Psychology is a huge topic and conveying the depth
and breadth of the subject can be difficult. As a result, a number of different
fields of psychology have emerged to deal with specific subtopics within the
study of the mind, brain and behavior.
Most general and introductory psychology courses
cover many of these fields of psychology. As you delve deeper into the subject,
you’ll soon find courses offered in each individual area. Each field of
psychology represents a specific area of study focused on a particular topic.
Oftentimes, psychologists specialize in one of these areas as a career.
The following are just some of the major fields of
psychology. For many of these specialty areas, additional graduate study in
that particular field is required.
• Abnormal
Psychology: Abnormal psychology is a field of psychology that deals with
psychopathology and abnormal behavior. The term covers a broad range of
disorders, from depression to obsession-compulsion to sexual deviation and many
more. Counselors, clinical psychologists and psychotherapists often work
directly in this field.
• Biopsychology:
Biopsychology is a field of psychology that analyzes how the brain and
neurotransmitters influence our behaviors, thoughts and feelings. This field
can be thought of as a combination of basic psychology and neuroscience.
• Clinical
Psychology: Clinical psychology is the branch of psychology concerned with the
assessment and treatment of mental illness, abnormal behavior and psychiatric
problems.
• Cognitive
Psychology: Cognitive psychology is the branch of psychology that studies
mental processes including how people think, perceive, remember and learn. As
part of the larger field of cognitive science, this branch of psychology is
related to other disciplines including neuroscience, philosophy, and
linguistics.
• Comparative
Psychology: Comparative psychology is the branch of psychology concerned with
the study of animal behavior. Modern research on animal behavior began with the
work of Charles Darwin and Georges Romanes and has continued to grow into a
multidisciplinary subject. Today, biologists, psychologists, anthropologists,
ecologists, geneticists and many others contribute to the study of animal
behavior.
• Counseling
Psychology: Counseling psychology focuses on providing therapeutic treatments
to clients who experience a wide variety of symptoms. It is also one of the
largest specialty areas within psychology. The Society of Counseling Psychology
describes the field as " a psychological specialty [that] facilitates
personal and interpersonal functioning across the life span with a focus on
emotional, social, vocational, educational, health-related, developmental and
organizational concerns."
• Developmental
Psychology: This field of psychology looks at development throughout the
lifespan, from childhood to adulthood. The scientific study of human
development seeks to understand and explain how and why people change
throughout life. This includes all aspects of human growth, including physical,
emotional, intellectual, social, perceptual and personality development. Topics
studied in this field include everything from prenatal development to
Alzheimer's disease.
• Educational
Psychology: Educational psychology involves the study of how people learn,
including topics such as student outcomes, the instructional process,
individual differences in learning, gifted learners and learning disabilities.
• Experimental
Psychology: Experimental psychology is an area of psychology that utilizes
scientific methods to research the mind and behavior. Experimental
psychologists work in a wide variety of settings including colleges,
universities, research centers, government and private businesses.
• Forensic
Psychology: Forensic psychology is defined as the intersection of psychology
and the law, but forensic psychologists can perform many roles so this
definition can vary. In many cases, people working within forensic psychology
are not necessarily "forensic psychologists." These individuals might
be clinical psychologists, school psychologists, neurologists or counselors who
lend their psychological expertise to provide testimony, analysis or
recommendations in legal or criminal cases.
• Health
Psychology: The field of health psychology is focused on promoting health as
well as the prevention and treatment of disease and illness. Health
psychologists also focus on understanding how people react, cope and recover
from illness. Some health psychologists work to improve the health care system
and the government's approach to health care policy.
• Human
Factors Psychology: Human factors is an area of psychology that focuses on a
range of different topics, including ergonomics, workplace safety, human error,
product design, human capability and human-computer interaction. In fact, the
terms human factors and ergonomics are often used synonymously, with human
factors being commonly used in the United States and ergonomics in Europe.
• Industrial-Organizational
Psychology: Industrial organizational psychology is a field of psychology that
applies psychological theories and principles to organizations. Often referred
to as I/O psychology, this field focuses on increasing
workplace productivity and related issues such as the physical and mental well
being of employees. Industrial organizational psychologists perform a wide
variety of tasks, including studying worker attitudes and behavior, evaluating
companies and conducting leadership training.
• Personality
Psychology: Personality psychology looks at the patterns of thoughts, feelings,
and behavior that make a person unique. Some of the best-known theories in
psychology have originated in this field, including Freud's psychoanalytic
theory of personality and Erikson's theory of psychosocial development.
• School
Psychology: School psychology is a field that works within the educational
system to help children with emotional, social and academic issues. The goal of
school psychology is to collaborate with parents, teachers, and students to
promote a healthy learning environment that focuses on the needs of children.
• Social
Psychology: Social psychology looks at a wide range of social topics, including
group behavior, social perception, leadership, nonverbal behavior, conformity,
aggression and prejudice. It is important to note that social psychology is not
just about looking at social influences. Social perception and social
interaction are also vital to understanding social behavior.
• Sports
Psychology: Sports psychology is the study of how psychology influences sports,
athletic performance, exercise and physical activity. Some sports psychologists
work with professional athletes and coaches to improve performance and increase
motivation. Other professionals utilize exercise and sports to enhance people’s
lives and well-being throughout the entire lifespan.
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