Psychology definition
According to American Psychology Association, it is the scientific study of the mind and behaviour. It is a relatively new concept. Windy and William James are two scientists credited as the founder of psychology as a science that was distinct from philosophy.
Wilhelm Windy was a German scientist who wrote his famous book entitled Principles of Physiological Psychology, published in 1873. Structuralism was the first school of psychology that focused on breaking down complex mental processes into simple parts.
Other theories also came to light in response to structuralism. As a result, functionalism emerged from great thinkers such as the evolutionist Charles Darwin and William James. Functionalists focused on the purpose of consciousness and behaviour.
How to Become a Psychologist in India?
The requirements to become a Psychologist is as below:
- You have to complete 10+2, preferably with Psychology or Biology as a subject.
- Also, you must score at least 50% in 10+2 from a recognized board.
- After that, you have to pursue a bachelor’s degree (B.A. or B.Sc) in Psychology.
- This field is about how well you can apply your knowledge. So, you will need to gain experience. For this reason, you can enrol for various internship programs or may hunt for jobs for freshers and gain experience.
- Alternatively, you can start working after completing your bachelor’s degree or pursue M.A. or M.Sc in Psychology for specialization.
- Further specialization at the doctoral level like PhD or M.Phil is also available in India.
The field of psychology is enormous and is classified into many sub-branches. Here is a detailed description of how to become a Psychologist in India.
Pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Psychology
Suppose you want to build a career in this field. Firstly, you must pass 10+2 from a recognized board and possess Psychology or Biology as a subject. After that, you have to enrol for a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from a recognized university. The course of study includes Psychology Definition, General Psychology, Experimental Psychology, Development Psychology, etc.
Bachelor of Arts in Psychology or Bachelor of Science in Psychology is a three-year U.G. program offered by many universities and colleges across India. In the curriculum, you will be taught about a firm understanding of human nature and the study of human behaviour to various stimuli. The course helps to train and excel the students in cognitive science. It enables the students to enhance cognitive thinking and decision-making ability by conveying in-depth knowledge in human emotions, creativity, reasoning, logical thinking, choice-making, and different types of diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.
Gaining experience
However, achieving a degree in Psychology is not enough. If you want to build a successful career in this field, you have to expose yourself to different circumstances and deal with them. After completing a three-year U.G. course, you will need to undergo a training period so that you can properly apply your wisdom to real-life situations.
For psychology students, an internship is an integral part of their education. It helps them determine a specialization and practical skills they develop while working. Also, it increases the hiring probability for a psychology graduate.
Degree and specialization
After completing your bachelor’s degree in Psychology, you can either start working or opt to go for higher studies. Choosing the right specialization is very crucial. Internships and training help a lot to determine the right specialization.
Syllabus: How to Become a Psychologist
The basic subject and topics that are taught in the curriculum are as below:
1st year
- Psychology definition
- General psychology
- Then, social psychology
- Biological psychology
- Child development study
- Psychology of individual differences
- Finally, statistical methods for psychological research: part 1
2nd year
- Psychology of adolescence and adulthood
- Development of psychology thought
- Psychology research
- Then, understanding psychological disorders
- Applied social psychology
- Behavioural science
- Consumer behaviour
- Finally, statistical methods for psychological research: part 2
3rd year
- Understanding and dealing with psychological disorders
- Organizational behaviour
- Counselling psychology
- Human resource development
- Community psychology
- Finally, abnormal psychology
Psychology subjects
Commonly, B.A. or B.Sc in Psychology consists of the following subjects:
- Psychology Definition
- Biological Basis of Behavior
- Experimental Psychology
- English
- Social Behavior
- Psychological Psychology
- Social Psychology
- Experimental Psychology
- Human Development
- Development Psychology
- Organizational Behavior
- Elementary Statistics
- Educational Psychology
- Psychopathology
- Psychological Research
- Counseling Research
- Computer Assisted Testing and Field Study
- Abnormal Psychology
- Human Resource Development
- Lastly, Psychology and Social Issues
Similarly, the main subjects in M.A or M.Sc in Psychology are mentioned below:
- Firstly, Applied Psychometry
- Secondly, Cognitive Process
- Then, Neuropsychology
- Statistics and Experimental Design
- Paradigms of Psychology
- Emotions in Everyday Life
- Applied Developmental Psychology
- Indian Psychology and its Applications
- Appreciating Diversity
- Multivariate Technique
- Gender: A Psycho-Social Understanding
- Self In-psychoanalytic Thought
- Listening and communicating
- Cognitive Psychology
- Experimental Designs Theory
- Statistics in Behavioral Science
- Psychometrics Theory
- Neural Psychology
- Dynamics and Interpersonal Behavior Theory
- Personality Theory
- Systems & Skills Intervention
- Synopsis
- Dissertation
- Self and Positive Psychology
- Lastly, Psychology of Social Behavior Theory
Books: How to Become a Psychologist
- Firstly, Psychology Foundation by B.T. Basavanthappa.
- Next comes, Organizational Behavior by Newstrom J.W.
