Imagine this: a young student stands at a forked path, tasked with the decision of the subject of their choice to pursue for the foreseeable future. Very few will opt for the budding field of psychology. Those who choose to pursue psychology are made aware of the rigorous journey that lies ahead of them, which includes endless hours of research, a plethora of theories.
The daunting clinic hours under strict supervision and juggling multiple internships, all form essential components towards shaping a competent professional in the field. But no one prepares them for the reactions that will follow once they reveal to others that they will be pursuing psychology. Despite the noble nature of this field, students have to dodge belittling comments, dismissive jokes, and judgment, which question the legitimacy of their degree.
No one warns the Psychology major about the microaggressions and stereotypes they will face from the public. They will have to make multiple efforts to help people understand that psychology, a brain science, is more than just about “reading minds” or “giving advice.” The lack of knowledge regarding the subject among the populous is so appalling that it can discourage those who truly wish to understand the human condition using rigorous, scientific and empathetic inquiry. This herculean task that no one warns the students about can be just as exhausting as academics.
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Understanding Microaggressions and Stereotypes
The culture of invalidation that surrounds the field of psychology is deeply rooted in social phenomena, such as microaggressions and stereotypes. It is important to truly understand the nature of these phenomena before steps can be taken to address them.
1. Microaggressions
Defined as “ actions that negatively target a marginalised group or individual as a form of discrimination” (Haghighi, 2023), microaggressions demean an individual’s identity. They usually take the form of subtle, verbal or non-verbal slides or insults, which communicate a sense of hostility, derogatory or negative messages towards an individual based on their membership in a marginalised group. Microaggressions can be both intentional and unintentional, and sometimes may even be disguised as a compliment.
Microaggressions can take several forms, which consist of verbal, behavioural or environmental (Haghighi, 2023). Sue et al. (2007) suggested that microaggressions often consist of assaults, insults, or invalidations that convey dismissive messages towards an individual.
2. Stereotypes
Social psychology defines stereotypes as “a fixed, over-generalised belief about a particular group or class of people” (McLeod, 2023). It is the product of cognitive characteristics, heuristics, which allow the speedy processing of information. However, it also creates inaccurate assumptions about individuals based on their identity or membership in a group. It can also be considered to be a mechanism of social categorisation, which allows prejudice, attitudes to develop (McLeod, 2023). While stereotypes can be positive, neutral or negative, they can often be used to justify behaviours or attitudes that contribute to prejudice and discrimination.
What do Psychology Students face?
When one wonders about the stereotypes and microaggressions faced by psychology students, the irony is difficult to miss. It is the field of social psychology that has allowed the study of such social phenomena. Yet it is used against those who practice in this field and to invalidate their experiences. Some of the seemingly harmless get invalidating forms of stereotypes and microaggressions involve:
1. Dismissal of Psychology as a Science
Psychology is viewed as a less intellectually demanding field, and sometimes not even considered a science. Owing to the lack of knowledge regarding the field, many individuals will undervalue its nature and classify it as just a humanities or social science. Oftentimes, these dismissals will also extend to those who choose to pursue the field, as they will be regarded as taking the easy road.
Example: “Psychology isn’t a STEM subject”, “You took psychology after failing out of medicine.”
2. Mind Reader
The most common stereotype associated with those who study psychology is that they can read others’ thoughts and even predict their actions. These comments are often made as jokes, reinforcing the stereotypes that psychology is about mystical intuition rather than scientific understanding. Individuals may even go forward to challenge psychology students to predict or read their minds as a joke, which may even belittle them.
Example: “Can you tell me what I am going to do next?”, “You can read his thoughts, is he lying?”
3. Psychology is an effort to fix oneself
A common stereotype is that those who choose to study the mental health sciences have unresolved mental health issues of their own. While some individuals may be attracted towards the field due to their own lived experiences, this narrative diminishes the importance of intellectual curiosity and passion, which may also draw people to the field. It also creates a crude over-generalisation while emotionally damaging those students who struggle with their mental health.
Example: “You just want to fix yourself with your degree”, “Are all your classmates also mentally sick?”
Read More: The Myth of “Follow Your Passion”
4. Psychology has no money
When Psychology is viewed as a viable career path, many individuals will be sceptical about it. These statements minimise the career, prospects, opportunities and promise of the field. The budding field of psychology, with its vast career path, is misrepresented, allowing anxieties around the professional legitimacy and future stability of the field to be fueled. Students may also be forced to justify their choice, as it may not seem financially viable to the uninformed.
