Applied Psychology
Applied psychology is the branch of psychology that applies scientific principles and research findings to address real-world problems and improve human well-being. It involves utilizing knowledge about human behavior to develop practical solutions across various domains, including education, health, and organizational settings. This field incorporates psychometrics, which involves psychological testing to predict behaviors and inform decision-making.
Historically, applied psychology began to take shape in the late 19th century, with clinical psychology emerging as a key area focused on assessment and treatment. Notable applications include sport psychology, which helps athletes enhance performance, and consumer psychology, which studies shopping behaviors to optimize marketing strategies. Other significant areas include organizational psychology, which assesses workplace dynamics, and rehabilitation psychology, which supports individuals coping with chronic illnesses or disabilities. Educational psychology has also gained prominence in adapting learning methods to suit diverse needs.
Overall, applied psychology serves as a vital intersection of theory and practice, addressing challenges and fostering improvements in various aspects of life.
Applied Psychology
Psychology is the scientific study of the human mind, what it does and how it functions. Psychology often focuses on how and why humans behave as they do. Applied psychology involves putting what is known about human behavior into practice to solve problems and assist patients. This topic is wide-ranging and encompasses aspects of many fields of study, including education and environmental sciences. Applied psychology can be useful in both prevention and treatment. Psychometrics, or psychological testing, is an important tool in applied psychology and psychology in general because it helps researchers predict likely behaviors in particular situations. As in any field of science, research and data are the facts that inform actions. Human behavior studies are the basis on which applied psychology methods have been developed.
Brief History
Though ancient civilizations studied human behavior, researchers began focusing on and developing the science of modern psychology during the late nineteenth century. Clinical psychology, which involves assessment, treatment, and research, was established in 1896. Early examples of applied psychology include studies of industrial efficiency and motivation, topics that were of increasing interest at the dawn of the twentieth century as industrial output and mass production became more important and transformed industry. The first American applied psychology department was established in 1915 at the Carnegie Institute of Technology, and the Journal of Applied Psychology debuted two years later.
In its formative years, applied psychology focused on counseling, improving morale, performance under pressure, psychological warfare, rehabilitation, teaching methods, and vocational testing. Some practical uses included identifying individuals with particular skills—for the most part, this involved evaluating persons for vocational training and labor—and helping people make appropriate career and life choices.
Applied Psychology Fields
Most psychologists work in applied fields of the science, with about one-third of practicing American psychologists working in clinical or counseling psychology as of 2011. (Some fields of applied science are also highly focused on research and developing or refining treatment based on results.) Clinical psychology primarily involves diagnosing individuals and treating them. Therapists may use a variety of methods, including client-centered therapy and psychoanalysis.
Some prominent areas of applied psychology include sport psychology and consumer psychology. Sport psychologists help athletes attain peak performance. They might help an athlete learn to focus under pressure, maintain motivation to stick to a training program, and even cope with pain from an injury. Consumer psychologists seek to understand shoppers and direct sales and marketing efforts to make the most of this information. Applications involve brick-and-mortar stores, product packaging, and even website design. Some consumer psychologists work for such federal agencies as the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).
Organizational and industrial psychologists may help employers screen applicants and assess employees. They may also evaluate morale and stress levels, among other issues in the workplace, and advise employers on how to best help workers. Similarly, military psychologists may evaluate personnel for testing, training, and promotion and assess morale among troops working individually and in teams, both in and out of combat situations.
The field of rehabilitation psychology has also gained a great deal of interest in the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. This work involves aiding individuals with chronic illnesses or disabilities. Rehabilitation psychology addresses the mental challenges of dealing with physical difficulties in persons such as veterans injured in combat who must adjust to their physical condition in civilian life. Rehabilitation psychologists also help individuals with mental illnesses. Those with addiction, anxiety, depression, developmental disabilities, and learning disabilities often benefit from treatment. Therapists working in the closely related field of health therapy help patients cope with the psychological effects of illnesses.
Educational psychology has increased in importance in recent years. This field of study relates to understanding and making the most of individuals' unique learning methods. By understanding how people learn, psychologists can adapt the educational environment and methods for students. Some researchers may specialize in specific populations, such adults or children in a certain age group, while others may focus on helping students with challenges such as dyslexia. Educational psychologists may also work with educators to help them effectively adapt lessons for students with special needs and find ways to accurately assess progress. This field encompasses much more than the school environment, however; it includes the study of how people learn in everyday life.
The young field of forensic psychology is closely linked to the judicial system and law enforcement. Many forensic psychologists are involved in training law-enforcement officers while others participate in criminal investigations. Working on criminal investigations may involve developing profiles of criminals or hypnotizing witnesses to help them remember details. In the judicial system, forensic psychologists might help evaluate potential jurors or advise prosecutors on the reliability of eyewitnesses' testimony.
Overlapping Fields
The knowledge and skill psychologists use in some applied fields is often applicable in others. For example, the methods used to help an amateur or a professional athlete focus during a pivotal moment in an athletic event may be very similar to those used to help a businessperson learn to confidently and composedly deliver a solid presentation to a client. Much of applied psychology in such cases involves helping the subject develop confidence and overcome performance pressure.
In the corporate world and on the playing field, individuals often must learn how to work as a team. Sport psychology can be used to help children become interested in and participate in activities; again, a great deal of such work overlaps with consumer psychology, which seeks to use data to understand how to make a product appealing to a segment of the market.
Bibliography
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