8th ed.). Routledge.