Farnaz Arman

English 1010

11:30-12:50PM

Social Psychology

A career in Social Psychology is perfect for anyone who is interested why people

act differently around different groups of people, why they act differently and why people

act the way they do, as well as the cognitive, social and physical reasons behind these

dilemmas. It is also a perfect fit for someone who would like to put a stop or how to find

solutions on how to stop prejudice, bullying, criminal activity, community health

problems, substance abuse, family and domestic problems. This essay will discuss the

merits and disadvantages of a career in social psychology, as well as the steps on ways

to become one.

You might think to yourself that sounds a lot like Sociology but the difference is

that in Social Psychology you see how things influence a person, while sociology

studies humans as a whole, (Career in Psychology, 2016). According to Social

Psychology Careers they can create environments that replicate the real world but

most of them would rather just do their research in the field, this creates more validity

to their research. Which means that they would rather study people in their natural

environments like at schools, or businesses, this way they are able to see people as

their true selves. They will pay attention to their actions and behaviors, they might even

interview them. If you like being social and talking to people or just observing and you
are fascinated with people then this is the career for you! Because this field requires so

much interactions with other human beings, you will have to either be really comfortable

being a people person or quickly learn how to be one.

If you love helping people and making the world a better place than become a

social psychologist.They can help the world in many ways, even for a person who

majors in marketing. Social psychologists can see what group of people would be fit to

the product or things they want to advertise and these are just some minor things they

can do. So if you are interested in scientific methods then you should do this! Social

psychologists are generally committed to scientific methods, and therefore the values of

a good social psychologist are those of a good scientist: curiosity, moderate skepticism,

and honesty. To these I would add: insight about self and relationships, said Nicholas

Difonzo when asked what makes a good social psychologist. Some of the more

important things they do is study people who might be facing some issues of their own

and see what they can do to fix it and why its impacting them the way it is.

Once again the duties of a social psychologist would largely depend upon the

environment in which they are employed. If they are employed by a college or

university, they might spend a lot of their time engaged in research on many different

social issues. Most of the time these social issues are gender equality, conflict

management, or race relations. Psychologists might be researching in a laboratory or

out in the field in a natural setting. Other social psychologists typically will teach the

course or train others. Some of the others will be employed by private firms or the

government and they will conduct some research of their own. Some of the things they

do is help develop public policies that address a social ill, such as obesity, poverty, or
homelessness. They will design a campaign that will attract the right audience and

make it more attractive according to Careers in Psychology. When choosing if you want

to be a social psychologist, the field you want to go into is extremely important. For

example if you were to go into marketing, as stated above, or government work, having

background knowledge like a double major in business or politics and psychology will

greatly help you.

The reason I think this type of psychology is so much pertinent than the rest is

because since you are basically learning about human behavior, which makes your

work options very diverse! You can work at colleges, or universities where you can

conduct research or you can teach classes, or run psychology laboratories. Other social

psychologists work for the government offices, non-profit organizations, hospitals, social

services, agencies, and private corporations. This has so many career options you can

choose to do, such as research, marketing, politics, or even technology design. (Social

Psychology Studies Human Interaction)

To become a social psychologist there are some steps required. The required

training takes place at the graduate level. Its possible to get into the career with a

masters degree, but professionals generally need a doctoral degree to distinguish

themselves as social psychologists (Social Psychologist: Education Requirements and

Career Information). Social psychology doctoral students typically do four or more

years of graduate education. Part of their education includes courses and seminars on

social cognition, intergroup relations, and political psychology. After that they usually

need to produce a thesis or research project. A good GPA, connections and outside

extracurriculars help your chances of being accepted in a program. The good thing
about it is that you can start joining professional organizations as early as the

undergraduate years. It all depends on which industry you are going into, since they are

employed by basically any industry. This is a highly competitive program and they might

not have a lot of room but the rewards outweigh the risk. I think you should always have

a plan B for example maybe do psychology as an undergraduate. Overall it looks like

eight to ten years of schooling which isnt too bad. I was planning on moving

somewhere to pursue this career but it looks like the University of Utah actually has a

great psychology program!

