Applied Psychology

In psychology, a “worldview” refers to the lens through which individuals perceive, interpret, and make sense of the world around them.

This concept encompasses beliefs, values, cultural backgrounds, and personal experiences, all of which shape an individual’s understanding of themselves and others.

An inequality is an influential factor within a social or cultural structure that leads directly to disadvantages or limitations for those experiencing them.

As psychologists, we call these factors socio-cultural and socio-economic factors which means factors that are ‘bound-up’ inside the social, cultural and economic contexts in which we exist.

Although the Locus of Control sounds rather technical, it is in fact a rather straightforward concept which was developed by Julian Rotter in 1954 and has stood the ‘test of time’ in terms of being persistently shown to be a valid ‘construct’.

This concept is also associated with Attribution Theory.

In the context of behaviour change, decisional balance refers to the assessment or evaluation of the pros and cons or the advantages and disadvantages associated with a particular behaviour.

It is a concept often used in psychological and behavioural theories, such as….

Alcohol addiction is often described as a chronic brain disease — a medical condition over which the individual has little or no control.

This view has dominated the mainstream narrative for decades.

But what if this model is incomplete, and in many cases, unhelpful?

Post Traumatic Growth is closely linked to to the idea of resilience and describes the positive effects that experiencing trauma can have on a person.

There is an underlying assumption that experiencing any kind of traumatic event must somehow result in either negative outcomes or, for some, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

Attribution theory, developed by Fritz Heider 80 years ago, explores how we perceive and understand the causes of our experiences.

It is closely tied to the concept of Locus of Control, which measures our belief in our ability to shape our own life outcomes.

Resilience is a person’s ability to ‘bounce-back’ from problems, difficulties and life challenges.

In life we can all expect to have our fair share of difficult times, for example when losing a loved one or when suffering ill health.

Everybody has a different level of resilience and….

In today’s society, mental health is often framed within the biomedical model.

Mental health issues are frequently perceived as individual pathologies—imbalances in brain chemistry, genetic predispositions, or abnormalities that can be addressed primarily through medication and therapy.

Attachment styles are the ways in which individuals form emotional bonds and connections with others, especially in close relationships.

These styles, rooted in early childhood experiences with primary caregivers, profoundly shape our approach to relationships, emotional regulation, and even self-identity.