Among the diversity of human life, the inner space of the individual remains unknown to many. And this internal life is in many ways more important for a person than the external one, since injuries inflicted on the psyche do not heal for decades, unlike wounds on the body. Psychologists know this well - people whose lives are devoted to studying the secrets of the soul. And, of course, the desire to understand others is valuable.
Those who set out on the path of self-education must go through a difficult path. What are the main difficulties of studying, why is it so difficult to master the science of psychology; where to start studying? Let's try to figure it out.
Methodology
When a person decides to study a science such as psychology, it is worth thoroughly becoming familiar with the methodology of science. And devote a lot of time to reading various literature.
But where to start studying psychology on your own? How to find the knowledge base on which you can rely further and study science in depth? Without fundamental, orderly concepts, no real science exists. First, the subject of science and methodology are studied. Methodology is a systematic analysis of the methods that are used in a given science to obtain knowledge.
Self-study forms
There are several options that allow you to study psychology on your own:
- Trainings and seminars dedicated to specific topics.
- Webinars and online courses compiled by university teachers.
- Psychological literature (both classical textbooks and periodicals).
- Long-term training programs with a narrow specialization will be useful to those who already have a general understanding of the structure of the human psyche.
Regardless of the chosen form of training, you will have to constantly work on maintaining practical skills and developing your own personal qualities, which are important for a psychologist.
For those who want to make psychology their life’s profession, it is best to study at the relevant universities, directly from practicing teachers.
Start with yourself. Why and for what
The beginning of the study of human psychology is the understanding of personal motives. First of all, you need to understand why the first step to studying people’s behavior is being taken: to have a good understanding of the development of children and help them grow harmonious, or for your own personal growth, or you want to become a professional and get the opportunity to help outsiders.
It is also important to decide in advance which side of science you will study thoroughly: theoretical or practical. After all, it’s difficult to find without knowing what exactly. Especially in the ocean of information.
Soft Skills – courses on the most valuable skills in the workplace
As correctly noted on the Netology website, people are hired for Hard Skills, and fired or promoted for Soft Skills.
Soft Skills: what are they and how to develop them
Description. Sign up for training now because the course is absolutely free. Soft skills are exactly those skills that help you move up your career ladder, create the impression of yourself as a reliable person to whom others are “drawn”, with whom everyone enjoys communicating.
Of course, there are many skills, but you can develop them all according to a single effective scheme, which the course teachers will introduce you to. After training, you will know what you need to do to become a more confident person, how to better approach people, and how to quickly develop the abilities necessary for your chosen field of activity.
If you want, you can work in “incognito” mode - other students will not know who you are, where you are from, or what problems you want to solve. This can be much more comfortable psychologically.
Authors: Svetlana Gonchar, Alexey Ponyatov.
Cost: free.
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Soft Skills for specialists
Description. A more in-depth course takes 4 months. The benefits that the program provides are obvious: students become more sociable, purposeful, ready to take responsibility for serious projects and achieve success in them.
A special feature of the program is that at the final stage of training you will have the opportunity to consult with a teacher in a one-on-one format, tell him about your work, your strengths and weaknesses, and ask for advice.
You will study the theory at webinars; if you do not have time to attend them, you will be able to view the recording in your personal account.
Authors: Maria Bolotskaya, Ekaterina Rybina, Alina Ermakova, Marina Norina.
Cost: 26,250 rub. or 2,625 rub. in installments for 10 months.
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Soft Skills: How to Assess and Apply in Your Career
Description. Another training material, paid, but not as long as the previous one; training takes only a month and a half. Already in the first lessons you will be able to determine which “soft skills” you have developed well and which ones need to be improved. Teachers will help you understand what skills are needed specifically for your field of activity.
There are several lessons during which you will interact directly with teachers. This helps to conduct self-analysis much more effectively and develop faster.
You can start learning the program for free. Sign up for classes, attend several webinars, complete 2-3 practical tasks and evaluate expert comments. If you like it, continue studying; if not, leave.
Authors: Alina Ermakova, Dmitry Shabalin.
Cost: 9,000 rub. or 900 rub. per month in installments for 10 months.
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Soft Skills for a Manager
Description. The course is more suitable for those who want to advance their career and feel more confident in a leadership position. For interpersonal communication with friends, family and friends, it is better to look for another program.
