Appreciation of diversity in backgrounds, abilities, expectancies, perspectives, values, and goals is necessary. Psychology students develop skills in interpersonal interactions in advanced courses that provide opportunities for interaction with the instructor and other students in learning and problem solving. Seminar courses directly expose students to diversity issues in many forms. Methods classes provide the opportunity to work with other students in teams to develop and report on research projects. Independent study classes often provide undergraduates with the opportunity to interact with graduate students in pursuing common goals.
Problem analysis is an integral function of almost every career.
Examples include evaluating the reasons for a decrease in sales, assessing personnel problems in a specific department, developing a strategy for introducing a new product, or determining whether work stress is a problem for the company. Often the problem is poorly defined, and considerable knowledge and skill are required to identify the important issues and the information and resources relevant to a solution. Psychology is the scientific study of behavior, which is the perfect background for addressing many of these questions. Psychology courses encourage a scientific, problem solving approach to encountered difficulties. Many psychology courses emphasize critical thinking skills and teach techniques for evaluating the relevance and scientific credibility of information.