Applying Psychology to My Life

Introduction

The field of psychology is interesting and fascinating since theories and concepts used in this discipline relate directly to a person and describe unique life aspects. The analysis of individual concepts by using concrete examples can help describe the nuances of the manifestations of theoretical terms in real life. Such notions as social changes in lifespan development, motivation and emotion, the notion of personality, and the concepts of interpersonal relationships will be discussed and examined in the context of my own life. The features of each concept allow evaluating their roles in the conditions of ongoing interpersonal communication and the formation of individuality.

Social Changes in Lifespan Development

The life cycle of the human as a social being is impossible without interaction with other individuals. According to Coon et al. (2019), in the process of lifespan development, a person acquires social thinking that, in turn, influences the specifics of cognitive functions and largely determines behavioral traits. As they grow older, people communicate with one another in different communities, which allows them to accumulate experience. Today, as Crafter et al. (2019) state, free access to information and education are the key factors associated with social changes. As a result, due to shifts in priorities, values, and goals, these changes are inevitable.

Motivation and Emotion

Character features largely depend on the manifestations of such psychological phenomena as motivation and emotion. Beauchaine and Zisner (2017) argue that they “are inextricable aspects of behavioral function that were artificially separated in the history of psychology” (p. 108). In other words, it is essential to consider both concepts in conjunction to understand corresponding stimuli and the reasons for specific emotions. A person’s ability to set particular tasks based on current needs affects how he or she responds to the outcome of a certain activity, which, in turn, explains the correlation between the two phenomena.

Personality

The psychological concept of personality may differ from those promoted in sociology or other person-centric disciplines. Yakupova et al. (2016) define a person not as an integral unit but as a process that takes place as a result of the development of individual characteristics and the accumulation of experience. Specific external factors, in this case, play a significant role because, as mentioned earlier, a person interacts with other people and adopts individual characteristics unintentionally. Thus, a personality in psychology is a unit that is formed due to constant development and communication.

Concepts of Interpersonal Relationships

In the process of interpersonal communication, people usually use a limited number of techniques and tools to convey individual messages and interpret others’ ideas. According to Lane (2016), among a variety of behavioral factors, different unique concepts can be distinguished, which reflect the characteristics of communication, in particular, verbality and non-verbality. In addition, the author identifies individual forms of relationships that are specific to particular environments, for instance, family, work, or friendship (Lane, 2016). All these concepts are intended to explain how human communication manifests itself in certain conditions of interaction.

Applying the Concepts to Personal Life

The conducted review of psychological concepts can allow me to apply these notions to my personal life. For instance, when discussing social changes in my lifespan development, I can note the narrowing of my communication circle caused by growing up and a shift in interests. Free access to interaction on social media gives me an opportunity for new acquaintances, which also leads to changes. In general, life in a dynamic environment is one of the main prerequisites for determining what changes and how quickly will occur.

Regarding the phenomena of motivation and emotion, I can give an example of my first part-time work. I needed money, but I did not want to depend on anyone. It became my motivation to find a temporary job, and after receiving the first salary, my emotions were expectedly vivid in view of the realization of the goal. In other words, my initiative was proved to be effective, which ultimately manifested itself in an emotional upsurge. Probably, I will be able to feel a similar interaction between the two phenomena in the future if my goals are achieved successfully.

I can describe the notion of personality with an emphasis on my social circle. Many of my friends and acquaintances are educated people with clearly defined life goals. I, in turn, adopt this way of thinking unconsciously, and I notice this when planning routine daily tasks. Due to the fact that the influence of the social circle is inevitable, I will strive to communicate with those who are pleasant to me to protect myself from negative thoughts, thereby excluding the formation of undesirable traits in my personality.

Finally, when discussing the concept of interpersonal relationships, an example of distinctive behavior in various environments is most pronounced. I am open with my friends and use different forms of communication, while with my family members, I cannot follow similar behavioral patterns. For any person, a specific environment is defined as a circle with acceptable principles of interaction, and my example of neutral relationships with colleagues at work confirms this.

Conclusion

Ongoing human communication and personality formation are the factors that explain the dynamism of individual psychological concepts. The notions considered are a wide field for study and evaluation due to an opportunity to apply them to every person directly. By using the example of my personal life, I have presented how social changes in lifespan development, motivation and emotion, the notion of personality, and the concepts of interpersonal relationships manifest themselves.

References

Beauchaine, T. P., & Zisner, A. (2017). Motivation, emotion regulation, and the latent structure of psychopathology: An integrative and convergent historical perspective. International Journal of Psychophysiology, 119, 108-118. Web.

Coon, D., Mitterer, J. O., & Martini, T. S. (2018). Introduction to psychology: Gateways to mind and behavior with concept maps and reviews (15th ed.). Cengage Learning.

Crafter, S., Maunder, R., & Soulsby, L. (2019). Developmental transitions: Exploring stability and change through the lifespan. Routledge.

Lane, S. D. (2016). Interpersonal communication: Competence and contexts (2nd ed.). Routledge.

Yakupova, R. M., Fedotova, M. A., & Malkina, N. A. (2016). System, individual and personality in psychology and education. Journal of Organizational Culture, Communications and Conflict, 20(4), 29-34.

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PsychologyWriting. (2023, September 27). Applying Psychology to My Life. https://psychologywriting.com/applying-psychology-to-my-life/

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PsychologyWriting. (2023) 'Applying Psychology to My Life'. 27 September.

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PsychologyWriting. 2023. "Applying Psychology to My Life." September 27, 2023. https://psychologywriting.com/applying-psychology-to-my-life/.

1. PsychologyWriting. "Applying Psychology to My Life." September 27, 2023. https://psychologywriting.com/applying-psychology-to-my-life/.


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PsychologyWriting. "Applying Psychology to My Life." September 27, 2023. https://psychologywriting.com/applying-psychology-to-my-life/.