• Question: Have any of you found that studying psychology has made social interactions harder/different because of how analytical you become?

    Asked by anon-353077 on 6 Mar 2023.
    • Photo: Eileen Xu

      Eileen Xu answered on 6 Mar 2023:

      Tricky one! I don’t think so personally, but maybe that’s because I have always been more analytical anyway. I think if anything, studying psychology has made things a little easier – knowing reasons why people might react in different ways lets me be more compassionate to them (and to myself, when social interactions don’t go to plan!).

    • Photo: Greta Defeyter

      Greta Defeyter answered on 6 Mar 2023:

      I sometimes find myself analysing situations and conversations that mean that social interactions become more stilted, as I sometimes think too much about other peoples ‘throw away’ comments.

    • Photo: Emily McDougal

      Emily McDougal answered on 7 Mar 2023:

      This is a great question. I actually think that the analytical aspect is a benefit to me more often than it is something negative. I do analyse social interactions, but usually after it has happened rather than in the moment. This helps me to understand why a person may have behaved in a certain way. I also think it’s really important to understand that a person’s background and life experiences have shaped who they are, so it definitely makes it easier to be compassionate towards someone, even someone who has behaved in a way I don’t like.

    • Photo: Stephen Jackson

      Stephen Jackson answered on 7 Mar 2023:

      Not really. My area of Psychology focuses on understanding brain function and how this gives rise to behaviour. I don’t go to many parties any longer but when I did I didn’t often see much evidence of brain function.

    • Photo: Joanne Cummings

      Joanne Cummings answered on 7 Mar 2023:

      Good question – sometimes it happens and there is over analysis of what someone has said, and thinking about the hidden meaning/motivation, for example, but I view it as a positive element.

    • Photo: Birsu Kandemirci

      Birsu Kandemirci answered on 7 Mar 2023:

      I try to make a conscious effort to not let that happen. I think it might be easier for me because I research children and perhaps this doesn’t impact my social interactions with my friends to the same extent. The flip side of it is that sometimes people around us might have expectations from us, such as “you are a developmental psychologist, I’m sure you are judging my child’s abilities right now” when I’m just playing and having a good time with their child, or “is it normal that my child hasn’t started talking yet, are they too late?” when it’s a very tricky question to answer as many factors impact it. What we all need to remember is that while psychology tells us about human behaviour and abilities, it usually talks about averages and there is huge individual differences and environmental factors that can impact a person’s behaviours or abilities. Once we think about psychology in this way, I think it becomes easier to take each person as a unique individual and not put them in any box 🙂

    • Photo: Hannah Fawcett

      Hannah Fawcett answered on 7 Mar 2023:

      Not social interactions, but knowing what I do about forensic psychology has made me view police dramas totally differently. I can’t watch them without thinking ‘that is unethical and wouldn’t happen in real life’ or ‘that interview technique has been shown to be ineffective’!

    • Photo: Imogen Green

      Imogen Green answered on 7 Mar 2023:

      I think studying psychology has made me understand people better, so it has probably made social interactions easier!

    • Photo: Kirsten Russell

      Kirsten Russell answered on 15 Mar 2023:

      This is a great question. I don’t think that studying psychology has made social interactions harder. As I now understand more about why people think and behave certain ways, this has made social interactions different, but in a good way, as it has made me more empathetic and compassionate! It has also helped if any of my friends come to speak to me about a challenging situation, as I am able to understand their perspective, but see it from the perspective of others involved in that situation, which they say is helpful!

Comments