Careers in
What, exactly, does a
psychologist do?
Not all psychologists are
therapists…


Psychologists work almost
everywhere – in education,
industry, sports, prisons,
government, churches,
consulting firms, courts, etc.
This presentation is designed to
give you just a small idea of all
of the things psychologists can
do.
Three ways of doing
psychology

Broadly speaking, psychologists can
be divided into 3 main categories:



Experimental/Research
Psychologists: The workhorses who
do the basic research. Most are faculty
members at a college or university. This
is the smallest group.
Teachers of psychology: Often
overlaps with the first group.
Applied Psychologists: Use the
knowledge developed by experimental
psychologists to tackle human
problems, such as training, equipment
design, and psychological treatment.
Domains of Psychology











Biological psychologists - the application of the principles of biology, in
particular neurobiology, to the study of mental processes and behavior.
Clinical psychologists – Evaluate and treat mental, emotional, and
behavioral disorders
Cognitive psychologists - A cognitive psychologist is concerned with
the study and understanding of how memory, perception, and thought
work in the brain.
Counseling psychologists – Help people adapt to change or make
changes in their lifestyle
Developmental psychologists – Study psychological development
through the lifespan
Educational psychologists – Focus on how effective teaching and
learning take place
Experimental psychologists - Experimental psychologists use a
methodological approach to conduct experiments in controlled situations
in order to examine or establish hypotheses about human behavior.
Industrial and organizational psychologists (I/O psychologists) –
apply concepts to work settings to maximize productivity and morale.
Personality psychologists - A branch of psychology that studies
personality and individual differences.
Psychometrics (measurement psychologists) – Focus on methods for
acquiring and analyzing psychological data.
Social psychologists – Focus on how a person’s mental life and
behavior are shaped by interactions with other people
9.5%
Physiological
10.3%
Other
3.8%
Psychometrics
10.6%
Health
6.7%
Cognitive
13.7%
Educational
8.2%
Experimental
16.1%
Social
3.0%
Personality
19.3%
Developmental
Psychology has many subdisciplines. Research is performed in each of
them. This chart lists the major areas for research in modern psychology.
How Psychology
Developed
Psychology
Today
Seven Unifying
Themes
Personal
Application
Careers in Psychology:
Percentage of Psychology
Degrees by Specialty
4.2%
Elementary and
Secondary Schools
6.3%
Business and Government
8.5%
Other
19.4%
Hospitals and Clinics
28.0%
Colleges and Universities
33.6%
Private Practice
How Psychology
Developed
Psychology
Today
Seven Unifying
Themes
Personal
Application
Psychology vs. Psychiatry
Psychologist

Masters
(2yrs)

Doctoral (3-5
years)

PhD or PsyD
(clinical)

Cannot
prescribe
drugs

Practitioners

Academic

Researchers
Psychiatrist
 Medical Doctor M.D.
 Medical school with
internship in psychiatry
 Can prescribe drugs
Counselor
 Master’s degree (MSW
or MC)
 Less severe mental
health problems
 Family, relationship,
substance abuse,
anxiety
Supermarket psychology
“Supermarket Psychology” – Why
Businesses Might Want to Hire a
Psychologist as a Consultant
Supermarket psychology clips: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RmEI3_NhZj4,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RjgkQ6bq7aE, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g3IwOgA3Ngw
Fast Food Logos –
What do you notice?
The Psychology of Color





Take a look around and you’ll see that most fast food logos
contain one or more of the following colors– red, yellow,
orange, or green; particularly the former two.
That’s because, according to the color theory, these colors are
known to subconsciously trigger hunger and/or induce
excitement. These colors encourage guests to spend more and
leave quickly– which is exactly what fast food restaurants want
you to do.
Research has shown that people eat more in a room with
warm color surroundings as opposed to consuming food in a
room painted in cold colors such as blue, black, or purple. As a
matter of fact, studies have shown that these colors actually
suppress appetite because they are associated with foods that
may have become spoiled or foods that may be toxic (how
many blue foods can you name?).
While blue is one of the most popular colors it is one of the
least appetizing. Blue food is rare in nature. Food researchers
say that when humans searched for food, they learned to avoid
toxic or spoiled objects, which were often blue, black, or purple.
When food dyed blue is served to study subjects, they lose
appetite.
Green, brown, and red are the most popular food colors. Red is
often used in restaurant decorating schemes because it is an
appetite stimulant. Yellow is an attention-getter and it speeds
up metabolism.