PSYCHOLOGY
The scientific study of behavior and
mental processes
Derived from the Greeks
Psyche: spirit or breath of life
Logos: knowledge or study of
Psychology
 A philosophical science with roots in
science, biology, medicine, and physics
Top 5 Reasons Undergraduate Students
Chose Psychology
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•Help others, be of service
•Interesting subject matter
•Better understand myself and others
•Career and/or salary potential
•Conduct research
 Source: 2008 APA Student Affiliate Survey.Compiled
by the APA Center for Workforce Studies, July 2010.
Topics to be Discussed
 Theoretical Approaches within the field
 Subfields of psychology and the careers
associated with them
Theoretical Approaches Within the Field
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Each Approach Studies Behaviors and Mental Processes from Different Angles
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Psychodynamic perspective - modern version of psychoanalysis.
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Focused on the development of a sense of self and the discovery of other motivations behind a
person’s behavior
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Behavioral perspective – B. F. Skinner studied operant conditioning of voluntary behavior.
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Behaviorism became a major force in the twentieth century.
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Skinner introduced the concept of reinforcement to behaviorism
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Goal: To study only observable behavior and explain it via learning. Behaviorists focused on
how behaviors are learned and modified.
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Seeks to explain how we learn from observable responses. The basis of behavioral psychology suggests
that all behaviors are learned.
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Humanistic perspective
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Owes far more to the early roots of psychology in the field of philosophy.
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Humanists held the view that people have free will, the freedom to choose their own destiny.
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Early founders:
 Abraham Maslow
 Carl Rogers
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Emphasized the human potential, the ability of each person to become the best person he or she could
be.
 Self-actualization - achieving one’s full potential or actual self.
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Biopsychological perspective - attributes human and animal behavior to biological events occurring in the
body, such as genetic
influences, hormones, and the activity of the nervous system.
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Cognitive perspective - focuses on memory, intelligence, perception, problem solving, and learning.
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Sociocultural perspective - focuses on the relationship between social behavior and culture.
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Evolutionary perspective - focuses on the biological bases of universal mental characteristics that all
humans share.
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Looks at the way the mind works and why it works as it does.
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Behavior is seen as having an adaptive or survival value.
Major Subfields of Psychology
Neuro
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Forensic
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Social
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Educational
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Developmental
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Health
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Cognitive
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School
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Experimental or research
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Sports
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Consumer
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Industrial/organizational
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Environmental
*There are many other, less common subfields of psychology (ex: community, family)
*In all subfields of Psychology one may conduct research, be an educator (professor), or have an
independent practice
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Neuropsychology
 Specialty of psychology concerned with the study of
the relationships between the brain and behavior,
including the use of psychological tests and
assessment techniques to diagnose specific cognitive
and behavioral deficits
memory.ucsf.edu/glossary.html
 May work in hospital settings conducting evaluations
on patients with brain damage (ex: strokes,
accidents, dementia, or Alzheimer's)
Forensic Psychology
 Forensic psychology is the intersection between
psychology and the criminal justice system. It involves
understanding criminal law in the relevant jurisdictions
in order to be able to interact appropriately with judges,
attorneys and other legal professionals.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forensic_psychology
 Look into the psychological perspectives associated with
crimes and apply them to the case so that justice might be
served
 Deal with legal issues related to news law, public policies,
and are asked to determine the mental state and
competency of defendants
Social Psychology
 Social psychology is the scientific study of how
people's thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are
influenced by the actual, imagined, or implied
presence of others. By this definition, scientific
refers to the empirical method of investigation.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_psychology_(psychology)
 Employed in areas related to advertising,
business, health, education, and politics
Educational Psychology
 Educational psychology is the study of how
humans learn in educational settings, the
effectiveness of educational interventions, the
psychology of teaching, and the social psychology
of schools as organizations.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Educational_psychology
 Help develop educational programs and policies
based on how people learn within an educational
setting
Developmental Psychology
 Developmental psychology, also known as
human development, is the scientific study of
systematic psychological changes that occur in
human beings over the course of the life span.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Developmental_psychology
 work with families, children/adolescence in
government agencies or clinics, act as
consultants, or have a private practice
Health Psychology
 The specific field in psychology concerned
with psychology's impact on health,
physical well being, and illness.
allpsych.com/dictionary/dictionary2.html
 My work with health agencies in the
development of health related programs
or campaigns
Cognitive Psychology
 The sub-field of psychology associated with
information processing and the role it plays in
emotion, behavior, and physiology.
