Psychology Personal Statement Example 17

Ever since my little sister became a teenager and started going through her rebellious phrase I just haven't been able to help myself from analysing her behaviour. Although she grew out of her moody phase my interest in Psychology didn't change and I find that I regularly am examining the behaviour of different members of my family.

Psychological and social theories and analyses have become a feature of my life, whether it is at home or the outside world. Having gained a good grounding in Psychology during my time at school and college I realise that this is not enough and that there is so much more for me to appreciate and understand.

Studying psychology to A-level has deepened my appreciation of psychological processes and thoughts in ways that I hadn't anticipated. Not only has my interest in the topic increased but I am more eager to learn: a good psychologist can be described as a person who appreciates their own psychology, and I am working to appreciate my own.

My A-level course has introduced me to areas such as abnormal psychology and developmental psychology. It is this latter aspect has influenced me most, so I carried out an experiment with young children and was able to confirm Piaget's sensorimotor stage which looked at object permanence.

1. Hiding items such as teddy bears behind pillows. The teddy is not visible but the child knows that it is behind the pillow so therefore they have object permanence.O.P means describe the awareness that objects continue to exist even when they are no longer visible. (Looking at a child's cognitive development).

2. Showing young children the same amount of water or juice in the two identical glasses and very fast they knew the two glasses of water or juice were the same. If poured one glass into a longer and thinner glass, children could not identify this glass had contained the same amount of water or juice as the original two identical glasses. The children were attentive only to one aspect which is that one glass is taller than the other two; they did not realize the taller glass had the same amount of liquid. This shows Piagets task for liquid. Conservation means, “the understanding that certain physical characteristics of objects remain the same, even when their outward appearance changes” (Berk, 1999).

It is through such studies that I will acquire the learning to be able to encourage people to change their behaviour and thinking in a positive way. I am also aware of Margaret Donaldson's work, and want to look into that further. Beyond my A Level course I have taken a keen interest in Social Psychology. Works like the 'Fear of Freedom' by Erich Fromm has given me an insight into the impact of the way people are can have a major impact on society. It is not surprising that factors such as economics, politics and even the nature of society can have an impact on how people function as individuals.

Of my other A levels, I enjoy economics because we look at the real cost of making choices. I have learnt about concepts and theories that has provided me with the tools to help me understand how economies work and develop. Studying different economist's theories have been particularly interesting, for example, Adam Smith's theory on invisible hand has intrigued me because it focuses on the ideas of capitalism, and an individual pursuing self-interest will result in an increase the common good. I have found law to be fascinating because I now have a good idea of how law is created and how it develops.

Studying law has given me a wider insight on the fundamentals that make up our English legal system. I often wonder without rules how would our country stand today and law has helped me realise that the rule of law is important in providing a guide. Laws are looking at how words and facts are interpreted: their impact on society is massive. The affect so many aspects of people's lives: the question for me is whether the laws reflect people's desires or shape them

Away from my academic studies I lead an active life. I take pleasure in reading be it short stories or never ending novels. I thoroughly enjoy watching and participating in sport such as badminton and tennis: being an active member of my local tennis club has enabled me to interact with other people as we share similar interests.

Moreover, I also believe that a key important factor to me is that I can make the world that we live in a better place by helping others. As someone pointed out that "we have two hands, on to help yourself the second to help others". One way I do this is through my charitable work raising money for various charitable organisations ranging from breast cancer to aids.

My remaining free time goes in working as a sales adviser. The retail experience has given me a great insight in to my interpersonal skills and taught me how to deal with a various range of situations efficiently.

I would be an asset to your university and am very enthusiastic about my subjects. The course you offer will broaden my knowledge, satisfy my curiosity and deepen my understanding; I am very determined and thoughtful, and would find the course you offer highly motivating.

Some people dream of worthy accomplishments, whilst i am one of them who stays awake to achieve them. Success lies in those who strive.