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Popular psychology, or more commonly referred to as pop psychology, is psychology for the layman. It basis itself on popular academic theories in psychology and then reinterprets them in a way that is accessible to the general public.
The term is frequently used to describe new age practices and self-help strategies. It is because of this that the term pop psychology is often used to dismiss information as irrelevant. However every theory and approach in psychology has its use somewhere.
Types of Popular Psychology
Types of popular psychology can include the following:
- self-help books and other information
- every day advice that can be found in the media, such as a radio or television program like Oprah
- terminology which has become popular amongst uneducated people, such as ‘left brain/right brain’ and ‘emotional intelligence‘
- psychological theories and practices which have not been scientifically proven, such as hypnosis
Benefits of Popular Psychology
There are many benefits to a person accessing popular psychology information.
- It allows a person to explore themselves at their own pace and in their own way.
- It allows a person to take charge of themselves, their emotions and their behavior.
- Compared to a therapy session, it is much more cost-effective.
Dangers of Popular Psychology
- A person could misinterpret the information and label themselves as having a psychological disorder when they don’t.
- The person, after having wrongly diagnosed themselves, could then go on to further information which does not apply to them.
- People tend to label other people as having a psychological disturbance more freely after reading popular psychology literature.
