psychology personal essay examples

Personal Statement for Graduate School Examples: Psychology

A student smiling while holding a pen and writing a personal statmement

Why Strong Personal Statements are so Important for Graduate School

In your psychology graduate degree application, the personal statement is crucial. It showcases your academic achievements, personal journey, career goals, and why you’re a great fit for the program. This is your chance to move beyond mere statistics—GPA, test scores, work experience—and tell your unique story. Crafting a compelling personal statement requires insight, precision, and guidance. However, finding quality personal statement for graduate school examples can be challenging. Magoosh is committed to supporting graduate applications with detailed analyses, specific feedback, and comprehensive support throughout the admissions process.

Spotlight on Successful Psychology Personal Statements

We’re excited to showcase two standout personal statement for graduate school examples covering two different psychology tracks. The first, used to apply to Columbia University, explores the therapeutic power of storytelling in the aftermath of trauma and the writer’s dedication to studying the pathways from traumatic experiences to psychopathology. This essay seamlessly weaves together the applicant’s academic pursuits and professional experiences, underlining a deep-seated commitment to understanding and fostering resilience and growth post-trauma.

Second, written for UC Berkeley, takes us on a captivating journey—from volunteering in Haiti to navigating the urban complexity of New York, and finally, to a meaningful role in tutoring across diverse socioeconomic backgrounds. This narrative eloquently captures the author’s evolving insight into the significant role counseling plays in psychological well-being and the drive to effect change within the psychology field.

Examples with Expert Annotated Feedback

Our feedback on each personal statement highlights strengths, suggests improvements, and offers strategic advice to boost the essay’s impact and emotional appeal. This feedback reflects our thorough grasp of the admissions process and our dedication to helping candidates refine their narratives.

Now explore our personal statements and expert commentary for inspiration on your application narratives. Whether starting your essay or finalizing it, our resources, expertise, and support guide you through the admissions journey.

Finally, our aim is to help you create a personal statement that surpasses admissions expectations, compellingly showcasing your unique story. Explore our blog for further tips, inspirational success stories, and expert advice , and move forward in your graduate school journey with confidence. Our platform is your ally in turning your graduate school aspirations into achievements.

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How to Write a Psychology Essay

Saul Mcleod, PhD

Editor-in-Chief for Simply Psychology

BSc (Hons) Psychology, MRes, PhD, University of Manchester

Saul Mcleod, PhD., is a qualified psychology teacher with over 18 years of experience in further and higher education. He has been published in peer-reviewed journals, including the Journal of Clinical Psychology.

Learn about our Editorial Process

Olivia Guy-Evans, MSc

Associate Editor for Simply Psychology

BSc (Hons) Psychology, MSc Psychology of Education

Olivia Guy-Evans is a writer and associate editor for Simply Psychology. She has previously worked in healthcare and educational sectors.

On This Page:

Before you write your essay, it’s important to analyse the task and understand exactly what the essay question is asking. Your lecturer may give you some advice – pay attention to this as it will help you plan your answer.

Next conduct preliminary reading based on your lecture notes. At this stage, it’s not crucial to have a robust understanding of key theories or studies, but you should at least have a general “gist” of the literature.

After reading, plan a response to the task. This plan could be in the form of a mind map, a summary table, or by writing a core statement (which encompasses the entire argument of your essay in just a few sentences).

After writing your plan, conduct supplementary reading, refine your plan, and make it more detailed.

It is tempting to skip these preliminary steps and write the first draft while reading at the same time. However, reading and planning will make the essay writing process easier, quicker, and ensure a higher quality essay is produced.

Components of a Good Essay

Now, let us look at what constitutes a good essay in psychology. There are a number of important features.

Global Structure – structure the material to allow for a logical sequence of ideas. Each paragraph / statement should follow sensibly from its predecessor. The essay should “flow”. The introduction, main body and conclusion should all be linked.
Each paragraph should comprise a main theme, which is illustrated and developed through a number of points (supported by evidence).
Knowledge and Understanding – recognize, recall, and show understanding of a range of scientific material that accurately reflects the main theoretical perspectives.
Critical Evaluation – arguments should be supported by appropriate evidence and/or theory from the literature. Evidence of independent thinking, insight, and evaluation of the evidence.
Quality of Written Communication – writing clearly and succinctly with appropriate use of paragraphs, spelling, and grammar. All sources are referenced accurately and in line with APA guidelines.

In the main body of the essay, every paragraph should demonstrate both knowledge and critical evaluation.

There should also be an appropriate balance between these two essay components. Try to aim for about a 60/40 split if possible.

Most students make the mistake of writing too much knowledge and not enough evaluation (which is the difficult bit).

It is best to structure your essay according to key themes. Themes are illustrated and developed through a number of points (supported by evidence).

Choose relevant points only, ones that most reveal the theme or help to make a convincing and interesting argument.

Knowledge and Understanding

Remember that an essay is simply a discussion / argument on paper. Don’t make the mistake of writing all the information you know regarding a particular topic.

You need to be concise, and clearly articulate your argument. A sentence should contain no unnecessary words, a paragraph no unnecessary sentences.

Each paragraph should have a purpose / theme, and make a number of points – which need to be support by high quality evidence. Be clear why each point is is relevant to the argument. It would be useful at the beginning of each paragraph if you explicitly outlined the theme being discussed (.e.g. cognitive development, social development etc.).

Try not to overuse quotations in your essays. It is more appropriate to use original content to demonstrate your understanding.

Psychology is a science so you must support your ideas with evidence (not your own personal opinion). If you are discussing a theory or research study make sure you cite the source of the information.

Note this is not the author of a textbook you have read – but the original source / author(s) of the theory or research study.

For example:

Bowlby (1951) claimed that mothering is almost useless if delayed until after two and a half to three years and, for most children, if delayed till after 12 months, i.e. there is a critical period.

Maslow (1943) stated that people are motivated to achieve certain needs. When one need is fulfilled a person seeks to fullfil the next one, and so on.

As a general rule, make sure there is at least one citation (i.e. name of psychologist and date of publication) in each paragraph.

Remember to answer the essay question. Underline the keywords in the essay title. Don’t make the mistake of simply writing everything you know of a particular topic, be selective. Each paragraph in your essay should contribute to answering the essay question.

Critical Evaluation

In simple terms, this means outlining the strengths and limitations of a theory or research study.

There are many ways you can critically evaluate:

Methodological evaluation of research

Is the study valid / reliable ? Is the sample biased, or can we generalize the findings to other populations? What are the strengths and limitations of the method used and data obtained?

Be careful to ensure that any methodological criticisms are justified and not trite.

Rather than hunting for weaknesses in every study; only highlight limitations that make you doubt the conclusions that the authors have drawn – e.g., where an alternative explanation might be equally likely because something hasn’t been adequately controlled.

Compare or contrast different theories

Outline how the theories are similar and how they differ. This could be two (or more) theories of personality / memory / child development etc. Also try to communicate the value of the theory / study.

Debates or perspectives

Refer to debates such as nature or nurture, reductionism vs. holism, or the perspectives in psychology . For example, would they agree or disagree with a theory or the findings of the study?

What are the ethical issues of the research?

Does a study involve ethical issues such as deception, privacy, psychological or physical harm?

Gender bias

If research is biased towards men or women it does not provide a clear view of the behavior that has been studied. A dominantly male perspective is known as an androcentric bias.

Cultural bias

Is the theory / study ethnocentric? Psychology is predominantly a white, Euro-American enterprise. In some texts, over 90% of studies have US participants, who are predominantly white and middle class.

Does the theory or study being discussed judge other cultures by Western standards?

Animal Research

This raises the issue of whether it’s morally and/or scientifically right to use animals. The main criterion is that benefits must outweigh costs. But benefits are almost always to humans and costs to animals.

Animal research also raises the issue of extrapolation. Can we generalize from studies on animals to humans as their anatomy & physiology is different from humans?

The PEC System

It is very important to elaborate on your evaluation. Don’t just write a shopping list of brief (one or two sentence) evaluation points.

Instead, make sure you expand on your points, remember, quality of evaluation is most important than quantity.

When you are writing an evaluation paragraph, use the PEC system.

Make your P oint.
E xplain how and why the point is relevant.
Discuss the C onsequences / implications of the theory or study. Are they positive or negative?

For Example

Point: It is argued that psychoanalytic therapy is only of benefit to an articulate, intelligent, affluent minority.
Explain: Because psychoanalytic therapy involves talking and gaining insight, and is costly and time-consuming, it is argued that it is only of benefit to an articulate, intelligent, affluent minority. Evidence suggests psychoanalytic therapy works best if the client is motivated and has a positive attitude.
Consequences: A depressed client’s apathy, flat emotional state, and lack of motivation limit the appropriateness of psychoanalytic therapy for depression.

Furthermore, the levels of dependency of depressed clients mean that transference is more likely to develop.

Using Research Studies in your Essays

Research studies can either be knowledge or evaluation.

If you refer to the procedures and findings of a study, this shows knowledge and understanding.
If you comment on what the studies shows, and what it supports and challenges about the theory in question, this shows evaluation.

Writing an Introduction

It is often best to write your introduction when you have finished the main body of the essay, so that you have a good understanding of the topic area.

If there is a word count for your essay try to devote 10% of this to your introduction.

Ideally, the introduction should;

Identify the subject of the essay and define the key terms. Highlight the major issues which “lie behind” the question. Let the reader know how you will focus your essay by identifying the main themes to be discussed. “Signpost” the essay’s key argument, (and, if possible, how this argument is structured).

Introductions are very important as first impressions count and they can create a h alo effect in the mind of the lecturer grading your essay. If you start off well then you are more likely to be forgiven for the odd mistake later one.

Writing a Conclusion

So many students either forget to write a conclusion or fail to give it the attention it deserves.

If there is a word count for your essay try to devote 10% of this to your conclusion.

Ideally the conclusion should summarize the key themes / arguments of your essay. State the take home message – don’t sit on the fence, instead weigh up the evidence presented in the essay and make a decision which side of the argument has more support.

Also, you might like to suggest what future research may need to be conducted and why (read the discussion section of journal articles for this).

Don”t include new information / arguments (only information discussed in the main body of the essay).

If you are unsure of what to write read the essay question and answer it in one paragraph.

Points that unite or embrace several themes can be used to great effect as part of your conclusion.

The Importance of Flow

Obviously, what you write is important, but how you communicate your ideas / arguments has a significant influence on your overall grade. Most students may have similar information / content in their essays, but the better students communicate this information concisely and articulately.

When you have finished the first draft of your essay you must check if it “flows”. This is an important feature of quality of communication (along with spelling and grammar).

This means that the paragraphs follow a logical order (like the chapters in a novel). Have a global structure with themes arranged in a way that allows for a logical sequence of ideas. You might want to rearrange (cut and paste) paragraphs to a different position in your essay if they don”t appear to fit in with the essay structure.

To improve the flow of your essay make sure the last sentence of one paragraph links to first sentence of the next paragraph. This will help the essay flow and make it easier to read.

Finally, only repeat citations when it is unclear which study / theory you are discussing. Repeating citations unnecessarily disrupts the flow of an essay.

Referencing

The reference section is the list of all the sources cited in the essay (in alphabetical order). It is not a bibliography (a list of the books you used).

In simple terms every time you cite/refer to a name (and date) of a psychologist you need to reference the original source of the information.

If you have been using textbooks this is easy as the references are usually at the back of the book and you can just copy them down. If you have been using websites, then you may have a problem as they might not provide a reference section for you to copy.

References need to be set out APA style :

Author, A. A. (year). Title of work . Location: Publisher.

Journal Articles

Author, A. A., Author, B. B., & Author, C. C. (year). Article title. Journal Title, volume number (issue number), page numbers

A simple way to write your reference section is use Google scholar . Just type the name and date of the psychologist in the search box and click on the “cite” link.

Next, copy and paste the APA reference into the reference section of your essay.

Once again, remember that references need to be in alphabetical order according to surname.

Student Resources

How To Cite A YouTube Video In APA Style – With Examples

How to Write an Abstract APA Format

APA References Page Formatting and Example

APA Title Page (Cover Page) Format, Example, & Templates

How do I Cite a Source with Multiple Authors in APA Style?

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Successful Personal Statement For Psychology At Oxford

Last Updated: 6th April 2022

Author: Rob Needleman

Welcome to our popular Personal Statement series where we present a successful Personal Statement, and our Oxbridge Tutors provide their feedback on it.

Today, we are looking through a Psychology applicant’s Personal Statement that helped secure a place at Oxford University. The Psychology Course at Oxford is a scientific discipline, involving the rigorous formulation and testing of ideas. It works through experiments and systematic observation rather than introspection.

Read on to see how this candidate demonstrates their academic interests and initiative.

Here’s a breakdown of the Personal Statement (the applicant uses most of the 4,000 characters available):

SUCCESSFUL?

The universities this candidate applied to were the following:

Enrolling on our Oxbridge Psychology comprehensive Programme will give you access to Personal Statement redrafts.

With our Oxbridge Psychology Premium Programme, your tutor will give you regular actionable feedback with insider tips on how to improve and make your Personal Statement Oxbridge quality for the best chances of success.

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Psychology Personal Statement

How does the mind work? The mind is a mystery housed within the most complex mechanism known to man: the human brain. My innate curiosity compels me to find out more about such a mystery through the study of Psychology.

I have long been interested in how our minds differ: for example, why have I always been a strong mathematician while my brother finds it challenging? Being a musician, I found Kathryn Vaughn’s research supporting a correlation between musical and mathematical abilities particularly thought provoking, while I have also wondered whether my childhood obsession with jigsaws helped me develop problem-solving skills, which are particularly relevant in Geometry: the area with the biggest rift in our abilities. Ann Dowker’s argument, in ‘Individual Differences’, that educational methods influence such differences was also particularly compelling. Therefore, in my gap year, whilst helping struggling learners in KS3 Mathematics at a local school, and, when I help educate children in Tanzania as an International Citizen Service volunteer with the VSO charity, I will evaluate the success of different educational methods. This will give me experience of carrying out my own research, and, will develop skills such as empathy, which is important in the more sensitive areas of Psychology. Furthermore, I recently assisted a University of Oxford researcher conducting follow-up assessments with children in local primary schools. These measured reading-age, language comprehension and numeracy level, and are used to gauge and refine the Catch-Up charity’s numeracy intervention programme. As some of the children being assessed were from a control group, my involvement also enlightened me to ethical aspects of research.

Differences that occur in the criminal mind are also of great interest to me. As an elected Student Ambassador for the Holocaust Educational Trust, I visited Auschwitz-Birkenau earlier this year, where I learnt about Rudolf Hoess. Hoess exterminated thousands of families, yet lived with his own family just outside the camp. This ignited an interest in complex behaviour; therefore I read Stanley Milgram’s research into whether ‘the Germans are different’, and learnt about his Theory of Obedience. This developed an interest in Forensic Psychology, and I subsequently attended a Forensics course at Nottingham University, where I learnt about a Forensic Psychologist’s role, during Mental Health tribunals, for example.

Deterioration of the mind, and methods to counteract this, also interest me. Reading the Psychologist has given me an insight into how the effectiveness of such methods could be analysed using a high-resolution 3D brain atlas; while a presentation from Claire Rytina enlightened me to useful cognitive treatment designed to rebuild and retrieve memory following her Viral Encephalitis. I have also voluntarily worked at a Nursing Home with some Dementia sufferers, and noticed that many sufferers enjoyed me playing music from their past, and sometimes, this triggered some of their memories. This made me wonder whether the music stimulated neurones which had lain dormant for years, similarly to when neurones are used for the first time, as Hubel and Weisel’s nature/nurture research has shown. Studying this in A level Biology gave me an interest in neuroscience, while Biology also stressed the importance of controls and fair tests, which are invaluable during Psychology experiments too. My mathematical skills in statistics will also be beneficial when analysing empirical evidence; and, the deep level of analysis and evaluation used for varying sources in A level History will be useful when studying case studies, while my essay techniques will help me when writing reports, and when considering issues from different perspectives.

Overall, I feel that my broad interests and skills will enable me to thrive as a Psychology student at a demanding University, where I would also make a positive contribution to University life.

For more inspiration, take a look through our other successful Personal Statement a nalysis articles:

Successful Personal Statement For Natural Science (Physical) At Cambridge

Successful personal statement for economics at cambridge, successful personal statement for land economy at cambridge, successful personal statement for chemistry at oxford, successful personal statement for geography at oxford, successful personal statement for classics at oxford, successful personal statement for law at oxford, successful personal statement for classics at cambridge, successful personal statement for engineering at cambridge, successful personal statement for philosophy at cambridge, successful personal statement for veterinary medicine at cambridge, successful personal statement for psychological and behavioural sciences at cambridge, successful personal statement for history at oxford, successful personal statement for physics at oxford, successful personal statement for cambridge mathematics and physics, successful personal statement example for computer science at oxford, successful personal statement for english at cambridge, successful personal statement for oxford english language and literature, successful personal statement for medicine at oxford university, successful personal statement for modern languages at oxford, successful personal statement for engineering at oxford, successful personal statement for natural sciences (biological) at cambridge, successful personal statement for economics & management at oxford, successful personal statement for ppe at oxford, successful personal statement for law at cambridge, successful personal statement for dentistry at king’s college london, successful personal statement for medicine at cambridge.

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Good Points Of The Personal Statement

This statement is powered by a broad range of academic interests — all of which the candidate has explored to a deep and commendable level. They are able to articulate how these interests came about, why they are important and how they intersect. In so doing, the candidate clearly demonstrates their ability to think independently, undertake independent projects and foster a wide-ranging curiosity. Furthermore, they clearly illustrate how their academic interests have had a bearing on their actions outside of the classroom; activities that require a substantial amount of initiative and endeavour.

Bad Points Of The Personal Statement

While the consideration of a range of different areas of psychology is illustrative of a consistently curious individual, this statement would have benefited from greater cohesion as an overall piece. The candidate could have also found a less rhetorical way of opening their statement; their tone at this point is not a mode of speech that they return to elsewhere, and as such, it seems somewhat like a non-sequitur. Their prose thereafter is much more engaging, and it seems unfulfilling and irrelevant to include such mystifying text at the start.

UniAdmissions Overall Score:

This candidate maturely presents their academic interests and particular areas of personal pursuit. As a result of this, they are able to demonstrate moments at which they have taken impressive amounts of initiative, and have really gone out of their way in order to experience their academic interests outside of the classroom. They are thereby able to fashion themselves as a curious, energetic, academic individual, who is able to think independently and develop their own work. There are potential areas for stylistic improvement within the statement, but they do not hinder the overall impression given of a capable and committed candidate.

This Personal Statement for Psychology is a great example of demonstrating academic interest and initiative. The candidate’s interest and passion are clearly shown which is vital to Admissions Tutors.

Remember, at Oxford, these Admissions Tutors are often the people who will be teaching you for the next few years, so you need to appeal directly to them.

Go to our Free Personal Statement Resources page for even more successful personal statements and expert guides.

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How to Write a Psychology Personal Statement Worthy of Oxbridge!

This blog leads you through some of U2’s Oxford and Cambridge-educated Psychology graduates’ tips for building content for, writing and structuring your Psychology personal statement. Most University level Psychology courses do not require that students have taken Psychology at A-level or IB (in fact, some professors advise that students don’t take it, because the A-Level/ IB syllabus is so different from what you learn at University). So, how do you demonstrate your aptitude for the course at university level? Whether you have studied Psychology at school, or are starting afresh, this blog will teach you how to ensure your Psychology personal statement stands out to interviewers for the top UK universities.

A brain MRI scan with a psychology degree hat on

Tips for your Psychology Personal Statement

Few students will have written anything like a UCAS personal statement before - an approximate side of A4 on what exactly you have to offer. For some general tips on how to write a high-level and original personal statement, check out our blog on 10 Top Tips for Writing a Standout Oxbridge Personal Statement .

Your personal statement should integrate your personal interests, subject knowledge and extracurricular experience. For Psychology, we suggest focusing on three main areas: (1) highlight your personal interest in psychology and link this more explicitly to the range of ways you have explored the subject; (2) emphasise your academic abilities and how these will ensure you suit the course e.g. You may mention your mathematical/ scientific abilities and how this complements/ facilitates your interest in empirically studying human behaviour; (3) discuss extra-curricular activities and how these also relate to your subject interest. E.g. Essay competitions, projects, lectures etc. We have provided guidance on each of the three key points below, how to weave them together and structure your personal statement. Take heed and you should have all the tools you need for writing a standout Psychology personal statement!

(1) Highlight your personal interest in psychology and link this more explicitly to the range of ways you have explored the subject

If you have an initial interest in Psychology, but have not had a chance to explore it in-depth, or beyond the school syllabus, this should be the first step. Do not regurgitate your school syllabus. You’ll need to read and research the subject, refining your interests and building evidence of your wider exploration e.g. through reading books, articles and scientific research papers.

Ideas to direct your wider subject exploration:

One way of developing an early understanding of key aspects of Psychology is to briefly look at the compulsory modules of the courses that interest you and gain an initial overview of key themes/ topics through reading and research. E.g. The undergraduate psychology course at Oxford University covers: Social Psychology, Developmental Psychology, Cognitive Psychology, and Neuroscience, so you could try to gain a quick appreciation of each module through research. Cambridge also provide a useful A-Z of key topics in Psychology.

After an initial introduction into broad areas of psychology and what they involve, focus in. Which areas pique your interest most? Keep a file with notes on each topic, read articles to extend your knowledge, and remember to relate concepts to your personal experience (e.g. examples from everyday life, real-world applications of concepts) so you don’t end up turning your personal statement into an essay. Why does [Insert topic] make you want to study Psychology at degree level? What catalysed your interest in [Insert topic]? Can you think of examples in your everyday life that relate? :

E.g. Following some research, you may find you are interested in Social Psychology, in particular group identity. What interests you about it? You may have read about ‘outgroup homogeneity’: the failure to see differences between members of out-group. Can you think of examples in your everyday experience? E.g. Racial prejudice?

Conversely, you may have started with thinking about racial prejudice, if that is something you are particularly passionate about, and that could have led you to research the psychology behind it, which could have brought you to Outgroup homogeneity. Either method is great. When it comes to writing your personal statement, it can be best to start with the personal experience/ interest and mention how this spurred you on to the academic research/ how your interest deepened with wider exploration.

Psychology Personal Statement Reading Recommendations

The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat – Oliver Saks: This book provides case histories of patients who have suffered a range of neurological disorders. E.g. Patients who have lost their memories, patients with violent tics, those with disabilities, but who are mathematical geniuses.

Thinking, Fast and Slow – Daniel Kahneman : Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences laureate, Kahneman, developed ‘Prospect theory’, a theory of the psychology of choice, which has been central to the relatively new field of behavioural economics. The book provides a good overview of a variety of key topics and is particularly useful for those with a penchant for economics (thinking about interdisciplinarity and how your subjects of interest link is always great for your personal statement), or for those simply interested in real-world applications of theories. Try to think of examples from your everyday life e.g. How decision making can be influenced by advertising and product placement.

Bad Science - Ben Goldachre: Dr Ben Goldacre is the author of the Bad Science column in the Guardian. This humorous book should encourage you to critically appraise articles that you read and stimulate a broader discussion on subjectivity/objectivity and empiricism in psychological research. Humans introduce bias into all research - e.g. Look into the spurious findings of fMRI research when researchers do not adequately account for ‘noise’ in the data.

The Memory Illusion – Dr Julia Shaw: Forensic psychologist and memory specialist, Dr Julia Shaw, uses the latest research to show the many ways in which our brains can be led astray by memory. Learn about how errors in reconstructing memory reflect inherent biases. If you would like to learn more about memory, check out our co-curricular division, Minds Underground™’s Mind-Enhancing Articles for Psychology, where our Oxbridge psychologists examine the role of memory and other key psychology topics/ questions.

Psychology Personal Statement Reading Suggestions

Also try to read some scientific papers and start thinking critically about them, and stay updated on developments in psychology and psychology in the news. E.g. Through reading The New Scientist - Psychology News , Neuroscience News , Naked Scientist Psychology articles & podcasts, or the Royal Society of Psychology research articles, podcasts and blog posts.

(2) Emphasise your academic abilities and how these will ensure you suit the Psychology course

Throughout your personal statement, you should demonstrate how you have built skills in preparation for university and for studying Psychology . To begin preparation, brainstorm your academic abilities and skills, and how these ensure you will suit the course/s you are applying for. Extensively research your top university choices, and see if they have a page dedicated to what they want from applicants. Fill a table as in the example below to help you relate your skills to the study of Psychology.

A table to show reasons why you want to study Psychology at university

(3) Discuss extra-curricular activities and how these relate to your subject interests

Many students mistake “extra-curricular activities” for non-subject-related activities such as sport, art, or music. Whilst you can mention these at the end of your personal statement, you are much better off mentioning co-curriculars that directly link to your subject, especially if applying to Oxford or Cambridge (non-academic activities should be 2-3 lines maximum to round-off your personal statement in this case).

If you can’t think of co-curricular activities to mention, now is the time to start finding opportunities to take part in! Here are some ideas:

Psychology Essay Competitions

Minds Underground hosts a Psychology Essay Competition each year. This year, the competition includes a Psychology Research Proposal Challenge, which is perfect for demonstrating independent research & initiative, and will encourage you to learn about experimental design, data collection, handling and analysis.

Also check out Oxford and Cambridge-run essay competitions e.g. Newnham College runs a Psychological & Behavioural Sciences competition each year.

Research Projects

You could task yourself with curating your own independent research project to mention on your personal statement.

3 Example Psychology Projects:

Investigating the effects of colour, word type, or other non-semantic factors on memory/reaction time/false memory recall of word lists

Influence of age/gender/multilingualism or any number of other factors on memory, number & word processing, any easily quantifiable metric.

An investigation into behavioural economics in the style of Kahneman & Tversky, looking at Type 1 & 2 decision making and how this can be influenced, for example, by advertising and product placement.

If you are looking to undertake a project under the tutelage of a Psychology subject expert, we also run specialised guided research projects through Minds Underground, usually a month in duration, with weekly project tutorial sessions (these are paid). E.g. “A Psychology or Medicine Project with a Research Associate for the Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences at the Oxford University Hospital Trust (NHS)” or “Psychiatrists & Pharmaceuticals: Alzheimer’s Research Project” with Psychology & Philosophy Oxford graduate, Georgia, who is studying for an MSc in Child and Adolescent Mental Health at UCL.

The aim is to combine teaching of high-level subject-specific content with exposure to real-world applications of these concepts, giving you the opportunity to undertake a project that is both useful for a university application and potential future career. The projects are great to mention on personal statements, and make impressive talking points at interview, particularly for top UK universities such as Oxbridge (our project hosts are all Oxbridge-educated), who favour applicants with an interest in scientific research.

