Careers in Psychology

What, exactly, does a psychologist do?

Psychologists work almost everywhere –

in education, industry, sports, prisons, government, churches, consulting firms, courts, etc.

Not all psychologists are therapists…

Broadly speaking, psychologists can be

divided into a few main categories: Experimental/Research Psychologists: Those 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.

Counseling/Clinical Psychologists: assist people with problems in living and achieving greater well-being --- study, assess, and treat people with psychological disorders

Applied Psychologists: Use the knowledge developed by experimental psychologists to tackle human problems, such as training, equipment design, and psychological treatment.

Careers in 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

Domains of Psychology

Although most psychology textbooks

focus on psychological science, psychology is also a helping profession devoted to such practical issues as: How to have a happy marriage How to overcome anxiety or depression How to raise thriving children

Careers in Psychology

Counseling Psychologists: help people to

cope with challenges and crises (academic, vocational, and marital issues) and to improve their personal and social functioning

Clinical Psychologists: asses and treat mental, emotional, and behavior disorders Both counseling and clinical psychologists

administer and interpret tests, provide counseling and therapy, and sometimes conduct basic and applied research

Careers in Psychology

By contrast, psychiatrists, who also often

provide psychotherapy, are medical doctors licensed to prescribe drugs and otherwise treat physical causes of psychological disorders

Some clinical psychologists are lobbying for a similar right to prescribe mental-health-related drugs New Mexico & Louisiana became first states to

grant that right to specifically trained and licensed psychologists

Careers in Psychology

Many psychiatrists and clinical psychologists

work together in mental health settings to maximize the biopsychosocial approach to treating mental illness

Careers in Psychology

3.0%Personality

8.2%Experimental

6.7%Cognitive

3.8%Psychometrics

9.5%Physiological

10.3%Other

10.6%Health

13.7%Educational

16.1%Social

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.

Research Areas in Psychology

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

Where are psychologists employed?

“Supermarket Psychology” – Why Businesses Might Want to Hire a

Psychologist as a ConsultantSupermarket psychology

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?

Take a look around and you’ll see that most fast

food logos contain one or more of the following colors: . . . .

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.

The Psychology of Color

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.

The Psychology of Color