Psychology Love

After my second Psychology class, I am sure that I want to double major in it.

Dr. Beck showed us a Candid Camera clip from the 60's where both male and female students (two at a time, the same gender) met their "new teacher," an extremely attractive person, the opposite gender of the pair of students. After a few minutes, the teacher was called away, and we observed that the students, both male and female, laughed almost uncontrollably. The purpose for us watching this video was to ask why the students were laughing. It's a strange occurrence. And that is what Psychology is--observing and questioning human behavior. I love it.

Another example Beck told us about was the Good Samaritan Experiment. Researchers went to a seminary school and used the students as the test subjects. The subjects were told they had a class in some room, but "technological difficulties" forced the class to be moved to a different building across campus. The way to the other building was a narrow path outside, one that lead the students to the independent variable, a person sprawled out on the ground, papers everywhere and whatnot. The subjects had to walk past the person to get to the other building. But it gets more interesting. Some of the subjects had been told that the subject of the class was on the story of the good Samaritan, so the idea was fresh on their minds as they passed the person in need. Also, some of the subjects were told that the class was in an hour, and others were told it was starting right away. The researchers had three hypotheses: that all of the seminary students would stop and help; that the ones told that the class was about the good Samaritan would help, and that those who were told that the class was in an hour would help. The result was that those who were told that the class was in an hour were the most likely to help the person in need.

Beck pointed out that what this indicates is that most people view Christianity as a hobby, because a hobby is something you do in your spare time. But Christianity, Beck retorted, should hurt. It should interfere in your life.

I think most Christians would not stop and help, because it is inconvenient. And I don't want to be a part of that kind of religion. I want to be a part of the religion that helps the dirty, the friendless, the socially awkward, the outcasts. If Christianity requires people to be inconvenienced, then I want to be a part of it.