Societies, Summer Schools & Lectures/ Talks

Are you part of your school’s Psychology Society ? If the school doesn’t have one, could you start one up? Or if they have a STEM society, could you introduce a Psychology element or invite speakers for lectures?

We host a fantastic Psychology Summer School for university applicants, hosted by our team of Psychology Oxbridge graduates. The weekly sessions, running from July to September, will provide a taster of University level Psychology, to provide material which students can write about in personal statements, an discuss during their interviews

There are a plethora of online lectures and talks for you to access online - E.g. Gresham College Psychology lectures, or Ted Talks on Psychology

Oxbridge Psychology Personal Statement Topic Ideas

Additional Psychology Personal Statement Advice for those applying to Oxbridge: Oxford, Cambridge

Applying to leading courses like Cambridge's Psychological and Behavioural Sciences or Oxford's Experimental Psychology course requires a tailored approach in your personal statement. Here's how you can make your statement stand out for these Oxbridge courses, compared to non-Oxbridge programmes:

Research-Centric Focus:

Highlight your interest in research from the very beginning. Discuss specific research projects you've been involved in or research findings that have fascinated you.

Look into the cutting-edge research conducted at Cambridge or Oxford and see if anything aligns with your academic interests.

Interdisciplinary Connections:

Emphasise your readiness to explore the interdisciplinary aspects of psychology. These Oxbridge courses often connect psychology with other fields. Mention your interest in related subjects such as neuroscience, biology, or even philosophy, if relevant.

Discuss how these interdisciplinary connections will enrich your understanding of psychology and your research capabilities.

Critical Thinking and Independent Study:

Both Cambridge and Oxford value independent learning and critical thinking. Share your experiences with independent research, coursework, or self-study that demonstrate your ability to think critically and engage deeply with psychology.

Specific Course Features:

Relate some of your content to the unique features of the course at either Cambridge or Oxford. For example, Cambridge's Psychological and Behavioural Sciences course includes a multidisciplinary approach to understanding human behaviour. Oxford's Experimental Psychology course focuses on research design and data analysis.

Explain how these aspects align with your academic goals and career aspirations.

Use of Research Methods:

Try to demonstrate your familiarity with research methods and data analysis tools, as these are central to both courses. Highlight any coursework or projects that have developed your skills in these areas.

Looking Beyond the Classroom:

Mention your involvement in psychology-related co-curricular activities, such as higher level topic areas, clubs, volunteer work, or internships, to demonstrate your dedication to the field beyond academic requirements.

You could seek guidance from your teachers or one of U2’s Oxbridge Psychology tutors, who are familiar with the specific requirements and expectations of Oxbridge courses. They can provide invaluable insights and help you refine your personal statement. Contact us if you’d like to learn more.

Next Steps: Drafting & Structuring Your Psychology Personal Statement

Try to narrow your interests down to 2 or 3 topic areas which you can use as overarching themes for your personal statement, e.g. (1) Theories of Mind, of Consciousness, (2) Psychology & Gender, (3) Social Psychology - Group Identity.

Ensure you can address these themes in depth. Have a range of resources to draw from e.g. a scientific paper, a book, research you undertook as part of an essay competition.

Ensure a strong narrative , including linking of concepts between key sections.

Demonstrate personal critical analysis to show your engagement and interest in the subject.

Example Psychology Personal Statement Structure

Aim for around four main paragraphs:

1st paragraph (introductory): What is your motivation to study Psychology? Be specific: what do you want to explore at university? What is distinctive about studying Psychology that makes it worthwhile? Ensure you talk about what motivates your study of the subject now, not a catalyst from your childhood as the interviewer will find it clichéd and less relevant.

2nd paragraph: Explore your interest in [Insert topic] through [Insert activity: e.g. Summer School]. Which of your abilities did this highlight? Link the topic to an interest in [Insert research form: An experiment, article etc.]. Link this to [Insert another activity e.g. a Cambridge lecture on X].

3rd paragraph: Link to paragraph two. This paragraph can follow the same format, but deal with a different topic/ theme.

4th paragraph: Mention extra-curricular activities that don’t relate to your subject interests really briefly (e.g., music, volunteering, anything else of relevance) and demonstrate how these have built skills in preparation for university and for studying Psychology.

You could mention your other A-Level/ IB subjects, perhaps describing how they have enhanced your study of Psychology.

You could mention any prizes or roles of responsibility which you have had at school, including any clubs that you might organise, such as the school newspaper or student council.

It can be useful to conclude your personal statement by returning to your aptitude for studying the subject in a final few lines . Which core skills do you possess which will equip you to excel at degree level? It’s important to strike a balance between enthusiasm for the subject and evidence of skills.

Example Successful Psychology Personal Statement

Below, we have included an example successful Cambridge Psychology personal statement, written by one of our 1st Class Cambridge PBS tutors. N.B. The statement is by no means perfect, but should provide an exemplar for how to weave your academic interests and co-curricular endeavours into your statement.

Over 100 trillion synapses connect to form neural networks in the brain – an engine so close to home yet more enigmatic than some of the cosmos. How can the very matter we use to think and learn unlock mysteries of the universe, yet not know exactly how it stores memories? It is these existential questions that fuel my fascination for studying the delicate mechanisms of our minds. Year one of my A-levels, what started as curiosity became increasingly interesting to me. Psychology lessons were deeply thought-provoking, particularly when biological and cognitive psychology were the topics of study. The biology behind the metaphysics of consciousness and perception has since captured me, especially when considering neurological disorders. Fascinated by these phenomena, last year I attended a lecture by Baland Jalal; he discussed his own research into a cure for sleep paralysis, as well as demonstrating his enthusiasm for the field which was a perfect cross-section of various disciplines that I love. To further explore this new intricate field of interest, I read “The New Science of Consciousness” by Paul Nunez; this book offered me a profound insight into the philosophy and “hard problems” that this science faces; whilst explanations for Alzheimer’s and Free Will are difficult to retrieve, the questions we need to ask are even harder to formulate. Cures for neurodegenerative diseases are currently beyond our grasp, which I believe will be changed with further years of research that I would be honoured to be a part of. The challenges and speculations associated with understanding the brain and our behaviour draws me into the subject as I enjoy combining abstract and logical thinking to decipher problems. Both studying logical programming in Computer Science and my EPQ (an investigation into creating a handmade Wilson Cloud Chamber) showcase the interface of these types of thinking. Self-teaching has been a critical aspect of advancing my knowledge of Neuropsychology as at A-Level there is no depth into more peculiar cases (many of which I discovered after reading “The Man Who Mistook His Wife For a Hat” by Oliver Sacks) such as Anton-Babinski Syndrome – a rare symptom of brain damage that causes people to be “cortically blind”, yet inexplicably deny their blindness. Using my own learning techniques, in Year 12 I helped tutor students in Year 7 physics classes. The significant change in learning style developed my methods of tutoring, teaching me to work with and teach peers of varying ages and enhance my ability to describe difficult concepts in an appropriate and understandable way. During year 12 I was accepted onto the Sutton Trust US Programme – a competitive Fulbright programme for high-achieving state-school students. I was one of 150 students picked from 1000+ applicants. Learning to deal with additional, international examinations and workload alongside school, being the guitarist in a band, and rock-climbing has been essential for my personal development, allowing me to handle substantial pressure. I was awarded a visit to Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s graduate laboratories where I saw leading research into many disciplines of science. This year however I decided that the more specialised curriculum offered in the UK was better suited for me – nevertheless, I am still an alum and volunteer for the programme and was chosen to be an advisor at USA college day this year. I gave individual advice to hundreds of young people, ensuring they had information and advice they needed to pursue undergraduate studies ideal for them. As a member of my school’s Student Wellbeing team, it is evident to anyone that a distinct and recurring interest of mine is to help people. I believe this perfectly ties into my desire to research the brain, as I am driven to be part of the research that will prevent neurodegeneration, aid mental illness and answer the fundamental questions that make us human. As written by Paul Nunez, “The phenomenon of consciousness is the major unsolved challenge of our age”.

Finally, remember not to start thinking about your personal statement too late! The content building part is by far the most important - without well-thought out content and a wide range of evidence for your independent exploration, you will not be able to write an engaging personal statement. The writing part will be easy if you have lots of exciting content to draw from.

Best of luck!

Looking for a Personal Statement Tutor or Support For Your Wider Psychology Application?

Psychology personal statement tutoring.

U2’s Oxbridge-educated mentors have a close insight into what admissions tutors like to see in a Psychology personal statement, and can help students to convey their skills, motivations, and long term goals, in order to stand out from other applicants. The statement should be the candidates own work, but our mentors will provide direction and guide you through the process of content building and writing. We offer offline drafting as well as tuition sessions.

Oxbridge Psychology Tutoring

We have a large team of Oxbridge-educated Psychology mentors including 1st Class, Master’s and PhD level graduates, who support students throughout the process, including personal statement, admissions test and interview preparation.

The Process:

1) We suggest an Oxbridge Psychology graduate as a mentor and send their full CV for review. Our mentors are deeply familiar with the admissions process to study Psychology at the University of Oxford and Cambridge, and are well-placed to guide you through personal statement curation and the interview process. We may suggest a range of application tutors to choose from with slightly differing rates depending on qualifications and level of experience.

2) We typically suggest beginning with a 1.5 hour diagnostic session , where the mentor will informally assess the student’s current performance level for application. Following this, we issue a report with feedback, and structure a plan to best prepare.

3) U2’s approach for regular Psychology application sessions: The main focus of tutorial sessions will be to explore material that can be discussed in the personal statement and at interview - this may sometimes stretch from A-Level standard to First Year Undergraduate. Mentors ensure each student refines their interests within Psychology, and is exposed to a range of key themes and topics. Throughout there will be a focus on the experimental side of psychology, by centring the course on real studies, and discussing the techniques and limitations involved in psychological experiments. Together, we build a case for the student, solidifying the stance and direction they will take during interview.

Frequency of sessions can be decided between student and mentor. Students can take either ad hoc sessions, or we structure a full programme for preparation, which may include further co-curricular opportunities such as our research projects , Psychology summer school and Oxbridge mock interview days . Honing the skills necessary to succeed for Oxbridge ideally requires long-term preparation and mentoring presents a wonderful opportunity to learn from some of the very best Oxbridge has produced.

Sessions from £75/h + VAT.

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Applying to Graduate Programs

Writing Statements of Purpose and Other Application Essays

As noted in the application qualifications and admissions criteria section of this website, the statement of purpose (in other words, the primary application essay; sometimes also called personal statement , background statement , and other names) can play a major role in determining whether an applicant is invited to interview and in final selection decisions. Specifically, the statement can be used to assess the applicant’s fit with the program, match with faculty members, writing ability, and more. Thus, spending the time to craft a well-written statement of purpose or other types of application essays is necessary in order for your application to have a chance of succeeding. To help with this process, here we provide an overview of the process of writing such statements and other application essays.

Types of Statements of Purpose and Other Application Essays

Depending on the program, you may be required to provide a statement of purpose , application essay , autobiographical essay , personal statement , career goal statement, background statement , or other similarly named piece of writing. Each of these commonly is your opportunity to provide information about yourself beyond that communicated in the rest of your application materials. You may also be asked to provide supplementary essays such as a diversity statement.

Typically, graduate applications provide an essay prompt which includes specific questions or themes that you should address in the essay. Common themes include: 1,2

Your long-term career plans
Your research interests or areas of interest in psychology
Your reasons for choosing the program that you are applying to
Your prior research experiences
Your academic background or objectives
Your motivation for pursuing your field of study

It is common for programs to specify how the essay should be formatted, or at a minimum, its maximum length. For instance, an application essay may be stated to be “no longer than 2 double-spaced pages” or no more than 500 words. It is important to follow all directions and not exceed that limit.

Using the same exact essay for each application is not advised . 1,3 Each program typically has specific information that they are seeking, and if you do not directly address those details in your essay, your application will suffer. You may be able to reuse different parts of your application essays, but you should expect to have to write new material for each application.

Are there example statements of purpose that I should examine? A variety of online sources do contain example statements, and you can find links to example statements at the bottom of this page. However, application essays in general are unique to each individual – each person has a different set of experiences and different aspects that they may wish to emphasize. Moreover, writing an application essay that resembles someone else’s can result in that essay appearing derivative – and given the highly competitive application process, that is something you should avoid. Thus, examples are for reference only.

How to Write a Statement of Purpose and Other Application Essays

When writing an application essay, it can be helpful to rely on the following steps. Please note that these procedures represent a common approach for writing application essays; you may wish to adapt some of the steps, or use/add others, for best results. 1,3

1. Brainstorming/clustering

At this first stage, jot down your thoughts as you think of answers to the essay prompt. Try to think of themes that you wish to emphasize, as well as concrete examples that you may wish to describe in the essay. You can organize them into clusters (for example, write ideas in circles and draw connecting lines). Remember that the overall goal of the essay is to convince the admissions committee that you are an attractive candidate and a good fit for their program.

2. Outlining

This is an optional step. Take your brainstorming/clustering notes and organize them into an outline of how the essay will be structured. You might have a chronological structure that begins with your earlier experiences and advances towards your more recent activities. Alternatively, you may organize your essay around themes (for example, research topics). A common outline involves an opening paragraph, then discussion of academic accomplishments, research experience, other experiences, future plans and suitability for the program of interest, and a concluding paragraph. 4

3. Freewriting/initial draft

Often one of the biggest hurdles is just getting words on the page. The key here is to not worry about having your words sound perfectly the first time around. Try drafting several sentences, a paragraph or two, and see whether your thoughts translate well into prose. It is common at this stage to discard whole sections of text in favor of new material. At this conclusion of this process, you should aim to have a completed first draft.

4. Revising

It is easy to get burned out on writing, so after you have completed that first draft, set it aside for a while. Then, return with fresh eyes and read through it carefully. You are likely to find areas that need improvement – be sure to take notes or highlight them. It can help to read the essay out loud; a general rule is that if it sounds unusual when spoken aloud, it should be rewritten. Then, revise the essay.

5. Solicit feedback

Have another individual or individuals read your essays critically and provide feedback. Your mentor can be an ideal person to provide that feedback; alternatively, you might try a university writing center or your peers.

6. Revise and finalize your essay

Using the feedback and your own thoughts while reading the essay, edit it further until it is a polished product. Be sure to proofread, check formatting, and make sure that all aspects of the essay prompt are clearly and thoroughly addressed.

Statement of Purpose Do’s and Don’ts

Here are some recommended elements to include, strategies to try, and recommended elements or strategies to avoid. 1,3

Do emphasize your individual strengths
Do customize each statement to the program that you are submitting it to
Do provide specific examples of relevant experiences (such as research, coursework, etc.)
Do thoroughly address all aspects of the essay prompt
Do use clear topic sentences, connective words or phrases, and paragraph transitions (for more information, please see the improving scientific writing section of this website)
Do consider emphasizing your fit to the program that you are applying to
Do consider discussing faculty mentors of interest

Dont’s

Don’t use jokes, humor, or try to be funny
Don’t excessively self-disclose personal problems
Don’t be very general or vague in your research interests
Don’t include complaints and criticisms
Don’t use clichés such as “since my childhood I have always been interested in” or “I just want to help everyone”, unless you can genuinely and convincingly use them

Financial Aid, Fellowships, and Scholarship Application Essays

As you complete your graduate applications, you might also consider applying for financial aid or some sort of graduate research fellowship such as the Ford Foundation Fellowship or the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship . Such fellowships typically require a background statement that is similar in some aspects to the statement of purpose.

Workshops and Downloadable Resources

For in-person discussion of the process of applying to graduate programs in psychology, neuroscience, and related fields, please consider attending this department’s “Paths to PhDs” workshop and other related events (for dates and times, please check the undergraduate workshops calendar).
Tips for Applying to Graduate Programs in Psychology (a brief summary) [ PDF ]

Further Resources

How-To Videos

Applying to Grad School Videos

1 American Psychological Association (2007). Getting in: a step-by-step plan for gaining admission to graduate school in psychology .

2 norcross, j. c., & hogan, t. p. (2016). preparing and applying for graduate school in psychology: 12 modules. american psychological association [video workshop]., 3 keith-spiegel, p., & wiederman, m. w. (2000). the complete guide to graduate school admission: psychology, counseling, and related professions . psychology press., 4 rutgers university camden college of arts and sciences. writing a personal statement ., prepared by s. c. pan for ucsd psychology, graphic adapted with permission from leoncastro under creative commons attribution-share alike 4.0 international license..

Finding and Choosing Graduate Programs of Interest
Timelines for the Graduate Application Process
Applicant Qualifications, Admissions Criteria, and Acceptance Rates
Requesting Letters of Recommendation
Preparing for the Graduate Record Examination
Graduate Admissions Interviews
Applying to Clinical Psychology Programs
Applying to Medical School and Professional Health Programs
Accepting Graduate Admissions Offers

Student Good Guide

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Psychology Personal Statement Examples

When applying to a Psychology course it’s important to write a strong psychology personal statement . Use our psychology personal statement examples as a guide for writing your UCAS application . Below are 3 examples you can read.

Personal Statement Example For Psychology

With every academic paper and publication, I read since studying Psychology at GCSE, my interest in the subject has grown. In light of my fascination with behaviour and the mind, as well as my interest in science, Psychology is my chosen subject for further study. It is extremely important to me to continue learning and building upon my knowledge, and I am passionate about engrossing myself in this subject at university.

At present, the debate of nature versus nurture is the most significant area of academic psychology that I am interested in. As a result of my interest in this argument, I have read Philip Zimbardo’s Lucifer Effect, which has furthered my intrigue and guided me in new directions. My fascination with environmental influences on human behaviour, and the idea that our surroundings can influence how we treat others, is greatly enhanced by my exploration of these concepts. Through my undergraduate degree, I hope to pursue research in this field of persuasion-based behavioural studies based on Cialdini’s principles of social influence.

Weekend jobs have helped me broaden my skill base and diversify my already acquired competencies while in school, as I have been able to widen my skill base and diversify my competencies. Having worked in a Deli with one other colleague gave me the opportunity to develop my organizational and motivational skills. We ran the shop alone and worked both as a team and alone while providing high-quality customer service under pressure. I gained confidence in my leadership abilities and also learned how to function well within our small team, hit set targets, deal with customers, and assist my colleague when he was short-handed. I feel prepared for large workloads, pressured deadlines, and projects involving both team and individual work, as I have made an effort to prepare myself for the demands of higher education by having these skills while studying psychology – the benefits of having these skills will be invaluable whilst reading psychology.

As a credit controller for Harlands Services, I have developed my analytical and statistical skills and developed my eye for detail. As a result of examining and investigating unpaid contracts, my critical and numerical skills have greatly improved; I am confident of my capabilities in this field and look forward to applying them in the future. Having this position at Harlands has also been valuable – it has taught me persuasive tact when dealing with outstanding payments, and it has illustrated the benefits of dealing patiently with sometimes abusive clients. In order to develop these communication skills, I worked in the community teaching skateboarding – communication is an essential aspect of psychology, and I intend to use this aptitude in practical seminars and in projects that require interviews and verbal testing.

My ambition is to continue my studies and pursue a PhD, eventually leading to a career in academia. As part of my postgraduate studies, I am interested in the British prison environment and rehabilitation process, as well as institutional aggression. During my undergraduate studies, I realize that these interests can be developed, or even superseded.

As a member of The British Psychological Society and avid reader of The Psychologist, I have attempted to academically prepare myself for my undergraduate course over the past two years. In addition to providing excellent insight into world news and opinion, The Economist also provides informed writers and a diverse range of viewpoints. Being able to study at university offers us many opportunities to positively influence our environment and to support others. I value being aware of global events and issues.

My dedication and perseverance show that I am motivated to study psychology for academic reasons as well as to acquire the crucial skills required to be successful in college.

My career will be launched with this undergraduate degree, thus my expectation and motivation are already very high. As someone who studied psychology at both the GCSE and A Level, I feel prepared for the challenges that lie ahead and am eager to meet them with the knowledge and abilities I have gained from work experience and education, as well as those I have yet to acquire.

Read our guides:

How To Write A Personal Statement For Psychology
UCAS Personal Statement
Psychiatry Personal Statements
Neuroscience Personal Statements

Successful Psychology personal statement example

Growing up, I was fascinated by psychology after seeing a psychiatry and researching Milgram’s Electric Shock Experiment. People can apply potentially fatal shocks to innocent people, and neurotransmitters such as serotonin and dopamine can shape a person’s mental state. As a result of these early exposures, I developed a passion for psychology and a desire to specialize in childhood development psychology to help others navigate their own internal struggles much as my psychiatrist had helped me.

This desire was further reinforced when I had the opportunity to serve as a reading mentor to a group of children, including one with autism. This role allowed me to work with a diverse group of children, hone my patience, and observe firsthand the impact of various learning styles. I also initiated a mentoring program for children with Type 1 Diabetes, drawing on my own experiences with the condition to provide support and reassurance. My work in a pharmacy and participation in campaigns to raise funding and awareness for diabetes research have also given me valuable experience interacting with patients and advocating for their needs.

In addition to psychology, I am currently studying sociology, and business studies, and have previously studied government and politics. Group work and presentations are a regular part of my studies, enabling me to strengthen my teamwork and presentation skills. One of my favourite theories that I have explored in psychology is Bowlby’s attachment theory, which delves into how children form attachments and how these shape their development, ultimately influencing the person they will become.

Over the last 5 years, I have volunteered at a local independent charity shop on Saturdays and during my last 5 summer holidays, I volunteered three times a week. I am entrusted with a great deal of responsibility, including handling the day’s banking. I am also actively involved in campaigns to raise funding and awareness for diabetes research, including participating in walks and writing letters to my local MP. In my free time, I enjoy listening to psychology podcasts from the University of Oxford, such as “How is depression treated?” These podcasts have provided me with insight into the evolution of treatments and the varied effects of physical and psychological therapies such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy.

I also gained practical experience collecting qualitative and quantitative data as part of a joint study between the University of Manchester and the University of Bristol on cyber-safety. Aside from attending lectures, I also worked with final-year undergraduates on their projects at the University of Bristol’s Brain Week. During his research, one student examined the effects of alcohol on coordination while driving. In spite of its brief duration, this experience was extremely enlightening and sparked my excitement regarding the possibility of attending university, deepening my knowledge and understanding, and possibly conducting my own research.

Health Psychology personal statement example

I am excited to apply to study psychology at the university level as someone who has always been fascinated by how the mind works. My interest in this psychology first developed during my time at King David School, where I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to participate in a psychology research project as part of the UK secondary school competition. This experience sparked my curiosity and passion for understanding the complexities of human behaviour, and I knew that I wanted to pursue this further.

Throughout my time in secondary school, I was an active member of the psychology club, where I enjoyed discussing and debating various psychological theories with my peers. I also took an extra-curricular psychology course, which allowed me to delve deeper into the subject and develop a greater understanding of its various sub-disciplines. In addition to my coursework, I also completed several independent research projects on topics such as the effects of social media on mental health and the role of attachment in romantic relationships. These projects further fueled my desire to explore the psychology and deepen my understanding of the human experience.

Outside of the classroom, I have always been drawn to helping others and have volunteered at a local mental health clinic, where I was able to witness firsthand the impact that psychological support can have on an individual’s well-being. This experience further solidified my desire to enter psychology and make a positive difference in the lives of others.

I am confident that my passion, curiosity, and dedication to psychology make me an ideal candidate for this program, and I am excited to have the opportunity to continue my studies at the University level. I believe that the combination of my academic achievements and real-world experience makes me uniquely qualified for this program, and I am eager to contribute to the dynamic and diverse community at the University.

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What are your chances of acceptance?

Calculate for all schools, your chance of acceptance.

Your chancing factors

Extracurriculars.

10 Personal Statement Essay Examples That Worked

What’s covered:, what is a personal statement.

Essay 1: Summer Program
Essay 2: Being Bangladeshi-American
Essay 3: Why Medicine
Essay 4: Love of Writing
Essay 5: Starting a Fire
Essay 6: Dedicating a Track
Essay 7: Body Image and Eating Disorders
Essay 8: Becoming a Coach
Essay 9: Eritrea
Essay 10: Journaling
Is Your Personal Statement Strong Enough?

Your personal statement is any essay that you must write for your main application, such as the Common App Essay , University of California Essays , or Coalition Application Essay . This type of essay focuses on your unique experiences, ideas, or beliefs that may not be discussed throughout the rest of your application. This essay should be an opportunity for the admissions officers to get to know you better and give them a glimpse into who you really are.

In this post, we will share 10 different personal statements that were all written by real students. We will also provide commentary on what each essay did well and where there is room for improvement, so you can make your personal statement as strong as possible!

Please note: Looking at examples of real essays students have submitted to colleges can be very beneficial to get inspiration for your essays. You should never copy or plagiarize from these examples when writing your own essays. Colleges can tell when an essay isn’t genuine and will not view students favorably if they plagiarized.

Personal Statement Examples

Essay example #1: exchange program.

The twisting roads, ornate mosaics, and fragrant scent of freshly ground spices had been so foreign at first. Now in my fifth week of the SNYI-L summer exchange program in Morocco, I felt more comfortable in the city. With a bag full of pastries from the market, I navigated to a bus stop, paid the fare, and began the trip back to my host family’s house. It was hard to believe that only a few years earlier my mom was worried about letting me travel around my home city on my own, let alone a place that I had only lived in for a few weeks. While I had been on a journey towards self-sufficiency and independence for a few years now, it was Morocco that pushed me to become the confident, self-reflective person that I am today.

As a child, my parents pressured me to achieve perfect grades, master my swim strokes, and discover interesting hobbies like playing the oboe and learning to pick locks. I felt compelled to live my life according to their wishes. Of course, this pressure was not a wholly negative factor in my life –– you might even call it support. However, the constant presence of my parents’ hopes for me overcame my own sense of desire and led me to become quite dependent on them. I pushed myself to get straight A’s, complied with years of oboe lessons, and dutifully attended hours of swim practice after school. Despite all these achievements, I felt like I had no sense of self beyond my drive for success. I had always been expected to succeed on the path they had defined. However, this path was interrupted seven years after my parents’ divorce when my dad moved across the country to Oregon.

I missed my dad’s close presence, but I loved my new sense of freedom. My parents’ separation allowed me the space to explore my own strengths and interests as each of them became individually busier. As early as middle school, I was riding the light rail train by myself, reading maps to get myself home, and applying to special academic programs without urging from my parents. Even as I took more initiatives on my own, my parents both continued to see me as somewhat immature. All of that changed three years ago, when I applied and was accepted to the SNYI-L summer exchange program in Morocco. I would be studying Arabic and learning my way around the city of Marrakesh. Although I think my parents were a little surprised when I told them my news, the addition of a fully-funded scholarship convinced them to let me go.