You will be able to properly build relationships with subordinates and superiors in order to “remain friends” and at the same time ensure the achievement of company goals. It will be much easier for you to plan your day and effectively distribute time between tasks.
Authors: Dmitry Moskvin, Dmitry Shabalin, Leisen Shayakhmetova, Dmitry Spasov.
Cost: 37,500 rub. or 3,750 rub. in installments for 10 months.
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Soft Skills for Hard Times
Description. The most detailed course on Soft Skills, includes six separate programs, training lasts a year. You will study:
- Techniques for managing emotions and increasing emotional intelligence.
- Rules for communicating with people.
- Negotiation techniques in any format, online and offline.
- Methods of managing teams and developing leadership qualities.
- Ways to prepare for public speaking.
- Time management.
If you have previously studied any of the courses listed above, not necessarily at Skillbox, you can negotiate with the manager and exclude the “extra” module from the program. The total cost of the course will decrease.
Upon completion of training, each student receives a certificate of advanced training. Everything is official on Skillbox.
Authors: Anna Kuzkina, Rustam Murtazin, Gleb Shulishov, Vadim Mikhalev.
Cost: 3,818 rub. with installments for 24 months.
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Psychology books. Which ones do a beginner need?
What books should you start studying psychology with? When setting the goal of learning the basics of any science, you need to start with the basics: the most basic categories, terms and concepts - all this can be found in any first-year textbook. Such textbooks are available in all city libraries. Although they are not very eloquently written, and are full of definitions and tables, they are worth mastering. It will be easier later. After reading this first book, you need to find the classics of psychology: C. Jung, C. Horney, A. Adler, E. Fromm and, of course, you need to familiarize yourself with the works of Freud.
A lighter and more interesting book by I. Yalom “When Nietzsche Wept.” You can then look for any author’s book in the direction that is currently more interesting.
There are a lot of original books; it is important to find an author who is a professional and has been working in this field for at least 10 years. Then the experience that the author conveys to the reader is authoritative, and one can rely on it in the future.
We must not forget that it is important for a psychologist to know the basics of philosophy and sociology. It is important to develop humanitarian thinking; science is not only theories and theses.
Fiction also contains a lot of useful information for the future psychologist. Classic writers clearly analyzed the nature of the inner world and the actions of their fictional heroes. A particularly deep analysis can be found in the books of F. Dostoevsky.
Literature
Literature should be selected based on the topic of interest. If you are going to study the characteristics of children's behavior in order to better communicate with your own child, then you are unlikely to need a textbook on pathopsychology. What will definitely come in handy is a book on the basics of general psychology and a dictionary of psychological terms. These books will make all other information accessible and understandable.
You can choose the author at your discretion. At the moment there are many of them and there is a great chance to choose the one whose presentation style is closest to you. The only thing worth paying attention to is the author’s biography, the presence of practical experience, scientific works, well-deserved degree, etc.
Freud, who is considered a classic and inextricably associated with psychological science, is not for everyone. The writing style and terminology may be difficult for beginners to understand and requires knowledge of the concept of psychoanalysis. In addition, many of his theories have already been criticized and are not relevant at the moment.
Magazines and publications
In today's incredibly vast space of information, finding an accessible and interesting journal on psychology is not a problem. Many universities publish their own magazine and post free versions on the Internet quite freely. You just need to find the journal that will be educational and useful for you in your chosen field of science.
- "Russian psychological journal".
- Journal of the Higher Attestation Commission "Bulletin of VlGU".
- "Experimental Psychology".
- "Existential and humanistic psychology."
- Online magazine psychologies.ru.
- Other.
The online magazine psychologies.ru was created for a wide range of readers. If you need scientific publications written by qualified employees of institutes, it is better to read official publications. Such as: “Russian Psychological Journal”.
Courses to get rid of stress, negativity and depression
These programs will help you become a happy person again, find harmony with yourself, and get rid of everything that interferes with your life and makes you despondent.
Mental self-regulation
Description. The course will teach you to cope with any type of stress, recover from prolonged depression or panic attacks.
You need to study for 1.5 months, each lesson lasts 20-30 minutes, the total number of lessons is 25.
All techniques described in the course are scientifically tested and proven to be effective. You can safely apply any of them in life. You will reinforce the theory several times with exercises, tests, and psychological techniques.
If you are constantly nervous, afraid of something, cannot control your emotions, or regularly fall into the traps of procrastination, the material will help you learn to cope with all this.
