Relevance of teaching social psychology in the training of psychologists

Abstract

This study aimed to determine social psychology's impact on future psychologists' training, considering students'performance during practical placements.The methodology included an analysis of the key features of the Social Psychology course, a comparison of the results of experimental and control groups after completing practical placements, a pedagogical experiment conducted with students in the clinics MindCare Clinic, Dobrobut, and Psychology Hub, as well as a Strengths Weaknesses,Opportunities,and Threats analysis.The study examined the teaching of Social Psychology at Mukachevo State University and assessed the effectiveness of interactive teaching methous A pedagogical experiment was conducted with two groups of psychology students: the control group focused on studying documents and theoretical materials, whereas the experimental group actively applied practical methods, such as case studies, role-playing, and training sessions. The analysis of the obtained data indicated that students in the experimental group demonstrated a higher level of professional competence, enhanced communication skills, and the ability to work effectively in real social-psychological situations. The findings confirmed that the use of interactive methods in teaching social psychology contributes to better material retention, the development of practical skills, and an overall increase in students'professional readiness. A comparative analysis revealed that students in the experimental group exhibited greater success in applying theoretical knowledge in practice, particularly in areas such as employee motivation and the management of social interactions. A key factor in this was the provision of feedback from clinic supervisors and the use of modern technologies for communication between lecturers and students. The results obtained mav be utilised in the development of new approaches to teaching social psychology, particularly the integration of motivational systems into the learning process