Careers in Psychology

Careers in Psychology

Psychologist vs. Psychiatrist

• Psychologist

• PhD in psychology• NOT a medical doctor• Cannot prescribe drugs• Variety of specialties

• Psychiatrist• MD (medical doctor)• Same basic training as

any medical doctor• Specializes in mental

problems• Can prescribe drugs

What different kinds of jobs do psychologist do?

• Clinical Psychologists– Diagnose and treat patients with mental problems– Conduct therapy in mental health clinics– Largest number of professional psychologist fall into this

category

Basic Research vs. Applied Research

Basic Research• Academic psychologists

work in universities • Research is designed to

increase our basic knowledge

Applied Research• Psychologist may work

in a variety of places• Research is designed to

solve specific practical problems

Examples of Basic Research• Neuropsychologists study how

the structures of the brain work to produce behaviors

• Social psychologists study topics such as conformity, attitudes, and leadership

• Developmental psychologists study the growth and development

of behavior from birth to death.

Examples of Applied Research

• Forensic psychologists apply the law and psychology to legal issues.

• Sports psychologists help athletes improve their performance.

• Industrial psychologists help businesses operate better.

• Consumer psychologists figure out why some people buy a product and others don’t.

Assignment

Read pages 12 to 14 in your textbook.Using your notes and text complete the following assignment:

Choose a type of psychologist that interests you most. Make a 8X11 poster about this type of psychologist. Your poster must include the name of the psychologist and what they do Total Marks 20 (5 for creativity overall quality, 5 for description of psychologist, 10 for representation in words and drawings)