Use of Psychological Knowledge in Society

Question 1

Cognitive Psychology: Memory

Answer 1

Knowledge can help improve peoples memory. According the the MSM, using verbal methods to learn and deliberately chunking material should enable us to hold more in the STM as it is a limited capacity acoustic store.

For people with dementia, research can improve specific areas of memory like episodic or working. In children with dyslexia, CE problems have been identified, leading to getting easily distracted. Shaywitz and Shaywitz suggested a systematic programme of teaching to build up reading and writing skills. This resulted in improved reading.

Question 2

Biological: Recreational Drugs

Answer 2

Using recreational drugs can bring problems like health risks, which reduce the QoL of those using them and increases pressure in health services.
Users may resort to crime to fund addiction, putting stress on legal system.

Psychology can reduce this with strategies like naloxone for heroin addiction, this is based on the understanding of the mode of action of drugs.