I lived with a host family in Marrakesh and learned that they, too, had high expectations for me. I didn’t know a word of Arabic, and although my host parents and one brother spoke good English, they knew I was there to learn. If I messed up, they patiently corrected me but refused to let me fall into the easy pattern of speaking English just as I did at home. Just as I had when I was younger, I felt pressured and stressed about meeting their expectations. However, one day, as I strolled through the bustling market square after successfully bargaining with one of the street vendors, I realized my mistake. My host family wasn’t being unfair by making me fumble through Arabic. I had applied for this trip, and I had committed to the intensive language study. My host family’s rules about speaking Arabic at home had not been to fulfill their expectations for me, but to help me fulfill my expectations for myself. Similarly, the pressure my parents had put on me as a child had come out of love and their hopes for me, not out of a desire to crush my individuality.

As my bus drove through the still-bustling market square and past the medieval Ben-Youssef madrasa, I realized that becoming independent was a process, not an event. I thought that my parents’ separation when I was ten had been the one experience that would transform me into a self-motivated and autonomous person. It did, but that didn’t mean that I didn’t still have room to grow. Now, although I am even more self-sufficient than I was three years ago, I try to approach every experience with the expectation that it will change me. It’s still difficult, but I understand that just because growth can be uncomfortable doesn’t mean it’s not important.

What the Essay Did Well

This is a nice essay because it delves into particular character trait of the student and how it has been shaped and matured over time. Although it doesn’t focus the essay around a specific anecdote, the essay is still successful because it is centered around this student’s independence. This is a nice approach for a personal statement: highlight a particular trait of yours and explore how it has grown with you.

The ideas in this essay are universal to growing up—living up to parents’ expectations, yearning for freedom, and coming to terms with reality—but it feels unique to the student because of the inclusion of details specific to them. Including their oboe lessons, the experience of riding the light rail by themselves, and the negotiations with a street vendor helps show the reader what these common tropes of growing up looked like for them personally.

Another strength of the essay is the level of self-reflection included throughout the piece. Since there is no central anecdote tying everything together, an essay about a character trait is only successful when you deeply reflect on how you felt, where you made mistakes, and how that trait impacts your life. The author includes reflection in sentences like “ I felt like I had no sense of self beyond my drive for success, ” and “ I understand that just because growth can be uncomfortable doesn’t mean it’s not important. ” These sentences help us see how the student was impacted and what their point of view is.

What Could Be Improved

The largest change this essay would benefit from is to show not tell. The platitude you have heard a million times no doubt, but for good reason. This essay heavily relies on telling the reader what occurred, making us less engaged as the entire reading experience feels more passive. If the student had shown us what happens though, it keeps the reader tied to the action and makes them feel like they are there with the student, making it much more enjoyable to read.

For example, they tell us about the pressure to succeed their parents placed on them: “ I pushed myself to get straight A’s, complied with years of oboe lessons, and dutifully attended hours of swim practice after school.” They could have shown us what that pressure looked like with a sentence like this: “ My stomach turned somersaults as my rattling knee thumped against the desk before every test, scared to get anything less than a 95. For five years the painful squawk of the oboe only reminded me of my parents’ claps and whistles at my concerts. I mastered the butterfly, backstroke, and freestyle, fighting against the anchor of their expectations threatening to pull me down.”

If the student had gone through their essay and applied this exercise of bringing more detail and colorful language to sentences that tell the reader what happened, the essay would be really great.

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Essay Example #2: Being Bangladeshi-American

Life before was good: verdant forests, sumptuous curries, and a devoted family.

Then, my family abandoned our comfortable life in Bangladesh for a chance at the American dream in Los Angeles. Within our first year, my father was diagnosed with thyroid cancer. He lost his battle three weeks before my sixth birthday. Facing a new country without the steady presence of my father, we were vulnerable — prisoners of hardship in the land of the free. We resettled in the Bronx, in my uncle’s renovated basement. It was meant to be our refuge, but I felt more displaced than ever. Gone were the high-rise condos of West L.A.; instead, government projects towered over the neighborhood. Pedestrians no longer smiled and greeted me; the atmosphere was hostile, even toxic. Schoolkids were quick to pick on those they saw as weak or foreign, hurling harsh words I’d never heard before.

Meanwhile, my family began integrating into the local Bangladeshi community. I struggled to understand those who shared my heritage. Bangladeshi mothers stayed home while fathers drove cabs and sold fruit by the roadside — painful societal positions. Riding on crosstown buses or walking home from school, I began to internalize these disparities. During my fleeting encounters with affluent Upper East Siders, I saw kids my age with nannies, parents who wore suits to work, and luxurious apartments with spectacular views. Most took cabs to their destinations: cabs that Bangladeshis drove. I watched the mundane moments of their lives with longing, aching to plant myself in their shoes. Shame prickled down my spine. I distanced myself from my heritage, rejecting the traditional panjabis worn on Eid and refusing the torkari we ate for dinner every day.

As I grappled with my relationship with the Bangladeshi community, I turned my attention to helping my Bronx community by pursuing an internship with Assemblyman Luis Sepulveda. I handled desk work and took calls, spending the bulk of my time actively listening to the hardships constituents faced — everything from a veteran stripped of his benefits to a grandmother unable to support her bedridden grandchild.

I’d never exposed myself to stories like these, and now I was the first to hear them. As an intern, I could only assist in what felt like the small ways — pointing out local job offerings, printing information on free ESL classes, reaching out to non-profits. But to a community facing an onslaught of intense struggles, I realized that something as small as these actions could have vast impacts. Seeing the immediate consequences of my actions inspired me. Throughout that summer, I internalized my community’s daily challenges in a new light. I began to stop seeing the prevalent underemployment and cramped living quarters less as sources of shame. Instead, I saw them as realities that had to be acknowledged, but could ultimately be remedied. I also realized the benefits of the Bangladeshi culture I had been so ashamed of. My Bangla language skills were an asset to the office, and my understanding of Bangladeshi etiquette allowed for smooth communication between office staff and its constituents. As I helped my neighbors navigate city services, I saw my heritage with pride — a perspective I never expected to have.

I can now appreciate the value of my unique culture and background, and of living with less. This perspective offers room for progress, community integration, and a future worth fighting for. My time with Assemblyman Sepulveda’s office taught me that I can be a change agent in enabling this progression. Far from being ashamed of my community, I want to someday return to local politics in the Bronx to continue helping others access the American Dream. I hope to help my community appreciate the opportunity to make progress together. By embracing reality, I learned to live it. Along the way, I discovered one thing: life is good, but we can make it better.

This student’s passion for social justice and civic duty shines through in this essay because of how honest it is. Sharing their personal experience with immigrating, moving around, being an outsider, and finding a community allows us to see the hardships this student has faced and builds empathy towards their situation. However, what really makes it strong is that they go beyond describing the difficulties they faced and explain the mental impact it had on them as a child: Shame prickled down my spine. I distanced myself from my heritage, rejecting the traditional panjabis worn on Eid and refusing the torkari we ate for dinner every day.

The rejection of their culture presented at the beginning of the essay creates a nice juxtaposition with the student’s view in the latter half of the essay and helps demonstrate how they have matured. They use their experience interning as a way to delve into a change in their thought process about their culture and show how their passion for social justice began. Using this experience as a mechanism to explore their thoughts and feelings is an excellent example of how items that are included elsewhere on your application should be incorporated into your essay.

This essay prioritizes emotions and personal views over specific anecdotes. Although there are details and certain moments incorporated throughout to emphasize the author’s points, the main focus remains on the student and how they grapple with their culture and identity.

One area for improvement is the conclusion. Although the forward-looking approach is a nice way to end an essay focused on social justice, it would be nice to include more details and imagery in the conclusion. How does the student want to help their community? What government position do they see themselves holding one day?

A more impactful ending might look like the student walking into their office at the New York City Housing Authority in 15 years and looking at the plans to build a new development in the Bronx just blocks away from where the grew up that would provide quality housing to people in their Bangladeshi community. They would smile while thinking about how far they have come from that young kid who used to be ashamed of their culture.

Essay Example #3: Why Medicine

I took my first trip to China to visit my cousin Anna in July of 2014. Distance had kept us apart, but when we were together, we fell into all of our old inside jokes and caught up on each other’s lives. Her sparkling personality and optimistic attitude always brought a smile to my face. This time, however, my heart broke when I saw the effects of her brain cancer; she had suffered from a stroke that paralyzed her left side. She was still herself in many ways, but I could see that the damage to her brain made things difficult for her. I stayed by her every day, providing the support she needed, whether assisting her with eating and drinking, reading to her, or just watching “Friends.” During my flight back home, sorrow and helplessness overwhelmed me. Would I ever see Anna again? Could I have done more to make Anna comfortable? I wished I could stay in China longer to care for her. As I deplaned, I wondered if I could transform my grief to help other children and teenagers in the US who suffered as Anna did.

The day after I got home, as jet lag dragged me awake a few minutes after midnight, I remembered hearing about the Family Reach Foundation (FRF) and its work with children going through treatments at the local hospital and their families. I began volunteering in the FRF’s Children’s Activity Room, where I play with children battling cancer. Volunteering has both made me appreciate my own health and also cherish the new relationships I build with the children and families. We play sports, make figures out of playdoh, and dress up. When they take on the roles of firefighters or fairies, we all get caught up in the game; for that time, they forget the sanitized, stark, impersonal walls of the pediatric oncology ward. Building close relationships with them and seeing them giggle and laugh is so rewarding — I love watching them grow and get better throughout their course of treatment.

Hearing from the parents about their children’s condition and seeing the children recover inspired me to consider medical research. To get started, I enrolled in a summer collegelevel course in Abnormal Psychology. There I worked with Catelyn, a rising college senior, on a data analysis project regarding Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID). Together, we examined the neurological etiology of DID by studying four fMRI and PET cases. I fell in love with gathering data and analyzing the results and was amazed by our final product: several stunning brain images showcasing the areas of hyper and hypoactivity in brains affected by DID. Desire quickly followed my amazement — I want to continue this project and study more brains. Their complexity, delicacy, and importance to every aspect of life fascinate me. Successfully completing this research project gave me a sense of hope; I know I am capable of participating in a large scale research project and potentially making a difference in someone else’s life through my research.

Anna’s diagnosis inspired me to begin volunteering at FRF; from there, I discovered my desire to help people further by contributing to medical research. As my research interest blossomed, I realized that it’s no coincidence that I want to study brains—after all, Anna suffered from brain cancer. Reflecting on these experiences this past year and a half, I see that everything I’ve done is connected. Sadly, a few months after I returned from China, Anna passed away. I am still sad, but as I run a toy truck across the floor and watch one of the little patients’ eyes light up, I imagine that she would be proud of my commitment to pursue medicine and study the brain.

This essay has a very strong emotional core that tugs at the heart strings and makes the reader feel invested. Writing about sickness can be difficult and doesn’t always belong in a personal statement, but in this case it works well because the focus is on how this student cared for her cousin and dealt with the grief and emotions surrounding her condition. Writing about the compassion she showed and the doubts and concerns that filled her mind keeps the focus on the author and her personality.

This continues when she again discusses the activities she did with the kids at FRF and the personal reflection this experience allowed her to have. For example, she writes: Volunteering has both made me appreciate my own health and also cherish the new relationships I build with the children and families. We play sports, make figures out of playdoh, and dress up.

Concluding the essay with the sad story of her cousin’s passing brings the essay full circle and returns to the emotional heart of the piece to once again build a connection with the reader. However, it finishes on a hopeful note and demonstrates how this student has been able to turn a tragic experience into a source of lifelong inspiration.

One thing this essay should be cognizant of is that personal statements should not read as summaries of your extracurricular resume. Although this essay doesn’t fully fall into that trap, it does describe two key extracurriculars the student participated in. However, the inclusion of such a strong emotional core running throughout the essay helps keep the focus on the student and her thoughts and feelings during these activities.

To avoid making this mistake, make sure you have a common thread running through your essay and the extracurriculars provide support to the story you are trying to tell, rather than crafting a story around your activities. And, as this essay does, make sure there is lots of personal reflection and feelings weaved throughout to focus attention to you rather than your extracurriculars.

Essay Example #4: Love of Writing

“I want to be a writer.” This had been my answer to every youthful discussion with the adults in my life about what I would do when I grew up. As early as elementary school, I remember reading my writing pieces aloud to an audience at “Author of the Month” ceremonies. Bearing this goal in mind, and hoping to gain some valuable experience, I signed up for a journalism class during my freshman year. Despite my love for writing, I initially found myself uninterested in the subject and I struggled to enjoy the class. When I thought of writing, I imagined lyrical prose, profound poetry, and thrilling plot lines. Journalism required a laconic style and orderly structure, and I found my teacher’s assignments formulaic and dull. That class shook my confidence as a writer. I was uncertain if I should continue in it for the rest of my high school career.

Despite my misgivings, I decided that I couldn’t make a final decision on whether to quit journalism until I had some experience working for a paper outside of the classroom. The following year, I applied to be a staff reporter on our school newspaper. I hoped this would help me become more self-driven and creative, rather than merely writing articles that my teacher assigned. To my surprise, my time on staff was worlds away from what I experienced in the journalism class. Although I was unaccustomed to working in a fast-paced environment and initially found it burdensome to research and complete high-quality stories in a relatively short amount of time, I also found it exciting. I enjoyed learning more about topics and events on campus that I did not know much about; some of my stories that I covered in my first semester concerned a chess tournament, a food drive, and a Spanish immersion party. I relished in the freedom I had to explore and learn, and to write more independently than I could in a classroom.

Although I enjoyed many aspects of working for the paper immediately, reporting also pushed me outside of my comfort zone. I am a shy person, and speaking with people I did not know intimidated me. During my first interview, I met with the basketball coach to prepare for a story about the team’s winning streak. As I approached his office, I felt everything from my toes to my tongue freeze into a solid block, and I could hardly get out my opening questions. Fortunately, the coach was very kind and helped me through the conversation. Encouraged, I prepared for my next interview with more confidence. After a few weeks of practice, I even started to look forward to interviewing people on campus. That first journalism class may have bored me, but even if journalism in practice was challenging, it was anything but tedious.

Over the course of that year, I grew to love writing for our school newspaper. Reporting made me aware of my surroundings, and made me want to know more about current events on campus and in the town where I grew up. By interacting with people all over campus, I came to understand the breadth of individuals and communities that make up my high school. I felt far more connected to diverse parts of my school through my work as a journalist, and I realized that journalism gave me a window into seeing beyond my own experiences. The style of news writing may be different from what I used to think “writing” meant, but I learned that I can still derive exciting plots from events that may have gone unnoticed if not for my stories. I no longer struggle to approach others, and truly enjoy getting to know people and recognizing their accomplishments through my writing. Becoming a writer may be a difficult path, but it is as rewarding as I hoped when I was young.

This essay is clearly structured in a manner that makes it flow very nicely and contributes to its success. It starts with a quote to draw in the reader and show this student’s life-long passion for writing. Then it addresses the challenges of facing new, unfamiliar territory and how this student overcame it. Finally, it concludes by reflecting on this eye-opening experience and a nod to their younger self from the introduction. Having a well-thought out and sequential structure with clear transitions makes it extremely easy for the reader to follow along and take away the main idea.

Another positive aspect of the essay is the use of strong and expressive language. Sentences like “ When I thought of writing, I imagined lyrical prose, profound poetry, and thrilling plot lines ” stand out because of the intentional use of words like “lyrical”, “profound”, and “thrilling” to convey the student’s love of writing. The author also uses an active voice to capture the readers’ attention and keep us engaged. They rely on their language and diction to reveal details to the reader, for instance saying “ I felt everything from my toes to my tongue freeze into a solid block ” to describe feeling nervous.

This essay is already very strong, so there isn’t much that needs to be changed. One thing that could take the essay from great to outstanding would be to throw in more quotes, internal dialogue, and sensory descriptors.

It would be nice to see the nerves they felt interviewing the coach by including dialogue like “ Um…I want to interview you about…uh…”. They could have shown their original distaste for journalism by narrating the thoughts running through their head. The fast-paced environment of their newspaper could have come to life with descriptions about the clacking of keyboards and the whirl of people running around laying out articles.

Essay Example #5: Starting a Fire

Was I no longer the beloved daughter of nature, whisperer of trees? Knee-high rubber boots, camouflage, bug spray—I wore the garb and perfume of a proud wild woman, yet there I was, hunched over the pathetic pile of stubborn sticks, utterly stumped, on the verge of tears. As a child, I had considered myself a kind of rustic princess, a cradler of spiders and centipedes, who was serenaded by mourning doves and chickadees, who could glide through tick-infested meadows and emerge Lyme-free. I knew the cracks of the earth like the scars on my own rough palms. Yet here I was, ten years later, incapable of performing the most fundamental outdoor task: I could not, for the life of me, start a fire.

Furiously I rubbed the twigs together—rubbed and rubbed until shreds of skin flaked from my fingers. No smoke. The twigs were too young, too sticky-green; I tossed them away with a shower of curses, and began tearing through the underbrush in search of a more flammable collection. My efforts were fruitless. Livid, I bit a rejected twig, determined to prove that the forest had spurned me, offering only young, wet bones that would never burn. But the wood cracked like carrots between my teeth—old, brittle, and bitter. Roaring and nursing my aching palms, I retreated to the tent, where I sulked and awaited the jeers of my family.

Rattling their empty worm cans and reeking of fat fish, my brother and cousins swaggered into the campsite. Immediately, they noticed the minor stick massacre by the fire pit and called to me, their deep voices already sharp with contempt.

“Where’s the fire, Princess Clara?” they taunted. “Having some trouble?” They prodded me with the ends of the chewed branches and, with a few effortless scrapes of wood on rock, sparked a red and roaring flame. My face burned long after I left the fire pit. The camp stank of salmon and shame.

In the tent, I pondered my failure. Was I so dainty? Was I that incapable? I thought of my hands, how calloused and capable they had been, how tender and smooth they had become. It had been years since I’d kneaded mud between my fingers; instead of scaling a white pine, I’d practiced scales on my piano, my hands softening into those of a musician—fleshy and sensitive. And I’d gotten glasses, having grown horrifically nearsighted; long nights of dim lighting and thick books had done this. I couldn’t remember the last time I had lain down on a hill, barefaced, and seen the stars without having to squint. Crawling along the edge of the tent, a spider confirmed my transformation—he disgusted me, and I felt an overwhelming urge to squash him.

Yet, I realized I hadn’t really changed—I had only shifted perspective. I still eagerly explored new worlds, but through poems and prose rather than pastures and puddles. I’d grown to prefer the boom of a bass over that of a bullfrog, learned to coax a different kind of fire from wood, having developed a burn for writing rhymes and scrawling hypotheses.

That night, I stayed up late with my journal and wrote about the spider I had decided not to kill. I had tolerated him just barely, only shrieking when he jumped—it helped to watch him decorate the corners of the tent with his delicate webs, knowing that he couldn’t start fires, either. When the night grew cold and the embers died, my words still smoked—my hands burned from all that scrawling—and even when I fell asleep, the ideas kept sparking—I was on fire, always on fire.

This student is an excellent writer, which allows a simple story to be outstandingly compelling. The author articulates her points beautifully and creatively through her immense use of details and figurative language. Lines like “a rustic princess, a cradler of spiders and centipedes, who was serenaded by mourning doves and chickadees,” and “rubbed and rubbed until shreds of skin flaked from my fingers,” create vivid images that draw the reader in.

The flowery and descriptive prose also contributes to the nice juxtaposition between the old Clara and the new Clara. The latter half of the essay contrasts elements of nature with music and writing to demonstrate how natural these interests are for her now. This sentence perfectly encapsulates the contrast she is trying to build: “It had been years since I’d kneaded mud between my fingers; instead of scaling a white pine, I’d practiced scales on my piano, my hands softening into those of a musician—fleshy and sensitive.”

In addition to being well-written, this essay is thematically cohesive. It begins with the simple introduction “Fire!” and ends with the following image: “When the night grew cold and the embers died, my words still smoked—my hands burned from all that scrawling—and even when I fell asleep, the ideas kept sparking—I was on fire, always on fire.” This full-circle approach leaves readers satisfied and impressed.

There is very little this essay should change, however one thing to be cautious about is having an essay that is overly-descriptive. We know from the essay that this student likes to read and write, and depending on other elements of her application, it might make total sense to have such a flowery and ornate writing style. However, your personal statement needs to reflect your voice as well as your personality. If you would never use language like this in conversation or your writing, don’t put it in your personal statement. Make sure there is a balance between eloquence and your personal voice.

Essay Example #6: Dedicating a Track

“Getting beat is one thing – it’s part of competing – but I want no part in losing.” Coach Rob Stark’s motto never fails to remind me of his encouragement on early-morning bus rides to track meets around the state. I’ve always appreciated the phrase, but an experience last June helped me understand its more profound, universal meaning.

Stark, as we affectionately call him, has coached track at my high school for 25 years. His care, dedication, and emphasis on developing good character has left an enduring impact on me and hundreds of other students. Not only did he help me discover my talent and love for running, but he also taught me the importance of commitment and discipline and to approach every endeavor with the passion and intensity that I bring to running. When I learned a neighboring high school had dedicated their track to a longtime coach, I felt that Stark deserved similar honors.

Our school district’s board of education indicated they would only dedicate our track to Stark if I could demonstrate that he was extraordinary. I took charge and mobilized my teammates to distribute petitions, reach out to alumni, and compile statistics on the many team and individual champions Stark had coached over the years. We received astounding support, collecting almost 3,000 signatures and pages of endorsements from across the community. With help from my teammates, I presented this evidence to the board.

They didn’t bite.

Most members argued that dedicating the track was a low priority. Knowing that we had to act quickly to convince them of its importance, I called a team meeting where we drafted a rebuttal for the next board meeting. To my surprise, they chose me to deliver it. I was far from the best public speaker in the group, and I felt nervous about going before the unsympathetic board again. However, at that second meeting, I discovered that I enjoy articulating and arguing for something that I’m passionate about.

Public speaking resembles a cross country race. Walking to the starting line, you have to trust your training and quell your last minute doubts. When the gun fires, you can’t think too hard about anything; your performance has to be instinctual, natural, even relaxed. At the next board meeting, the podium was my starting line. As I walked up to it, familiar butterflies fluttered in my stomach. Instead of the track stretching out in front of me, I faced the vast audience of teachers, board members, and my teammates. I felt my adrenaline build, and reassured myself: I’ve put in the work, my argument is powerful and sound. As the board president told me to introduce myself, I heard, “runners set” in the back of my mind. She finished speaking, and Bang! The brief silence was the gunshot for me to begin.

The next few minutes blurred together, but when the dust settled, I knew from the board members’ expressions and the audience’s thunderous approval that I had run quite a race. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough; the board voted down our proposal. I was disappointed, but proud of myself, my team, and our collaboration off the track. We stood up for a cause we believed in, and I overcame my worries about being a leader. Although I discovered that changing the status quo through an elected body can be a painstakingly difficult process and requires perseverance, I learned that I enjoy the challenges this effort offers. Last month, one of the school board members joked that I had become a “regular” – I now often show up to meetings to advocate for a variety of causes, including better environmental practices in cafeterias and safer equipment for athletes.

Just as Stark taught me, I worked passionately to achieve my goal. I may have been beaten when I appealed to the board, but I certainly didn’t lose, and that would have made Stark proud.

This essay effectively conveys this student’s compassion for others, initiative, and determination—all great qualities to exemplify in a personal statement!

Although they rely on telling us a lot of what happened up until the board meeting, the use of running a race (their passion) as a metaphor for public speaking provides a lot of insight into the fear that this student overcame to work towards something bigger than themself. Comparing a podium to the starting line, the audience to the track, and silence to the gunshot is a nice way of demonstrating this student’s passion for cross country running without making that the focus of the story.

The essay does a nice job of coming full circle at the end by explaining what the quote from the beginning meant to them after this experience. Without explicitly saying “ I now know that what Stark actually meant is…” they rely on the strength of their argument above to make it obvious to the reader what it means to get beat but not lose.

One of the biggest areas of improvement in the intro, however, is how the essay tells us Stark’s impact rather than showing us: His care, dedication, and emphasis on developing good character has left an enduring impact on me and hundreds of other students. Not only did he help me discover my talent and love for running, but he also taught me the importance of commitment and discipline and to approach every endeavor with the passion and intensity that I bring to running.

The writer could’ve helped us feel a stronger emotional connection to Stark if they had included examples of Stark’s qualities, rather than explicitly stating them. For example, they could’ve written something like: Stark was the kind of person who would give you gas money if you told him your parents couldn’t afford to pick you up from practice. And he actually did that—several times. At track meets, alumni regularly would come talk to him and tell him how he’d changed their lives. Before Stark, I was ambivalent about running and was on the JV team, but his encouragement motivated me to run longer and harder and eventually make varsity. Because of him, I approach every endeavor with the passion and intensity that I bring to running.

Essay Example #7: Body Image and Eating Disorders

I press the “discover” button on my Instagram app, hoping to find enticing pictures to satisfy my boredom. Scrolling through, I see funny videos and mouth-watering pictures of food. However, one image stops me immediately. A fit teenage girl with a “perfect body” relaxes in a bikini on a beach. Beneath it, I see a slew of flattering comments. I shake with disapproval over the image’s unrealistic quality. However, part of me still wants to have a body like hers so that others will make similar comments to me.

I would like to resolve a silent issue that harms many teenagers and adults: negative self image and low self-esteem in a world where social media shapes how people view each other. When people see the façades others wear to create an “ideal” image, they can develop poor thought patterns rooted in negative self-talk. The constant comparisons to “perfect” others make people feel small. In this new digital age, it is hard to distinguish authentic from artificial representations.

When I was 11, I developed anorexia nervosa. Though I was already thin, I wanted to be skinny like the models that I saw on the magazine covers on the grocery store stands. Little did I know that those models probably also suffered from disorders, and that photoshop erased their flaws. I preferred being underweight to being healthy. No matter how little I ate or how thin I was, I always thought that I was too fat. I became obsessed with the number on the scale and would try to eat the least that I could without my parents urging me to take more. Fortunately, I stopped engaging in anorexic behaviors before middle school. However, my underlying mental habits did not change. The images that had provoked my disorder in the first place were still a constant presence in my life.

By age 15, I was in recovery from anorexia, but suffered from depression. While I used to only compare myself to models, the growth of social media meant I also compared myself to my friends and acquaintances. I felt left out when I saw my friends’ excitement about lake trips they had taken without me. As I scrolled past endless photos of my flawless, thin classmates with hundreds of likes and affirming comments, I felt my jealousy spiral. I wanted to be admired and loved by other people too. However, I felt that I could never be enough. I began to hate the way that I looked, and felt nothing in my life was good enough. I wanted to be called “perfect” and “body goals,” so I tried to only post at certain times of day to maximize my “likes.” When that didn’t work, I started to feel too anxious to post anything at all.

