In the Case Description, share an experience that you had related to the
subject matter of the particular Chapter being covered for the week. You can talk about a
TV show that you watched that relates to the chapter, for example, you can talk about the
show, CSI, and relate it in your psychological application to the field of Forensic
Psychology, or something that happened to you or someone you know, it can be any
personal experience that you feel relates to the chapter, so you have to pick a topic, then
write about it.
In the Psychological Application, I want you to define terms and explain in detail the
psychological concepts and ideas that you believe relate to your Case description. In the
above example of CSI, in the application portion, I would define Forensic Psychology and
talk about what the book states in regard to this topic.
Example of an Observational Diary for Chapter 1
Please use this example as a template for writing your diary. Be sure to label the Chapter, Case
Description, and Psychological Application.
Observational Diary Chapter 1
Case Description
As a Psychology major in community college, I thought that most people who went into Psychology
were interested in becoming therapists or social workers, to help people with their mental disorders. The reason
I majored in Psychology, was to become a social worker, like my Mom, so that I could help people in need.
After taking my first Psychology class, I realized that the field of Psychology is much more than therapy and
social work. People with degrees in Psychology work in all different fields and careers. I didn’t realize how
diverse the field of Psychology was until I took Psychology 101, and learned about all the different fields in
Psychology.
Psychological Application
In chapter 1 of the textbook, the various fields in Psychology are discussed, as well as the type of careers that
are part of the field of Psychology. One of the fields I did not expect to see was Environmental Psychology,
which the text defines as the study of the relationship between humans and the environment. I was interested in
2020/8/26 Observational Diary Example: Fall 2020 – PSYC 101 (42494 – ONLINESYNC)
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reading that an Environmental Psychologist can help in designing a new classroom, that will help foster a
positive learning experience, by paying attention to lighting, desk placements, even the type of desks that are
used. But it makes sense, that if you build a new space, you would want to think about how people will feel
when they work or got to school in that space. Now, I realize that Psychology is more than just therapy and that
if I get a degree in Psychology, I have many different types of careers to pursue.