• Question: do you think that peoples own personal life affects their ability to empathise with others and conduct psychological research, for example if people struggle to understand the emotions of other people will it be harder for them to help others and know what research to conduct to help these people? is there general constraints on who is best at being a psychologist?

    Asked by ChloeP on 18 Jun 2023.
    • Photo: Helen Dudfield

      Helen Dudfield answered on 18 Jun 2023:

      One of the first lecturers I listened to said if you are here to fix yourself then this course isn’t the right route! I think the point is science is objective so you do need objectivity to measure and observe behaviour in empirical research so empathy isn’t required in this type of psychology. Although I am not a clinical psychologist I can imagine empathy is a useful tool in counselling and therapy. So please do not be put off it’s a broad science and inclusive one too.

    • Photo: Ben Ford

      Ben Ford answered on 20 Jun 2023:

      Psychology is such a broad discipline with various routes to helping others that you will certainly be able to find a way to help people (via research or therapy, or else). All you needs is the desire (which you clearly already have) and the know-how (which a psychology degree will begin to teach you!)

    • Photo: Chloe Tasker

      Chloe Tasker answered on 26 Jun 2023:

      I think personal life can affect conducting of psychological research, but mainly what type of research you do. I chose something I was interested in because I wanted to understand myself more as well as others. But I think it doesn’t affect the ability to conduct good quality research! I think people who are open-minded and creative thinkers make the best psychologists, but enthusiasm is the most important! As long as you’re interested in it, you will make a great psychologist 🙂

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