- Human Resource Management by Dessler.
- Educational Psychology by J.W. Santrock.
- Developmental Psychology by Laura E. Berk.
- Psychological Statistics by Mangal Paperback.
- Abnormal Psychology by Alexis Bridley.
- Finally, Counseling Psychology by Professor Gerald Corey.
Types of Psychology
Overall, Psychology is an extensive field with many sub-categories such as Clinical Psychology, Counselling Psychology, Educational Psychology, Developmental Psychology, Health Psychology, Sports Psychology, social psychology, etc. Some of them have been briefly discussed below.
Clinical Psychology
It is the branch of psychology that deals with examining and treating mental illness and different types of psychiatric problems that arise in human beings due to various factors like stress, hormonal issues, etc. Hence, a Clinical Psychologist is a professional who listens and examines mental health. They diagnose disorders by using tests, assessments and past mental health conditions. They use various treatment methods such as psychotherapy, stress reduction therapy and so on. Moreover, they keep track of improvement in the patient’s health through regular sessions.
A Clinical Psychologist should have the following key skills to work effectively:
- Cognitive-behavioural therapy
- Interpersonal skills
- Psychometric testing
- Disorders analysis
- Mental health and wellness
Nowadays, the demand for Clinical Psychologists is high due to the stressful lifestyle around us. The salary of a fresher as a Clinical Psychologist is approximately 1 Lakh per annum.
Counselling Psychology
It is one of the branches of Psychology that handles and works towards the patient’s emotional, social, and health. Consequently, a Counseling Psychologist listens, observes, and treats patients facing extreme emotional and behavioural problems. They help patients to overcome previous emotional traumas through counselling. They address patients to problems like work stress, career stress, relationships, and emotional issues.
Counselling Psychologists analyze the patient’s problem through a regular session and past health issues. They have to be very kind and empathetic towards the patient to make them comfortable. It helps to assess the patient effectively and serves as a therapy. It makes the patient feel that he can share his thoughts with somebody.
A Counseling Psychologist must possess the following key skills
- Behavioural analysis
- Cognitive-behavioural therapy
- Profiling
- Psychometric assessment
- Personality analysis
The salary is high for a Counselling Psychologist. In fact, the average salary of a fresher may be approximately 5 Lakhs per annum.
Social Psychology
In general, a major part of the population in the entire globe tends to act differently when they are associated with different groups of people. For instance, we tend to behave differently when spending time with our family or friends. Our behaviour in both gatherings is different. It is a quite common example, and the reason behind this is very simple. The people around us greatly influence our feelings, thoughts and actions.
Social psychology is the scientific study of how the presence of different individuals can impact someone’s thoughts and behaviour. Unfortunately, most of us have faced the negativity of social gatherings such as bullying, prejudice, domestic or family problems at some point in our lives. A Social Psychologist inspects group behaviour, social perception, non-verbal behaviour and aggression. The job roles of a Social Psychologist depend upon the employment type. If they work in college or university, they spend most of their time researching. On the other hand, if they are employed in an academic path. Then, they focus on training the students to become qualified Psychologists.
Developmental Psychology
It is a scientific study of how an individual’s feelings, thinking, and behaviour change throughout his lifetime. Initially, the study was limited to infants and toddlers, but it has broadened to adults and their entire lifespan. It explains how individuals and groups develop intellectually, socially and emotionally over a lifetime. The course of study includes topics like continuity and discontinuity, nature and nurture, etc. A Developmental Psychologist should possess understanding, good communication skills and a productive attitude.
About us
Nevertheless, a psychologist’s scope in India is great due to its huge demand. Apart from working in the professional field, you can also work part-time at Chegg India as a Subject Matter Expert. They are individuals who work from India and solve the doubts of students outside India. There are thousands of tutors helping lakhs of students through online portals.
Chegg India is hiring Subject Matter Experts for Psychology (clinical and social) to answer the doubts of students and earn a good sum of money for each correct answer. Apart from Psychology, there are several subjects available that you can choose, like Economics, Accounting, Finance, Engineering, Computer Science, Science, Physics, Advanced Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Mathematics, Statistics and Probability, Health Care Nursing and Earth Science. All you need to become a Subject Matter Expert is a bachelor’s degree, a master’s degree or a diploma in relevant subjects.
Here is how you can register and start earning by solving doubts:
- Visit the official website of Chegg India.
- Register using an email address and then sign in.
- Then pick a subject of your choice from the available subjects.
- Afterwards, you have to go through an online screening test which is a quick test to check the knowledge of the subject you have picked.
- If you qualify for the test, you have to verify your documents.
- Verification of documents may take a few days.
- That’s it! Now you can solve questions and start earning.
Final thoughts: How to become a Psychologist
In this article, we discussed how to become a Psychologist in India, its scope and career opportunities, the different types of specialization in psychology, etc. Evidently, over time, more and more people are getting aware that mental health is as important as physical health. Diagnosis and timely treatment of mental health issues are as important as physical or internal injuries. As a result, the demand is increasing day by day.
