The study of the mind has had a profound effect upon society in an eclectic amount of ways, ranging from the relatively recent and extensive improvements on the healthcare of patients and mentally ill to the development of infants and the evolution of humans as dependant social creatures. Psychology is the fundamental basis of society and as humans we are all driven by this powerful force which we are still incapable of fully understanding. I initially chose psychology out of curiosity and on a whim, and it rapidly developed into my favourite subject whilst studying it at AS level. I hope to one day proudly regard myself as someone who’s profession is dedicated to the understanding of the complex matter of ‘The mind’
The other A-levels I have been studying have also helped to engage my interest in psychology as it is evident that it is heavily embedded in all of society. For example, in drama, the key play I am studying is ‘Woyzeck’ a play by Georg Buchner which tells the story of a soldier who has a psychological breakdown. The play was based on the true story of Johann Christian Woyzeck who was executed for murdering his wife and his case was the first in German legal history an insanity defence was ever used, in turn, piquing my interest in Psychopathology, which I further studied in psychology AS. Studying AS literature has helped me to understand and utilize the critical and precise language that is used in psychology especially due to its empirical nature. Furthermore, studying Sociology at AS level developed my skills as an independent worker due to the large amount extracurricular study needed to fully grasp the large amount of knowledge needed.
Working for the supermarket Tesco for a period of two weeks helped me to develop