While you are getting a doctorates degree to become a social psychologist's you

can have a counseling job so can support yourself while youre transitioning. Usually a

social psychologist will not need state licensing but once again it all depends on duties

and policies of the state licensing agency. No government education job pays very well.

However, they often have a pretty good sick leave and family leave benefits and they

have a good retirement benefits. Sadly enough, schools and counselors have to pay for

a lot of their own equipment and things they need to do their jobs. The school district

pays for me to renew my license and for the training I need to be able to renew it, says

Professor Heimberger.

As a psychologist you will face a wide variety of people from all walks of life and

different types of situations. Like all careers, there are plenty of downsides and

disadvantages. One of the challenges Professor Heimberger faced was working with

kids who had extremely troubled upbringings. She said she has worked with many poor

schools and had some students whose lives she never imagined before working there.

She had a 11-year-old prostitute who made more money than she did. She also had a
ten -year-old whose dad gave him a gun and told him to shoot a drug dealer. It

obviously isnt all negative but it can take a toll on you. Im interested in listening

completely to children without judging. Im also pretty good at finding unique ways to

help them be successful, since normal ways havent worked says Wendy Heimberger.

I asked her one of the most basic but also the most important questions. I asked what

her why it is important and how does this benefit you in a day to day basis? Wendy

responded, Wisdom, because social psychology relates to just about everything a

human experiences. For example why is this person smiling at me? Is my professor a

hard grader? How do I know if Im in love, or have the flu?This job is perfect for people

who like to change things up and find new ways to treat people so if that sounds like

you, I would definitely recommend.

I know you guys have been waiting for this part since you started reading this

paper. So how much do these social psychologists make in a year? According to the

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the median annual wage was $72,580 in May

2015. The lowest ten percent earned less than $41,110, and the highest ten percent

earned more than $118,310. Once again it all depends on the industry you are working

for and how long you have worked there. The highest paying industry is the government

compared to the others. Also another factor that will determine how much you will be

getting paid is where you live. In Utah the pay is anywhere from $70K to $85K, whereas

in California the pay ranges from $87K to about $123K, but the cost of living is way

higher in California (www.bls.gov).

With this job it comes with a lot of ups and downs, nobody is the right person to

help everyone and you have to learn that the hard way, said professor Heimberger.
There are many people you can help and many people you cant but thats the hard

part about any job. So if you really like helping others in many ways and people interest

you then this career path would be perfect for you. Even though it is many years of

schooling and research in the end it can help you, your family, your friends, and the

environment and many other strangers in a great way! If youve always wanted to help

change the world, and make it a better place than this is the perfect way to! All the hard

work is worth it when you put a smile on someone's face, or even change their life

around for the better!

References:

1. Careers in Psychology. (2016). Social Psychology Careers. Retrieved

from: http://careersinpsychology.org/becoming-a-social-psychologist/
2. American Psychological Association. (2017). Pursuing a Career in Social

Psychology. Retrieved from: http://www.apa.org/action/science/social/education-

training.aspx
 3. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2015). Psychologist: Occupational Outlook.

United States Department of Labor. Retrieved from: https://www.bls.gov/ooh/life-

physical-and-social-science/psychologists.htm#tab-5
4. DiFonzo, N. (2017). Social Psychology Careers. LearnPsychology.

Retrieved from: http://www.learnpsychology.org/social-psychology/

5. American Psychological Association. (2017). Understanding Social

Psychology. Retrieved from: http://www.apa.org/action/science/social/

6. Psychology School Guide. (2017). Social Psychologist. Retrieved From:

http://www.psychologyschoolguide.net/psychology-careers/social-psychologists
7. Cherry, K. (2016). 5 Things You Should Know About Social Psychology.

Retrieved from: https://www.verywell.com/things-you-should-know-about-social-

psychology-2795903