If you don't like the course, you can get your money back. To do this, you need to go through the material no further than the second lesson (inclusive), no more than a week should pass from the date of purchase.
Authors: Dmitry Radin, Alena Luneva, Evgeny Buyanov, Polina Grudanova.
Cost: 1,990 rub.
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Brain fitness
Description. This is a fairly expensive course, but the price is determined not so much by the information you purchase, but by the unique device that is sold as part of the course and sent to you by email.
The device is called a “neural interface”. It is worn on the head and analyzes the functioning of the brain. Then, via Bluetooth, it transmits information to your personal account on the Vikium website. As a result, you receive unique recommendations - how to reduce the level of anxiety, how to cope with a panic attack (if the neural interface notices it), how to get rid of negative experiences that are “stuck” in your brain.
Regular use of the neural interface will help you concentrate better on the tasks at hand, stress less, and not succumb to negative emotions. You will feel a much happier person after the first 2-3 weeks of classes.
Authors: Vikium project specialists.
Cost: 17,990 rub.
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Brain Detoxification
Description. This program will help you forget about all the negative emotions and experiences that are now poisoning your life. You probably had situations when you chewed “mental gum” - you constantly replayed negative stories in your head, couldn’t sleep because of it, etc. After completing all 10 “Detoxification” lessons, you will know how to stop doing this.
In addition to theory in text format, there are videos and audio recordings, a huge number of exercises and simulators. So there will be plenty of practice within the course.
Authors: Victor Shiryaev.
Cost: 1,490 rub.
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The world of psychology. Main directions
In what directions is modern psychology developing? Where to start studying trends in the development of the main directions of this science? You cannot succeed in everything at once, and you need to decide on the direction in which a person will feel most confident, what is closer to him to learn and apply.
The classic directions are:
- cognitive direction;
- Gestalt psychology;
- associative psychology;
- humanistic;
- deep.
And there are also new directions: psychodrama, coaching, transpersonal psychology and neurolinguistic programming.
Feel
Sensations are mental processes that are mental reflections of individual states and properties of the external world, arising from direct influence on the senses, a person’s subjective perception of external and internal stimuli with the participation of the nervous system. In psychology, sensations are usually understood as the process of reflecting various properties of objects in the surrounding world.
Sensations have the following properties:
- Modality is a qualitative indicator of sensations (for vision - color, saturation, for hearing - volume, timbre, etc.);
- Intensity is a quantitative indicator of sensations;
- Duration is a temporary indicator of sensations;
- Localization is a spatial indicator.
There are several classifications of sensations. The first of them belongs to Aristotle. They identified five basic senses: touch, hearing, sight, taste and smell. But in the 19th century, due to the increase in the types of sensations, the need for a more serious classification arose. Today there are the following classifications:
- Wundt's classification - depending on the mechanical, chemical and physical properties of stimuli;
- Sherrington classification - based on the location of receptors: exteroceptive, interoceptive and proprioceptive sensations;
- Head's classification - based on origin: protopathic and epicritic sensitivity.
Nonverbal communication as a basis
Without what is the science of psychology inconceivable? Where to start studying? A beginner needs to study both theory and practice. And accordingly, practice immediately: learn to listen, learn to pay attention to non-verbal signs. This practice is important in the same way that to learn a foreign language it is necessary to immediately pronounce sentences.
Nonverbal messages are a hint to the interlocutor; the theory of nonverbal communication states that gestures, facial expressions and postures of a person speak about the internal state much more than words. A good psychologist immediately “calculates” the state of a person nearby by his appearance. Even if you are not going to study psychology professionally, but are only interested in it, you need to learn to identify nonverbal signs. This will simplify communication with both loved ones and colleagues.
Courses on time management, or time management
“Time is your most valuable asset.” “The time we have is money we don’t have” – isn’t it time to learn how to manage your time better?
Time management - the best techniques
Description. The course lasts 1 month and 1 week, includes 20 lessons. Each lesson lasts 20-30 minutes. Teachers will tell you about the hundred most popular time management techniques that you can immediately begin to apply in your life.
You can apply the acquired knowledge everywhere: at home, in school, at work. If you are constantly nervous due to lack of time, “chronic” fatigue, constant delays, this material is definitely for you.
Among the techniques described, you will find the Descartes square, which helps to quickly make decisions under limited time, the Franklin pyramid for planning and goal setting, the GTD system for increasing personal effectiveness, and much more.
