Psychology is the study of mental processes and behavior. If you can learn more about your brain, your self awareness increases along with your understanding of others. What if it was required to take psychology in order to graduate high school or even college? In North Carolina, it is a requirement of the state government to take classes like Health and Physical Education. Some subjects in psychology are talked about in health class, but not in depth or at the level at which people would need to actually understand one another in a meaningful way.
Why psychology of all subjects? Core classes like math, English, science, and history have been the focus of Kindergarten through 12th grade. Psychology is listed as a social science and can be taught under the core class of "social studies," but it would not be as in depth as if you were to take a psychology class. Psychology covers topics that range from biological bases of behavior to topics highlighting the ways our brains learn. These topics can provide insight into how our minds work and provide children and teenagers with an explanation as to why we do things the way we do.
During elementary school, some topics in psychology may be too complex for younger minds, but subjects like math and science start with the basics and grow in difficulty as you go through school. During those early years in school, some psychology topics can be simplified and referenced to. For example, different ages go through different stages of life, and during elementary school, children are going through the stage of Industry versus Inferiority. During this stage, the children in elementary school are building their confidence and exploring while also finding out that they are not always allowed to explore. Although this concept of stages of development is a large concept, it can be introduced during elementary school.
For middle and high school, psychology should be a required class. The topics you learn create a level of self-awareness that cannot be achieved without a great amount of experience in life or a class in psychology. I feel that teaching psychology would solve so many social issues that are prevalent during this transitional period between childhood and adulthood. Topics in biological bases of behavior may give clarity to those who wonder why they do certain things. For example, there are hormones and neurotransmitters that make us feel the way we feel. This knowledge can give "the why" to curious individuals.
Psychology provides reasons as to why humans are the way they are. If this was introduced in early ages all the way through high school and college, depending on the individual, people could learn more about themselves and others, which could improve society as a whole.
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