Example: “I don’t want to pursue the field because everyone has told me there is no money in it” “How will you even contribute to the family if you just talk to strangers?”
5. Gender Stereotypes
The very nature of psychology requires a level of empathy, emotional intelligence, and nurturing behaviour. These characteristics and behaviours are often related to women, suggesting why the field often attracts more women, leading to gender assumptions. Such statements not only feminise the field but also create barriers for students of other genders. People may also devalue the feminine nature of this field from a patriarchal viewpoint.
Example: “A boy can never be a good therapist, that for a girl to do”
Read More: Paving the Way for Gender-Neutral Parenting and Acceptance in Society
6. Why do you need to seek help? Just read your textbooks
When Psychology students suffer from problems, instead of supporting them, individuals will suggest that they should refer to their course material for help. Such comments trivialities the efforts taken by professionals and reduce the importance of social support. People may also place Psychology students on a pedestal where they expect them to be perpetually calm, self-aware, and wise.
Example: “Why are you so upset? Don’t you learn how to handle your emotions?”
7. Are you analysing me right now?
A common form of jokes that suggests psychology students are often analysing others constantly. It suggests that psychology students will tear down any conversation or behaviour to gain insight into an individual, rather than simply being human and participating in them. People also perceive that they are constantly on duty and aim to evaluate or interpret others’ behaviour. These misplaced assumptions will also make it difficult to form emotional connections.
Example: “Were you able to psychoanalyse her and guess what’s wrong?”
8. Free Therapy
People may treat psychology students as unofficial therapists in their friends’ circles, owing to the training they receive in empathy, active listening, and judgment-free conversation. Assumptions are made regarding their emotional intelligence and availability, ignoring their boundaries and treating psychology students as emotional dumping grounds, owing to their skills, which make them great conversationalists.
Example: “Can I vent to you quickly? I feel like you’ll get me cause you’re a psych major.”
9. Psychology is just giving advice
Many individuals believe that therapy sessions and psychotherapists are the only individuals who study psychology. They also believe that therapy is a form of advice rather than scientific intervention. These wrong assumptions overlook the depths of the field and reduce an evidence-based discipline to a casual conversation.
Example: “Why do you need a therapist? I can just give you advice instead”
10. Freud and Pop Psychology
Thanks to pop culture, the internet has witnessed a great rise in the number of references to Freud and pop Psychology, allowing the majority of the population to believe that it forms the subject matter. These comments not only trivialise the subject but also disregard the efforts of many professionals in the field who have helped understand the functioning of human behaviour and mind. It turns scientific study into satire.
E.g.: “Psychology is so obsessed with their mothers.”
Read More: Healing or Hype? The Rise of Insta-Therapy and Pop Psychology
When Stereotypes Silence Science: The Struggles Psychology Students Face
While the aforementioned microaggressions and stereotypes appear frivolous and even humorous on the surface, when an individual has to face them daily, it can significantly impact social and psychological well-being. Despite the trivial nature of the comments, these repeated experiences will shape perception, identity, and even dynamics to a great extent.
1. Doubt and Imposter Syndrome
On repeated exposure to dismissive comments, which question the legitimacy of an individual’s choice of field and academic pursuits, psychology students will suffer from internalised doubt. The questions posed by outsiders will begin to make them question their own choices, allowing their commitment to the field to diminish. These thwarted beliefs may also allow impostor syndrome to develop. Internalised doubt leads an individual to question their accomplishments and skills, and even fear being exposed as a fraud.
2. Exhaustion of Emotional Capacities
Psychology students have to face an intense academic burden, along with an emotional burden caused by such microaggressions and stereotypes. These burdens combined can make a student feel emotionally drained, detached, and even exhausted. Especially since students, close friends, peers, and family often show such stereotyping behaviour. It leaves little room for the student to recharge and express themselves. They may also battle the constant urge to prove oneself, owing to the trivialization of their efforts, which can prove to be an emotionally tedious task.
3. Isolation in Academic Circles
People celebrate disciplines such as engineering, medicine, architecture, and economics for their intense academic regimes and ability to change the world, while they consider psychology to be irrelevant and unimportant. The constant dismissal of psychology as a science will invalidate the experiences of those who regularly commit themselves to the scientific methodology. Students of the field may even feel excluded from intense academic conversations simply due to the misconceptions held by others. This can allow important viewpoints regarding human behaviour and the functioning of the brain to go unnoticed, allowing interventions and solutions to develop that are not holistic.