Authors: Dmitry Geraskin, Kirill Nogales, Evgeny Buyanov.
Cost: 1990 rub.
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Time management from Skillbox
Description. In just 1 month, you will learn how to manage time and use it as efficiently as possible to achieve your goals. You will learn how to correctly determine the amount of time to solve a certain task, how to plan your actions for the day, week, month and even year in order to achieve all the goals you want to achieve.
Separate lessons are devoted to the fight against laziness and procrastination. Experts will teach you to focus on one thing and not be distracted by anything, and do routine work as quickly as possible.
The total number of lessons is 18, they are combined into 4 thematic modules.
Authors: Matvey Matveev.
Cost: 12,000 rub. or 1,000 rubles per month in installments.
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What character qualities need to be developed?
Working with people is absolutely impossible without working on yourself. A psychologist is one who studies souls. This is how psychology is interpreted. Where to start studying the behavior and problems of others? From working on your character qualities. Because without knowing yourself, it is impossible to know others.
Psyche was the goddess-soul; accordingly, the science of the soul cannot be studied without love for the souls of people. You must be able to put yourself in the place of another and imagine his feelings and emotions. A psychologist also needs good abilities for self-analysis and self-reflection - that is, the ability to understand one’s own emotional state and behavior. Ability to establish verbal contact with any person.
Indeed, the study of human psychology is not so easy. Where to begin? Develop awareness. For a new psychologist, this is a key point. If a beginner is faced with the question: where to start studying psychology on his own, then it is better to reformulate it - with whom to start studying. From myself. A psychologist will not be able to solve other people's problems if he does not learn to solve his own complexes, problems, fears and anxieties.
Emotional Intelligence Courses
In my opinion, these three courses are the best. Likewise, the cheapest one comes first, then the more expensive ones.
Emotional intelligence from Vikium
Description. Here are twenty lessons that will teach you how to manage your emotions and correctly understand the emotions of other people. It will be much easier for you to resolve conflicts, you will learn how to talk with “irrational” people who seem completely impossible to put in their place.
If you often feel insecure, lost when communicating with someone one-on-one or speaking in front of a group of people, you can also eradicate this problem.
I advise you to take an emotional intelligence test before purchasing.
Author: Oleg Kalinichev.
Cost: 1,490 rub.
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Emotional intelligence and leadership from Skillbox
Description. Two courses in one. You will work on the emotional side of your personality while better understanding the emotions of those around you. You will learn to behave like a strong leader, confident in himself and understanding what goals he pursues.
Experts guarantee that after completing the program, each student will be able to improve relationships with managers and subordinates; in addition, it will become much easier for you to communicate with friends, family and loved ones.
A separate module of the course is devoted to emotional burnout - you can save yourself from it and protect the people you work with from burnout.
Duration of training – 2 months.
Authors: Elena Gaponenko, Anna Stogova.
Cost: 19,800 rub. or 1,650 rub. per month in installments.
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Emotional intelligence from Netology
Description. This course will first of all help you understand yourself and your emotions. You will be able to find a rational explanation for them and control yourself better. If you periodically experience bouts of depression or panic attacks, become depressed or irritable, the program will help you cope with all this and begin a brighter, happier life.
Great attention is paid here to the emotional atmosphere that arises when two or more people communicate. You will learn to manage this atmosphere, to communicate even with those people who cause you unpleasant emotions.
The program is suitable for parents who have children (especially teenagers), managers and company executives, and all those who want to become a more sociable and self-confident person.
16 hours are allocated for mastering theory, 29 for practical classes. Duration of training – 2.5 months.
Authors: Anastasia Vysotskaya
Cost: 17,000 rub. or 1,700 rub. per month in installments.
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Proxemics
Distance and the need to maintain it when conducting a conversation are studied by such a science as proxemics. The concept was introduced into science by Edward Hall.
Edward Hall introduced 4 zones into the scientific world of psychologists that must be observed when communicating:
- intimate;
- personal;
- social zone;
- public
Understanding people's inner states is not so easy. There is no point in reading books if a beginner cannot recognize the inner mood of his interlocutor.
A psychologist cannot put pressure on a person. When he does not keep his distance, the person will close himself and will not allow him into his inner world.
Methods of psychological influence on people
Society consists of people who constantly communicate with each other. Consciously or not, they all influence each other. There are various ways to influence the environment.
