Careers in

What, exactly, does a psychologist do?

Not all psychologists are therapists… Psychologists work almost

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

This presentation is designed to give you just a small idea of all of the things psychologists can do.

Three ways of doing psychology Broadly speaking, psychologists can

be divided into 3 main categories: Experimental/Research

Psychologists: The workhorses 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.

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

Domains of 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

How Psychology Developed

Psychology Today

Seven Unifying Themes

PersonalApplication

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.

Careers in Psychology: Percentage of Psychology

Degrees by Specialty

How Psychology Developed

Psychology Today

Seven Unifying Themes

PersonalApplication

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

Psychology vs. Psychiatry

Psychologist Masters

(2yrs) Doctoral (3-5

years) PhD or PsyD

(clinical) Cannot

prescribe drugs

Practitioners Academic Researchers

Psychiatrist Medical Doctor M.D. Medical school with

internship in psychiatry Can prescribe drugs

Counselor Master’s degree (MSW

or MC) Less severe mental

health problems Family, relationship,

substance abuse, anxiety

“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?

The Psychology of Color Take a look around and you’ll see that most fast food logos

contain one or more of the following colors– red, yellow, orange, or green; particularly the former two.

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.

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.