Exploring Lay People’s Beliefs about Psychology in the United Kingdom (UK)
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.23918/ijsses.v7i2p40Keywords:
Lay People, Beliefs, PsychologyAbstract
In literature, false beliefs about what psychology as a discipline entails remain a recurrent issue among lay persons. There is thus the need to explore the beliefs that are held about psychology among lay persons, and develop interventions that are tailored towards the false beliefs in lay persons. Therefore, this research used semi-structured interviews to explore the beliefs of five (5) individuals who were considered as lay people in relation to psychology in the UK. During thematic analysis, three (3) themes emerged. They were; mind readers, a discipline with less recognition, and mental health profession. The need for appropriate information sharing, and evidence-based campaigns about what psychology as a discipline entails was thus recommended, targeting the general population of lay people.
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