PROFESSIONS AND SUBFIELDS IN PSYCHOLOGY

Subfields in PsychologyClinical psychologists

Promote psychological health○ Diagnose and treat people with emotional

disturbancesHelp people deal with their personal problems

○ Examples: Depression, Personality disorders, Schizophrenia

Work in:○ Mental hospitals○ Prisons○ Clinics○ Private practices

○ Schools○ Industries○ Counseling centers○ Government agencies

Subfields in PsychologyCounseling Psychologists

Help people by advising and assisting with the problems of everyday life○ Adjust to life transitions or make life-style changes

Concerned with “normal” problems of adjustment or challenge○ Academic stress, choosing a career, marital problems

Work in:○ Academic settings

Schools○ Community health centers○ Private clinics

Focus on…• Qualities of individual• Surrounding environment• Life span• Gender• Race

Subfields in Psychology cont’d

Developmental psychologists

Study how people change over time

Interested in:○ Physical changes○ Emotional development○ Cognitive processes

Work in:○ Academic settings

Public schools

○ Day-care centers○ Senior centers○ Youth group programs○ Hospitals

Educational psychologists

Study processes of learning, remembering, and thinking

Topics related to teaching children and young adults○ Intelligence, memory,

problem solving

Work in:○ Universities○ Schools○ Education companies

Subfields in Psychology cont’d Industrial/Organizational psychologists

Concerned with relationship between people and organizational structures○ Study of people in the workforce

Employed by businesses and government agencies

Study and develop methods to boost production, improve working conditions, place job applicants, and train people

Work in:○ Government○ Industry○ Businesses○ Colleges and Universities

Subfields in Psychology cont’d Experimental psychologists

Perform research to understand how humans operate physically and psychologically○ Learning, memory, sensation, perception, cognition,

motivation, emotion

Supply information and research used in psychology○ Most identify with particular subfield of psychology

Work in:○ Research institutions○ Businesses○ Industries○ Government agencies○ Academic settings

Additional Subfields Community psychologist

Strengthen communities/organizations

Help provide access to resources Examples:

○ Improving support for hurricane victims

○ Neighborhood crime prevention○ Bullying prevention in schools

Environmental psychologist Person-environment interactions Built environments, social settings,

cultural groups, etc. Examples:

○ Effect of environmental stress on human effectiveness

○ Conservation behavior – helping people adjust to the environment in which they live

Forensic psychologist Apply psychological principles to legal

issues Examples:

○ Custody of children○ Defendant’s mental competence to stand

trial○ Research on jury behavior

Social psychologist Interactions shape person’s mental life

and behavior – focus on individual and group influences○ Seek to improve interactions

Examples:○ Work in academic settings – teaching and

researching○ Advertising agency – study consumer

attitudes and preferences

Sports psychologist Focus on goals, motivation, dealing with

failure/anxiety

Where Psychologists Work?

2009 Doctorate Employment Survey APA

Subfields in PsychologyOther 15%

Experimental 9%

Social andpersonality 5%

Developmental 5%

I/O 5%

School/Educational 6%

Clinical and counseling 55%