Body image insecurities and social media comparisons affect thousands of people – men, women, children, and adults – every day. I am lucky – after a few months of my destructive social media habits, I came across a video that pointed out the illusory nature of social media; many Instagram posts only show off good things while people hide their flaws. I began going to therapy, and recovered from my depression. To address the problem of self-image and social media, we can all focus on what matters on the inside and not what is on the surface. As an effort to become healthy internally, I started a club at my school to promote clean eating and radiating beauty from within. It has helped me grow in my confidence, and today I’m not afraid to show others my struggles by sharing my experience with eating disorders. Someday, I hope to make this club a national organization to help teenagers and adults across the country. I support the idea of body positivity and embracing difference, not “perfection.” After all, how can we be ourselves if we all look the same?

This essay covers the difficult topics of eating disorders and mental health. If you’re thinking about covering similar topics in your essay, we recommend reading our post Should You Talk About Mental Health in College Essays?

The short answer is that, yes, you can talk about mental health, but it can be risky. If you do go that route, it’s important to focus on what you learned from the experience.

The strength of this essay is the student’s vulnerability, in excerpts such as this: I wanted to be admired and loved by other people too. However, I felt that I could never be enough. I began to hate the way that I looked, and felt nothing in my life was good enough. I wanted to be called “perfect” and “body goals,” so I tried to only post at certain times of day to maximize my “likes.”

The student goes on to share how they recovered from their depression through an eye-opening video and therapy sessions, and they’re now helping others find their self-worth as well. It’s great that this essay looks towards the future and shares the writer’s goals of making their club a national organization; we can see their ambition and compassion.

The main weakness of this essay is that it doesn’t focus enough on their recovery process, which is arguably the most important part. They could’ve told us more about the video they watched or the process of starting their club and the interactions they’ve had with other members. Especially when sharing such a vulnerable topic, there should be vulnerability in the recovery process too. That way, the reader can fully appreciate all that this student has overcome.

Essay Example #8: Becoming a Coach

”Advanced females ages 13 to 14 please proceed to staging with your coaches at this time.” Skittering around the room, eyes wide and pleading, I frantically explained my situation to nearby coaches. The seconds ticked away in my head; every polite refusal increased my desperation.

Despair weighed me down. I sank to my knees as a stream of competitors, coaches, and officials flowed around me. My dojang had no coach, and the tournament rules prohibited me from competing without one.

Although I wanted to remain strong, doubts began to cloud my mind. I could not help wondering: what was the point of perfecting my skills if I would never even compete? The other members of my team, who had found coaches minutes earlier, attempted to comfort me, but I barely heard their words. They couldn’t understand my despair at being left on the outside, and I never wanted them to understand.

Since my first lesson 12 years ago, the members of my dojang have become family. I have watched them grow up, finding my own happiness in theirs. Together, we have honed our kicks, blocks, and strikes. We have pushed one another to aim higher and become better martial artists. Although my dojang had searched for a reliable coach for years, we had not found one. When we attended competitions in the past, my teammates and I had always gotten lucky and found a sympathetic coach. Now, I knew this practice was unsustainable. It would devastate me to see the other members of my dojang in my situation, unable to compete and losing hope as a result. My dojang needed a coach, and I decided it was up to me to find one.

I first approached the adults in the dojang – both instructors and members’ parents. However, these attempts only reacquainted me with polite refusals. Everyone I asked told me they couldn’t devote multiple weekends per year to competitions. I soon realized that I would have become the coach myself.

At first, the inner workings of tournaments were a mystery to me. To prepare myself for success as a coach, I spent the next year as an official and took coaching classes on the side. I learned everything from motivational strategies to technical, behind-the-scenes components of Taekwondo competitions. Though I emerged with new knowledge and confidence in my capabilities, others did not share this faith.

Parents threw me disbelieving looks when they learned that their children’s coach was only a child herself. My self-confidence was my armor, deflecting their surly glances. Every armor is penetrable, however, and as the relentless barrage of doubts pounded my resilience, it began to wear down. I grew unsure of my own abilities.

Despite the attack, I refused to give up. When I saw the shining eyes of the youngest students preparing for their first competition, I knew I couldn’t let them down. To quit would be to set them up to be barred from competing like I was. The knowledge that I could solve my dojang’s longtime problem motivated me to overcome my apprehension.

Now that my dojang flourishes at competitions, the attacks on me have weakened, but not ended. I may never win the approval of every parent; at times, I am still tormented by doubts, but I find solace in the fact that members of my dojang now only worry about competing to the best of their abilities.

Now, as I arrive at a tournament with my students, I close my eyes and remember the past. I visualize the frantic search for a coach and the chaos amongst my teammates as we competed with one another to find coaches before the staging calls for our respective divisions. I open my eyes to the exact opposite scene. Lacking a coach hurt my ability to compete, but I am proud to know that no member of my dojang will have to face that problem again.

This essay begins with an in-the-moment narrative that really illustrates the chaos of looking for a coach last-minute. We feel the writer’s emotions, particularly her dejectedness, at not being able to compete. Starting an essay in media res is a great way to capture the attention of your readers and build anticipation for what comes next.

Through this essay, we can see how gutsy and determined the student is in deciding to become a coach themselves. She shows us these characteristics through their actions, rather than explicitly telling us: To prepare myself for success as a coach, I spent the next year as an official and took coaching classes on the side. Also, by discussing the opposition she faced and how it affected her, the student is open and vulnerable about the reality of the situation.

The essay comes full circle as the author recalls the frantic situations in seeking out a coach, but this is no longer a concern for them and their team. Overall, this essay is extremely effective in painting this student as mature, bold, and compassionate.

The biggest thing this essay needs to work on is showing not telling. Throughout the essay, the student tells us that she “emerged with new knowledge and confidence,” she “grew unsure of her own abilities,” and she “refused to give up”. What we really want to know is what this looks like.

Instead of saying she “emerged with new knowledge and confidence” she should have shared how she taught a new move to a fellow team-member without hesitation. Rather than telling us she “grew unsure of her own abilities” she should have shown what that looked like by including her internal dialogue and rhetorical questions that ran through her mind. She could have demonstrated what “refusing to give up” looks like by explaining how she kept learning coaching techniques on her own, turned to a mentor for advice, or devised a plan to win over the trust of parents.

Essay Example #9: Eritrea

No one knows where Eritrea is.

On the first day of school, for the past nine years, I would pensively stand in front of a class, a teacher, a stranger waiting for the inevitable question: Where are you from?

I smile politely, my dimples accentuating my ambiguous features. “Eritrea,” I answer promptly and proudly. But I am always prepared. Before their expression can deepen into confusion, ready to ask “where is that,” I elaborate, perhaps with a fleeting hint of exasperation, “East Africa, near Ethiopia.”

Sometimes, I single out the key-shaped hermit nation on a map, stunning teachers who have “never had a student from there!” Grinning, I resist the urge to remark, “You didn’t even know it existed until two minutes ago!”

Eritrea is to the East of Ethiopia, its arid coastline clutches the lucrative Red Sea. Battle scars litter the ancient streets – the colonial Italian architecture lathered with bullet holes, the mosques mangled with mortar shells. Originally part of the world’s first Christian kingdom, Eritrea passed through the hands of colonial Italy, Britain, and Ethiopia for over a century, until a bloody thirty year war of Independence liberated us.

But these are facts that anyone can know with a quick Google search. These are facts that I have memorised and compounded, first from my Grandmother and now from pristine books borrowed from the library.

No historical narrative, however, can adequately capture what Eritrea is. No one knows the aroma of bushels of potatoes, tomatoes, and garlic – still covered in dirt – that leads you to the open-air market. No one knows the poignant scent of spices, arranged in orange piles reminiscent of compacted dunes. No one knows how to haggle stubborn herders for sheep and roosters for Christmas celebrations as deliberately as my mother. No one can replicate the perfect balance of spices in dorho and tsebhi as well as my grandmother, her gnarly hands stirring the pot with ancient precision (chastising my clumsy knife work with the potatoes). It’s impossible to learn when the injera is ready – the exact moment you have to lift the lid of the mogogo. Do it too early (or too late) and the flatbread becomes mangled and gross. It is a sixth sense passed through matriarchal lineages.

There are no sources that catalogue the scent of incense that wafts through the sunlit porch on St. Michael’s; no films that can capture the luminescence of hundreds of flaming bonfires that fluoresce the sidewalks on Kudus Yohannes, as excited children chant Ge’ez proverbs whose origin has been lost to time. You cannot learn the familiarity of walking beneath the towering Gothic figure of the Enda Mariam Cathedral, the crowds undulating to the ringing of the archaic bells. I have memorized the sound of the rains hounding the metal roof during kiremti , the heat of the sun pounding against the Toyota’s window as we sped down towards Ghinda , the opulent brilliance of the stars twinkling in a sky untainted by light pollution, the scent of warm rolls of bani wafting through the streets at precisely 6 o’clock each day…

I fill my flimsy sketchbook with pictures from my memory. My hand remembers the shapes of the hibiscus drifting in the wind, the outline of my grandmother (affectionately nicknamed a’abaye ) leaning over the garden, the bizarre architecture of the Fiat Tagliero . I dice the vegetables with movements handed down from generations. My nose remembers the scent of frying garlic, the sourness of the warm tayta , the sharpness of the mit’mt’a …

This knowledge is intrinsic. “I am Eritrean,” I repeat. “I am proud.” Within me is an encyclopedia of history, culture, and idealism.

Eritrea is the coffee made from scratch, the spices drying in the sun, the priests and nuns. Eritrea is wise, filled with ambition, and unseen potential. Eritrea isn’t a place, it’s an identity.

This is an exceptional essay that provides a window into this student’s culture that really makes their love for their country and heritage leap off the page. The sheer level of details and sensory descriptors this student is able to fit in this space makes the essay stand out. From the smells, to the traditions, sounds, and sights, the author encapsulates all the glory of Eritrea for the reader.

The vivid images this student is able to create for the reader, whether it is having the tedious conversation with every teacher or cooking in their grandmother’s kitchen, transports us into the story and makes us feel like we are there in the moment with the student. This is a prime example of an essay that shows , not tells.

Besides the amazing imagery, the use of shorter paragraphs also contributes to how engaging this essay is. Employing this tactic helps break up the text to make it more readable and it isolates ideas so they stick out more than if they were enveloped in a large paragraph.

Overall, this is a really strong essay that brings to life this student’s heritage through its use of vivid imagery. This essay exemplifies what it means to show not tell in your writing, and it is a great example of how you can write an intimate personal statement without making yourself the primary focus of your essay.

There is very little this essay should improve upon, but one thing the student might consider would be to inject more personal reflection into their response. Although we can clearly take away their deep love and passion for their homeland and culture, the essay would be a bit more personal if they included the emotions and feelings they associate with the various aspects of Eritrea. For example, the way their heart swells with pride when their grandmother praises their ability to cook a flatbread or the feeling of serenity when they hear the bells ring out from the cathedral. Including personal details as well as sensory ones would create a wonderful balance of imagery and reflection.

Essay Example #10: Journaling

Flipping past dozens of colorful entries in my journal, I arrive at the final blank sheet. I press my pen lightly to the page, barely scratching its surface to create a series of loops stringing together into sentences. Emotions spill out, and with their release, I feel lightness in my chest. The stream of thoughts slows as I reach the bottom of the page, and I gently close the cover of the worn book: another journal finished.

I add the journal to the stack of eleven books on my nightstand. Struck by the bittersweet sensation of closing a chapter of my life, I grab the notebook at the bottom of the pile to reminisce.

“I want to make a flying mushen to fly in space and your in it” – October 2008

Pulling back the cover of my first Tinkerbell-themed diary, the prompt “My Hopes and Dreams” captures my attention. Though “machine” is misspelled in my scribbled response, I see the beginnings of my past obsession with outer space. At the age of five, I tore through novels about the solar system, experimented with rockets built from plastic straws, and rented Space Shuttle films from Blockbuster to satisfy my curiosities. While I chased down answers to questions as limitless as the universe, I fell in love with learning. Eight journals later, the same relentless curiosity brought me to an airplane descending on San Francisco Bay.

“I wish I had infinite sunsets” – July 2019

I reach for the charcoal notepad near the top of the pile and open to the first page: my flight to the Stanford Pre-Collegiate Summer Institutes. While I was excited to explore bioengineering, anxiety twisted in my stomach as I imagined my destination, unsure of whether I could overcome my shyness and connect with others.

With each new conversation, the sweat on my palms became less noticeable, and I met students from 23 different countries. Many of the moments where I challenged myself socially revolved around the third story deck of the Jerry house. A strange medley of English, Arabic, and Mandarin filled the summer air as my friends and I gathered there every evening, and dialogues at sunset soon became moments of bliss. In our conversations about cultural differences, the possibility of an afterlife, and the plausibility of far-fetched conspiracy theories, I learned to voice my opinion. As I was introduced to different viewpoints, these moments challenged my understanding of the world around me. In my final entries from California, I find excitement to learn from others and increased confidence, a tool that would later allow me to impact my community.

“The beauty in a tower of cans” – June 2020

Returning my gaze to the stack of journals, I stretch to take the floral-patterned book sitting on top. I flip through, eventually finding the beginnings of the organization I created during the outbreak of COVID-19. Since then, Door-to-Door Deliveries has woven its way through my entries and into reality, allowing me to aid high-risk populations through free grocery delivery.

With the confidence I gained the summer before, I took action when seeing others in need rather than letting my shyness hold me back. I reached out to local churches and senior centers to spread word of our services and interacted with customers through our website and social media pages. To further expand our impact, we held two food drives, and I mustered the courage to ask for donations door-to-door. In a tower of canned donations, I saw the value of reaching out to help others and realized my own potential to impact the world around me.

I delicately close the journal in my hands, smiling softly as the memories reappear, one after another. Reaching under my bed, I pull out a fresh notebook and open to its first sheet. I lightly press my pen to the page, “And so begins the next chapter…”

The structuring of this essay makes it easy and enjoyable to read. The student effectively organizes their various life experiences around their tower of journals, which centers the reader and makes the different stories easy to follow. Additionally, the student engages quotes from their journals—and unique formatting of the quotes—to signal that they are moving in time and show us which memory we should follow them to.

Thematically, the student uses the idea of shyness to connect the different memories they draw out of their journals. As the student describes their experiences overcoming shyness at the Stanford Pre-Collegiate Summer Institutes and Door-to-Door Deliveries, this essay can be read as an Overcoming Obstacles essay.

At the end of this essay, readers are fully convinced that this student is dedicated (they have committed to journaling every day), thoughtful (journaling is a thoughtful process and, in the essay, the student reflects thoughtfully on the past), and motivated (they flew across the country for a summer program and started a business). These are definitely qualities admissions officers are looking for in applicants!

Although this essay is already exceptionally strong as it’s written, the first journal entry feels out of place compared to the other two entries that discuss the author’s shyness and determination. It works well for the essay to have an entry from when the student was younger to add some humor (with misspelled words) and nostalgia, but if the student had either connected the quote they chose to the idea of overcoming a fear present in the other two anecdotes or if they had picked a different quote all together related to their shyness, it would have made the entire essay feel more cohesive.

Where to Get Your Personal Statement Edited

Do you want feedback on your personal statement? After rereading your essays countless times, it can be difficult to evaluate your writing objectively. That’s why we created our free Peer Essay Review tool , where you can get a free review of your essay from another student. You can also improve your own writing skills by reviewing other students’ essays.

If you want a college admissions expert to review your essay, advisors on CollegeVine have helped students refine their writing and submit successful applications to top schools. Find the right advisor for you to improve your chances of getting into your dream school!

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PERSONAL STATEMENT EXAMPLE Psychology Personal Statement

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Psychology Personal Statement

My desire for wanting to pursue psychology in higher education not only stems from a personal perspective but also from hearing and reading about people not receiving adequate treatment for various psychological illnesses such as depression, eating disorders and substance abuse. In the same way research into attachment has helped to improve childcare practices I would like to use my degree in psychology to improve the treatment of mentally ill patients, especially in third world countries where mental health care is restrained by resource constraints.

Psychology is a subject that really stimulates my mind and my desire to challenge my perception of mental health. As well as this, my interest has come from a personal point. Witnessing a family member with mental health issues has made me want to understand why he behaves that way and why his illness cannot be treated in the same way we treat a common cold. There is so much information on the anatomy of the human body however I feel like we have not explored far enough into the human mind to find out the underlying causes that explain our daily behaviour. Furthermore, coming from an African background whereby there is a stigma surrounding mental health or what is considered abnormal behaviour has only pushed me to further educate myself on a topic that may not be understood my many.

Spending a week of my summer holidays at a summer school at I was able to go into more depth and detail on topics in psychology than I had been able to in college. During this week I learnt about evolutionary psychology which explained the concept of mate selection. Prior to the summer school it had never occurred to me that there were deeper underlying factors that influenced how we select our partners. A session on social psychology proved to be very intriguing as it applied social identity to the consumer and from this I was able to gain an understanding on why we are drawn to certain brands. I found these taster sessions to be highly interesting as I realised that psychology can be applied to various areas of life. This further reinforced my decision that psychology is something I want to do at degree level.

Furthermore, I took the initiative to find a mental health expert and discuss their job. They informed me that their occupation involved assessing and talking to patients about their problems and discussing the best way to plan and deliver their care. I found this to be relevant to my aspiration to be a counselling psychologist as it would involve similar duties. Seeking further information helped me to look beyond more than university and to begin considering a variety of career paths that I could pursue with my degree. This as well as attending the summer school and open days at different universities has been very helpful in providing an insight to what studying psychology will be like and what careers a degree in psychology could lead to.

Being a prefect and a class representative has helped me learn how to deal with different personalities and how to handle difficult situations which I believe to be useful skills for a degree that largely involves interaction with people. These leadership positions have taught me how to manage my time and how to deal with conflicting priorities as well as moral dilemmas. Studying in university will require good time management in order to deal with an increased workload and having roles of responsibility from an early age has prepared me well enough to be able to deal with the jump of going from sixth form to university.

In conclusion, with my personal interest in understanding human psychology as well as my academic background, I am convinced that I will enjoy and excel studying a degree in psychology. I intend to use this degree to pursue a career as a professional in mental health or counselling.

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December 22, 2023

Five Tips for Writing Compelling PsyD Personal Statements

“What should I include?” “How do I start?” “What will impress the admissions committee?” These are the most common questions PsyD applicants ask about their application essay. What makes this task even more confusing is that different programs refer to this same essay as a “personal statement,” a “statement of purpose,” a “graduate essay,” a “statement of goals,” a “personal history,” and even a “letter of intent.” Some programs might request two or three essays: one that is biographical, one that addresses the issue of diversity , and perhaps one that serves as a more formal research proposal. As applicants prepare to write their essays, they’re often confounded by questions.

Making your personal statements more dynamic

As you prepare to write your PsyD personal statement, here are five tips to help you make it as persuasive and memorable as possible.

Tip #1: Understand the importance of the personal statement in admissions decisions.

Although your transcript(s), recommendations, and GRE scores (if required) all factor into your target program’s admissions decision, your personal statement is what can really “close” the deal. Adcoms read candidates’ statements very carefully. They use this submission to learn more about your disposition for studying clinical psychology; your educational background; your clinical, academic, and research experience; and your short- and long-term career aspirations. Here is where you have the opportunity to highlight the strengths and qualifications you possess that will set you apart from other qualified applicants. These might include the following:

Your fit with the program
Desirable qualities and qualifications
Your ability to articulate your ideas in a clear and engaging way
How your academic studies, human services experience, field research, and long-term goals have sparked your determination to pursue PsyD graduate studies
Any influences that have inspired your decision to apply to a PsyD program, if applicable, such as an internship, job, community service experience, acquaintance who works in the field, or a research experience (Make sure you provide short narratives about the experience[s] or person[s], which will make you more memorable to the faculty committee.)

Many PsyD personal statement prompts will ask you to share personal experiences. As you relate these experiences, you want to demonstrate your self-reflection skills and that you understand the importance of clear boundaries. Remember that the purpose of this essay to is provide information to the adcom that will help in assessing your qualifications for the program.

Tip #2: Read the prompts carefully, and customize your personal statement for each PsyD program.

Programs can easily spot a template or generic personal statement and will, most likely, place such essays in the “no” pile. It is therefore important to customize your personal statement for each program to which you apply.

Each school provides a brief description of the information it is seeking in the personal statement. One program might limit this essay to 1,000 words, in which you must address multiple questions or topics. Another might specify two or three single- or double-spaced pages, while others might limit the number of characters (with or without spaces) with which you can cover certain topics. Pay special attention to each school’s directions. Not following the stated directives will, at the least, irritate the adcom and might even result in your application being placed in the “no” pile. PsyD programs are highly selective and competitive, and if you cannot follow clearly stated directions, it calls into question your ability to manage the academic rigor of the program. Carefully read the entire prompt, and be sure to respond to each part of it.

We suggest creating a spreadsheet that lists each program’s personal statement questions/requirements. This cross-checking tool will help you identify common topics among the programs you’re targeting, which might include the following:

Academic objectives related to the curriculum
Prior research experience and graduate-level research interests (Some schools request a graduate research proposal.)
Relevant community service, job, or internship experiences
Short- and long-term professional/career goals

Tip #3: Identify the specific faculty member(s) with whom you wish to work.

Some PsyD programs ask applicants to note in the application the name or names of faculty members with whom they wish to work if they are admitted. Whether or not your target program requests this information, include it in your personal statement, naming the specific faculty members you have pinpointed. To identify these individuals, look at the faculty profiles on the program’s website to see whose work connects with your interests. Read journal articles that match your research and/or clinical interests. In your explanation of why you would like to work with a particular faculty member, clearly present your precise reason(s) (e.g., they focus on a certain population or clinical issue).

Tip #4: Check out the program’s website for special opportunities you could highlight in the “Why this school/program?” portion of your personal statement.

To make a convincing argument for why you are targeting a particular PsyD program, you need to identify aspects of the experience that relate directly to your needs and interests and then name them in your personal statement. These items could include the following:

Clinical sites, including practica and internships
Courses, specializations, and/or concentrations that you find appealing
Participation/presentations at professional conferences, including APA regional conventions
On-site and/or off-site research centers
Graduate student groups of interest
Theoretical perspective or orientation of the program (e.g., a focus on social justice)

Avoid generic statements about the program’s “excellent faculty” or “strong academic reputation.” The adcom will likely view such statements as cliches or basic pandering.

#5: Being detailed can help you stand out.

Faculty adcoms work hard to fairly review each candidate before making their admissions decision. As a result, they are seeking. They don’t need to “dig” through the application to find it. Avoid making overarching statements, such as “I did some research.” Provide the details: What was the research? With whom did you work? When did you do it? What did you learn? Was it published? Was it presented at a scholarly event or conference? If you are sharing information on a course you enjoyed, include the “whys,” “whats,” and “hows.” For example, explain why the professor was particularly inspiring, what specific course content added to your knowledge base, and/or how the course content reinforced your determination to pursue graduate studies and/or research in this field.

Are there particular populations or clinical issues that you are drawn to? If so, include an explanation of why these are of interest.

After completing your specificity check and before you submit your application, be sure to do the following:

Conduct a spell/grammar check. Although it might not catch everything, running a simple spell/grammar check is an excellent first step.
Read your entire personal statement aloud to yourself. You might be surprised by the number of errors and omissions you will notice that the computer-generated spell/grammar check missed.
Check the word/character/page count to ensure that it conforms to the school’s requirements.
Ask an unbiased person to read for grammar and spelling errors. A “fresh set of eyes” could notice issues you might have overlooked.
Review your statement to ensure that its content complements – without duplicating or repeating — information found elsewhere in your application.
Proofread your statement multiple times.

By Alice Diamond , former associate dean for career and community service at Lesley University. Alice has a BA from Colgate University, an MA from Bryn Mawr College, and an MS from Cornell University. She has more than 35 years of experience in career and admissions advising for undergraduate and graduate candidates. Alice’s clients have been accepted to top programs in a wide range of fields. Want to work with Alice? Click here to get in touch!

Related Resources

Five Fatal Flaws to Avoid in Your Grad School Statement of Purpose , a free guide
Graduate School in Psychology: PsyD or PhD, Which Is Right for You?
Acing the PsyD Interview: The 3-P Plan

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629 Psychology Essay Topics & Examples

Struggle with essay writing on mental health, disorders, or overall well-being? Our team has prepared this list of psychology essay topics for high school and college students.

📃 Aspects to Cover in a Psychology Essay

🏆 best psychology essay examples & topics, 👍 good psychological essay topics, 🎓 simple & easy psychology essay topics, 📌 writing prompts about psychology, 🥇 most interesting psychological essay topics, ✍️ exciting psychology topics to write about, ❓ psychology essay questions.

At the core of every excellent psychology essay are the writer’s comprehensive knowledge and ability to structure it into bite-sized clusters of information.

While it is evident that your topic is your guiding line, you should not limit yourself to focusing only on the information you are including. Instead, you should try to cover all aspects of essay writing in your paper, from facts and their sources to writing strategies.

Psychology Essay Topics

From self-analysis and obedience to nonverbal communication and various mental disorders, most subjects may seem interrelated and reflective of each other.

Your search for an issue that is yours should begin with analyzing psychology essay prompts, such as:

What branch of psychology interests you most?
Which theorists have contributed to this branch?
Which issues and mechanisms have they outlined?
Is there adequate supplementary research on these problems?
What is the opinion of contemporary academia on these subjects?
Do you want to build upon existing arguments or attempt to critique?

After this, you can analyze what resonates with you, for example, a particular theory or a specific personality, and you can begin writing a thesis statement for your paper.

Pre-writing

Doing your research beforehand helps you get an understanding of how to develop your central theme. Your bibliography and your used titles demonstrate not only your credibility but also the approach you have regarding your subject.

A well-versed reader may even draw a correct conclusion regarding which theorists have influenced your work, even if you did not explicitly state them in your paper, judging by your used sources.

Therefore, be selective in choosing what books and journals to use for your essay and include only those that help advance your pre-written thesis statement.

Referencing information from books and journals is an essential aspect of writing an essay, as this demonstrates the soundness of your ideas per the academic viewpoint on your subject.

Psychology Essay Structure

Your essay may only be as good as the outline you create for it. When you divide your work into thematic blocks, you can begin to see which topics are lacking in development and may need extra attention.

Furthermore, when you split your work up, it becomes easier to write and create interconnected paragraphs. Who takes on the role of the appraiser, the used mechanism, and the personal and social implications of it are all examples of dissecting social evaluation into smaller problems.

Addressing each of these blocks in separate paragraphs helps maintain a coherent yet exciting narrative.

Your introduction should give your audience a brief overview of the issue that you will develop throughout the next pages;
Your conclusion should summarize your findings, effectively outlining the outcome of your work per your thesis statement;
The body paragraphs between your introduction and conclusion, as per you outline, should each address a single theme, creating a unique, interflowing narrative.

If you are not sure how to do this, then read an available psychology essay example to gain a better understanding of how to develop your theme.

Sample papers are an excellent way to jump-start your writing, as you can see for yourself, which approaches to essay wiring work and do not, respectively implementing or removing them from your essay.

