Perception of Psychology

Perception of Psychology

Question A

Psychoanalytic theory suggests that some memories can be so painful, that a person can totally block them from their conscious memory and then later “recover” them; either spontaneously or while receiving therapy.  Others argue that these are false memories that can be created through the power of suggestion for some people.  Which viewpoint do you agree with and why?  Have you had a memory that later turned out to be incorrect?  What do you think was the cause of the error in your recollection? 

Question B

Public perception of psychology tends not to portray the entire scope of the field. To evaluate this statement please ask three people who are not in this psychology class (e.g., roommates, parents, friends and professors from other fields) what they think psychologists do. Next, compile a list of the ideas and then compare this list to Chapter 1 of the textbook. What did your small sample miss? What did they over-represent? Why do you think these misperceptions exist?