Frequently Asked Questions

Dr. Lester M. Sdorow, author of Psychology, answers questions about the nature of psychology.

1. The history of psychology doesn't interest me. Why do I have to study it? I want to learn about what psychologists know now.

As an undergraduate I shared your feeling, but it was the result of dull presentations by textbooks and instructors rather than something inherently uninteresting about the history of psychology. Studying the history of psychology provides you with the personal, cultural, and scientific context of its development. If presented well, it can be both informative and interesting.

2. I thought all psychologists treat mental illness. Now that I've looked through my textbook am I right in concluding that I have been misled?

Yes, you're right. While a great many psychologists treat mental illness through counseling and psychotherapy, most are active in other fields. You may have been misled because your only contact with psychology has been through people you have known who have sought psychological counseling and the media, which rarely portray any kind of psychologists other than psychotherapists.

3. I am an African American woman, and I am aware of historical discrimination in the field of psychology. If I pursue a career in psychology, will I be given fair opportunities to succeed?

Psychology has traditionally been more accepting of women and minorities than have many other professions. Nonetheless, as described in the "Thinking About Psychology" section that concludes chapter 1, psychology has had its share of psychologists who portrayed women and minorities in unflattering terms and who promoted discrimination against them. Thankfully, psychologists are probably less prejudiced than the public in general and more willing to help promote the careers of women and minority group members.