Methods of exposure to humans:
- Contagion is a method based on the transfer of emotions from one individual to another. If someone panics or cries, then everyone's mood deteriorates. You can be “infected” with both negative and positive emotions, for example, laughter, joy, fun.
- Suggestion - an individual is inspired to act as someone wants. Suggestion occurs through words, gestures, and actions. Each individual has different suggestibility. Suspicious people and children under 13 years of age are more easily suggestible than independent individuals.
- Persuasion - an individual is persuaded to act one way and not another through logical thinking. The higher a person's intelligence, the harder it is to convince him. In the process of persuasion, it is important to instill trust. If the interlocutor doubts the veracity of the arguments, it is impossible to convince him of anything.
- Imitation - consciously or unconsciously, an individual tries to copy the behavior of another person. Typically, role models are successful, famous and rich individuals.
Many people use another method of influencing an individual. Its name is manipulation. Using this method, the manipulator gets what he wants, while the opponent retains the illusion of independently made decisions. Aristotle also said that the success of influence depends on who says what to whom.
Personality psychology is a fascinating science. Anyone can understand its basics. True, not everyone is able to put their knowledge into practice. An experienced psychologist will help you understand all the nuances of the psychological discipline.
We do stupid things to fit in
In the study, a participant was assigned to a group and asked to answer a seemingly simple question. The group was instructed in advance to say a deliberately incorrect answer. In the end, 37 out of 50 subjects gave the wrong answer, repeating it after the majority (even if it was obviously wrong), simply because they wanted to please the group members or thought that the majority knew better than them. This effect is blunted if there is at least one person in the group who agrees with the subject.
Observation from the outside helps sometimes, but not while eating.
If you are observed while performing a simple task, your results will increase, but if you are observed during a complex task or a task related to learning a new skill, your results will decrease. By the way, this feature is inherent not only to people, but also to cockroaches (!). Being in a room with others has another effect: if a repairman is working in the room (even in the very corner), people begin to work more slowly. In addition, people, like animals, eat more if they eat in the presence of someone else.
Classification of sciences according to B. M. Kedrov.
Academician B. M. Kedrov placed this science in. At the top he placed the natural sciences, the lower left corner was allocated to the social sciences, and the lower right corner to philosophical branches (logic and epistemology). The scientist placed mathematics between the natural sciences and the philosophical sciences. Kedrov gave psychology a central place, showing that it is capable of uniting all groups of sciences.
Basic psychological sciences are associated with social disciplines that study human behavior. Social sciences include psychology, social psychology, sociology, political science, economics, ethnography, and anthropology.
Psychology is firmly connected with the natural sciences: physics, biology, physiology, mathematics, medicine, biochemistry. At the junction of these sciences, related fields appear: psychophysics, psychophysiology, neuropsychology, bionics, pathopsychology.
The psychological characteristics of science determine its place in the system of sciences. Currently, the historical mission of psychology is to integrate different spheres of human knowledge. It combines social and natural sciences into one concept.
In recent years, connections between psychology and technical disciplines have been increasing, and related sciences are emerging: ergonomics, aviation and space psychology, engineering psychology.
The subject of psychological science connects applied and theoretical disciplines that develop on the borders with the sciences of man, nature, and society.
Such development can be explained by the demands of the practical activities of society. As a result, new areas of psychological science are being created and developed: space, engineering, and educational psychology.
The use of physical methods in modern psychology contributed to the emergence of experimental psychophysics and psychology. Currently, there are about one hundred different branches of psychology.
The basis of modern psychology is considered to be general psychology, which studies the general laws, mechanisms and patterns of the psyche. It includes experimental studies and theoretical aspects.
The human psyche is the subject of some branches:
- in genetic psychology, they consider hereditary mechanisms of behavior and psyche, their connection with the genotype;
- in differential psychology, they analyze individual differences in the psyche of different people, the features of their appearance, and the algorithm of formation;
- in developmental psychology, they consider the patterns of development of the psyche of a healthy person, as well as the characteristics of the psyche of each age period;
- in child psychology, changes in consciousness and mental processes of a growing child are considered, as well as conditions for accelerating these processes;
- in educational psychology, the patterns of formation of a child’s personality in the process of upbringing and training are analyzed.
Modern psychology is characterized by differentiation, which gives rise to its division into various branches. They can differ significantly from each other, despite the similar subject of study.