Read More: Is Psychology a Science?
4. Expectations in Social Circles
Despite the invalidation of the field, people in social settings will still expect students of psychology to be experts in emotional regulation. They may even expect a level of perfectionism from them, leaving little to no space for the students to have their emotional reactions. People expect them to be mature and calm, even in the face of such dismissive comments. Others treat them more as advisors than friends. Their peers will turn to them with vulnerability and for support. Despite the students’ ability to show empathy and hear without judgment, this constant cycle will place an unrealistic burden on them.
5. Stigmatisation of Mental Health Care
The prevalence of such trivial opinions regarding the field of psychology proves to be a hindrance in the advocacy for mental healthcare. It can also become a tool for the stigmatisation of the field, allowing a taboo to develop around it. People judge psychology students as just a small portion of how they judge those who seek help; this discourages open conversation about vulnerability and fails to normalise mental healthcare. Society develops this stigma in the minds of not only those who wish to seek mental health support, but also those who can provide it, allowing a sense of judgment and fear to prevail over the field.
6. Reduced Identity and Passion
Despite the humorous intent behind comments about the field of psychology, students can witness a weekend sense of purpose and identity that revolves around their academic pursuits. The lack of understanding will make them feel undervalued, even when entering the workforce with a great number of skills. It will discourage some from truly pursuing their passion for psychology in terms of higher education or research because they find themselves battling to prove the importance of their contribution.
Read More: 6 Signs That Prove You Are Not an Emotionally Mature Person
Conclusion
The portrayal of psychology in media and among the general population fails to encompass its scientific basis. It allows a lack of awareness and stigma to grow around the field, undervaluing the importance of the field. People still consider psychology to be intuitive mind-reading rather than the science of behaviour and mental processes, despite its tremendous importance in almost every aspect of life.
While psychology students and established professionals make multiple efforts to challenge these microaggressions and stereotypes that revolve around the field, it can place a great burden on them emotionally and socially. Those with intense passion and commitment to the field of psychology will continue to pursue it with this burden, but society needs to foster understanding amongst itself to change the experience of such individuals. These microaggressions and stereotypes are not a reflection of psychology, but rather a broad societal misunderstanding about the role of mental health in our lives.
FAQs
1. Why do people assume psychology is easy?
The stereotype that psychology is easy and not a science stems from the fact that psychology deals with human experiences, such as emotions, behaviours, and relationships. While these phenomena are extremely common, psychology helps understand them through a scientific lens in calculating theoretical frameworks and rigorous research. This psychological nature of psychology is misrepresented, allowing individuals to believe that it requires less intellectual effort compared to any other discipline.
2. Do all psychology students become therapists?
No. Not all psychology students want to become therapists. Psychology offers diverse career paths which can encompass research, neuro psychology, forensic sports, education, organisational, and even more. Therapy is just one of the common areas of work within the field, but it is not the entire field itself.
3. How do I talk to a psychology student without being dismissive?
To talk to a psychology student, without being dismissive, would be like talking to any student. The field that a student belongs to is not a reason why they should face stereotyping comments and dismissive jokes. Asking a psychology student to “read my mind” or joke about bleak prospects is to dismiss and invalidate their hard work. Instead, an individual can be open to learning more about what the student has to say and their experiences.
References+
APA Dictionary of Psychology. (n.d.). https://dictionary.apa.org/psychology
Chew, S. L. (n.d.). The superpowers of the psychology major. https://www.apa.org. https://www.apa.org/ed/precollege/psychology-teacher-network/introductory-psychology/superpowers-psychology-major
Haghighi, A. S. (2023, November 8). What to know about microaggressions. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/microagressions
McLeod, S., PhD. (2023). Stereotypes In Psychology: Definition & Examples. Simply Psychology. https://www.simplypsychology.org/katz-braly.html
Sue, D. W., Capodilupo, C. M., Torino, G. C., Bucceri, J. M., Holder, A. M. B., Nadal, K. L., & Esquilin, M. (2007). Racial microaggressions in everyday life: Implications for clinical practice. American Psychologist, 62(4), 271–286. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066x.62.4.271
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