Psychological Discussion : Locus of Control; Homosexuality; Drug Therapy

Locus of Control

One would make no mistake suggesting that a person has to interact with the environment during one’s lifetime. Nevertheless, it is a matter of interpretation if the external forces are more powerful than the internal forces. For example, some people believe that some divine creatures or stars have an impact on their life. As a result, they believe that it is more useful to try to adapt to those forces. Contrary to that, other individuals are certain that they are in control of their life and if something has to happen, it will happen as a result of one’s efforts. In this paper, I will argue that I feel that I am guided by an internal locus of control and provide examples of it.

To begin with, it is essential to provide some theoretical background to the discussion. Locus of control is a term that is used to describe people’s perception of who is the major power in their life: themselves or the environment. Thus, a person guided by an internal locus of control will rely on one’s abilities and skills, while a person guided by an external locus of control will take into account luck and other forces (Ciccarelli and White 507). It is worth pointing out that there is a great gap that lies between these two perceptions. For example, those who have external locus of control will see life as a chain of events that they are not able to influence in any way.

Here are two examples that show how my daily activities and decision-making is affected by an internal locus of control. Every day I wake up and eat a breakfast. I usually have cereals. When I pour the milk I think to myself that if I do not secure a stable source of income in the future, I will not be able to buy cereals for breakfast. That is why I decide that I should study hard to be able to find a good job in the future so that I do not have any financial problems. Therefore, I do not expect that I will be able to find a good job by chance. I acknowledge that there are numerous factors that influence the decision of the employers and I want to make sure that I will be perceived as a good candidate because of my ability, not by chance.

Another example is how I study for the tests. Some of my friends tend to focus on some topics more than on others, hoping that they will be lucky during the exam. I cannot follow that logic: I know that there is equal chance of getting every topic and I study them all instead of believing that I will get only the easiest ones. Obviously, it may happen so that I will be lucky enough to pass a test without any problems; however, I want to be prepared for anything since this way I will be certain that I will succeed regardless of the circumstances.

As one can easily, locus of control is an important characteristic that is able to shape daily actions as well as decision making. Personally, I am convinced that my actions are able to have a significant impact on the events. As a result, I do my best to achieve what I want. This also leads to a specific decision-making that I have: I do not rely on luck, but try to be prepared for any conditions and make sure that I succeed. This way I know for sure that there is nothing for me to worry about and this is what makes me confident in my future.

Works cited

Ciccarelli, Saundra, and Noland White. Psychology. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall, 2004. Print.

Homosexuality

Homosexuality is an extremely controversial topic. In spite of the fact that recently the society has changed its views on it from radical to more moderate, many people still find it difficult to discuss it. The greatest mystery is the nature of this phenomenon. Indeed, some argue that homosexuality should be seen as a completely rational choice that a person make. Therefore, those who support this approach believe that homosexuality, as is, does not exist. Contrary to that, there are those who point out that homosexuality may be completely natural in that sense that a person is born this way. In my opinion, homosexuality is a kind of deviant behavior and not a psychological disorder.

I would like to distinguish between those who are naturally gay or lesbian and those who choose this as a lifestyle. It is important to be sincere about it since this provides a clear justification for acceptance of this phenomenon. So, if a person is genuinely attracted to a person of the same sex, this should be seen as a kind of behavior that is deviant, yet true. Contrary to that, if a person is more focused on becoming a part of the LGBTQ community, then the genuineness might be doubted. Clearly, sometimes it is difficult to draw the line between the two cases. Nevertheless, it is crucial to keep in mind that homosexuality does objectively exist and it is not acceptable to deny one’s right to be attracted to whoever they are attracted to.

Another point that should be mentioned with this regard is the perception of homosexuality by a person. For example, a homosexual individual might understand that he or she will face a significant amount of criticism if one come out as gay or lesbian. That is why one tries to avoid breaking social norms, yet has meaningful relationships with those of the same sex. Contrary to that, some may be more interested in displaying their homosexuality for everyone to see. It is beyond any doubt that the perception of these two cases should be different. However, regardless of the motives, one’s sexual orientation should be treated with respect and should never become a pretext for insulting or hurting a person.

