About My Interest in Psychology

Examination of the unique personality
traits in individuals helps them
define their identity and know how
they compare to other people.

Many people find themselves drawn to psychology for one reason or another. The science of psychology spans from understanding how animals process their environments to how humans become attracted to one another. In this post, I would like to focus on personality psychology, my
favorite sub field of psychology.

Personality psychology is the study of comparing and contrasting the personality traits of people as well as how their personalities grow and change over time. The field can also deal with individuals who suffer from personality disorders, offering theories as to why their personalities have been distorted and solutions to provide balance for their lives.

The general minimum educational requirements for having a career in this field of study are:

• A Bachelor's degree in psychology 
• 4 years of study
• A Master's degree in psychology 
• 2+ additional years of study after receiving a Bachelor's degree
• NOTE: A Master's degree may be enough for some positions in this field
• A Doctoral degree in psychology or a specialist degree in personality psychology 
• 2+ additional years after receiving a Master's degree 

OR 

• 4-5 additional years of study after receiving a Bachelor's degree

Some common career choices for someone in this field includes a personality psychologist, a mental health consular, or a clinical social worker.

Sigmund Freud

Personality psychology has been expanded on by different psychologists over the last 200 years. Some notable contributors to the field are Sigmund Freud (1856-1939), an Austrian neurologist who designed the method of psychoanalysis and Carl Jung (1875-1961), the Swedish father of the psychological idea of the "complex". Psychoanalysis is the interpretation of the unconscious through analyzing the dreams and fantasies of  the subject. A "complex" is a set pattern of behavior that someone often reverts to such as the Cleopatra complex in which a woman is so sure of her uniqueness and talent that she feels that the world owes her special treatment.

Now that we've gone through all of the technical mambo-jumbo, I'd like to give my own reasons for enjoying personality psychology. Every person has at some point felt like they didn't fit in with their community, felt out of touch with others and even with reality itself because they thought they were misunderstood or too odd to be a part of this world.

I've felt this way many times myself, especially during my childhood. From a young age, I noticed that I was significantly shyer and more reserved than other children. I couldn't relate to my peers very well, choosing instead to spend the majority of my time doing solitary activities like reading books, walking around to explore different places, and writing my own short stories.

One day, I got a glimpse as to why my social preferences were so. About 4 years ago, I found the Meyer-Briggs personality test online and I decided to take it out of boredom. I found out that I have an INTJ personality type, which is one of the rarest types (it's the least common type for women as well as the third least common type in the general population). I saw a side of me that I didn't understand before, a side that is systematic, introspective, and a starry-eyed visionary.

Knowing who you are and what your innate skill set is
can help you find your own road to personal success

Since my discovery, I have been able to use my strengths more efficiently. I've used my organizational abilities to stay on top of my responsibilities and plan for future opportunities. My analytical mind set lets me understand the personalities of other people and know how to help them in the best ways possible.

My interest has allowed me to understand myself, interact with others, and grow as a person. Even though I don't believe I would want a career in this field, I find the information it contains to be good for anyone who wants to understand themselves, improve their relationships, and change their world.


Ciao!

Sources

Types of Psychological Complexes
https://analyticalpsychology.wordpress.com/2011/04/08/types-of-psychological-complexes/
 
5 Advance in how Psychologists view Personality
https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-personality-analyst/201404/five-advances-in-how-psychologists-view-personality

Biography of Sigmund Freud
https://www.biography.com/people/sigmund-freud-9302400

Personality Psychology Careers: Job Descriptions and Salary Info
http://learningpath.org/articles/Personality_Psychology_Careers_Job_Description_Salary_Info.html

Psychology School Guide

https://www.psychologyschoolguide.net/psychology-careers/personality-psychologist/

Very Well: Understanding Personality Psychology

https://www.verywell.com/personality-psychology-4013513

Theories of Personality
https://www.simplypsychology.org/personality-theories.html

What Are the Big Five Personality Traits
https://www.verywell.com/the-big-five-personality-dimensions-2795422

The Myers & Briggs Foundation
http://www.myersbriggs.org/my-mbti-personality-type/mbti-basics/isabel-briggs-myers.htm?bhcp=1

16 personalities: INTJ
https://www.16personalities.com/intj-personality

Photo of Sigmund Freud
https://libcom.org/files/imagecache/article/images/blog/freud1.jpg 

Photo of Man with a Magnifying Glass
https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2363/2349098787_2cd660c18c_b.jpg

Photo of Career Paths
https://www.lawyersweekly.com.au/images/articleImages-850x492/career-path.jpg

About Me

Just a Small Town Girl

My friend Leigh and I
at the Dallas Holiday Parade

My name is Emelia Johnson. You can pronounce my first name like "Amelia" or "Emilia" (but I promise you that it's not "Emily"!). I'm not much of a storyteller (or even a talker in general), but since you're already here, I'll take a crack at summing up my life in a few paragraphs and even put some pictures on the sides.

Although I came to Hardin Simmons University from Breckenridge Texas, I was actually born in Salt Lake City, Utah. I moved a lot when I was younger, starting from Utah, to New Hampshire, and finally Texas. 

I'm a freshman at Hardin Simmons University this year and my major is in Music Theory & Composition. I fell in love with music composing when I first started using music software when I was fifteen. In high school, my band directors Mr.Richardson and Mr.Moses encouraged me to continue pursuing composition by taking me to music theory competitions and even letting me write a song for a school concert my senior year.

I'm also involved in some extracurricular activities at HSU. As a saxophonist for the "World Famous" Cowboy Band and a clarinetist for the concert band as well as a member of the Quills & Ink Writer's Guild, you could say that I keep myself busy during the week.

The Concert Band Clarinet Squad

When I'm not practicing my saxophone or writing music, I'm most likely watching superhero cartoons with my friends or reading a fantasy/science fiction book in the library. I'm a fan of Marvel comics, puzzle games, the German language, British crime dramas, and a good cup of tea.

When I asked my mom what kind of food I reminded her of, she said a sushi roll. They are usually tightly rolled and organized on the outside, yet they are creatively designed and hold many surprises on the inside!

So there you have it, folks! A short and sweet summary of what makes me, well, me. 

Auf Wiedersehen!