| Many students declare psychology as their major in | | | | hard-core numbers that the program is effective. |
| college with the hopes of becoming a therapist, | | | | Now you find it necessary to design a study and use |
| helping clients through their problems while they lie on | | | | statistics to provide evidence that the program does |
| the couch, and even opening their own private | | | | indeed work. As a matter of fact, you may have |
| practice. For some, it is quite a rude awakening to | | | | former clients take a survey one year after |
| discover that one of the required courses is statistics. | | | | treatment to estimate the long-term effect of your |
| Well, why in the world would a psychologist need to | | | | program. Can you see now how statistics would be |
| learn and master statistics? | | | | necessary? Rather than paying thousands of dollars |
| What most students do not realize is that | | | | to complete this project, you have received all of the |
| psychology is much more than simply talking clients | | | | training you need in college to conduct the study |
| through psychological or adjustment issues. This | | | | yourself. |
| reflects just one aspect of psychology - the | | | | Even outside of the practice-oriented specializations |
| practice-oriented side. There are many psychologists | | | | of psychology, there are a number of psychologists |
| and dozens of specializations that design research | | | | who work at academic institutions, research |
| studies and use statistics in order to help others in a | | | | organizations, and government agencies using |
| different way. Even practice-oriented psychologists in | | | | statistics every single day. Statistics can be used to |
| Clinical and Counseling Psychology may make use of | | | | determine if the media indeed does cause children to |
| statistics. How so? | | | | exhibit violent behavior, whether a community service |
| Lets say that after a few years of treating clients | | | | project causes people to develop stronger empathy |
| who are coming in for marital counseling you develop | | | | skills, or even whether a new training program |
| a program to help build more effective | | | | increases productivity within the workplace. |
| communication and conflict resolution skills. After a | | | | No matter what your interests or specialization in |
| few months of treatment, you've noticed a dramatic | | | | psychology, if you are planning on growing your |
| increase in your clients' satisfaction with their | | | | career, you will need to learn and understand |
| marriages. You want to develop this program to help | | | | statistics. Believe it or not, those classes are far from |
| more clients than you can reach through your one | | | | useless. Statistics are essential to earn your diploma in |
| office, but first you need to demonstrate with | | | | psychology and perform as an effective psychologist. |