21 subjects you need to study to be an excellent psychologist

What major blocks of knowledge do you need to study to become a PhD in Psychology?

If you are interested in psychology and you are thinking about studying the careernot long ago we wrote a post that tried to explain the 10 basic points to choose the Bachelor or Degree in Psychology (you can read it by clicking here).

If you have already made your decision or you would like to know what to study in psychology, you only have to read the following lines. In today's article we explain the most important subjects that are studied in the Degree in Psychology.

Psychology is a very broad discipline

Obviously, psychology is a broad field in which there are different specialties. (clinical psychology, sports psychology, organizational psychology, etc.), so educational needs are not always the same, depending, of course, on the field of specialization.

In short, psychology is a discipline that covers many areas; for example, we can talk about the history of psychology, the discoveries that have been made in this field, the relationship it has with neuroscience, what it teaches us about mental processes and the way we relate to each other and make decisions, etc.

In this article we have collected the most important subjects that are studied in the psychology degree in Spain (in Latin American countries there may be differences). In other words, the core and compulsory subjects that must be taken in order to obtain the degree of psychologist. These subjects cannot be missing in any introductory psychology textbook.

Subjects you should study to be a good psychologist

Below you can find the most important topics that are studied in the psychology career.

1. Biological bases of behavior

The biological bases of behavior are an essential area of study in the psychology career.It allows us to know how mental processes are produced, what is the main unit that propagates the nervous impulse or brain communication or what is the existing connection between the parts of the brain and our body.

Throughout the psychology career it is possible to find subjects such as psychobiology or psychophysiology, because, to be a good psychologist, it is necessary to know how mental processes occur, whether memory, learning or sensations, and to know, among other things, how neurons act.

2. Statistics and psychometrics

Despite the fact that many psychology students do not like numbers, the use of statistics is an important part of science.. And psychology, as the science that it is, makes use of it to achieve its goals of predicting and intervening in human behavior. In addition, any psychologist must master psychometrics, a discipline that deals with the set of methods, techniques and theories involved in measuring and quantifying psychological variables. Tests are a necessary tool for any psychologist.

3. History of psychology

To be a good psychologist, the first thing to have is a good theoretical base. To do this, it is necessary to know the history of this discipline and be clear about what psychology is, what is its field of study, what are the main problems it addresses and what are the main schools that over the years have allowed psychology to consolidate as a science.

Plato, Descartes, Freud, Skinner, Watson or Bandura are some of the figures that every good psychologist should know in order to understand the historical contexts in which this discipline has evolved.

4. Social psychology

Social psychology is a branch of psychology that analyzes the psychological processes that influence the way in which a society functions.The way in which social interactions are carried out and how social processes modulate the personality and characteristics of each person.

In the subject of social psychology, topics such as leadership or prejudice are studied, and important research in this field is reviewed, such as the Stanford prison experiment by Philip Zimbardo or the Milgram experiment: the danger of obedience to authority.

• You can learn more about this branch by visiting our article, "What is Social Psychology?"

5. Clinical Psychology

Since the beginning of psychology, clinical psychology has been one of the most important fields of this discipline. In clinical psychology studies all the elements involved in mental disorders and, in general, in mental health.. Therefore, clinical psychology carries out all the tasks of assessment, diagnosis, prevention and therapeutic intervention in people with some kind of mental affectation or maladaptive behavior, in order to restore psychological balance and improve their well-being.

• Related text: Clinical psychology: definition and functions of the clinical psychologist.

6. Developmental psychology

This branch of psychology is in charge of studying the behavioral and psychological changes of people throughout their life cycle, that is, from birth to death.that is, from birth to death.

When analyzing these changes, different fields of study are contemplated: physical, from which stability, biological change and the determinants of physical growth are analyzed; cognitive, from which intellectual capacities and their relationship with the development of the person are analyzed; and social and personality, which focuses on individual differences and social relationships in the different stages of life (childhood, adolescence, adulthood and old age).

7. Personality psychology

One of the major areas of psychology that arouses the greatest interest is the study of personality.. The different currents of psychology have tried to explain personality taking into account both genetic and environmental aspects. In its study, we delve into the different contributions that many authors have made in this field.

For example, Eysenck's Personality Theory: the PEN model, Albert Bandura's Personality Theory or the Big Five Theory.

8. Ethics in psychology

In addition to acquiring theoretical and practical knowledge for the correct development of their profession, the psychologist, throughout his career, must know the ethical principles that govern the practice of his profession, as well as be aware of his resources and the ethical principles that govern the practice of his profession.and be aware of his or her resources and limitations.

