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Bulimia is a psychological disorder that is caused by a skewed body image .Two forms of bulimia are recognized by the American Psychological Association, both of which can be devastating to a person’s health and after prolonged practice, may even cause death. An alarming rate of people suffer from the disease, many of them younger than 30. Peer pressure, the media and other mental factors may have an influence on adolescents who suffer from the disease. Other factors such as family and home life may play a role as well.

Symptoms of bulimia include a negative body and self image, binging and purging, which is the act of eating to the point where the stomach cannot handle anymore and forcing oneself to vomit, or the use of excessive amounts of laxatives to rid the body of food. Many of the foods that individuals with bulimia consume are high in fat and calories.

In many cases, people with bulimia start out with a diet and exercise program that is rather innocent and healthy for their bodies. The problem begins when the individual cheats on his or her diet, and then experiences a feeling of guilt or failure afterwards. This escalates the feeling of low self esteem and increases the severity of the situation, until it escalates to bulimia where the binge-purge behavior is exerted.

Diagnosis of this disorder involves a psychological evaluation to determine if an individual exhibits traits of the disease. This involves asking rigorous questions about self and body image and getting a history of the individual’s weight issues, and any other family or home issues present. According to the American Psychiatric Association, the criteria for diagnosing a patient with bulimia includes binging and purging at least twice a week for three consecutive months, negative or unrealistic body image and weight loss attitudes, and the absence of anorexia.

Many college students, when they think of science, think of physics, chemistry, geology, biology, astronomy and other similar fields of study. Psychology, which is the study of the human psyche and of behavior, rarely comes to mind. But psychology is inherently scientific, which is why it is classified as a behavior science.

Like other scientists, psychologists hold a “scientific attitude,” meaning that every aspect of research is critically and skeptically examined, and all biases are purposefully ignored during the research process. As such, the scientific method plays an integral part in the process of psychological research.

The scientific method is a systematic approach to research that involves the use of critical observation and analysis as a means of drawing conclusions that explain the scientific findings resulting from testing a hypothesis based on initial observations. In other words, the scientific method involves the following steps:

1. Identifying a problem

2. Making an educated guess (or hypothesis) about a possible solution

3. Conducting an experiment to test the hypothesis

4. Analyzing and recording information collected during the experiment

5. Making a conclusion that explains the findings of the experiment.

Identifying a Problem

This first step is more complicated than one might think. First, the researcher must decide on the topic to be studied. Once a topic is chosen, the researcher needs to review all existing literature covering the topic of choice, including academic journals. government studies and psychology books. Doing so will help the researcher to understand what is already known about his or her topic. Many psychologists also will conduct an initial survey to gather basic information. Once all background research is completed the researcher is ready to form a testable hypothesis.

Formulate a Hypothesis

Summer internships create opportunities for psychology students to enhance their educational endeavors and find a good job after graduation. Summer internships provide on the job experience, a necessary requirement when entering today’s competitive job market. Students can benefit from summer internships by attaining marketable job skills, networking and learning the ins and outs of their chosen field.

Before looking for internships, psychology students should know what kind of internship they are interested in undertaking. Wasting time on unrelated fields will not help the a student in his or her future job search. All students should know what their objectives are for obtaining a summer internship.

Many summer internships for psychology students are unpaid. Being open-minded about not getting paid for a summer will greatly increase the chances of finding an internship. A few internships for students do offer payment and some can be applied towards tuition credit. But it is best to be prepared for an unpaid internship.

To find summer internships, students should first look in their department at school. Instructors and department heads may have information on companies that are hiring summer interns. They may also be able to provide contact information that can aid in the search.

The college’s career service center is also a good resource for finding summer internships. They will have inside knowledge on who is looking for interns and companies that would be a good fit for students.

Psychology students can also find guidebooks that offer details on summer internships. Internship websites are plentiful and provide good resources for psychology students. Some employers will advertise directly with the college. Colleges usually hold at least one annual career or internship fair per semester.

Pell grants are available to help students fund their college endeavors. A minimum of four years of college education is essential to the training of anyone who wants to work in the field of psychology. But obtaining a college education can be costly and some individuals do not have the finances needed to fund their educational goals.

A pell grant for psychology students can help to alleviate the financial burden of higher education. The pell grant program is a federal grant program in which the money does not need to be repaid and the grant is available to low-income students who demonstrate a substantial financial need. The pell grant is for undergraduate students and certain postgraduate courses with proper approval.

To apply for a pell grant, a student should submit a Free Application for Financial Student Aid (FAFSA). This can be done by submitting a paper application available from a college’s financial aid office through the mail or by submitting an application online through the official FAFSA website. This application will be used at a college’s financial office to determine the student’s eligibility for the pell grant as well as other grant and scholarship money. The FAFSA application must be entirely filled out and will require personal information such as social security number, driver’s license number and income tax information.

Once the application has been submitted, the student will receive a Student Aid Report (SAR) which will detail the student’s eligibility for financial aid as well as the student’s expected family contribution (EFC). The FAFSA should be submitted as soon as possible after income taxes have been filed. Different states and schools have different deadlines for the date the application should be filed by.

Studying while working is hard, but possible. Many adults return to school at some time during their working lives to boost promotion prospects or fill in gaps in their education. Adult students are often more motivated than younger students; they work harder at their assignments, they do their homework and the life lessons and professional experience they have acquired at work add depth to their studies.

The advantages work in the other direction, too. Students in a psychology graduate program are often able to apply their newly-acquired knowledge to gaining a better understanding of how their co-workers and bosses think, and find that negotiation and other crucial work skills improve.

Recruiting supporters is key to successfully balancing work and school. Psychology students should be open with their employers, family and professors about their combined responsibilities. Employers and professors can be surprisingly flexible if solutions are negotiated in advance. For example, an employer may accept an employee leaving an hour early to get to class if the employee negotiates either a small pay cut or makes up lost hours beforehand.

Working students should be careful not to take on too many classes at once. It is often possible, and advisable, to spread out required classes over a longer period of time. Students are generally impatient to get their degree, but trying to do too much will result in burnout and failure to complete the degree program. Many schools offer flexible options such as online classes or intensive summer classes.

Since the 1960s, the various methods used by psychologists have changed remarkably. Now, most of them do not identify with any particular school of thought, and prefer to concetrate on a given specialty area instead. They generally use a more universal approach, drawing on ideas from a range of perspectives. What follows are some of the major perspectives that  continue to play a role in the development of psychological thought and counseling today:

Through the study of human physiology, psychology gradually evolved and became a separate science, namely biological psychology-a perspective that stresses the biological and physical aspects of man’s behavior. It is enhanced by our present-day ability to do research and come to a greater understanding of the human nervous system and brain. Using tools such as PET amd MRI Scans, scientists can now determine the psychological effects of drugs, brain damage, and disease in a way that was never possible before.

Behavioral psychology is concerned with the way in which human behavior is learned and reinforced by relevant environmental variables. Its principles are generally applied in a mental health setting as counselors and psychiatrists use different techniques to diagnose and treat a wide range of mental illnesses.

The cognitive perspective concentrates on our various mental processes including thinking, decision-making, memory and problem-solving. This approach has become increasingly popular in recent decades, due to the influence of Albert bandura, Jean Piaget, and others.

Cross-cultural researchers and psychologists study human behavior from a cultural perspective, and as a result, they have made important discoveries about the influence society and culture have on the individual’s thinking and related behavior.

Evolutionary researchers and psychologists apply the essential principles of evolution to various psychological phenomena. This approach maintains that certain mental processes have assisted humans in reproduction and survival throughout history.