It may also be beneficial to approach the phenomenon from an evolutionary perspective. It has been suggested that thought homosexual individuals are not able to reproduce, they are will able to have a positive impact on those who bring up children. For example, many cultures accept homosexuals as those who help their relatives in various ways (Ciccarelli and White 397). Therefore, though not being able to have own children, these people will be kind to their nieces and nephews which will be quite helpful for other families. That is why to a certain extent, homosexuality does have an evolutionary purpose. What is even more important is that over the centuries homosexuality has been maintained which means that by no means it is a recent phenomenon, as the opponents of it would argue.

As one can clearly see, the discussion of the phenomenon in question may be rather difficult since this is a very loaded topic. It is crucial for both sides of the argument to support their position with objective evidence and avoid insulting each other. This way productive discussion will emerge for the benefit of the society. It is clear that homosexuals will always remain the minority. That is why for the benefit of all the people in the social environment they should be treated fairly. In order to achieve this, a proper understanding of what makes homosexuality should be communicated to the people.

Works cited

Ciccarelli, Saundra, and Noland White. Psychology. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall, 2004. Print.

Drug Therapy

Psychology is a science that is expected to help people. That is why it is not only the development of the theoretical models that it should be praised for, but also various kind of therapies that will help a person improve one’s life. In spite of the fact that psychology has been recognized as a valid science only relatively recently, today there is a wide range of therapies that it offers. Some believe that the society should raise concerns about over-reliance or even possible abuse of drug therapies. Indeed, with the development of technology, scientists were able to create substances that influence brain chemistry and could achieve the results that were unthinkable before. However, this may have come with a price. This post will argue that reasonable concerns expressed regarding this topic.

First of all, one should point out that the drugs that are currently used by the doctors are not perfect which means that there is a possibility of the emergence of different side effects. One would make no mistake, arguing that today psychologists do not prescribe cocaine to their patients, believing that it is perfectly safe. However, it is possible that just like this practice is seen as barbaric to us today, many of the contemporary practices will look the same in the future. That is why drug therapy should be carefully administrated since it is quite possible that new research will reveal that the substances given to the patients are not as harmless as they thought they were.

Secondly, over-reliance on drug therapy creates a wrong perception of how problems should be dealt with. For example, if a person learns that one can cope with the stress of anxiety by taking a pill, everyone one experiences problems, one will simply take a pill, not giving it any second thought. However, in the long-term perspective, this person will not learn how to cope with stress with the help of other ways. Furthermore, one will not think that something in his or her life should be changed to make stress less frequent. It is true that sometimes drug therapy can be extremely helpful; nevertheless, it should not be seen as the cure for everything as there are numerous other options that can be explored.

Finally, it is worth mentioning that drug therapy should be seen as only a part of complex therapy that a person can benefit it. Thus, it is pointed out that combination of psychotherapy with medical therapy is able to bring the best results (Ciccarelli and White 601). This is particularly important since it shows that drugs can influence the body of a person, but they are not able to have an affect on one’s cognitive patterns. As a result, there is a lot of work that needs to be done by a person and no pill will be able to do it instead. This may be different from what most people imagine about psychotherapy, but it is exactly what they should know about it.

As one can easily see, the society should raise serious concerns about over-reliance on drug therapy for various reasons. First of all, the technology of creating substances is still not perfect which means that it can be possibly revised in the future. Secondly, over-reliance on drugs deprives a person of a chance to learn new techniques to deal with the problems. One can hardly expect a pill to deal with every problem one encounters. Finally, the research shows that drug therapy alone is not as effective if it is combined with other kinds of therapy. That is why over-reliance of it is not as beneficial for a person as a combination with, for example, psychotherapy.

Works cited

Ciccarelli, Saundra, and Noland White. Psychology. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall, 2004. Print.

The terms offer and acceptance. (2016, May 17). Retrieved from

[Accessed: March 28, 2024]

"The terms offer and acceptance." freeessays.club, 17 May 2016.

[Accessed: March 28, 2024]

freeessays.club (2016) The terms offer and acceptance [Online].
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[Accessed: March 28, 2024]

"The terms offer and acceptance." freeessays.club, 17 May 2016

[Accessed: March 28, 2024]

"The terms offer and acceptance." freeessays.club, 17 May 2016

[Accessed: March 28, 2024]

"The terms offer and acceptance." freeessays.club, 17 May 2016

[Accessed: March 28, 2024]

"The terms offer and acceptance." freeessays.club, 17 May 2016

[Accessed: March 28, 2024]
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