Psychology: Why We Smile, Strive and Sing

Learn more about Psychology

Do you stay up late studying for the next day’s test, or do you stay up late playing video games, figuring you’re going to fail anyway? If you witness a group of friends bullying a new kid at school, do you join in or step up? Do you prefer to spend a lot of time on your own or do you like to be constantly surrounded by other people?

All of your decisions, actions and reactions are part of what we study when we learn about psychology. Human behavior is a fascinating subject because it’s all about you and how you fit into the world around you. Psychology also studies how people respond based on certain stimuli. Why does one person react to test anxiety by studying harder while another assumes they’ll do badly and gives up? What makes one person join a group doing the wrong thing as another steps in to do what is right?

As with all other behavior, the answer depends on many things: genetics, cultural and family expectations, previous behaviors, and a person’s own special blend of attitudes and values. Plenty of text-to-self and text-to-world connections provide a foundation for deeper learning.