All psyched up

Tuesday, February 9, 1999

All psyched up

MAJORS: Too ‘scientific’ for North Campus, yet too intangible
for South, psychology – one of UCLA’s biggest majors – manages to
comfortably straddle the fence

By Michelle Navarro

Daily Bruin Senior Staff

They know what students are thinking.

They know why students are thinking it.

And they know how students are thinking it.

They are UCLA’s 2,300 budding psychologists and counselors whose
headquarters, Franz Hall, sits wedged between North and South
Campus. It is there that the students can be found delving into
such mental mysteries as anxiety disorders and how people handle
relationships.

The three majors offered in the field – cognitive psychology,
psychobiology and just plain psychology – further specialize this
crowd of students within their particular area of study.

Psychology serves as a basis for a variety of careers, ranging
from jobs in health care and professional psychology to others in
law or education.

"There’s probably as many careers out there as there are
students," said Beth Argus, counseling services and student
development coordinator for the department of psychology.

But, all in all, these Bruins have chosen to spend four years
(or more) studying that which cannot be seen and which ultimately
controls and manipulates everyone: the mind. However, the same
phenomenon that created the study has also drawn a lot of criticism
from others.

"A lot of people have the idea that psych is not a real
science," said Wendy Lee, a fourth-year psychology student. "I know
I wouldn’t be able to hang in the chemistry major or another hard
science like that, but at the same time, psychology isn’t a
bonehead major."

Whereas psychologists are unable to present tangible proof of
their theories, an actuality that has distanced the subject from
the hard sciences, it is still a discipline that incorporates
scientific methods and principles – which is also enough to isolate
it from the humanities and arts.

"It’s the study of something that cannot be studied," said Lonia
Wallace, a third-year psychology student. "It’s the study of the
mind, which is something that cannot be proven."

The evidence for Lee’s claim lies in the extensive history,
science and social applications of the major. Contrary to what
others may think, psychology is more than simply common sense.

"Everyone thinks the subject is more common knowledge because
they’ve already seen Oprah," said Nichole LaPorte, a fourth-year
psychobiology student. "We’re not just about understanding the
inner child; it gets much more technical, more abstract and more
scientific than that."

"I don’t think we get enough respect," she added. "It is a legit
major – it’s just a whole different type of thinking and analytical
skills."

The problems for psychology students lie in the struggle to
understand the concepts and theories, and then to use them to
decipher the curve balls thrown by professors on exams.

"It’s difficult because of the concepts we have to know. It’s a
lot of studying and it’s taking what you think you already know and
applying it," LaPorte said.

"The tests are also very tricky and very detailed," Wallace
said. "Things that you consider common sense, you confuse them and
think it’s right but it’s not."

"When I read the personal psychology books, it’s easy reading,"
said Samantha Gatmaitan, a fourth-year psychobiology student. "But,
the tests are harder because the professor knows how to psych you
out. And, they’re multiple choice so if you get one wrong it’s a
dead end, there’s no partial credit or anything."

In learning all these psychological concepts and tools,
psychology students sometimes find themselves applying what they’ve
acquired not only in class, but outside as well.

"When I took abnormal psychology, I was worrying that my brother
had ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder)," laughed Gatmaitan.

"When people find out I’m a psych major, they always say,
‘You’re analyzing me right now, aren’t you?’" Lee said. "I’m more
aware of body language because I’m more into social psychology.
Lately, when I talk to people, I look at how they react to what I’m
saying. I’ll think, ‘Look, they are validating what I’m saying or
they’re reflecting.’ It’s just the kind of classes that I’m taking;
they creep into my everyday life."

Undoubtedly, there is one problem that plagues students both in
the hard sciences and in psychology – the problem of religion.

"I’ve had professors say that if you believe in a soul or a
spirit, then you should not be studying psychology," Wallace said.
"I’m a person of faith and a lot of studies don’t go into that.
Some of the concepts of psychology go against religion."

Although the study presents conflicts with religious beliefs for
some students, an open atmosphere of support and community still
manages to exist within the major.

And according to these students, unlike the hard sciences, the
welcoming environment doesn’t just apply to students, it works for
professors as well.

"The professors are very personable," Gatmaitan said. "They
don’t just write like the professors in the hard sciences. They
talk to their students and interact with them."

LaPorte agreed. "Professors encourage you to talk with them,"
said LaPorte, who explained that such actions were very different
from the way her physics professor had recently treated her, by
slamming the door in her face because she came to office hours a
few minutes early. "They aren’t so concerned with their research
that they ignore their students."

At length, the psychology life may seem like an eclectic
collection from various other majors on campus. But, that can be an
asset.

"Where (the department) is situated on campus is where it is
situated in subjects," Lee said. "It’s in between the hard sciences
and the humanities. We get the best of both worlds."

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