The scientific study of behavior and mental processes

Derived from the GreeksPsyche: spirit or breath of lifeLogos: knowledge or study of

Psychology

A philosophical science with roots in science, biology, medicine, and physics

Top 5 Reasons Undergraduate Students Chose Psychology

•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 Each Approach Studies Behaviors and Mental Processes from Different Angles Psychodynamic perspective - modern version of psychoanalysis.

Focused on the development of a sense of self and the discovery of other motivations behind a person’s behavior

Behavioral perspective – B. F. Skinner studied operant conditioning of voluntary behavior. Behaviorism became a major force in the twentieth century. Skinner introduced the concept of reinforcement to behaviorism Goal: To study only observable behavior and explain it via learning. Behaviorists focused

on how behaviors are learned and modified. Seeks to explain how we learn from observable responses. The basis of behavioral psychology

suggests that all behaviors are learned. Humanistic perspective

Owes far more to the early roots of psychology in the field of philosophy. Humanists held the view that people have free will, the freedom to choose their own destiny. Early founders:

Abraham Maslow Carl Rogers

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.

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.

Cognitive perspective - focuses on memory, intelligence, perception, problem solving, and learning.

Sociocultural perspective - focuses on the relationship between social behavior and culture. Evolutionary perspective - focuses on the biological bases of universal mental characteristics that

all humans share. Looks at the way the mind works and why it works as it does. Behavior is seen as having an adaptive or survival value.

Major Subfields of Psychology

Neuro Forensic Social Educational Developmental Health Cognitive School Experimental or research Sports Consumer Industrial/organizational 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

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 deficitsmemory.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 issueswordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn

Conduct research in hospitals, clinics, or university settings

Sport Psychology

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

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 word-of-mouth communications from friends and relatives.

June 12, 2003. Source: http://www.wcupa.edu/_ACADEMICS/sch_cas.psy/Career_Paths/Consumer/Career05.htm#employ

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

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.

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

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. 

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).

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)

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

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