- Psychologists study mental processes and human behavior by observing, interpreting, and recording how people and other animals relate to one another and the environment.
- To do this, psychologists often look for patterns that will help them understand and predict behavior using scientific methods, principles, or procedures to test their ideas. Through such research studies, psychologists have learned much that can help increase understanding between individuals, groups, organizations, institutions, nations, and cultures.
- Like other social scientists, psychologists formulate theories, or hypotheses, which are possible explanations for what they observe.
- But unlike other social science disciplines, psychologists often concentrate on individual behavior and, specifically, in the beliefs and feelings that influence a person’s actions.
- Research methods vary with the topic which they study, but by and large, the chief techniques used are observation, assessment, and experimentation.
- Psychologists sometimes gather information and evaluate behavior through controlled laboratory experiments, hypnosis, biofeedback, psychoanalysis, or psychotherapy, or by administering personality, performance, aptitude, or intelligence tests.
- Other methods include interviews, questionnaires, clinical studies, surveys, and observation—looking for cause-and-effect relationships between events and for broad patterns of behavior.
- Research in psychology seeks to understand and explain thought, emotion, feelings, or behavior.
- The research findings of psychologists have greatly increased our understanding of why people and animals behave as they do.
- For example, psychologists have discovered how personality develops and how to promote healthy development. They have gained knowledge of how to diagnose and treat alcoholism and substance abuse, how to help people change bad habits and conduct, and how to help students learn. They understand the conditions that can make workers more productive.
- Insights provided by psychologists can help people function better as individuals, friends, family members, and workers.
- Psychologists may perform a variety of duties in a vast number of industries. For example, those working in health service fields may provide mental healthcare in hospitals, clinics, schools, or private settings.
- Psychologists employed in applied settings, such as business, industry, government, or non-profit organizations, may provide training, conduct research, design organizational systems, and act as advocates for psychology.
- Psychologists apply their knowledge to a wide range of endeavors, including health and human services, management, education, law, and sports.
- They usually specialize in one of many different areas.
- Clinical psychologists—who constitute the largest specialty—are concerned with the assessment, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of mental disorders.
- While some clinical psychologists specialize in treating severe psychological disorders, such as schizophrenia and depression, many others may help people deal with personal issues, such as divorce or the death of a loved one.
- Often times, clinical psychologists provide an opportunity to talk and think about things that are confusing or worrying, offering different ways of interpreting and understanding problems and situations.
- They are trained to use a variety of approaches aimed at helping individuals, and the strategies used are generally determined by the specialty they work in.
- Clinical psychologists often interview patients and give diagnostic tests in their own private offices.
- They may provide individual, family, or group psychotherapy and may design and implement behavior modification programs.
- Some clinical psychologists work in hospitals where they collaborate with physicians and other specialists to develop and implement treatment and intervention programs that patients can understand and comply with.
- Other clinical psychologists work in universities and medical schools, where they train graduate students in the delivery of mental health and behavioral medicine services.
- A few work in physical rehabilitation settings, treating patients with spinal cord injuries, chronic pain or illness, stroke, arthritis, or neurological conditions.
- Others may work in community mental health centers, crisis counselling services, or drug rehabilitation centers, offering evaluation, therapy, remediation, and consultation.
- Areas of specialization within clinical psychology include health psychology, neuropsychology, geropsychology, and child psychology.
- Health psychologists study how biological, psychological, and social factors affect health and illness. They promote healthy living and disease prevention through counselling, and they focus on how patients adjust to illnesses and treatments and view their quality of life.
- Neuropsychologists study the relation between the brain and behavior. They often work in stroke and head injury programs.
- Geropsychologists deal with the special problems faced by the elderly. Work may include helping older persons cope with stresses that are common in late life, such as loss of loved ones, relocation, medical conditions, and increased care-giving demands.
- Clinical psychologists may further specialize in these fields by focusing their work in a number of niche areas including mental health, learning disabilities, emotional disturbances, or substance abuse. The emergence and growth of these, and other, specialties reflects the increasing participation of psychologists in direct services to special patient populations.
- Often, clinical psychologists consult with other medical personnel regarding the best treatment for patients, especially treatment that includes medication. Clinical psychologists generally are not permitted to prescribe medication to treat patients; only psychiatrists and other medical doctors may prescribe most medications.
- Counselling psychologists advise people on how to deal with problems of everyday living, including problems in the home, place of work, or community, to help improve their quality of life.
- They foster well-being by promoting good mental health and preventing mental, physical, and social disorders.
- They work in settings such as university or crisis counselling centers, hospitals, rehabilitation centers, and individual or group practices.
- School psychologists work with students in early childhood and elementary and secondary schools.
- They collaborate with teachers, parents, and school personnel to create safe, healthy, and supportive learning environments for all students.
- School psychologists address students' learning and behavioral problems, suggest improvements to classroom management strategies or parenting techniques, and evaluate students with disabilities and gifted and talented students to help determine the best way to educate them.
- They improve teaching, learning, and socialization strategies based on their understanding of the psychology of learning environments.