They must respect the dignity of their patients and preserve and ensure the preservation of fundamental human rights. Therefore, some of their obligations are to use their knowledge to promote human welfare or to maintain professional secrecy.

9. Psychological evaluation

Regardless of whether someone wants to practice as a clinical, organizational or sports psychologist, psychological assessment is a necessary requirement for the professional practice of any psychologist. Therefore, a good psychologist must be able to a good psychologist must be able to master this aspect of psychology.Whether it is to know the organizational performance of an organization, the personality type of a patient or to evaluate the intelligence of a student, a good psychologist must be able to master this aspect.

10. Neuropsychology

Neuropsychology is within the neurosciences and is the discipline in charge of studying the relationship between the brain and behavior, not only in individuals with some dysfunction, but also in people with normal behavior. This field of study uses experimental techniques and tests that provide images of the brain area (e.g. CT, MRI, PET, fMRI). What are the functions of neurotransmitters? or what causes aphasia? are some of the questions that neuropsychology answers.

11. Differential psychology

While general psychology studies the behavior common to all human subjects, differential psychology studies this behavior, differential psychology studies this behavior on an individualized basis..

Therefore, this branch of psychology deals with the description, prediction and explanation of intraindividual, interindividual or intergroup variability of behavior and psychological processes (e.g. intelligence). It includes personality psychology, but also accounts for many other elements, such as IQ or biological characteristics related to the immune system, genes related to all kinds of physical characteristics, etc.

12. Group psychology

Although group psychology was originally part of the social psychology course, many universities, aware of its importance, teach group psychology as a compulsory subject. Not only that, but nowadays, many postgraduate studies focus on this subject, as this field of study is gaining more and more prominence. Many human behaviors cannot be understood without the group component.

The study of groups focuses on the understanding and explanation of group processes, inter-group and inter-group relationships, group formation, roles, norms, group cohesion, communication, and group dynamics.The study of groups focuses on understanding and explaining group processes, the relationships between members and between different groups, group formation, roles, norms, group cohesion, communication, etc.

13. Linguistic psychology

The most important kind of human communication is linguistic. With human language it is possible to produce an unlimited number of messages and to establish a real dialogue. Psycholinguistics is a discipline in which the object of study is the relationship between human beings. the object of study is the relationship between linguistic knowledge and the mental processes involved in it..

14. Psychology of learning

Human behavior cannot be understood without learning.. Through learning, habits, skills, values or knowledge are acquired, and it is closely related to the development of individuals. Some of the most important learning theories are: Jean Piaget's Theory of Learning or Lev Vygotsky's Sociocultural Theory,

15. Experimental methodology

The study of experimental methodology is also part of the academic curriculum of a psychologist, since he/she must know the different research designs and the procedures for the formulation and contrast of hypotheses, but must also know how to use the documentary sources of information in this discipline, with a capacity for critical analysis and synthesis. This will help him/her to analyze and interpret quantitative and qualitative data from research, reports and papers in psychology.

16. Specialty: Sport Psychology, Organizational Psychology, Legal Psychology ....

The previous points have referred to the different compulsory and core subjects or areas of knowledge in the psychology career, but in psychology there are different specialties and each of them requires specific knowledge to be able to practice the profession in the best possible way. Therefore, Once finished the career, there are different masters to be able to continue growing at academic and professional level and to obtain the mastery in a specific field. and obtain a master's degree in a specific field of behavioral science.

• If you want to know more about these specializations, you can read our article: "The 20 best Masters in Psychology".

17. Philosophy of science

It is essential to approach any research-based university career.. Knowing the epistemological bases of theories helps to know if certain hypotheses are well justified or, on the contrary, are not useful to understand reality.

18. Ethology

Ethology is essential for understanding animal behavior. It studies basic learning processes in non-human organisms, as well as instincts and the way in which hormones affect these living beings.

19. Forensic psychology

Very useful for understanding how psychology-based expert evaluations work in the legal world.

20. Introduction to anthropology

Anthropology is a field of study similar to social psychologyalthough it focuses more on cultural phenomena. Therefore, knowledge of anthropology is useful in applying certain psychological principles to specific societies.

21. Use of specific software

It is essential to learn to use popular programs, such as R or SPSS, for use in various subjects. It is also good to use others focused on qualitative research, such as ATLAS.ti.