Need more help before you can get started? Use IvyPanda for all your essay-writing needs!

Psychological Profile of John Wayne Gacy Gacy was born into a family of a homemaker mother and a father veteran of the First World War and a car repair person. In the course of charging, trialing, and convicting he never admitted […]
The Silence of the Lambs Psychological Analysis In the movie The Silence of the Lambs, Hannibal Lecter portrays several traits and behavioral patterns that show he is suffering from a psychological condition.
Six Major Psychological Theories: Strengths and Weaknesses Behavioral psychology is considered a descendant of the animal psychology, which argues that the environment has a lot of influence in the changes that take place in human beings.
Psychological Disorders in “American Psycho” Movie The main character, who will be the basis of this paper’s analysis, is Patrick Bateman, who is a young and successful individual.
The Tell-Tale Heart Psychological Analysis & Critique The outstanding character in the tale, who is also the narrator, attracts a lot of attention from the readers. The narrator forms the basis of the tale.
Psychological Science: Counseling Essay (Theory of Counseling) Another important aspect is the counseling process; this depends on the individual counselor and client and the urgency of the issue in question.
The Perception Process Stages – Psychology Perception refers to the process of organizing, identifying, and interpreting sensory information in an effort to understand and make sense of the environment.
Comparing Freud, Adler and Jung Psychology Freud did develop the original theories of the conscious and unconscious and subconscious; the ego, id and superego; the libidinal and aggressive drives; the Oedipus and Electra complexes; the defense mechanisms of the mind being, […]
Language in Cognitive Psychology Adult people can preserve 50,000 words of their first language and thousands of words of the second language in the form of lexicons.
Psychology and Christianity: “Abnormality” From a Biblical Perspective The Bible as God’s word is right in all religious teachings within the context of Christian setup. How can the Bible’s guidance inform an individual’s notion of abnormality?
Aileen Wuornos: Biological, Psychological, and Social Control Theories The name of Aileen Wuornos and the story of her life have been popular topics of discussion in mass media and professional literature.
“Inside Out”: Riley’s Psychological Analysis This genre of cinematography is mainly aimed at the children’s audience, which means that the task of the screenwriters is to create such material that would be able to tell the severe emotional problems of […]
Forensic Psychology: Zodiac Killer Case Analysis By looking at the subject matter of the Zodiac Killer, the present paper aims to identify important characteristics related to serial killers and how the domain of forensic psychology could be applied to solve cases […]
Psychological Testing: Ethical and Legal Issues Two of the cases that have had a major impact on the institution of psychological testing are ‘Larry P.v Riles and Crawford v.
The Psychology of Serial Killers These are just a fraction of questions that require answers in order to have a complete understanding of the psychology of serial killers.
Psychology: Change Blindness Experiment The independent variable was the type of change, and the dependent variable was the response to detecting the changes. Broadly, it was established that change blindness varied with the type of change introduced because incongruent […]
Biological Psychology: Development and Theories Therefore, biological psychology is used to examine the behavior of the humans and animals in order to facilitate in the treatment of the brain.
Positive Psychology in “The Pursuit of Happyness” Film Gardner demonstrates perseverance, hope, and social intelligence and illustrates the importance of effectance motivation and the power of social networks, even though the protagonist’s relationship with his wife could be improved.
Rain Man and Psychological Concepts The concepts of autism, conformity, and trust are described in the movie; and the peculiarity of this story is that one concept is closely connected to another concept, and the consequences of one concept influence […]
Psychological Theories of Sophocles’ Oedipus the King One of the greatest tragedies of Sophocles, Oedipus the King touches upon a deep psychological theme of the parents-son relations which lately was called the Oedipus complex and the theme of faith as a main […]
The Core Characteristics of Social Psychology Further, scientific methods form the integral part of social psychology in that they aid the development of theories and their validation in order to provide the scientific understanding of human behavior.
Norms in Psychological Testing Research Paper One of the inherent problems associated with norms and their interpretation in psychological tests is that as time goes on the characteristics by which a particular population/group is defined tends to change and as such […]
Criminal Psychology Although the above discussed theories indicate that anyone can be a criminal since the development of the behaviour is determined greatly by the environmental factors,Eysenck’s theory of crime indicate that there are heredity factors that […]
The Significance of Lifespan Development in the Practice of Counseling Psychology The physical aspect of lifespan development is one of the important ones: it is related to the growth and development of the body and changes in the body and the brain.
Indian Sex Workers and Psychological Effects of Job The article “Serving The Goddess”: The dangerous life of a sacred sex worker” is a brief account of the life of two devadasis, particularly their experiences as sex workers.
Memory Chart Stages in Psychology For instance, the brain uses the procedural memory to encode procedural skills and tasks that an individual is involved in. The stages of memory are very complex and often pass unrecognized.
Girl, Interrupted (1999): Exploring Four Mental Disorders Apart from the dramatic and the entertaining aspect of this movie, it contains a psychological aspect and this is the major purpose of this paper; exploring the psychological disorders in the movie, giving their causes […]
Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” Psychological View As a fact, based on the way the author strategically presents various characters, psychological critics have suggested that some characters in the A Midsummer Night’s Dream can be seen as representations of the ego, the […]
Attention Regarding Cognitive Psychology That a person only pays attention to the stimulus they are interested in and ignore the rest of the stimuli. The study of attention in cognitive psychology is not a new phenomenon.
The Psychology of Happiness The psychology of happiness is closely related to philosophy, as the science of happiness is based on three major theories, namely “the emotional state theory, the life satisfaction theory, and hedonism”. As far as happiness […]
Common Criticisms of Psychology It is the application of knowledge in the study of human activity such as the day to day lives and mental illness. Psychology is the study of human mind and behavior.
Psychological Concept of Learning This article explores the concept of learning by focusing on learning, the role of behavior in relation to learning, types of learning, and the relationship between learning and cognition.
Ethical Issues Associated With Psychological Testing The second case along the line of psychological testing includes the case of Brown V. Reason The above case was used to examine the validity of psychological testing.
Comparison of Codes of Ethics: The American Counseling Association and the American Psychological Association Both the Psychologist and the counselor abide to the same codes of conduct with regard to terminating their services to a client.
Physiological and Psychological Needs Differences Both physiological and psychological needs are necessary for the proper development of an individual. However, it is impossible for an individual to survive without satisfying their physiological needs.
The Movie “Blue Velvet”: Psychological Criticism The gist of this paper, therefore, is to offer psychological criticism of the Movie as regards its screenplay, plot, direction, and general presentation, and this is done by applying the Freudian Theory of Psychological Analysis […]
Definition and Theories of Environmental Psychology The human mind is divided into small sections that can be studied to identify the role played by the brain in the interaction between human beings and the environment.
Psychology of Adolescence Development The strategy allows the examination of the significance of adolescence as a standard stage of development. However, she admits that she experienced a period of anxiety and distress upon the death of her mother when […]
Psychological Assessment Tools for Christian Professionals This enables the specialist gathering the data to have a bigger picture of the assessee and thus employ the most effective methods in therapy or other help.
Modern Cognitive Psychology Renaissance philosophers of the seventeenth century attempted to use graphical representations to demonstrate the structure and operations of the human brain.
The Role of Hypotheses in Psychological Research A hypothesis is a specified concept about a certain concept which can be tested about the anticipation of the outcome in the study.
Cognitive Processes – Psychology As a result, memory is seen to be the storage of, and process of recalling what individuals have learned or experienced in the environment.
Effective Psychological Counselling Dissemination of new information to the client should be the main focus of any counseling session. Reviews are essential and should be done at agreed dates so as to ensure that the trend of the […]
Children’s Psychological Apperception Test The test was designed to determine children’s personality qualities and psychological issues together with the social or intimate problems that bother them on the stages of their lives and developments when the test is conducted.
Psychological Impact on Education Therefore, this research examines the impacts of psychology on education, professionals, and relationship success in the education setting. The educational psychology in accordance to the academic description may mean the study of teaching, learning, and […]
Psychologists’ Role in Criminal Justice In addition to research, the accumulation, and application of knowledge, psychologists can also participate in assessing the effectiveness of legislation. In this setting, basic scientists conduct theoretical research on the effectiveness of police and court […]
Psychological vs. Physical Continuity Theory In the analysis of psychological continuity theory, there is a variety of views on the roles of the soul and body in a person’s development.
Serial Murders Explained by Psychological Theory A serial killer may recognize the law as a deterrent to his or her activities, but not internalize the significance of the ban due to incomplete moral development.
Bipolar Disorder Psychological Assessment She is from a nuclear family, both her parents are alive, and she also has two brothers and three sisters. She is the second child in the family.
Roles and Functions of School Psychologists In addition, school psychologists play a critical role in promoting the personal and social strengths of the students in the institutions they work to enable them to attain a healthier mindset and well-being.
Integrating Psychology and Christianity The author introduces the topics of the worldview and outlines the four elements of the Christian worldview beliefs, viz.creation, fall, redemption, and the consummation.
Women in Psychology: Karen Horney Many traditionalists were incensed and the principle to instruct boys and girls on the same level, with the same method, with the hope of reaching the same goal, is generally viewed as a psychological and […]
Social Psychological Concepts in “The Hangover” When Alan wins the money, Phil acknowledges Alan’s skills, as he realizes that it is a form of support to the person in search for a friendship.
Examples of Special Populations in Psychology In professional psychology, particular population defines both children and adults with the following special needs; education, where the majority of the individuals are unable to comprehend and derive full benefits from the curriculum. The special […]
Social Psychology in Clinics In this regard, there are many theories that have been advanced to further explain the concept, practical and the validity of the social psychology in clinics.
Humanistic and Sociocultural Psychological Approaches From a sociocultural perspective in psychology, the lack of external influence and the specificity of ethnicity can cause the child’s behavior. In the sociocultural approach, the psychologist has to work with him as a teacher, […]
Psychological Cognitive Analysis on Movie “Memento” In this case, amnesia is seen as a loss of verbal memory-images and a loss of visual memory-images. In the case of Leonard, memory loss or reduction of memory is a main phenomenon, independent of […]
Posttraumatic Stress Disorders: Psychological Assessment PTSD was adopted by experts in the third revision of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders to replace terms like “shell shock, nervous shock, and combat fatigue” that described the response to traumatic […]
Adler’s Individual Psychology The paper highlights the most frequent criticisms of Adler’s theory and concludes by reasserting the significance of Adler’s Individual Psychology. This paper will engage in an in-depth review of Alfred Adler and his contributions to […]
The Theories of Social Psychology Furthermore, a person can bask in the accomplishment of group members and feel very good about it due to their similarity.
New Psychological Knowledge and Existing Theories To understand the issue more specifically, an example of research that led to the prevalence of claims in the media regarding the danger of exposing children to video games should be examined.
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder – Psychology This paper mainly addresses some of the characteristics of OCD, what contribute it, the kind of people who are likely to attract the disease, types of treatment of the disorder, and how it affects a […]
Educational Psychology Theories for Nurses The major educational psychology and learning theories are behaviorism, cognitivism, and constructivism. Educational and learning theories help nursing educators to enhance their students’ learning outcomes through the use of the most effective strategies that improve […]
Research Methodologies in Industrial Psychology Also, the matrix clearly illustrates that the choice of a particular methodology is shaped by the type of the research to be undertaken.
Saddam Hussein Psychological Analysis The following paper provides a summary of some of the relevant points in Post’s political profile of the leader during three periods of crisis in Hussein’s life and in the history of Iraq.
Freud’s Anxiety Neurosis – Psychology The objective of this study is to expose Freud’s anxiety neurosis and to provide a comprehensive approach as to the causes, treatments, and symptoms of the anxiety neurosis.
Psychology of Happiness in the World Psychology of happiness touches on various fields of social and cultural life and seeks to interfere with the lives of individuals for improving their talents and endowing their normal existence with greater meaning.
Conformity as a Social Psychology Concept In that regard, it can be described as the scientific study of people’s feelings, thoughts, and behaviors in the company of others or the context of society.
Critical Thinking Role in the Clinical Psychology These activities and conducts may lead a psychologist to identify the mental activities in the brain of the individual. Clinical psychologists specialization is founded on the framework the individual takes in training to become a […]
Contribution Ancient Great Thinkers to the Growth and Development of Psychology Then, the relationship between the mind and the body perplexed ancient philosophers and this led to the development of psychology as an independent field of knowledge that considers both philosophy of the mind and physiology […]
Role and Importance of Personal Ethics in Psychology The role of personal ethics in psychology in relation to the American psychological association is intended to guide psychologists and standard professionals to guide them in their decision making and conduct at work.
Psychology: Factors of Success in Life and Career One of the most researched elements about success is the factors that drive people to pursue it. Success is often associated with a positive mental attitude, which triggers the desire to be successful in whatever […]
Definitions of Intelligence in Psychology In this case, there are various items that can be used to test the emotional and physical aspects of an individual.
Definition of Positive Psychology in Psychology Positive psychology is the systematic analysis of the strengths and qualities that permit individuals to thrive. From the above analysis, it is advisable that scholars should engage in extensive research to establish the truth as […]
The Phases of a Crime and Their Importance in Psychological Profiling Attempt and accomplishment, the third and fourth phases of a crime respectively, differ in the sense that an attempt is a failed crime.
Consumer Behaviour and Psychological Motives In this case, it is assumed that the satisfaction of the consumer is dependent on the performance of the product or the perceptions of the consumer in relation to the product, and the motivations that […]
Forensic Psychology: Death Notifications Importance It is very important to surround the surviving relatives with compassion and understanding during the initial shock that follows the dreadful news. The purpose of delivering death notifications in person is to provide compassion.
Theory of Multiple Intelligences – Psychology Binet and Simon later revised their work in 1916 to incorporate the concept of mental age and concluded that intelligence varies depending on mental age.
Psychology in Movies: Stephen Chbosky’s Wonder Therefore, this film is a perfect example of how psychology can be integrated into a movie to raise the audience’s awareness and morale.
Paraphilias in Men and Women From Psychological Perspective The psychoanalytic theory clearly indicates that paraphilic disorder is a function of psychological abuse and other factors that are yet to be established.
Economic Crisis and Its Social and Psychological Constraint The failure of large businesses, decrease in consumers’ wealth and demand, and a considerable decline of economic activities also led to the social, cultural, and moral crisis due to the rise of unemployment.
Industrial-Organizational Psychology The vastness of the field requires a practitioner to have a wider knowledge on industrial psychology itself, and also basic knowledge of the company’s operations as well as the cultural background of its employees.
Serial Killer Psychology: Eileen Wuornos Eileen was a woman without remorse as she was not bothered by the death of her victims. It is said that her intention was to capture the attention of the man she was dating.
“Turns of the Screw”: The Psychology of the Story The author presents the story as a sequence of events that really existed, however, in this paper we will provide the argument that the reliability of the narrator can be argued and that ghost was […]
Psychologist William Sheldon: Theories and Methods Sheldon did not belong to the so-called pseudo-scientists, as he put the ancient points of view of the affiliation between the type of body and temperament on sheltered basics. The last type of body and […]
Mahler’s and Winnicott’s Contributions to Psychology Their theories are merely concentrated on the methods of disturbed children treatment through the involvement of psychoanalysis; the theorists are focused on the aspect of mother-infant interrelation and stages of infant’s development through the mother’s […]
Psychological Test Selection Factors and Tools Therefore, this essay explores the concept of psychological testing and assessment in a bid to find out how counselors select the kind of psychological tests to administer, the factors they consider when doing so, and […]
Human Psychology as a One of the Main Objects of Public and Professional Interest The fact that “psychology is the scientific study of behavior and mental processes” sets the stage for understanding the meaning and significance of other concepts, including the relationship between biology and psychology in Chapter 2 […]
The Relationship Between Religion and Abnormal Psychology But whose judgment will we use to separate the two contrasting elements of the psychology of normal and abnormal behaviors? Some religious beliefs permit the use of alcohol and it’s considered normal, yet others find […]
Introduction to Psychological Testing Achievement and Aptitude Tests Is commonly practiced in educational as well as employment set ups, since they tend to measure the scope of understanding of a given knowledge.
Industrial and Organizational Psychology Theory Industrial/organizational psychology is a field that applies psychology principles to the workplace.It can be used to solve issues that occur in the organizational context.
“The Black Balloon” From a Psychological Perspective It goes without saying that the health of each individual, in particular, depends not only on them but also on the attitude of the surroundings and the action of the governments in corresponding existing situations.
The Psychology of Addictive Behavior This is because of the debilitating effect the activity has on society and the individual. This report will concentrate on the factors of addictions that cause serious harm to society.
Crimes in Biological, Psychological, Sociological Theories With the course of time, people also started paying attention not to the very commitment of crimes but to the triggers that made a person act in a particular way.
Treatment of Psychological Disorders It upsets the balance of the body, and the restoration of it requires the calming down of the chemical reaction in the body, as well as the change in a person’s thinking.
Abraham Maslow, the Father of Humanistic Psychology From the above pyramid, Maslow contributed immensely to the field of psychology because he impacted people’s perception of psychology by introducing the concept of humanistic psychology.
The Psychology of Verbal and Nonverbal Communication On the other hand, one is to keep in mind that the main purpose of the kind of communication is to aid in the formulation of thoughts or ideas, which are expressed through speech.
Combatants: Psychology and Christianity Disciplines Moreover, I can learn from the Secular combatants how to defend the opinion I hold, and this can extend to values as well.
Environmental Design Psychology Theory The scientific approach of this sphere is aimed at developing the multidisciplinary focus, which will involve the aspects of human behavior, perception of colors and elements of design, and how people will develop the approaches […]
Forensic Psychology in the Criminal Justice System To evaluate the competency of a defendant, the forensic psychologist is guided by the scientific principles espoused in the field of psychological science.
Psychologists and Assessments Related to Death Sentence The paper aims to explore human rights related to the controversy and the ethical implications associated with the dispute. On the contrary, these psychologists may be ordered to give an evaluation of the psychological retardation […]
Psychological Issues in “Fight Club” by Palahniuk The story focuses upon an unnamed narrator who struggles to find a sense of fulfillment in a world in which personal fulfillment is supposed to be accomplished through making the right purchases and having access […]
Forensic Psychology, Its Tasks and Importance Forensic psychology is the subspecialty in professional psychology that studies various aspects of the legal system and law in terms of psychological practice.
Psychological Tests, Their Types and Users The projective test on the other hand is ambiguous and the respondent has to answer unstructured questions. The use of psychological tests in research is divided into three.
Psychology in Everyday life While some individuals may think of psychology as a course that is only important to students, therapists or everyone else that is interested in the field of psychology, knowledge in psychology is actually helpful to […]
Leadership and Organizational Psychology of Vince Lombardi The Meyers-Briggs Type Indicator is one of the most renowned personality tests an individual can use to assess one’s leadership journey.
Mary Whiton Calkins and Her Impact on Modern Psychology In order to expand her knowledge of psychology, Mary had to take a year’s studies in psychology prior to her teaching in the same field.
Introduction to Clinical Psychology This means that clinical psychology plays a vital role in promoting the development of mental and behavioral health of patients with mental disabilities.
Psychology And Society In conflict resolution, the one heading the exercise has to have an understanding of the psychology of the conflicting parties. This is why a psychology scholar cannot afford to ignore the works of his/her predecessors.
Definition of Cognitive Psychology The cognitive theory has been found to be a blend of the human and behavioral theories. Past research shows that the origin of cognitive psychology is in the behavior of a human being.
A Clinical Psychologist – Dr. Na’im Akbar As a faculty member, he also agitated for the introduction of courses in Black psychology that would also serve the interests of the black minority race.
Love and Memory From a Psychological Point of View The commonly known love types include affection, passionate love, friendship, infatuation, puppy love, sexual love, platonic love, romantic love and many other terms that could be coined out to basically describe love.
Atychiphobia, or the Fear of Failure in Psychology Putting it simply, the fear of failure is the incapability to suppress the anxious and irrational feeling of fear that, as a result, affects one’s life.
Mind-Body Debate: Monism and Dualism in Psychology As a result, it is almost impossible to find the answer that can address the views of all philosophers and psychologists who are interested in determining the nature of the mind and body interaction.
Beck Depression Inventory in Psychological Practice Beck in the 1990s, the theory disrupted the traditional flow of Freudian theories development and introduced the audience to the concept of cognitive development, therefore, inviting psychologists to interpret the changes in the patient’s emotional […]
Psychology, Theology, and Spirituality in Christian Counseling The author adds that the counselor needs spiritual maturity in a bid to get the client to the same level of maturity.
Personalistic and Naturalistic Approach in the History of Psychology Therefore, changes and progress occur due to the goals and charisma of individuals who changed the course of history. In contrast, naturalistic theory implies that social, intellectual, and cultural development depends on the Zeitgeist, the […]
Psychological Trauma: Treatment Planning Their mother, Tanya is the sole breadwinner in the family who works in one of the Information Technologies firm while their father is a local driver with one of the truck companies in the city.
Personality Tests in the Field of Psychology In addition to that, the test’s questions touch on various aspects of a person’s life thus analyzing their personality from different angles.
Psychology in the “50/50” Hollywood Film The terror management theory is a psychological concept to describe the instinct of self-preservation present in all humans which drives motivation and behavior under the threat of mortality. A threatening stimulus in the form of […]
Multicultural Psychology as a Subspecialty of Psychology Over the past 30 years, the study of culture minority issues in the field of psychology has grown to what can now be seen as a significant and dynamic subspecialty in the context of American […]
Psychological Perspectives: Jason’s Life Case However, the real self Jason was a man who tended to isolate himself from family and have inferiority complex along with unrecognized homosexual tendencies. Moreover, Jason did not feel parental support because of the conditions […]
Relationship Between Psychology and Christian Faith Truly, I have realized that sincerity is found in Jesus discipleship and the study of persona, but the varying aspects guiding the honesty are the belief in Christ and analytical thinking.
Psychology and Enduring Relationships In line with this view and drawing on the link between the length and benefits of coupling, it is important to understand the psychology of enduring relationships to predict the extent that people stay together.
Personality Psychology: Cinderella’s Personality A lot of Cinderella time is spent working in the house, and she exhibits a high degree of submission. Cinderella behaviour is not linked to her personality but the immediate environment that she lives in.
Positive Psychology: The Science of Happiness Positive psychology is a science of positive features of the life of a human being, including happiness, welfare, and prosperity. According to him, happiness is freedom from pain in the body and a disturbance in […]
The History Development of Psychology: The Understanding of Human Behavior The aim of the paper is to identify the reasons that have shaped and led to the development of the history of psychology.
Zeitgeist Influences on the Birth of Gestalt Psychology In this context, it can be seen that Thesis: Gestalt psychology as a discipline has to be viewed as the product of the “Zeitgeist” of a large chunk of the Twentieth Century that was impacted […]
Functionalism School of Psychology John Dewey, the founder of functionalism, was the first to apply functionalism to social education and addressing social problems. James Angel, a student of Dewey, studied the functions of the mind and mental processes.
Psychology: Diana Baumrind’s Obedience Study The intensity of the electric shocks varied from the mild to the severe and it was Milgrams intention to understand the level of obedience that the experimenters would exhibit in carrying out the shocks, when […]
Cognitive Psychology: Clarkston Industries Company’ Case This is one of the arguments that she can put forward to justify her decision about Jack’s status in the company.
Inevitable Prejudice in Social Psychology Adorno supposes that the authoritarian personality is hostile to those of an inferior rank and servile to those of a higher rank.
Research in Industrial and Organizational Psychology Basic research in I/O psychology can be described as a study or research conducted in an organization with the aim of adding more scientific knowledge.
Bowen Family Systems Theory – Psychology In this context, the theory is relevant in demonstrating that the level of stress prevalent in the family due to alcoholism and irresponsible behavior of the family head is directly responsible for the development of […]
Expectancy Theory in Motivation Psychology According to the theory suggested by Vroom, which would later on be called the Expectancy Theory, the behavior of a person is largely predetermined by the consequences that their behavior is going to have.
Human Emotions Psychology: Rooting in Biology or Culture To my mind, both biology and culture play a certain role in human emotions, and it is crucially important to analyze in what way biology turns out to be a root of human emotions and […]
Counseling Psychology in Dealing With Divorce One of the end results of divorce is the change of the emotional and mental state of an individual. Counseling was introduced in the country in the 1950s owing to the recognition of the vitality […]
Social Psychology: Definition, Aspects and Theories In contrast, social psychology is the study of the causes of behavior and mental attitudes. Social psychology deals with the study of how different contexts influence human behavior, feelings, thoughts, and other mental states.
Kohut and Self Psychology and the Freudian Classical Model Kohut’s theory of self psychology by contrast returned human agency to the theory of personality and promoted a more dynamic interplay between the individual and his or her environment.
Written and Psychological Contracts of Employment The basic indication of the existence of an employment contract is the consent of both the employee and the employer to fulfill their obligations, with the former willing to work with expectation of compensation from […]
Positive Examples of Conformity and Obedience Psychology Social influence refers to the ability of an individual to influence another person or a group of people in according to one’s own will.
Psychological and Sociological Theories in Life People tend to behave in a way that is beneficial for the development of the system. This theoretical paradigm explains people’s choice to obtain the higher education as this enables them to contribute to the […]
Psychological Test Design Process There are six steps in total to design a psychological test and the most important aspect is the clarity of thought while framing the question paper.
Clinical Psychology: Career Pathway The purpose of the report is to present an overview of the ideal job and industry in which I would like to work in the future.
Psychological Disposition in Sylvia Plath’s Poems The secondary argument supporting the claim of the psychological temperament in Plath’s works is based on the interpretation of her state of mind when she forcefully vilified her father as a Nazi sympathizer.
Technology in Psychological Assessment The speed in conducting tests with the help of technology and the improved data analysis based on the effective use of statistical procedures make the technology play the important role in the sphere of emotional […]
The Mind-Body Problem in the History of Psychology The crux of the problem is evident from its name: what is the relationship between the mind and the body? A prominent medieval philosopher Thomas Aquinas ties the issue of the body and the soul […]
Educational Psychology in Learning and Teaching Thus, this course has significantly helped me as a teacher in studying and applying modern research methodologies and suppositions, practices and plans which emphasize on the use of both quantitative and qualitative methods in improving […]
Statistics and Psychology Quantitative data are information about the world in the form of numerical data. The main application of statistical methods in psychology involves the use of statistics to analyze and interpret data.
Violations of Psychological Code of Conduct 8 A psychologist used chimpanzees in his study and paid the staff who cared for the animals. However, the psychologist went on a business trip and forgot to pay his workers.
Character’s Psychology in “Jazz” by Toni Morrison Whether it be on her talks of achievement or the information that she can burn a cigarette in his attendance with no harming her image, it is obvious so as to what Selden and Lily […]
Physiological Psychology Definition The nervous system affects behavior through the brain; it is the signals that are sent via its tendons to the brain that will affect the behavior of an individual.
Personal Development: Psychological Difficulties, Sexuality In my opinion the period of adolescence is the most difficult in human life and I think that it would be interesting to discuss the attitude to sexuality with the help of personal development theories.
Psychology of Sexual Response Cycle Changes experienced by females include; increase in the size of the breasts, swelling of the clitoris and inner lips of the vagina, the walls of the vagina also begin to swell and lubrication of the […]
Psychological Testing in Employee Screening The HRI is designed to examine relationships between the supervisor and the employees he/she is in charge of supervising. The instrument is designed to cover the philosophy, principles, and approaches related to the effective performance […]
Current Trends in Psychological Research It is stressed that the cultural aspect is often neglected in clinical and counseling psychology, and the increase in awareness of diversity and cultural competence are likely to essentially improve assessment effectiveness and patient outcomes.
Psychological Traps in the Human Decision Making They include the anchoring trap, the status-quo trap, the sunk cost trap, the confirming evidence trap, the framing trap, the overconfidence trap, the prudence trap, and the recall-ability trap.
Social Psychological Concepts of Bullying and Its Types Some of the factors that contribute to bullying include poor parenting, economic challenges, lack of mentorship, and jealousy among others. One of the main concepts used to explain bullying is that of parenting roles and […]
Positive Living Skills by Terry Orlick He nurtures people, regardless of their age or culture, to be part of the transformation of the world to be a better place to live in.
Social Anxiety Disorder Causes and Symptoms Also referred to as social phobia, social anxiety disorder is a psychological condition that is associated with the constant fear of surrounding social conditions.
Industrial/Organizational Psychology Project
Socio-Cultural Approach to Psychology
Justine’s Psychological State in “Melancholia”
Psychology of Sleep: Article Study
Structuralism, Functionalism and Cognitive Theory in Psychology
Psychology in Gilman’s “The Yellow Wallpaper”
Psychological and Psychosocial Support in Disaster Nursing
Gestalt Theory as a Psychological Perspective
Environmental Issues, Psychology, and Economics
Japanese Psychology as World-Renowned School of Thought
“Mindset: The New Psychology of Success” by C. Dweck
Sensation and Perception Studies in Psychology
“On Psychological Oppression” by Sandra Bartky
Generosity and Psychological Well-Being
History of Psychological Assessment: People’s Behavior in Terms of Their Skills
Psychology of Aggression and Violence
The Impact of Psychological Problems on a Person
Psychological Concepts in the Streisand’s Movie “Prince of Tides”
Psychology of Choice and Decision-Making
Lifespan Development Psychology: Observation at Cosmo Park
Albert Bandura: An Eminent Psychologist
Psychology of Social Perception and Communication
Long-Lasting Marriage and Its Psychology
Biology and Psychology in Behavior Explanation
The Psychology of Personality: Maya Angelou’s Case
Good Parents Traits and Raising Children – Psychology
Workaholism Historical Background and Definition – Psychology
The Psychology of Personality: Counselling Process
Psychological Contract
The Principles and Theories of Organizational Psychology
Maggie’s Character in “The Black Balloon”: Psychological Perspective
Human Interaction With the Surrounding Environment
Correctional Psychology and Its Procedures
Groupthink and Social Psychology
Theories of Developmental Psychology
Psychology of Personality: Theories
Contemporary Issues in Clinical Psychology: The Future of Clinical Psychology
Forensic Psychology: Validating Eyewitness Testimony
Psychological Trauma, Development and Spirituality
“Integrative Approaches to Psychology and Christianity” by David N. Entwistle
Concept of the Theory of Behaviorism in Psychology
Psychology in the Episode of Dr. Phil’s Show
Psychological Concepts in “A Child Called “It” by Pelzer
Psychological Interventions: Becoming a Helper
Behaviorism and Its Impact on Psychology
Culturally Informed Psychological Assessment
Sports Can Improve the Psychological Well-Being of People with Disability
Astrology as Pseudo-Psychology
Stroke Analysis: Psychology and Causes
What Is Environmental Psychology?
Interview Research Profile: Psychological Profile
Educational Psychology: Strong Points and Weaknesses
Egoism: Ethical and Psychological Egoism
Anorexia Nervosa in Psychological Point of View
Google Inc.’s Organizational Psychology
Psychological Theories and Methods Behind Training of Service Animals
Psychology of Anakin and Padme From “Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith”
Introduction to Psychology: Motivation and Emotion
Psychology in Childcare: Theory and Practice
Community Psychology: Social Change and Justice
ANOVA Test on the Level of Psychological Aggression
Foolishness: Psychological Perspective
Forensic Psychology’s Risk Assessment
Individualism Versus Group Cognition in Psychology
Behaviorism in Development of Psychology
Noam Chomsky’s Contribution to Cognitive Psychology
Psychology and Theology in Christian Counseling
Psychological Perspectives and Schools of Thought
Psychological First Aid for Disaster Victims
Humans Behavior: Physical and Psychological Needs
Cognitive Psychology Development Important Milestones
Systematic Desensitization – Psychology
Humanist Psychology, Cognitive Psychology and Positive Psychology
Influence of Heavy Metal Music on Adolescence (Behavior, Identity, Mood, Regulation, Psychology)
Role of Research and Statistics in the Field of Psychology
Introduction to Psychology: Rating Attractiveness: Consensus among Men, not Women, Study Finds
Freud and Jung Psychology
Forensic Psychology: Television v. Reality
Cross-Cultural Psychology Study
Moral Development and Its Relation to Psychology
Psychological Impacts of Sexual Abuse on Ryan
Culture, Emotions, and Psychology Relationships
Psychological Foundations of Criminal Behavior
Renee Baillargeon Biography and Her Contribution to the Developmental Psychology
Theories of Psychology: Behavioral, Cognitive, Developmental
Aspects of Psychology: Theories of Intelligence
Adolescent Consumer Psychology and Feedback Loop
Martin Seligman’s “Flourish” and Modern Psychology
Forensic Psychology: Media and Crime Relationship
Industrial Psychology in Employee Selection and Training
Burrhus Frederic Skinner and his Influence on Psychology
Influence Physical Environment on Human Psychology
Positive Psychology and Chinese Culture
Application of Clinical Psychology
The Psychological Explanation of Terrorism
Psychology Aspects in Spearman’s, Stenberg’s and Gardner’s Models of Intelligence
Psychological Profile: Charles Manson
Obesity: Psychological/ Sociological Issue
Emerging Issues in Multicultural Psychology
Psychological Approaches: Applying to Personal Life
Psychological Factors Affecting Sex Workers
Abnormal Psychology Case Study: General Anxiety Disorder
Psychology of Conflict Communication
Socialization of Adolescents in Modern Psychology
Goal Setting in Sport Psychology: Enhancing Athletes’ Performance and Building New Skills
Understanding the Psychological Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Society
Cognitive Psychology – A Concept of Attention
Fetishism: Psychological Sexual Disorder
Application of Psychology in Workplace Environment
Psychological and Sociological Issues in Australian Tourism
Chaim Potok: Psychological Transformation in “The Chosen”
Health Psychology: Going Through a Breast Cancer Diagnosis
Cognitive Psychology: Culture and Cognition
Cognitive Psychology: Intelligence and Wisdom
Decision-Making in Cognitive Psychology
Psychological Theories Explaining Violent Crime
Social Psychology of Attraction
Depression as a Psychological Disorder
Analytical Psychology of Carl Jung
Psychology: Drug Impact and Use Prevention
Psychology Forces in Wilber’s “Spectrum of Consciousness”
Learning Journal in the Social Psychology Study
Psychology: Chewing Gum’ Negative Effects
Psychological Safety in a Team Environment
Forensic Psychology: Eyewitness Testimonies’ Unreliability
Psychologist’s Roles in Criminal Justice System
Positive Psychology and Academic Stress
Christine Ladd-Franklin’s Contribution to the Psychology
Psychological Definition of Persuasion
Jury Selection Process Psychology
Infants’ Psychology and Development
Developmental Psychology: Designing Educational Toys
Adolescence and Adulthood Developmental Stages – Psychology
“The Power of Habit” by Charles Duhigg – Psychology
Involvement of Psychologists in Military Interrogations
Cognitive Psychology Definition and Concept
Psychological Issues: Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
Ethical Reflection of Psychological Experiments
Psychology Issues in Mark Twain’s “The Lowest Animal”
Psychology Issues: Group Survival in Extreme Situations
Psychology Research and Its Methods
The Effect of HRM Practices on Psychological Contract in Organisation
Psychological Testing Tools: Intelligence Tests
African American Culture: Psychological Processes
Child Psychology Development
The Concept of Ego Depletion in Psychology
Research Methods in Psychology
Childhood Friendship and Psychology
Historical Perspectives of Abnormal Psychology
Forensic Psychology Role in the Investigation of Crime
Bernard Williams The Self and the Future and Psychological Continuity Theory of Personal Identity
Developmental Theories in Psychology
Historical Perspective of Abnormal Psychology
Psychological Testing in the Workplace
The Philosophy of Psychology
Contemporary Issues in Cultural & Cross-Cultural Psychology
Sex Addiction as a Psychological Disorder
The Real Father of Psychology
Personality Psychology: Theory, Techniques and Assessment
Behavior Psychology in Teenage Females
Retrieval Learning in Cognitive Psychology
The Use of Creativity in Psychology
Cross-Cultural Psychology in Contemporary Psychiatry
Benefits of Learning Psychosomatics as Branches of Clinical Psychology
Modern Psychological Counseling
Evolutionary Psychology and Christian Worldview
Psychological Concept of Processing Stimuli
Psychological Analysis of Gilman’s The Yellow Wallpaper
Introducing the World of Psychology
The Organizational Project: Psychological Needs Application Development
Amundson on Hedonic Psychology, Disability, and Life Quality
Psychology of Personality: Role Models
Biological Psychology: Lesion Studies and Depression Detection
“Researching and Practicing Positive Psychology…” by Wang
Drug Abuse and Its Psychological Effects
Psychology: Areas of Application
Social Psychology and Personality: Lessons Learnt
Positive Psychology Intervention for Ageing Population
Effects of Different Music on Psychological State
Psychological Conditions in Addition to Highly Superior Autobiographical Memory
Post-Fordism: Industrial and Organizational Psychology
Cognitive Psychology: The Effects of Memory Conformity
Correctional Psychology’s Impact on the Penitentiary System
Psychological Concepts: Nature vs. Nurture
Human Psychology: Fulfilling Internal Needs
Developmental Psychology of an Immigrant Family
Psychological Traits in Consumer Spending Habits
Social Justice in Counseling Psychology
Adulthood and Puberty Psychology
Vignette: Psychological Child Maltreatment
Psychology: Proposed Implementation and Evaluation Plan
Forensic Psychologist’s Role in Homicide Investigation
Clinical and Counseling Psychology
Psychology: The Aftermath of a Death
Psychological Testing and Assessment
Ethics: Informational and Psychological Security of the Individuals
Test (Gender) Bias in Psychology
The Via Classification Test as a Psychological Tool
The Role of Technology in the Psychology Profession
Psychological Counseling and Psychotherapy
Some Basic Propositions of a Growth and Self-Actualization Psychology
Anorexia as Social and Psychological Disease
The Impact of Technology Development on the Adolescence Psychology
Psychological Determinants of Adolescent Predisposition to Deviant Behavior
SOAP Case-Notes: Psychological Rehabilitation
Testing and Evaluation in Psychological Research
Psychological Theories of Grandfather’s Development
Application of Cognitive Psychology
Screening Survey in Psychological Science
Causes of Premature Termination of Psychological Treatment
Celebrities’ Psychological States: Diagnoses Are Not Cut and Dry
Bipolar Disorder: A Major Psychological Issue in America
The Psychological and Physiological Effects of Cannabis
Socio-Psychological Trust Issues in Youth
Researching of Abnormal Psychology
Developmental Psychology as Scientific Study
Exam Anxiety as Psychological Disorder
Child Psychology Research and Ethics
Historical Impact of Psychology on Human Resource Management
Psychological and Psychiatric Diagnoses in a Patient with Multiple Symptoms
Developmental Psychology Analysis
Psychology Powered HRM Practice: Meteor Cargo Limited
Sexting and Its Psychological Consequences
Psychological Health Issues Among Veterans
The Psychological Well-Being of Nurses During COVID-19
The Role of Psychological Support in Teaching
The Origin of Psychological Disorders: Freud and Adler’s Perspectives
Psychological Imbalance: Mental Health Issues
Psychology and the Nature of Human Conduct
Biological and Psychological Factors Influencing Drug Experiences
Adolescent Development: Adolescent Psychology
Childhood Trauma Long-Term Psychological Outcomes
Psychology of Type A and Type B Personalities
Controversial Experiment in Psychology History
Psychology Development in Mexico
Applications of Positive Psychology in Healthcare
Developing a Psychology-Related Career Plan
Stress as an Important Psychological Issue
The Eye-to-Eye Project’s Importance for Psychology
Psychological Health Disparities in Children
Psychologists and Interrogations
Psychology: The Little Albert Experiment
The Consciousness of the Psychological and Physical Effects of Nursing
Stigma and Psychological Distress in HIV Caregivers
Rising Interest in Psychology and Psychology Degree
Urie Bronfenbrenner, a Psychological Researcher
Psychology in Human Resource Management
Environmental Psychology: The Impact of Interior Spaces on Childhood Development
Socio-Psychological Factors of Abortion in Women of Different Age Groups
Expectations From Psychological-Sociological Course
Psychological Experiments on Videogames and Theater
Psychological Disorders Analysis
Psychology and Personality: The Main Theories
Misconducts and Self-Care in Psychology Professionals’ Activities
Device Use and Psychological Disorders: Regression Model
The Midlife Crisis in Developmental Psychology
Human Consciousness in Philosophy of Psychology
Jury Psychology and Decision Criticism
Psychological Issues of Independent Living
Future Ways for Helping People With Psychology
The Relevance of Relational Self-Psychology
The Psychological Impacts of Rape and Potential Interventions
Evolutionary Psychology and Psychological Anthropology
The Psychology of Evil Analysis
Self-Assessment Test in Psychology
The Psychological Nature of Memory
The Discrepancy Between an Original Psychological Article and Its Representation
Racial Profiling in Cultural Psychology
Humanistic Psychology and Its Main Ideas
Group Influence as a Social Psychology Issue
Using Psychological Tests in the Employer’s Decision-Making Process
Psychology in Sports: Tradition of Stoicism in Sports
Researching of Criminal Psychology
Ethical and Psychological Egoism
Abortion and Its Physical and Psychological Effects
Psychological Practice in Health Centers
Sports Psychologists and Chaplains
Mental Disorders: Biological-Psychological Perspectives and Psychotropic Medications
Christian Spirituality: Integration Into Sports Psychological Practices
Emotional and Psychological Impact on Illness Outcomes
Sports Chaplaincy and Psychology Collaboration
Physical Health Problems and Psychological State
Criminology and Psychological Profiling Approaches
Sex Offence: The Role of Psychological Disorder
Discussion of Psychological Imbalance
Consequences of Pandemic COVID-19: The Psychological Climate in the Family
Psychological Wellness and Mental Health
My Lot in Life: Psychological Aspects of Education
Vincent van Gogh: A Brilliant Psychologist and Poet of Art
Community Psychologists as Agents of a Social Change
Changing Racial Identity: A Psychological Aspect
Architectural Development Design: Environmental Psychological Implications
“The Social Psychology of Compassion” by Radey and Figley
Psychological Therapy: Borderline Personality Disorder
Adolescence and Young Adulthood in Educational Psychology
Positive Psychology’s Influence on the Self
Psychological Disorders: Causes, Symptoms, Treatment
How Psychological Science Aligns With Biblical Truth About Self-Handicapping?
Hewlett-Packard: Application of Cross-Cultural Psychology
A Career in Counseling Psychology
Understanding Human Psychology: Brain Stimulation
Career Field in Psychology: Counselor
The Influence of Positive Psychology
Sensation and Perception: Psychological Science
God of the Bible From a Psychological Perspective
Psychological Considerations and Sociological Effects of Drones
The Elderly Abuse: Physical and Psychological Aspects
Is “Candide” Positively Influenced by Psychological Factors
Psychology: Emotional Regulation
The Dying Person: Physical, Psychological, and Social Care
The Field of Psychology: Practice Standards
Implications of Theological and Psychological Reflections on Human Behavior
Psychological Lens Narrative: Personal Experience
Influence of Psychological and Behavioral Aspects of the Individual on Exposure to Herd Investing
Writing Proposal in Psychology
Investigation: Psychology of Sport Fans
Professional Psychology: Importance of Confidentiality and Code of Conduct
Personality Psychology Overview
Psychological Profile of Vladimir Putin
Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation: Psychological Problems
Deprogramming Cult Members: Religious and Psychological Analysis
Analysis of Plays: Psychological Critical Perspectives
Child Development: Psychological Factors and Theories
Forensic Psychology and Behavioral Analysis
Psychological Disorders: Classification
History of Ethical Principles in Psychology
Research Design in Psychology
A Child’s Psychological Development
Childhood and Adolescence Psychology
Changes in Life and Psychological Stress Assessment
Psychology: Health Behavior Change & Reflection
Psychology Integration: Healthcare Industry
Stuttering Management: Psychological Therapy Effectiveness
A Psychological Perspective on Death and Mourning
Psychological Factors After Officer-Involved Shootings: Officer Needs and Agency Responsibilities
Cyber-Bullying vs. Traditional Bullying: Its Psychological Effects
Ecstasy Unveiled: The Journey from Therapeutic Compound to Street Drug
Careers in Industrial-Organizational Psychology
Child Pornography: Legal and Psychological Implications
Data Analysis in Psychological Wellbeing Research
Relationship Satisfaction and Psychological Well-Being Among Greek People With Physical Disabilities
Sports Psychology: Zen in the Martial Arts
Aspects of Sport Psychology Overview
Nature of Health and Illness: Biological Psychology
Psychological Aspects of Weightlifting
The Concepts of Nature and Nurture in Modern Psychologist to Explain Juvenile Delinquency
Biological Psychology: Memory
The Impact of Culture on Aging: Psychological and Sociological Analysis
The Psychological Aspect of Logical Fallacies of Technology
The Psychology of Interpersonal Relationships
Development of Structuralism as a Systemic Movement in Psychology
Psychological Health and Social Environment Correlation
Psychology: Social Media and Bullying
Psychological Aftermath of Illnesses and Injuries
Impact of the Internet on Psychological Wellbeing
Violence and Aggression Between People as Psychological Phenomena
The American Psychological Association: Referencing Style
Neuropsychological and Psychological Disorders
Apple’s Popularity: Consumers’ Psychology
Psychological Theories and Tests of Motivation
Doctoral Program Educational Psychology
Physical and Psychological Trauma in Women
Ethical Practices in Psychological Assessment
Traumatic Brain Injury: Psychological Manifestations
Research Methods in Psychology: Pros & Cons
The Horrific Consequences That Result From Inaccurate Psychological Diagnosis
Management of HR Talent and Teams: Psychological-Contract Perspective
Motivation Theories in Fulfillment of Psychological Needs
Psychological Processes Which Affect Various Techniques and Approaches
Environmental Psychology: Contemporary Educational Institutions
Teenage Depression: Psychology-Based Treatment
Industrial Psychology in Explaining Corporate Behaviors
The Psychological Perceptions of Pain
The Psychology Concepts Review
The Evolutionary Psychology Key Points
History and Evolving Nature of Clinical Psychology
Evaluating Psychological Information on the Web
The Psychological Contract and Motivation
The Hand – The Psychological Personality
Victims of Disasters: Psychological Traumas
Psychological First Aid: Connection With Social Support
Sigmund Freud: Theories and Contribution to Psychology
Comparing the Psychological Challenges Facing Tom and Laura Wingfield
Health and Health Policy of HIV and AIDS: Physical and Psychological Wellbeing
The Psychological Wellbeing of People in a Working Environment
Job-Oriented Analysis in HR Management
Features of Psychological Research Methods: Application in Practice
Consultative Psychology Skills: Applying Skills to Identify the Problem
The Shifting Gender Composition of Psychology: The Discipline
Feminist Psychology in Canada
Contributors in Psychology as a Science
Personality and Psychology of the Motivation
Psychology Article Analysis: The Shared Reality
Social Psychology and Social Neuroscience Connection
Social Psychology Concepts in News Coverage
Sleep Deprivation: Biopsychology and Health Psychology
The American Counseling Association and the American Psychological Association Websites
Self Concept: Developmental Psychology
Psychological Issues: Self-Identity and Sexual Meaning Issues, and Memory Processing
Practitioner-Scholar Model in Psychology
Psychological Strategies to Understand Literature
Psychology. Brain Structure and Behavior
American Psychological Association Style Manual
Genograms in Family Assessment
Cognitive Psychology and Its Implications
Freud’s Impact on Modern-Day Psychology
Free Will and Choice in Islamic Psychology
Ethics in the Field of Psychology
Personal and Social Psychology in Modern Community
Lifespan Variable: Psychological Aspects
Freud’s Impact on Modern Psychology
William James and His Contributions to Psychology
Psychology of Communication Technology
Psychological Theoretical Positions of Sigmund Freud
Philosophical Origins of Approaches to Clinical Psychology
Clinical Counseling Psychology: Research and Statistics
Profile Interview: Psychological Assessment
The Concept of Personality in Psychology
Clinical Psychology, Its Issues and Purposes
Media Attention to Psychology
Developmental Psychology: The Impact of Family-Of-Origin on Adulthood
Psychological Testing Article Analysis
Imagery in Sports Psychology and Its Effects
Child Development and Evolutionary Psychology
Child Psychology. “Music Lessons Enhance IQ” by Schellenberg
Child Psychology in a Multicultural Environment
Psychology. “Self-Esteem” Book by Dr. Matthew McKay
Parenting Training Classes: A Psychology Experiment
Ethics in Groups of Psychologists and Counsellors
Positive Psychology Concerns
Schizophrenia: An Abnormal Human Behavior
Psychology Achievement Test
Music and Text Messaging Influence on Social Psychology and Psychosocial Development
Folk Psychology. The Role of Folk Psychology
Environmental Psychology: The Problem of Protection
Observation Paper Psychologist Theories
Clinical Psychology Matrix Structure
Reflection of Personal Learning Style in Psychology
“Careers in Environmental Psychology” by Conaway
What Can Psychology Teach Us About Human Development?
How Many Years Will It Take To Be a Psychologist?
Who Founded the First Laboratory of Scientific Psychology?
What Does Recent Social Psychology Research Tell Us About?
How Abraham Maslow and His Humanistic Psychology Shaped the Modern Self?
Can Positive Psychology Make Us Happier?
What Way Did Philosophy of Plato Influence Psychology?
What Are the Different Perspectives of Psychology?
Are Psychology Journals Anti-replication?
Does Human Psychology Drive Financial Markets?
Why Are Men More Depressed Than Women in Psychology?
How Can Social Psychology Explain the Behavior of Suicide Bombers?
How and Why Did Psychology Develop as an Academic Discipline?
Can Evolutionary Psychology Explain Individual Differences in Personality?
What Are the Advantages and Disadvantages of Quantitative and Qualitative Methods in Psychology?
How Both Sociology and Social Psychology Can Help Us to Understand Anti-social Behavior?
What Are the Main Perspectives in the Study of Psychology?
Can Psychology Explain Sexual Violence?
What Have Psychologists Found Out About the Psychology of Testimony?
Why Can’t One Approach to Psychology Describe All Human Behaviour?
Why Do Psychologists Consider Psychology to Be a Science?
Who Benefits From Humor-Based Positive Psychology Interventions?
Does Positive Psychology Ease Symptoms of Depression?
How Art and Psychology Are Related?
How Can Applied Psychology Help Make Societies More Peaceful?
How Behavioral Economics Relates to Psychology?
Do Psychology and Education Have a Link?
What Can Evolutionary Psychology Tell Us About Who We Find Attractive?
What Are the Effects of Bipolar Disorder Psychology?
Does Psychology Place Too Little Emphasis on the Study of Communication?
Cultural Psychology Ideas
Cognitive Development Essay Ideas
Psychotherapy Paper Topics
Emotional Development Questions
Behaviorism Research Ideas
Family Therapy Questions
Cognitive Dissonance Research Topics
Psychoanalysis Essay Topics
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We are all given a blank sheet in the beginning. What we choose to put on this blank sheet determines our outcome. The life experiences that have “filled my pages” have shaped me into who I am today. My endurance of difficult times and my willingness to persevere in the face of obstacles makes me unique.