- They also may evaluate the effectiveness of academic programs, prevention programs, behavior management procedures, and other services provided in the school setting.
- Industrial-organizational psychologists apply psychological principles and research methods to the workplace in the interest of improving the quality of work life.
- They also are involved in research on management and marketing problems. They screen, train, and counsel applicants for jobs, as well as perform organizational development and analysis.
- An industrial psychologist might work with management to reorganize the work setting in order to enhance productivity.
- Industrial psychologists frequently act as consultants, brought in by management to solve a particular problem.
- Developmental psychologists study the physiological, cognitive, and social development that takes place throughout life.
- Some specialize in behavior during infancy, childhood, and adolescence, or changes that occur during maturity or old age.
- Developmental psychologists also may study developmental disabilities and their effects. Increasingly, research is developing ways to help elderly people remain independent as long as possible.
- Social psychologists examine people's interactions with others and with the social environment.
- They work in organizational consultation, marketing research, systems design, or other applied psychology fields.
- Many social psychologists specialize in a niche area, such as group behavior, leadership, attitudes, and perception.
- Experimental or research psychologists work in university and private research centers and in business, non-profit, and governmental organizations.
- They study the behavior of both human beings and animals, such as rats, monkeys, and pigeons.
- Prominent areas of study in experimental research include motivation, thought, attention, learning and memory, sensory and perceptual processes, effects of substance abuse, and genetic and neurological factors affecting behavior.
- Forensic psychologists use psychological principles in the legal and criminal justice system to help judges, attorneys, and other legal professionals understand the psychological findings of a particular case.
- They are usually designated as an expert witness and typically specialize in one of three areas: family court, civil court, and criminal court.
- Forensic psychologists who work in family court may offer psychotherapy services, perform child custody evaluations, or investigate reports of child abuse.
- Those working in civil courts may assess competency, provide second opinions, and provide psychotherapy to crime victims.
- Criminal court forensic psychologists often conduct evaluations of mental competency, work with child witnesses, and provide assessment of juvenile or adult offenders.
- Job prospects should be the best for people who have a doctoral degree from a leading university in an applied specialty, such as counselling or health, and those with a specialist or doctoral degree in school psychology.
- Employment will grow because of increased demand for psychological services in schools, hospitals, social service agencies, mental health centers, substance abuse treatment clinics, consulting firms, and private companies.
- Demand for school psychologists will be driven by a growing awareness of how students' mental health and behavioral problems, such as bullying, affect learning.
- School psychologists will also be needed for general student counselling on a variety of other issues, including working with students with disabilities or with special needs, tackling drug abuse, and consulting and managing personal crisis.
- Demand for clinical psychologists will continue to be the rising healthcare costs associated with unhealthy lifestyles, such as smoking, alcoholism, and obesity, which have made prevention and treatment more critical.
- An increase in the number of employee assistance programs, which help workers deal with personal problems, also should lead to employment growth for clinical and counselling specialties.
- Clinical and counselling psychologists will be needed to help people deal with depression and other mental disorders, marriage and family problems, job stress, and addiction.
- The growing number of elderly will increase the demand for psychologists trained in geropsychology to help people deal with the mental and physical changes that occur as individuals grow older.
- There also will be increased need for psychologists to work with returning veterans.
- Industrial-organizational psychologists also will be in demand to help to boost worker productivity and retention rates in a wide range of businesses.
- Industrial-organizational psychologists will help companies deal with issues such as workplace diversity and antidiscrimination policies.
- Companies also will use psychologists' expertise in survey design, analysis, and research to develop tools for marketing evaluation and statistical analysis.
- Job prospects should be best for people who have a doctoral degree from a leading university in an applied specialty, such as counselling or health, and those with a specialist or doctoral degree in school psychology.
- Psychologists with extensive training in quantitative research methods and computer science may have a competitive edge over applicants without such background.
- Master's degree holders in fields other than industrial-organizational psychology will face keen competition for jobs because of the limited number of positions that require only a master's degree.
- Master's degree holders may find jobs as psychological assistants or counsellors, providing mental health services under the direct supervision of a licensed psychologist.
- Still, others may find jobs involving research and data collection and analysis in universities, government, or private companies.
- Opportunities directly related to psychology will be limited for bachelor's degree holders. Some may find jobs as assistants in rehabilitation centers or in other jobs involving data collection and analysis.
Psychologists work with people, developing relationships and comforting them. Other occupations with similar duties include Clergy; Counsellors; Human Resources, training, and labor relations managers and specialists; Market and survey researchers; Recreation workers; Social workers; Sociologists and political scientists; Teachers.
Psychologists also sometimes diagnose and treat problems and help patients recover. These duties are similar to those for Audiologists; Dentists; Optometrists; Physicians and surgeons; Radiation therapists; Speech-language pathologists.
- PHD in Psychology for independent practice as psychologist
- Master’s Degree in Psychology for industrial-organizational psychologists
- Bachelor's degree in psychology qualifies a person to assist psychologists. Holders may also work as administrative assistants for psychologists. Many, however, find employment in other areas, such as sales, service, or business management.
This career information is drawn from data provided by the U.S. Department of Labor.