spaciousheart.net/index.php
 Conduct research on the human thought process
 Often work at colleges and universities,
government agencies, corporate businesses, and
in private consulting
School Psychology
 School psychology is a field that applies principles of
clinical psychology and educational psychology to the
diagnosis and treatment of children's and
adolescents' behavioral and learning problems.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/School_psychology
 Help children gain access to the interventions or
accommodations they need to improve their
academic success
 May take on the role of an administrator (ex:
principal, director of special education)
Experimental Psychology
 the branch of psychology that uses
experimental methods to study
psychological issues
wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn
 Conduct research in hospitals, clinics, or
university settings
Sport Psychology
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Sport psychology (or sports psychology) is the study of a person's
behavior in sport. It is also a specialization within the brain
psychology and kinesiology that seeks to understand
psychological/mental factors that affect performance in sports,
physical activity, and exercise and apply these to enhance
individual and team performance. It deals with increasing
performance by managing emotions and minimizing the
psychological effects of injury and poor performance. Some of the
most important skills taught are goal setting, relaxation,
visualization, self-talk, awareness and control, concentration,
confidence, using rituals, attribution training, and periodization.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sport_psychology
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Performance Enhancement Consultants are professionals trained
in sport and exercise but are not licensed psychologists or
counselors. Also known as sport and exercise psychology
consultants or mental coaches. Provides individual or group
consultations geared towards performance–related issues.
Consumer Psychology
 The goals of consumer psychologists are to
describe, predict, influence, and/or explain
consumer responses.
 Many responses are important, including beliefs
and judgments, emotions, purchase decisions,
and consumption practices. A broad range of
product and service related information is also
important, such as advertisements, package
labels, coupons, consumer magazines, and wordof-mouth communications from friends and
relatives.
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June 12, 2003. Source:
http://www.wcupa.edu/_ACADEMICS/sch_cas.psy/Career_Paths/Consumer/Career05.htm#em
ploy
Industrial/Organizational Psychology
 Industrial and Organizational Psychology (also known as I-O
psychology, industrial-organizational psychology, work
psychology, organizational psychology, work and
organizational psychology, industrial psychology,
occupational psychology, personnel psychology or talent
assessment) applies ...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Industrial/Organizational_Psychology
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Industrial/Organizational Domains include:
Employee Selection, Placement, and Classification
Work Motivation
Small Group Theory and Process
Leadership
Human Performance/Human Factors
Measurement of Individual Differences
Career Development
Clinical and Counseling Psychology
 Historically, clinical psychologists were trained to work with
people with more severe psychopathology and counseling
psychologists were trained to work with people with more
“normal” problems (including adjustment problems, career
counseling, etc.). However, the distinction between clinical
and counseling psychology is not as clear as it once was, and
today both clinical and counseling psychologists work with
clients with a variety of problems.
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http://www.noctrl.edu/academics/departments/psychology/department_site/Careers.Counseling.htm
 Clinical and counseling psychologists have doctoral level
training. This training prepares these psychologists to do
psychotherapy and psychological assessment (along with
school psychologists, clinical and counseling psychologists
generally do the bulk of psychological assessments).
Environmental Psychology
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Environmental psychologists study the ways people and the physical
environments influence each other. These environments may range from
homes and offices to urban areas and regions. Environmental
psychologists may do basic research, for example, evaluating people's
attitudes toward different environments or their sense of personal space;
or their research may be applied, such as evaluating an office design or
assessing the psychological impact of a government's plan to build a new
waste-treatment site. More specifically, environmental psychologists may
study the effects of crowding or population density on behavior and
attitudes; the effect of pollution, temperature, noise, lighting conditions,
and aromas on behavior; or they may study the ways aspects of the
physical environment, like wall colors or music in offices, may influence
work.
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http://campus.udayton.edu/~psych/handbook/AREASO~1.HTM
Income at the Master’s Level of Education
 Median salary of someone with a master’s level of
education in psychology in direct human services
positions
 $37,500 (5> years experience in the field);
 $55,000 (25 years experience in the field).
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2009Source: 2009 APA Salary Survey. Complied by the APA Center
for Workforce Studies, April, 2010.
Income at the Doctorate Level of Education
 Median Salaries for people with a doctorate in
psychology (northeast)
 $77,000 (16yrs experience in the field)
 $124,500 for someone with an administrative
position in the field (24 years experience)
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Source: 2009 Salaries in Psychology. Center for Workforce Studies, American
Psychological Association. 2010.
Areas of Need/Opportunities for Those in
the Field: Research and Practice
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Underserved populations
Individuals in correctional facilities
Chronically mentally Ill (Axis I diagnosis)
Veterans/military/families of veterans
Youth/children
Elderly/geriatric population
Retiring/Aging “baby boomer” generations psychology
 Opportunities for prevention vs. intervention
 Health Care Reform-medical “teams”
 Holistic care teams
For More Information go to…
 www.apa.org