I come from a single parent home. My parents have been divorced since I was two years old. My father stepped in when he had to throughout my childhood, but it was my mother who raised me.

I remember numerous days living in one room, wondering “How long life will be like this?” and “Why does everyone else have a completed family and living in one area?”. All while my mother and I moved to numerous locations in an attempt to survive in the face of divorce.

During this time, I attended an elementary school where I was placed in a special education program. Teachers and rest of the staff told my mother that I had a learning disability and my knowledge capacity was limited. She never believed them. My mother believed that I was capable of doing anything. She never gave up on me. She believed in me.

As soon as I was given an opportunity in the main stream I never looked back. I set out to prove those who doubted me wrong with every chance I was given. And now, I am able to say that I will be a college graduate in six months. It is both a personal triumph as well as for my family.

When I first entered the university setting after community college I had a rough time at first. It was my first time being away from home.

Additionally, there were many family issues occurring at the time. As such, my marks did not reflect my full potential. But as my transcript shows, my grades steadily improved every semester and will continue to do so on a graduate level if allowed to continue.

I have a diverse ethnic background. This enables an understanding my part regarding the social issues that are so pertinent today. I am part El Salvadorian and part Irish.

The community that I am from on Long Island, New York, was extremely diverse and full of people from different social classes. Having many diverse groups in one community paves the way for discrimination, which I unfortunately experienced in my childhood. However, because of my background, I have a much needed perspective.

I have a deep understanding of discrimination as well as an interest in learning more about racism and how it has developed. I am hoping to work with families of different ethnic backgrounds because I feel my past experiences and my college education have helped me to understand the challenges that minorities face, and a great understanding of how a culture affects a way of life along with family values.

I am also extremely family oriented. I utilised these skills during the difficult times of my own childhood when they were desperately needed. Divorce is a family issue. I want to extend help to families in similar situations.

I believe I am right for the Counseling/Psychology field. I believe that my life experiences have given me the compassion needed. I am passionate to help people. I know I can make a difference if given the chance.

Syracuse University is clearly the place to start. The “Family and Marriage Therapy Program” at Syracuse University will help me to pursue my dream.

I know this is a great institution full of great faculty that will provide me the tools I need to pursue such a career. As this Marriage Family and Marriage Therapy Program” is recognised as a culturally sensitive therapy, there is a great connection between what is offered and what I would like to accomplish with my education and career.

My overall goal is to pursue a PhD after completing the Master Program. I hope to one day open my own psychology practice.

