What is Psychology

1
What is Psychology?

• it is a discipline
• it is a major subject of study in colleges and
  universities
• it is a science, a method of conducting research
  and of understanding behavior

2
What Do Psychologists Do?

• Teachers
• Researchers
• Service providers
• Administrators
• Consultants

3
Areas in Which Psychologists Can Concentrate

4
CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY assess and treat peoples
mental and emotional disorders

• work in academic institutions and health care
  settings such as clinics, hospitals, community
  mental health care settings, and private practice
• may focus their interests on special populations
  such as children, autistics, minority groups, or
  the elderly
• Generally Ph.D., may be MA/MS

5
COMMUNITY PSYCHOLOGY- concerned with everyday
behavior in natural settingsthe home, the
neighborhood, and workplace

• seek to understand the factors that contribute
  to behavior in these settings
• work to promote health and prevent disorder
• concentrate effort on groups of people who are
  not mentally ill, who may be at risk to become
  mentally ill, or on entire small populations
• Generally MA/MS, may be BA/S or Ph.D.

6
COUNSELING PSYCHOLOGY- improve normal human
functioning across the life span by helping
people solve problems, make decisions, and cope
with the stresses of everyday life

• may use research to evaluate effectiveness of
  treatments and search for novel approaches to
  changing behaviors
• may work in academic settings, but more often
  will be employed in health care institutions such
  as community health care centers, VA hospitals,
  private clinics, half-way houses, local
  drug-abuse centers, and domestic abuse shelters
• May be BA/S, MA/S or Ph.D.

7
DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY- study human development
across the life span, from newborn to aged

• at doctoral level may be employed in academic
  settings, teach, or do research
• at BA/S or MA/S level may work in applied setting
  such as day-care centers and in programs with
  youth groups
• At Ph.D. level may conduct research, teach, or
  consult in mental health facilities

8
ENVIRONMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY- concerned with the
relations between psychological processes and
physical environments

• study how behavior is affected by the home,
  office, and urban environment
• work with local urban planners in developing
  appropriate, viable, and user-friendly spaces
• opportunities with the government and industry
  for design of effective public spaces (including
  modules/stations for space exploration)
• Generally BA/S or MA/S although may be Ph.D.

9
INDUSTRIAL/ORGANIZATION PSYCHOLOGY- concerned
with the relation between people and work

• interested in organizational structure and
  change, workers productivity, job satisfaction,
  consumer behavior, and the interaction between
  humans and machines
• interested in selection, placement, training and
  development of personnel
• may be employed by businesses, industries,
  government, colleges and universities, or may be
  self-employed working as a consultant at MA/S but
  usually Ph.D. level

10
EXPERIMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY- a diverse group of
psychologists who conduct research on and often
teach about a variety of basic behavioral
processes

• study learning, sensations, perceptions, human
  performance, motivation, memory, language,
  thinking, and communication
• study the physiological processes underlying
  eating, reading, problem solving, cognitive
  activities, aging, drug use, motor behaviors,
  language development, coordination
• study the basic processes by which humans take
  in, store, retrieve, express, and apply knowledge
• study the behavior of animals to better
  understand that species and as animal models of
  human behavior
• Generally Ph.D. level, but may be MS

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NEUROPSYCHOLOGY AND PSYCHOBIOLOGY investigate
the relation between physical systems and behavior

• study the relation of specific biochemical
  mechanisms in the brain to behavior, the relation
  of brain structure to function, and the chemical
  and physical changes that occur in the body when
  we experience different emotions
• diagnose and treat disorders related to the CNS
• almost exclusively employed at Ph.D. level,
  although BA/S and MA/S may obtain employment as
  lab technicians or research assistants

12
EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY- study how people learn,
and design the methods and materials used to
educate people of all ages

• mostly in academic and educational settings,
  usually limited to doctoral level
• sometimes industry and the military offer
  possibilities for designing and evaluating
  systems to teach complex technical skills
• Often MA/S, may be Ph.D. level

