The Intermingling of Business and Psychology Sierra Adams

Diagnosed with ODD, he was one of my hardest students to teach Taekwondo, but undoubtedly the most rewarding. He would climb on top of the fridge, scream at other kids and defy every word I said. His mother was an alcoholic who was always late to pick him up, and his estranged father continually made promises to him that he never kept.

I became entranced by psychology so that I could understand why the kids I teach did what they did and adapt my techniques for their success. After extensive research and analyzing kids with similar conditions, I found that the neurotransmitters in his brain were out of balance causing different events to trigger the chemicals in his mind to over-react or under-react. I studied his triggers and found methods to combat the responses. I had him lead drills and trusted him with responsibilities. As a reward, we played table tennis every afternoon, so he would have a reason to come back.

Psychology has several connections to the world of business as well. For example, the mid-brain region that regulates our levels of motivation and our ability to predict rewards by releasing dopamine in the frontal regions of the brain explains why people pay hundreds of dollars for a new iPhone when they have a...