I know if given the chance I can achieve much and help many.

All I need is for someone to believe. I won't let you down.

Profile info

This personal statement was written by esjojo23 for application in 2008.

esjojo23's Comments

just looking for some feedback.

This personal statement is unrated

Related Personal Statements

Sun, 13/01/2008 - 14:08

Very personal. i thought it was quite good though, i believed all u said was genuine. Did You get in?

Great job.... but also

Sat, 26/01/2008 - 03:50

Great job.... but also wondering did you get in?

Heartfelt statement

Fri, 28/03/2008 - 23:24

I think you did a great job. Your were honest, as everyone should be but yet it did not come off as if you were laying it on thick. So did they at least contact you for an interview?

a little self pitying and (i

Tue, 12/08/2008 - 14:40

a little self pitying and (i know it's a personal statement) but this i felt this was too personal. but at least it's original! i hope you are doing the course you wanted and are enjoying Uni life

Sat, 25/10/2008 - 11:53

I'd take you in if i'm the admission tutor. Your PS is genuine and it shows you have deep interest in the course.

Tue, 16/12/2008 - 18:33

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Tue, 08/09/2009 - 21:40

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Tue, 23/07/2013 - 22:29

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Essay Samples on Psychology

The majority of college students who have to deal with essays about Psychology are not necessarily future specialists in Psychology or Healthcare. Just think about modern business studies or marketing where leadership qualities must be studied. The same relates to Criminology or Forensic Research assignments where the use of psychology becomes essential. It provides modern learners with a plethora of ideas that can be explored. If you are stuck and need inspiration, focus on the free psychology essay examples that we provide for you. The list of subjects that are presented ranges from the theorists to case study samples to help you understand the difference between various essay types. Remember that your introduction part will always depend on your target audience and the level of knowledge they have. It means that you should provide statistical data or study reports only to an extent that will be sufficient for your methodology or academic objectives. See how it has been done in the free samples that we offer by reading actual writing. These are only provided as templates that you should use for inspirational and educational purposes. As you compose your own Psychology essay, keep things unique and always provide relevant references.

Why Psychology Major: Understanding the Human Mind

Why psychology major? This question lies at the heart of my academic journey, drawing me toward a field that offers a profound exploration of the intricacies of human behavior, cognition, and emotions. The decision to major in psychology is driven by a deep curiosity about...

Social Psychology

Why Psychology: Exploring the Fascinating Depths of the Human Mind

Why psychology? This simple yet profound question has intrigued many curious minds over the years, including mine. The allure of psychology lies in its ability to delve into the intricate complexities of human behavior, cognition, and emotions. As a field that bridges science and humanity,...

Why I Chose Psychology: Path to Understanding the Human Mind

Why I chose psychology as my field of study is a question rooted in my profound curiosity about the complexities of the human mind and behavior. From a young age, I found myself intrigued by the intricate web of thoughts, emotions, and motivations that shape...

Sports Psychology: Unleashing the Mental Edge in Athletic Performance

Sports psychology is a dynamic field that delves into the intricate relationship between the mind and athletic performance. It offers a comprehensive understanding of how psychological factors influence athletes' behaviors, attitudes, and outcomes in sports. By exploring the psychological aspects of sports, athletes and coaches...

The Social Learning Theory in Psychology

Social Learning Theory, a prominent psychological concept developed by Albert Bandura, offers valuable insights into how individuals acquire new behaviors and adapt their actions based on the observations of others. This theory emphasizes the significant role of social interactions, modeling, and reinforcement in shaping human...

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The Profound Contributions of Sigmund Freud to Psychology

Sigmund Freud, often referred to as the "father of psychoanalysis," has left an indelible mark on the field of psychology through his groundbreaking theories and revolutionary insights into the human mind. His contributions have reshaped the way we understand human behavior, unconscious processes, and the...

Psychological Depths of "Shutter Island"

Shutter Island is a psychological thriller that delves into the intricate workings of the human mind, presenting a captivating narrative interwoven with themes of identity, memory, and the blurred lines between reality and illusion. Directed by Martin Scorsese and based on Dennis Lehane's novel, the...

Exploring the Diverse Schools of Psychology

Schools of psychology represent distinct approaches and perspectives in understanding human behavior, cognition, and emotion. Each school offers a unique lens through which psychologists analyze and interpret psychological phenomena. This essay delves into the fascinating world of psychology by exploring some of the prominent schools...

Exploring the Depths of Psychology Research

Psychology research is an intricate journey into the complexities of the human mind and behavior. It is a realm of inquiry that spans from unraveling the mysteries of cognitive processes to understanding the intricacies of social interactions. This essay delves into the realm of psychology...

Psychology: Illuminating Perspectives in an Argumentative Discourse

Psychology is an ever-evolving realm that delves into the intricacies of the human mind, behavior, and emotions. As a discipline rooted in empirical investigation, it has sparked a myriad of debates and discussions that continue to shape our understanding of human nature. This essay embarks...

Exploring Personality Psychology: Unveiling the Complexities Within

Personality psychology delves into the intricate and multifaceted aspects that make each individual unique. It peels back the layers of behavior, cognition, and emotion to reveal the underlying traits, patterns, and characteristics that shape human identity. This essay embarks on a journey to uncover the...

A Passion for Psychology: Nurturing the Flames Within

Passion for psychology ignites a fervent curiosity about the complexities of the human mind and behavior. It is a driving force that propels individuals to unravel the mysteries of cognition, emotion, and the intricate dynamics that shape our thoughts and actions. This essay delves into...

The History of Abnormal Psychology: Unveiling the Layers of Time

History of abnormal psychology takes us on a journey through time, tracing the evolution of our understanding of psychological disorders and the diverse ways in which societies have interpreted and responded to them. This essay delves into the intricate tapestry of the past, uncovering the...

Health Psychology: Exploring the Nexus of Mind and Body

Health psychology stands as a vital branch of psychology that delves into the intricate relationship between psychological factors and physical well-being. This essay unravels the depths of health psychology, shedding light on its significance, applications, and the transformative power it holds in shaping our understanding...

Free Will vs. Determinism in Psychology: Navigating the Paradox

Free will vs. determinism in psychology encapsulates a profound debate that has intrigued philosophers, psychologists, and thinkers for centuries. This essay delves into the intricate interplay between these two contrasting concepts, exploring their implications, relevance, and the ways they shape our understanding of human behavior,...

Psychology in Everyday Life: Unveiling the Intricacies

About psychology in everyday life encompasses the fascinating study of human behavior, thoughts, and emotions that shape our interactions, decisions, and experiences. This essay dives into the depths of psychology's presence in our daily lives, shedding light on its significance, applications, and the transformative power...

Exploring the Essence of Counselling Psychology

Counselling psychology is a profound and transformative field that embodies the art of guiding individuals towards self-discovery, healing, and growth. This essay delves into the heart of counselling psychology, shedding light on its core principles, therapeutic techniques, and the profound impact it has on the...

A Reflective on Clinical Psychology

Clinical psychology is a realm that delves into the intricate landscapes of the human mind, offering both challenges and revelations. This reflective essay on clinical psychology invites a contemplative exploration of my personal journey, growth, and insights as I navigated the complexities of this field....

What Motivates Me as a Student

What motivates you as a student? This question delves into the driving forces that ignite my passion for learning and shape my academic journey. From the pursuit of knowledge to personal growth and future aspirations, my motivations are diverse and ever-evolving. This essay will explore...

What Does Resilience Mean to Me: a Lifelong Companion

What does resilience mean to you? Resilience, a quality often admired and aspired to, is a trait that holds significant meaning in my life. In this essay, I will delve into my personal understanding and interpretation of resilience, exploring its essence, its impact on my...

Unraveling Learning Processes: Exploring the Difference Between Classical and Operant Conditioning

Learning is a complex process that underlies our behaviors and responses to the environment. Classical conditioning and operant conditioning are two prominent theories that provide insights into how learning occurs. This essay delves into the fundamental difference between classical and operant conditioning, shedding light on...

Classical Conditioning
Operant Conditioning

Evolution of Childhood: Comparing Childhood Today to the Past

The concept of childhood has undergone significant transformation over time. Childhood today is vastly different from what it was in the past, shaped by changes in culture, technology, education, and societal norms. This essay explores the key differences and similarities of childhood today compared to...

Compare and Contrast Ananysis of Piaget and Vygotsky in Terms of Cognitive Development

Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky are two influential figures in the field of developmental psychology who have offered distinct theories on cognitive development. While their approaches share commonalities, they also diverge in fundamental ways. This compare and contrast essay delves into the key similarities and...

Jean Piaget
Lev Vygotsky Theory

Childhood and Adulthood: Compare And Contrast the Main Phases of Life

The transition from childhood to adulthood is a profound journey marked by significant physical, emotional, and psychological changes. Childhood and adulthood represent distinct phases of life, each with its own set of experiences, responsibilities, and perspectives. This compare and contrast essay explores the similarities and...

Analysis of Social Media Effects on Body Image

In today's digitally connected world, social media has become an integral part of our lives, influencing the way we communicate, share, and perceive ourselves. One of the prominent and concerning aspects of social media is its effects on body image. The relentless exposure to carefully...

Effects of Social Media

Religion and Morality in Arthur Miller's "The Crucible"

Introduction Arthur Miller’s “The Crucible” is a compelling critique of the dark and tangled web of society, politics, and morality. Set in 1692 during the Salem Witch Trials, this play serves as a vivid reflection of the oppressive nature of McCarthyism in the 1950s in...

The Crucible

How to Overcome Procrastination by Making It Your Friend

How to overcome procrastination? Usually, human beings have a tendency to see procrastination as some component bad. They invent dozens of techniques how to give up procrastinating and extend their efficiency, forgetting about the reality that like many extraordinary psychological mechanisms, procrastination serves its own...

Procrastination

How to Deal With Procrastination: My Experience

Procrastination is something I am almost certain that everyone experiences at some point in their university lives (or life in general), and for some of us, it happens on the daily. This can cause a bit of a tricky situation, where the inability to force...

Personal Experience

Different Perspectives in Modern Psychology: an Overview

Psychology encompasses the scientific study of the mind and brain, exploring the intricacies of human cognition, emotion, and behavior. This essay provides an overview of the different perspectives in modern psychology, each offering unique insights into the functioning of the mind and its manifestations in...

Cognitive Psychology
Human Behavior
Perspective

Cause and Effect of Procrastination Among College Students

Introduction Procrastination is an activity that most college students have gone through throughout their high school career. The meaning of procrastination is, as stated by Ferrari et al., 'derived from Latin verbs. 'Pro' refers to forward motion, and 'crastinus' refers to belonging to tomorrow' (qtd....

College Students

Rising Above Negativity: A Journey in Music and Self-Belief

My Early Music Career Let me inform you about a time when I realized a life lesson. A couple of weeks ago, I started out producing music; I was once just starting as a producer, and I had no prior expertise in song theory. I...

Life Lesson

Exploring Child Development: Observations and Developmental Theories

Introduction “Social psychology often looks at basic human need to fit in and calls this the normative social influence” (AtheneWins, 2011). There are many developmental theories and there is a relative overlapping among them. The knowledge of this theories is important in the nursing field...

Child Behavior
Childhood Development
First Day of School

The Power Dynamics of Adolescent Marginality & Intergenerational Conflict

Abstract Adolescents are often seen as lazy and/or entitled by older generations. Typically, we can see this today in the baby boomer generation. In this paper I will be applying Sociological Theories to this stereotype, Intergenerational Conflict to be exact. Throughout the years older generations...

Adolescence
Critical Theory
Sociological Theory

Common Childhood Illness: Treatments and Exclusion Periods

When working with young children, practitioners need to be aware of common childhood illnesses, the signs and symptoms and how to treat children when they become unwell. Common childhood illness includes a common cold, asthma, chickenpox, hand foot and mouth, meningitis, whopping cough, conjunctivitis, and...

The Existence of Genuine Altruism From Social Psychology Perspective

There are several social behaviours that humans exhibit some are negative and some are positive. Altruism is one of such social behaviours. What is altruism and is there anything like genuine altruism? This essay attempts to answer the question whether there is genuine altruism from...

The Psychological State of Ressentiment in the Genealogy of Morals

The psychological state Friedrich Nietzsche terms as ressentiment in the Genealogy of Morals, is a human condition attributed to a feeling produced when placed within a hostile environment. One which man is found powerless to alter through physical action. Those inflicted to this deprived orientation...

Friedrich Nietzsche
Philosophical Works

Nurturing Students for Life: The Power of Teachers as Role Models and the Integration of Learning Theories

The most valuable thing that teachers can provide for a student is not only the pure knowledge but also ability to preparation for life. All teachers should be aware of their power on children and be a good role model for them even though it...

Assessing Adolescent Knowledge and Attitudes towards Reproductive Health

Reproductive health is the important component in the adolescent age, as the one which is in highly risk group to get different sexual and reproductive health problem. Reproductive health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being in all matters relating to the...

Reproductive Health
Sexual Health

Exploration of Psychodynamic and the Behavioural Learning Approaches

Psychology is the scientific study of the mind that influences our behaviour using professional practice. The word psychology comes from the Greek 'psyche' meaning mind, soul and spirit. Wilhelm Wundt opened the first psychological laboratory in Germany to investigate the mind through inspection and observation...

Psychologists
Sigmund Freud

Prosocial Intergroup Behavior in Norway: Study Review

Prosocial behavior is a universal concept observed on a world-wide basis through acts of donations, protests, petitions and other voluntary behaviors. Various factors may serve as motivations for why individuals choose to engage in prosocial behavior. The world in the 21st century is in a...

Prosocial Behavior
Volunteering

The Role of a Clinical Psychologist in Treating Problem Drinking: Examining Effective Therapeutic Approaches

Problem drinking is not necessarily alcoholism; alcoholism is, however, a form of problem drinking. For a problem drinker when they drink it can cause problems for them and those around them, but they are not necessarily physically dependent on alcohol. They may be able to...

Job Description

The Relationship Between Prosocial Behaviour and Mimicry

People are naturally inclined to mimic. Mimicry has been observed across all cultures and ages in peculiar phenomena like contagious yawning or laughter. Chartrand and Bargh noted that people frequently imitate others’ posture and facial expressions unintentionally, and Bandura demonstrated the essential role of mimicry...

Reflective Learning: the Power of Self-Analysis and Personal Growth

A reflective essay is a unique form of essay writing where you examine an experience and reflect on your own self. Use strong evidence and explain the real or imaginary scene in an interesting manner. A reflective essay is a type of writing in which...

Critical Reflection
Self Reflection

Albert Bandura: Pioneering Contributions to Social Learning Theory

'Learning would be exceedingly laborious, not to mention hazardous, if people had to rely solely on the effects of their own actions to inform them what to do'. Albert Bandura was a Canadian born psychologist who identified The Social Learning theory in the 1960's. Psychology...

Famous Person

Discussion on the Relationship Between Intelligence and Creativity

The relationship between intelligence and creativity has been subjected to research for many years. Unfortunately, there is yet no consensus on how these constructs are related. The connection between intelligence and creativity is that they are functions of the brain that handle data to determine...

Intelligence

Cognitive Explanation of Schizophrenia: Implications of the Theory

Schizophrenia is a severe mental illness that affects how a person thinks, feels, and behaves. It is a complex disorder that involves a wide range of symptoms, including hallucinations, delusions, and disordered thinking. The cognitive explanation of schizophrenia is revealed in this essay as one...

Schizophrenia

What Is Emotional Intelligence: the Significance of Human Beings

Ever since I was a child I developed a great passion regarding human beings and their behaviour in all sorts of situations, no matter the context. I have always paid attention to the importance of emotions in day to day life, and I noticed in...

Emotional Intelligence

Creative and Critical Thinking: Combining the Achievements of Thought

Creative, one word that can be interpreted in many ways whether in thoughts which is include ways of thinking and actions and also in verbal form. Critical, on the other side refers to the ability to analyse information objectively and make a reasoned judgment. It...

Critical Thinking

Critical Thinking Skills and Their Importance Today

As rapid urbanization continues to dominate the world, humans are being exposed to brand new ideas that feeds their mind logistically as well as holistically. This phenomenon in turn opens an opportunity for us to gain knowledge in various subjects that equips us with an...

How Unrealistic Beauty Standards on Social Media Affect Girls

Teenagers are affected by social media everyday by posting pictures and worrying about what other people are thinking. According to Mahita Gajanan from 'The Guardian' did a study and asked girls about their self-esteem and experiences with social media. Most of the girls that were...

Media Influence

How to Cope With Stress: Personality Types and Bible Verses

Since stress is an important contributing factor towards all kinds of diseases, knowing how to cope with it is a major key to good health. Therefore, it is important to learn the different methods that can be used in order to reduce stress or even...

Stress Response

College Stress: How to Manage It and Keep It Under Your Control

Most likely the least refreshing type of stress is college stress. This is generally because of the way that grown-ups essentially observe a great deal of college understudies sitting on their backsides playing computer games and drinking, rather than seeing understudies who are experiencing strain...

Academic Challenges

The Most Stressful Life Stage: Exploring Adolescence

Adolescence is the transitional period in human development between childhood and adulthood. It is also described as a period of rapid growth, where a person undergoes major changes in the physical, psychological and social domains. It is also important for the development of identity, as...

Nature vs Nurture: Is Identity Innate or Learned

Introduction The idea of being loved whether it be by family, significant other, or even by society, is one that we all strive for in our day-to-day lives, however, is this love we are trying to receive based on things we have lack of control...

Individual Identity
Nature Versus Nurture

Resilient and Resilience in Relation to Optimism and Well Being

When I started to learn positive psychology I had absolutly no idea what to expect from it, so I just thought that it will be some hippie practise about how to be happy all the time. Then we had our first lesson. We learned about...

Negative Effects of Technology on Child Development and Mental Health

Technology has rapidly grown throughout the world and has become the most reliable necessity in the world today. Tablets, cameras, laptops, smartphones, etc. devices have overtaken the human population. The world is surrounded by technology all around- at home, at school, at work, everywhere. On...

Negative Impact of Technology

Being Resilient: The Features That Foster Resilience

Before this course, I had very little and superficial knowledge about resilience but now after studying this course in detail, I understand this concept much better. For me, resilience is the ability bounce back after adverse situations. In the video, Michael Chandler defines resilient individuals...

Negative Effects of Technology on Child Development

In our modern society, technology is everywhere, specifically digital technology, and nearly everyone has some form of device whether it is a smartphone, smartwatch, tablet, laptop, computer, television, or even smart tv. Our world is loaded with technology because in theory it is all supposed...

Procrastination and the Harmful Effects of It on Job Performance

Procrastination is when someone has a job or task to do, and they say “I will do it later.” If they put it off until later, in some cases, they can lose your job. If someone is a chef and they reply to your boss...

Performance

Childhood Trauma and Its Negative Effects on the Child's Development

Complex childhood trauma is currently suffered by numerous students in Primary schools around the world. It usually commences in the early years of a child’s life, when they are exposed to pervasive and traumatic events causing severe impacts that will continue to disrupt a number...

Body Image and Mental Health: Impact of Social Media

Technology is quickly rising and upgrading every day and social media has become one of the most-used forms of technology. Social media such as Instagram, Twitter and Snapchat are digital platforms which allow users to upload and share their content with others and also make...

Body Image Pressure Among Young Adults and Adolescence

Body image and its notion of impressing other people through it has become like a general trend amongst the youth. They try to change their body figures, and their characters while trying to impress others. The majority of youths do matters to enhance how they...

Effects Of Growing Up With a Single Parent and How It Can Affect Your Life

Growing up in a single parent household can affect your life in many ways, a few examples includes how you view your relationships, how you carry yourself, and especially your future. Half of my existence I grew up in a single parent household and I...

Single Parenting

Why Juveniles Should Not Be Tried As Adults

Furthermore, children that commit crimes are products of their environment in which they live. For example, when children constantly get sexually abused, it causes immense amounts of trauma and a false sense of love. Often a traumatic experience for all is an offense punishable by...

Criminal Behavior

What Was The Environment In Which You Were Raised

I remember myself since I was three years old. I was a lively and inquisitive child. I had many friends and we spent a lot of time together. My parents were very busy at that moment, they were working and building our house. I spent...

Benefits and Importance Of Early Childhood Education

“If school is about learning, and learning starts at birth, then the idea that we expect Kindergarteners to meet their first teachers at age five is all wrong. There is increasing research being facilitated on early education with specific emphasis on the overall benefits it...

Early Childhood Education
Importance of Education

The Transition From Childhood To Adulthood

As human beings, we start off as just a fetus in a mother's womb. However, as time passes, we evolve. Every human being goes through many different phases in life. We go from being babies and eventually we become adults. Each phase is unique and...

Causes and Treatment of Childhood Obesity

'He is just a kid, give him what he wants'. This is the phase that is mostly used by the parents in order to encourage their children from eating what they want as long as it will make them happy. However, the statistic has shown...

Childhood Obesity
Eating Disorders

Human Nature in the Lost TV Show: Are Humans Inherently Good or Evil

Throughout humanity, the nature of humankind has been questioned by philosophers, leading them to conclude whether humans are inherently good or evil. Thomas Hobbes, a British philosopher that lived in the 1600s, believes that humans are born selfish and greedy, which leads to violence and...

Good and Evil
Human Nature

The Benefits of Video Games Both for Children and Adults

Ever since the 1970s the video game industry has grown quite a lot in popularity and has become the largest market in the world. There have been a lot of changes to how video games are made not only in the different genres for people...

Development
Human Development
Video Games

Why is Early Childhood Education Important

In this essay, I will discuss how strong value operates within the perspective of education and what are main concepts, design of theories from conforming perspective of education. This essay will show some theories which are pedagogy. My explanation will be reflected by nature and...

Problem Solving: Use of Math in Our Everyday Life

What I say about math is that I really don’t like it, but at the end of the day through high school math I have learned how to solve problems and not give up when I don’t fully understand something. I dislike math, but I do need it. The reason why I dislike math is that...

Mathematics in Everyday Life
Problem Solving

Why You Should Let Your Kid Play Football

It’s Friday night. Many parents and friends gather around to watch us in our first game of the year. The lights slowly begin to light up the field as we approach the 50-yard line, we toss the coin and the game begins. Down by 7...

Child Development

Growing A Grit And Growth Mindset

In today's society, there is a belief that intelligence is tied to GPA. There is a stereotype about intelligence. It is the idea that you are either smart or not smart. You either understand it or you do not. What happens if you are between?...

Personal Growth and Development

Effects Of Violent Video Gaming On Human Behavior

There are many various kinds of games and consoles within the world and vying worldwide. Video play has become a very common trade all over the world and has been growing exceptionally throughout the past twenty years. Gamers that are obsessed with online play are...

Impact of Video Games
Violence in Video Games

Why I Want To Be A Teacher: It Isn’t Just A Career, But It's A Calling

Being a teacher isn’t just a career, having the ability to enable a child to further make sense of the world around them and become a honourable and respectful member of society, gives me such a profound sense of pride and happiness. I want to...

Teaching Philosophy

Bilingual Education In Childhood For Effective Social Communication And Development

Today’s society places a heavy emphasis on the importance of being an effective social communicator, whether it be through verbal or non-verbal skills. Presently, more than half of the world’s population is multilingual and an increasingly larger number of people have been exposed to another...

Bilingualism
Educational Psychology

Importance of Reflection and Learning From Past Incidents

To practice competently, reflection is important because it allows one to critically think about past or present events, evaluate situations and then use the knowledge obtained to act accordingly in future situations. All of which improves patient care and helps minimise bad practice in the...

Solution-Focused and Cognitive Behaviour Therapy

In this essay I would like to examine three approaches, Gestalt, Solution-focused therapy, and Cognitive Behaviour therapy and how I intend on using them within my practice as an integrative counsellor. In my previous essay I proposed how I would use the person centred, psychodynamic...

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Transition's Impact on a Child’s Mental Health

In this essay I will be discussing and outlining the issues of how the transition can have an impact on a child’s mental health, emotions and their overall academic performance. I will also be discussing how development and puberty can affect a child, as well...

Child Psychology
Growth Mindset

Emergency Management and Bystander Behavior Effect

This essay will compare and contrast two approaches to understanding bystander responses to emergencies. The approaches explored in the essay are the experiment approach and discourse analysis, each being explained in further detail later in the essay. Bystander behavior (effect) can be explained as the...

Emergency Management
The Bystander Effect

The Impact of Technology on Wealth, Aging, and Lifestyle

Wealth, lifestyle, aging populations, and technological advances are said to be having a major impact on the growth of healthcare demand. This essay considers the impact of each of these factors and discusses how successful the introduction of so called ‘sin-taxes‘ have been in changing...

Individual Differences and Differences in the Functioning of Brain

It is irrefutable that people differ considerably from one another, with this variability arising from a unique combination of hereditary, biological factors and lived environmental experiences. Comprising persistent individual factors differentiating individuals from one another to establish distinctiveness, individual differences (namely those of intelligence and...

Human Brain

An Essay Concerning Human Understanding byJohn Locke

Psychology was derived from two other disciplines; physiology, the study of how living things work, and philosophy, the theories behind why living things behave the way they do. Philosophy and physiology are intertwined, in that they both have contributed to the study of the other....

The Role of Personal Development Planning Today

The essay deals with the PKSC module experiences that reflect on the academic study. Here, the different lectures are guided regarding the reflection that ensure the personal development. The other skills are mentioned research skills, digital skills, reading skills and MS office skills. Besides, the...

Personal Development Planning
Personal Goals

Psychosexual Development Theory and Child’s Personality

In this essay I am going to examine the age group of children 0-5 and how the psychological experience can impact on their transitions, during their life span. To achieve this task, I am going to analyze different theories in relation to all holistic aspects...

Homosexuality

Influence of Two Key Learning and Development Theories

This essay will discuss the applications and influence of two key learning and development theories to educational practice and policy. The aim is of this essay is to discuss two key development theories to educational practices. The two key theories are 1. Piaget and his...

Developmental Psychology
Learning Styles
Study Skills

Social Phenomena of Individual and External Circumstances in a Society

In todays society scholars all across the world have conflict in the matter which talks about how race and an individual’s identity shapes how we all live our lives. We can all come to a conclusion where we agree that everyone from individuals to a...

Optimism: Perception of Life is a Matter of Perspective

Our perception of life is a matter of perspective. From a young age we are taught to see the glass as half-empty or half-full. This perception is a simple example of optimistic or pessimistic behavior. Optimism is typically viewed as an individual’s ability to see...

Positive Psychology

The Move “Better Luck Tomorrow” by Justine Lin

The move, illustrates an image hidden behind well-mannered students of Sunny Hills high schools who are trying hard to over achieve. The main characters Ben and Virgil is showed as those over achievers of high schools who are known for their grades and extracurricular activities....