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PSYCHOMETRICS AND QUANTITATIVE PSYCHOLOGY
concerned with methods and techniques for
acquiring and applying psychological knowledge

• may revise old intelligence, personality, and
  aptitude tests or devise new onesgenerally
  doctoral level
• at BA/S and MA/S level may contract to administer
  and interpret various test batteries in schools,
  business, the government, or the military
• Ph.D. level will design studies and consult
• usually well trained in mathematics, statistics,
  and computer programming and technology
• may work as statistical consultant for business,
  the government, or the military

14
SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGY help educators and others
promote the intellectual, social, and emotional
development of children

• besides schools, may work in day-care centers,
  hospital nurseries, mental health clinics,
  federal or state government agencies, child
  guidance centers, penal institutions, and
  behavioral research labs
• Often MA/S level, but may be Ph.D.

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REHABILITATION PSYCHOLOGY researchers/practition
ers work with people who suffered a physical
deprivation or loss, at birth or through later
damage such as stroke

• help people adjust to the physical handicaps
  associated with aging
• typically those treated by rehabilitation
  psychologists face both psychological and
  situation barriers to effective functioning in
  the world
• Usually BA/S or MA/S, although may be Ph.D. level
  at university, hospitals, or major league teams

16
SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY study how people interact
with each other and how they are affected by
their social environments

• study individual and group behaviorboth
  observable behaviors and private thought
• work in a variety of settings including academia,
  advertising agencies, corporations, hospitals,
  educational institutions, and architectural and
  engineering firms
• may conduct research, consult or work as manager
  usually at Ph.D. level

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FAMILY PSYCHOLOGY prevention of family conflict,
treatment of marital problems, and maintenance of
normal family functioning

• may be practitioners, researchers, or educators
• concentrates on the family structure and the
  interaction between members rather than on
  individuals
• Typically MA/S level, but Ph.D. level not uncommon

18
HEALTH PSYCHOLOGY promotion and the maintenance
of good health, and the prevention and treatment
of illness

• may be researcher or practitioner/ clinicians
• may design and conduct programs to help
  individuals stop smoking, decrease drug use,
  manage stress, lose weight, prevent cavities,
  remain on drug therapies, or stay physically fit
• incorporates the psychological aspect of behavior
  with the health concern
• Can find BA/S, MA/S or Ph.D. levels

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PSYCHOLOGY OF AGING/ GEREOPSYCHOLOGY study how
psychological process are involved with aging

• study how the process of aging changes the
  psychological make-up of individuals
• study how the psychological make-up of the
  individual affects the physical aging process
• may work in academic or applied settings
  (retirement homes, hospitals, mental health care
  facilities, local geriatric recreational
  facilities) at any level

20
FORENSIC PSYCHOLOGY concerned with both looking
at legal issues from a psychological perspective
and looking at psychological-related issues in
criminal cases

• may testify in trials as expert witness on
  behavior, interview and evaluate suspects,
  profile behavioral characteristics and possible
  suspects in serial/multiple crimes, recommend
  and/or conduct intervention or therapy, and
  provide clinical expertise both in the courtroom
  and a therapeutic setting
• might work in an academia, local, state, or
  federal government intelligence agencies such as
  FBI, CIA, or do private consulting for law firms
  
• At least MA/S level, usually Ph.D.

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GENDER ISSUES IN PSYCHOLOGY concerned with how
the psychological, biological, and social factors
of gender affect development and behavior

• study gender stereotypes, the relation of
  hormones to behavior, intellectual development,
  sexuality, socialization processes, development
  of gender roles and gender identity, and
  cognitive/behavioral differences between the
  genders
• study how the differences in biological
  development of the genders alters the development
  of behaviors
• may work in academia, schools, businesses, or the
  government
• usually also well trained in biology,
  psychobiology, or social psychology
• Found at all levels

22
Psychologists are constantly finding new career
paths.