Social Movement

Swimming as a Hard Skill Necessary for Human Being

Swimming is hard. For non-swimmers swimming is harder than most realise and not easy to take up as a regular sport. All those good swimmers you see have excellent cardio-respiratory fitness and often years of technique training. So don't be discouraged. And... The first step...

The Benefits of Online Dating to Society

“There’s the old saying that you have to kiss a lot of frogs to find a prince”, and I think that really applies to online dating. The growing popularity of online dating sites is significantly remarkable. The dramatic increase in Internet usage, indeed, has spread...

Online Dating

How Peer Pressure Push an Adolescent to Be a Part of Peer Group

The theoretical framework which is for the complete dissertation inquiry, serves as the guide on which to build and help the study, consists of the selected concept (or theories) that under-builds researcher’s thinking with regards to how they apprehend and design to lookup the topic....

Peer Pressure

Puberty as The Major Fascinating Transition Throughout Lifespan

A biological process that marks the transition from childhood to adolescence is Puberty. “Puberty is a period of the life span marked by major psychological, endocrine and physical changes that contribute to the metamorphosis of children into reproductively mature adolescents.” Puberty is when your body...

A Deviant Behavior of the Filipino Using the Merton’s Strain

An American Sociologist named Robert K. Merton was born on July 4, 1910 in Philadelphia. This American sociologist developed the Merton’s Strain Theory of Deviance which explains the rising crime rates expression in the United Stated of America (USA) at that time. This theory states...

Deviant Behavior

Human Behavior on the Example of the History and Culture of the United States of America

The United States of America is a unique country indeed. Unique, powerful, modern, advanced in so many arenas. Compared to other countries of similar size and population, America easily overshadows in technological advances, education and legal systems. However, because our great nation is relatively young...

American History

Adult Education and ITS Philosophies

Before pursuing courses on adult education, it had been a while since I had contemplated on educational philosophies and what my actual style might entailed. When assigned this task, I assumed it would be easy to determine, ‘right?’ not so much, given the fact that...

Adult Education Program

The Concept of a Passive and Active Bystander Effect

Groups willingness to help others can be affected in many ways one specifically being the bystander effect. The bystander effect is the tendency for people be unresponsive in high pressure situations due to the presence of other people (Darley & Latane, 1968). There are two...

Review the Different Hypnotherapy Techniques for Phobias

This essay will look at what stress and anxiety are and how that can challenge diagnosis and impact treatment. before going on to other limitations of treatment. I will address phobias; the difference between fears and phobia and how that impacts on choices of treatment...

The Expectations of the Stroop Effect

The Stroop effect is an experimental design that analyzes our automatic responses when observing incongruent stimuli. In this study, a short experimental naming test will be performed with both neutral and interference conditions. A picture of fruit was displayed on a screen with either an...

Stroop Effect

Best topics on Psychology

1. Why Psychology Major: Understanding the Human Mind

2. Why Psychology: Exploring the Fascinating Depths of the Human Mind

3. Why I Chose Psychology: Path to Understanding the Human Mind

4. Sports Psychology: Unleashing the Mental Edge in Athletic Performance

5. The Social Learning Theory in Psychology

6. The Profound Contributions of Sigmund Freud to Psychology

7. Psychological Depths of “Shutter Island”

8. Exploring the Diverse Schools of Psychology

9. Exploring the Depths of Psychology Research

10. Psychology: Illuminating Perspectives in an Argumentative Discourse

11. Exploring Personality Psychology: Unveiling the Complexities Within

12. A Passion for Psychology: Nurturing the Flames Within

13. The History of Abnormal Psychology: Unveiling the Layers of Time

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Confirmation Bias

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Altruism in Psychology: Understanding Selflessness and Helping Behavior

This essay is about the concept of altruism in psychology, defining it as selfless concern for others’ well-being and exploring why people act kindly without seeking personal gain. It examines altruism through various psychological theories like C. Daniel Batson’s empathy-altruism hypothesis, which suggests that empathetic concern leads to genuinely selfless behavior. It also discusses evolutionary perspectives, such as kin selection and reciprocal altruism, which imply that helping others can indirectly benefit an individual’s genetic fitness. The essay touches on cultural factors that shape altruism and critiques suggesting that some altruistic acts are driven by egoistic motives. Ultimately, it highlights altruism as a complex yet essential human trait that fosters kindness and strengthens communities.

How it works

In the realm of psychology, altruism delineates a fascinating realm of human conduct, often construed as a selfless dedication to the welfare of others, culminating in acts of benevolence devoid of personal gain expectations. It emerges as a quintessential enigma of human behavior, contesting the presumption of inherent self-interest in individuals. Altruism beckons a profound inquiry into the rationale behind instances where individuals prioritize others’ needs over their own, even at a personal detriment. This phenomenon has perpetually captivated scholars across psychology, evolutionary biology, and philosophy, each endeavoring to unravel its origins and ramifications.

Psychological discourse often contextualizes altruism within the broader domain of prosocial behavior—actions undertaken to benefit others. The hallmark of altruism lies in its detachment from extrinsic rewards or accolades as motivational stimuli. For instance, extending aid to a stranger in distress or making anonymous charitable contributions epitomizes altruism when propelled solely by compassion, rather than a quest for social recognition or reciprocation. Yet, this seemingly uncomplicated concept begets profound inquiries into human motivations, ethics, and the myriad factors shaping our inclination to exhibit kindness towards others.

One of the seminal psychological theories explicating altruism is the empathy-altruism hypothesis postulated by psychologist C. Daniel Batson. This proposition posits that empathetic resonance—placing oneself in another’s predicament—engenders genuinely altruistic conduct. Batson contends that empathetic identification with someone undergoing adversity elicits an innate impulse to assuage their suffering, even at the expense of personal sacrifice. When an individual witnesses another’s plight, feelings of empathy can impel them to intervene, devoid of any anticipations of reciprocation. Batson’s research counters more cynical theories advocating that all prosocial conduct is fundamentally driven by self-interest.

Another pivotal viewpoint emanates from evolutionary psychology, scrutinizing altruism through the prism of natural selection. Though ostensibly at odds with Darwinian principles of survival of the fittest, evolutionary biologists such as William Hamilton proposed that altruistic conduct could evolve if it contributed to the survival of genetically close kin. This concept, termed “kin selection,” posits that organisms are predisposed to sacrifice for individuals sharing their genetic heritage. Hence, altruism can be construed as a mechanism ostensibly fostering genetic fitness, notwithstanding its ostensible selflessness.

Furthermore, reciprocal altruism, introduced by Robert Trivers, posits that individuals may manifest altruism towards non-kin, under the expectation of future reciprocation. This reciprocity engenders social cohesion and collaboration, deemed essential for communal resilience. It underscores the notion that humans and other social creatures have developed intricate mechanisms to discern trustworthy allies, thereby fostering a culture of mutual assistance.

Cultural and societal norms significantly shape our comprehension of altruism. Values and norms transmitted through socialization invariably extol kindness and empathy as commendable virtues, thereby fortifying prosocial tendencies. Religious and philosophical tenets often exalt altruism as a moral imperative. In contemporary society, manifestations of altruism are conspicuous in volunteer organizations, philanthropic endeavors, and grassroots movements advocating for societal amelioration.

Despite the laudable veneer of altruism, it remains a subject of contention. Detractors posit that ostensibly selfless acts often harbor underlying self-interest, such as the desire for self-gratification or aversion to social opprobrium. This notion, termed “egoistic altruism,” impugns the premise of altruism’s absolute selflessness. Moreover, some scholars caution against excessive altruism, cautioning that it may precipitate neglect of one’s own well-being.

In any event, altruism perseveres as a compelling and intricate phenomenon, affording insights into human nature. It underscores humanity’s capacity for compassion and proffers a testament to our propensity to extend succor to the distressed. Whether propelled by empathetic resonance, evolutionary imperatives, or societal conditioning, altruistic conduct enriches the fabric of our communities, reminding us of the interconnections binding us. By unraveling the psychological underpinnings thereof, we glean insights into fostering a more empathetic and collaborative societal ethos.

It is crucial to underscore that this exposition serves as a stepping stone for contemplation and further scholarly inquiry. For bespoke guidance and assurance of adherence to academic standards, one might contemplate availing themselves of the expertise of seasoned professionals at EduBirdie.

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Published: 21 May 2024

The bright side of sports: a systematic review on well-being, positive emotions and performance

David Peris-Delcampo 1 ,
Antonio Núñez 2 ,
Paula Ortiz-Marholz 3 ,
Aurelio Olmedilla 4 ,
Enrique Cantón 1 ,
Javier Ponseti 2 &
Alejandro Garcia-Mas 2

BMC Psychology volume 12 , Article number: 284 ( 2024 ) Cite this article

Metrics details

The objective of this study is to conduct a systematic review regarding the relationship between positive psychological factors, such as psychological well-being and pleasant emotions, and sports performance.

This study, carried out through a systematic review using PRISMA guidelines considering the Web of Science, PsycINFO, PubMed and SPORT Discus databases, seeks to highlight the relationship between other more ‘positive’ factors, such as well-being, positive emotions and sports performance.

The keywords will be decided by a Delphi Method in two rounds with sport psychology experts.

Participants

There are no participants in the present research.

The main exclusion criteria were: Non-sport thema, sample younger or older than 20–65 years old, qualitative or other methodology studies, COVID-related, journals not exclusively about Psychology.

Main outcomes measures

We obtained a first sample of 238 papers, and finally, this sample was reduced to the final sample of 11 papers.

The results obtained are intended to be a representation of the ‘bright side’ of sports practice, and as a complement or mediator of the negative variables that have an impact on athletes’ and coaches’ performance.

Conclusions

Clear recognition that acting on intrinsic motivation continues to be the best and most effective way to motivate oneself to obtain the highest levels of performance, a good perception of competence and a source of personal satisfaction.

Peer Review reports

Introduction

In recent decades, research in the psychology of sport and physical exercise has focused on the analysis of psychological variables that could have a disturbing, unfavourable or detrimental role, including emotions that are considered ‘negative’, such as anxiety/stress, sadness or anger, concentrating on their unfavourable relationship with sports performance [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ], sports injuries [ 5 , 6 , 7 ] or, more generally, damage to the athlete’s health [ 8 , 9 , 10 ]. The study of ‘positive’ emotions such as happiness or, more broadly, psychological well-being, has been postponed at this time, although in recent years this has seen an increase that reveals a field of study of great interest to researchers and professionals [ 11 , 12 , 13 ] including physiological, psychological, moral and social beneficial effects of the physical activity in comic book heroes such as Tintin, a team leader, which can serve as a model for promoting healthy lifestyles, or seeking ‘eternal youth’ [ 14 ].

Emotions in relation to their effects on sports practice and performance rarely go in one direction, being either negative or positive—generally positive and negative emotions do not act alone [ 15 ]. Athletes experience different emotions simultaneously, even if they are in opposition and especially if they are of mild or moderate intensity [ 16 ]. The athlete can feel satisfied and happy and at the same time perceive a high level of stress or anxiety before a specific test or competition. Some studies [ 17 ] have shown how sports participation and the perceived value of elite sports positively affect the subjective well-being of the athlete. This also seems to be the case in non-elite sports practice. The review by Mansfield et al. [ 18 ] showed that the published literature suggests that practising sports and dance, in a group or supported by peers, can improve the subjective well-being of the participants, and also identifies negative feelings towards competence and ability, although the quantity and quality of the evidence published is low, requiring better designed studies. All these investigations are also supported by the development of the concept of eudaimonic well-being [ 19 ], which is linked to the development of intrinsic motivation, not only in its aspect of enjoyment but also in its relationship with the perception of competition and overcoming and achieving goals, even if this is accompanied by other unpleasant hedonic emotions or even physical discomfort. Shortly after a person has practised sports, he will remember those feelings of exhaustion and possibly stiffness, linked to feelings of satisfaction and even enjoyment.

Furthermore, the mediating role of parents, coaches and other psychosocial agents can be significant. In this sense, Lemelin et al. [ 20 ], with the aim of investigating the role of autonomy support from parents and coaches in the prediction of well-being and performance of athletes, found that autonomy support from parents and coaches has positive relationships with the well-being of the athlete, but that only coach autonomy support is associated with sports performance. This research suggests that parents and coaches play important but distinct roles in athlete well-being and that coach autonomy support could help athletes achieve high levels of performance.

On the other hand, an analysis of emotions in the sociocultural environment in which they arise and gain meaning is always interesting, both from an individual perspective and from a sports team perspective. Adler et al. [ 21 ] in a study with military teams showed that teams with a strong emotional culture of optimism were better positioned to recover from poor performance, suggesting that organisations that promote an optimistic culture develop more resilient teams. Pekrun et al. [ 22 ] observed with mathematics students that individual success boosts emotional well-being, while placing people in high-performance groups can undermine it, which is of great interest in investigating the effectiveness and adjustment of the individual in sports teams.

There is still little scientific literature in the field of positive emotions and their relationship with sports practice and athlete performance, although their approach has long had its clear supporters [ 23 , 24 ]. It is comforting to observe the significant increase in studies in this field, since some authors (e.g [ 25 , 26 ]). . , point out the need to overcome certain methodological and conceptual problems, paying special attention to the development of specific instruments for the evaluation of well-being in the sports field and evaluation methodologies.

As McCarthy [ 15 ] indicates, positive emotions (hedonically pleasant) can be the catalysts for excellence in sport and deserve a space in our research and in professional intervention to raise the level of athletes’ performance. From a holistic perspective, positive emotions are permanently linked to psychological well-being and research in this field is necessary: firstly because of the leading role they play in human behaviour, cognition and affection, and secondly, because after a few years of international uncertainty due to the COVID-19 pandemic and wars, it seems ‘healthy and intelligent’ to encourage positive emotions for our athletes. An additional reason is that they are known to improve motivational processes, reducing abandonment and negative emotional costs [ 11 ]. In this vein, concepts such as emotional intelligence make sense and can help to identify and properly manage emotions in the sports field and determine their relationship with performance [ 27 ] that facilitates the inclusion of emotional training programmes based on the ‘bright side’ of sports practice [ 28 ].

Based on all of the above, one might wonder how these positive emotions are related to a given event and what role each one of them plays in the athlete’s performance. Do they directly affect performance, or do they affect other psychological variables such as concentration, motivation and self-efficacy? Do they favour the availability and competent performance of the athlete in a competition? How can they be regulated, controlled for their own benefit? How can other psychosocial agents, such as parents or coaches, help to increase the well-being of their athletes?

This work aims to enhance the leading role, not the secondary, of the ‘good and pleasant side’ of sports practice, either with its own entity, or as a complement or mediator of the negative variables that have an impact on the performance of athletes and coaches. Therefore, the objective of this study is to conduct a systematic review regarding the relationship between positive psychological factors, such as psychological well-being and pleasant emotions, and sports performance. For this, the methodological criteria that constitute the systematic review procedure will be followed.

Materials and methods

This study was carried out through a systematic review using PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews) guidelines considering the Web of Science (WoS) and Psycinfo databases. These two databases were selected using the Delphi method [ 29 ]. It does not include a meta-analysis because there is great data dispersion due to the different methodologies used [ 30 ].

The keywords will be decided by the Delphi Method in two rounds with sport psychology experts. The results obtained are intended to be a representation of the ‘bright side’ of sports practice, and as a complement or mediator of the negative variables that have an impact on athletes’ and coaches’ performance.

It was determined that the main construct was to be psychological well-being, and that it was to be paired with optimism, healthy practice, realisation, positive mood, and performance and sport. The search period was limited to papers published between 2000 and 2023, and the final list of papers was obtained on February 13 , 2023. This research was conducted in two languages—English and Spanish—and was limited to psychological journals and specifically those articles where the sample was formed by athletes.

Each word was searched for in each database, followed by searches involving combinations of the same in pairs and then in trios. In relation to the results obtained, it was decided that the best approach was to group the words connected to positive psychology on the one hand, and on the other, those related to self-realisation/performance/health. In this way, it used parentheses to group words (psychological well-being; or optimism; or positive mood) with the Boolean ‘or’ between them (all three refer to positive psychology); and on the other hand, it grouped those related to performance/health/realisation (realisation; or healthy practice or performance), separating both sets of parentheses by the Boolean ‘and’’. To further filter the search, a keyword included in the title and in the inclusion criteria was added, which was ‘sport’ with the Boolean ‘and’’. In this way, the search achieved results that combined at least one of the three positive psychology terms and one of the other three.

Results (first phase)

The mentioned keywords were cross-matched, obtaining the combination with a sufficient number of papers. From the first research phase, the total number of papers obtained was 238. Then screening was carried out by 4 well-differentiated phases that are summarised in Fig. 1 . These phases helped to reduce the original sample to a more accurate one.

Phases of the selection process for the final sample. Four phases were carried out to select the final sample of articles. The first phase allowed the elimination of duplicates. In the second stage, those that, by title or abstract, did not fit the objectives of the article were eliminated. Previously selected exclusion criteria were applied to the remaining sample. Thus, in phase 4, the final sample of 11 selected articles was obtained

Results (second phase)

The first screening examined the title, and the abstract if needed, excluding the papers that were duplicated, contained errors or someone with formal problems, low N or case studies. This screening allowed the initial sample to be reduced to a more accurate one with 109 papers selected.

Results (third phase)

This was followed by the second screening to examine the abstract and full texts, excluding if necessary papers related to non-sports themes, samples that were too old or too young for our interests, papers using qualitative methodologies, articles related to the COVID period, or others published in non-psychological journals. Furthermore, papers related to ‘negative psychological variables’’ were also excluded.

Results (fourth phase)

At the end of this second screening the remaining number of papers was 11. In this final phase we tried to organise the main characteristics and their main conclusions/results in a comprehensible list (Table 1 ). Moreover, in order to enrich our sample of papers, we decided to include some articles from other sources, mainly those presented in the introduction to sustain the conceptual framework of the concept ‘bright side’ of sports.

The usual position of the researcher of psychological variables that affect sports performance is to look for relationships between ‘negative’ variables, first in the form of basic psychological processes, or distorting cognitive behavioural, unpleasant or evaluable as deficiencies or problems, in a psychology for the ‘risk’ society, which emphasises the rehabilitation that stems from overcoming personal and social pathologies [ 31 ], and, lately, regarding the affectation of the athlete’s mental health [ 32 ]. This fact seems to be true in many cases and situations and to openly contradict the proclaimed psychological benefits of practising sports (among others: Cantón [ 33 ], ; Froment and González [ 34 ]; Jürgens [ 35 ]).

However, it is possible to adopt another approach focused on the ‘positive’ variables, also in relation to the athlete’s performance. This has been the main objective of this systematic review of the existing literature and far from being a novel approach, although a minority one, it fits perfectly with the definition of our area of knowledge in the broad field of health, as has been pointed out for some time [ 36 , 37 ].

After carrying out the aforementioned systematic review, a relatively low number of articles were identified by experts that met the established conditions—according to the PRISMA method [ 37 , 38 , 39 , 40 ]—regarding databases, keywords, and exclusion and inclusion criteria. These precautions were taken to obtain the most accurate results possible, and thus guarantee the quality of the conclusions.

The first clear result that stands out is the great difficulty in finding articles in which sports ‘performance’ is treated as a well-defined study variable adapted to the situation and the athletes studied. In fact, among the results (11 papers), only 3 associate one or several positive psychological variables with performance (which is evaluated in very different ways, combining objective measures with other subjective ones). This result is not surprising, since in several previous studies (e.g. Nuñez et al. [ 41 ]) using a systematic review, this relationship is found to be very weak and nuanced by the role of different mediating factors, such as previous sports experience or the competitive level (e.g. Rascado, et al. [ 42 ]; Reche, Cepero & Rojas [ 43 ]), despite the belief—even among professional and academic circles—that there is a strong relationship between negative variables and poor performance, and vice versa, with respect to the positive variables.

Regarding what has been evidenced in relation to the latter, even with these restrictions in the inclusion and exclusion criteria, and the filters applied to the first findings, a true ‘galaxy’ of variables is obtained, which also belong to different categories and levels of psychological complexity.

A preliminary consideration regarding the current paradigm of sport psychology: although it is true that some recent works have already announced the swing of the pendulum on the objects of study of PD, by returning to the study of traits and dispositions, and even to the personality of athletes [ 43 , 44 , 45 , 46 ], our results fully corroborate this trend. Faced with five variables present in the studies selected at the end of the systematic review, a total of three traits/dispositions were found, which were also the most repeated—optimism being present in four articles, mental toughness present in three, and finally, perfectionism—as the representative concepts of this field of psychology, which lately, as has already been indicated, is significantly represented in the field of research in this area [ 46 , 47 , 48 , 49 , 50 , 51 , 52 ]. In short, the psychological variables that finally appear in the selected articles are: psychological well-being (PWB) [ 53 ]; self-compassion, which has recently been gaining much relevance with respect to the positive attributional resolution of personal behaviours [ 54 ], satisfaction with life (balance between sports practice, its results, and life and personal fulfilment [ 55 ], the existence of approach-achievement goals [ 56 ], and perceived social support [ 57 ]). This last concept is maintained transversally in several theoretical frameworks, such as Sports Commitment [ 58 ].

The most relevant concept, both quantitatively and qualitatively, supported by the fact that it is found in combination with different variables and situations, is not a basic psychological process, but a high-level cognitive construct: psychological well-being, in its eudaimonic aspect, first defined in the general population by Carol Ryff [ 59 , 60 ] and introduced at the beginning of this century in sport (e.g., Romero, Brustad & García-Mas [ 13 ], ; Romero, García-Mas & Brustad [ 61 ]). It is important to note that this concept understands psychological well-being as multifactorial, including autonomy, control of the environment in which the activity takes place, social relationships, etc.), meaning personal fulfilment through a determined activity and the achievement or progress towards goals and one’s own objectives, without having any direct relationship with simpler concepts, such as vitality or fun. In the selected studies, PWB appears in five of them, and is related to several of the other variables/traits.

The most relevant result regarding this variable is its link with motivational aspects, as a central axis that relates to different concepts, hence its connection to sports performance, as a goal of constant improvement that requires resistance, perseverance, management of errors and great confidence in the possibility that achievements can be attained, that is, associated with ideas of optimism, which is reflected in expectations of effectiveness.

If we detail the relationships more specifically, we can first review this relationship with the ‘way of being’, understood as personality traits or behavioural tendencies, depending on whether more or less emphasis is placed on their possibilities for change and learning. In these cases, well-being derives from satisfaction with progress towards the desired goal, for which resistance (mental toughness) and confidence (optimism) are needed. When, in addition, the search for improvement is constant and aiming for excellence, its relationship with perfectionism is clear, although it is a factor that should be explored further due to its potential negative effect, at least in the long term.

The relationship between well-being and satisfaction with life is almost tautological, in the precise sense that what produces well-being is the perception of a relationship or positive balance between effort (or the perception of control, if we use stricter terminology) and the results thereof (or the effectiveness of such control). This direct link is especially important when assessing achievement in personally relevant activities, which, in the case of the subjects evaluated in the papers, specifically concern athletes of a certain level of performance, which makes it a more valuable objective than would surely be found in the general population. And precisely because of this effect of the value of performance for athletes of a certain level, it also allows us to understand how well-being is linked to self-compassion, since as a psychological concept it is very close to that of self-esteem, but with a lower ‘demand’ or a greater ‘generosity’, when we encounter failures, mistakes or even defeats along the way, which offers us greater protection from the risk of abandonment and therefore reinforces persistence, a key element for any successful sports career [ 62 ].

It also has a very direct relationship with approach-achievement goals, since precisely one of the central aspects characterising this eudaimonic well-being and differentiating it from hedonic well-being is specifically its relationship with self-determined and persistent progress towards goals or achievements with incentive value for the person, as is sports performance evidently [ 63 ].

Finally, it is interesting to see how we can also find a facet or link relating to the aspects that are more closely-related to the need for human affiliation, with feeling part of a group or human collective, where we can recognise others and recognise ourselves in the achievements obtained and the social reinforcement of those themselves, as indicated by their relationship with perceived social support. This construct is very labile, in fact it is common to find results in which the pressure of social support is hardly differentiated, for example, from the parents of athletes and/or their coaches [ 64 ]. However, its relevance within this set of psychological variables and traits is proof of its possible conceptual validity.

Analysing the results obtained, the first conclusion is that in no case is an integrated model based solely on ‘positive’ variables or traits obtained, since some ‘negative’ ones appear (anxiety, stress, irrational thoughts), affecting the former.

The second conclusion is that among the positive elements the variable coping strategies (their use, or the perception of their effectiveness) and the traits of optimism, perfectionism and self-compassion prevail, since mental strength or psychological well-being (which also appear as important, but with a more complex nature) are seen to be participated in by the aforementioned traits.

Finally, it must be taken into account that the generation of positive elements, such as resilience, or the learning of coping strategies, are directly affected by the educational style received, or by the culture in which the athlete is immersed. Thus, the applied potential of these findings is great, but it must be calibrated according to the educational and/or cultural features of the specific setting.

Limitations

The limitations of this study are those evident and common in SR methodology using the PRISMA system, since the selection of keywords (and their logical connections used in the search), the databases, and the inclusion/exclusion criteria bias the work in its entirety and, therefore, constrain the generalisation of the results obtained.

Likewise, the conclusions must—based on the above and the results obtained—be made with the greatest concreteness and simplicity possible. Although we have tried to reduce these limitations as much as possible through the use of experts in the first steps of the method, they remain and must be considered in terms of the use of the results.

Future developments

Undoubtedly, progress is needed in research to more precisely elucidate the role of well-being, as it has been proposed here, from a bidirectional perspective: as a motivational element to push towards improvement and the achievement of goals, and as a product or effect of the self-determined and competent behaviour of the person, in relation to different factors, such as that indicated here of ‘perfectionism’ or the potential interference of material and social rewards, which are linked to sports performance—in our case—and that could act as a risk factor so that our achievements, far from being a source of well-being and satisfaction, become an insatiable demand in the search to obtain more and more frequent rewards.

From a practical point of view, an empirical investigation should be conducted to see if these relationships hold from a statistical point of view, either in the classical (correlational) or in the probabilistic (Bayesian Networks) plane.

The results obtained in this study, exclusively researched from the desk, force the authors to develop subsequent empirical and/or experimental studies in two senses: (1) what interrelationships exist between the so called ‘positive’ and ‘negative’ psychological variables and traits in sport, and in what sense are each of them produced; and, (2) from a global, motivational point of view, can currently accepted theoretical frameworks, such as SDT, easily accommodate this duality, which is becoming increasingly evident in applied work?

Finally, these studies should lead to proposals applied to the two fields that have appeared to be relevant: educational and cultural.

Application/transfer of results

A clear application of these results is aimed at guiding the training of sports and physical exercise practitioners, directing it towards strategies for assessing achievements, improvements and failure management, which keep them in line with well-being enhancement, eudaimonic, intrinsic and self-determined, which enhances the quality of their learning and their results and also favours personal health and social relationships.

Data availability

There are no further external data.

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