Specialization in Psychology Tips
Read these 11 Specialization in Psychology Tips tips to make your life smarter, better, faster and wiser. Each tip is approved by our Editors and created by expert writers so great we call them Gurus. LifeTips is the place to go when you need to know about Psychology Degree tips and hundreds of other topics.
Psychology Fields
In the field of psychology, there are multiple psychology fields that one can study under. Below will be a brief description of popular psychology fields.
Beginning with abnormal psychology, this is simply the study of abnormal behavior. These professionals are typically found in clinical psychology and study behavioral patterns and their causes.
Psychology of advertising is based on customer behavior. Techniques are taught on how to attract customers.
Art psychology is the field of human creativity. These individuals analyze characteristics of art and how it is produced.
Psychology of behavior deals with the behavioral patterns of humans in order to find out why humans behave the way they do.
Biological psychology deals with how examining biology of human behavior works. Behavior is seen as functioning in the brain.
Similar to biological psychology, neuropsychology attempts to understand how the brain impacts behavioral responses in humans.
Child psychology focuses on how children develop. It keys in on social, personal and emotional development of children.
Clinical psychology focuses on treatment of health disorders in psychology. It strives to find out psychological functioning of humans.
Human Factors Psychology, or Engineering Psychology
Human Factors Psychology, also know as Engineering Psychology, is concerned with the interaction of people with machines for the purposes of productivity, quality and/or efficiency. Examples are how to design an office space or equipment . Human Factors Psychology looks at how to motivate workers, retain good employees, and other concerns of the workplace, especially in industry and government. A person trained in Human Factors Psychology may also be employed by the Defense Department, NASA or in other technical capacities.
Sport Psychology
Sport Psychology is focused on the role of the mind in athletic performance and the application of the knowledge and skills gained from athletic performance to other aspects of life and personal growth. Of particular interest to Sport Psychologists are topics such as motivation, self-confidence and team cohesion. A strong interest in sports is required for most to succeed in this field. Jobs include working wherever sports and other athletics are practiced and in health care settings that include wellness programs. A doctorate is usually required for the very limited number of jobs working with professional sports teams. Potential work is in counseling, research, teaching, consultation and planning, but may be combined with other job responsibilities.
Rehabilitation Psychology
Rehabilitation Psychology centers on the study and practice of methods to help people overcome or adjust to physiological or mental injuries, maladies or disabling conditions. They focus on assisting the individual to live as fully as possible in spite of any possible limitations from those conditions. They might work with people who have psychiatric disorders, developmental disabilities, brain injuries or any number of other challenges to improve or maintain certain functions of self-care, pain management, career/vocation and interpersonal relations. They may otherwise be involved in work related to rehabilitation, such as prevention, public education and advocacy roles.
School Psychology
School Psychology combines knowledge of education and psychology that is then used for the support of children in schools. The success of children regarding school performance, social functioning and emotions in school is the domain of School Psychologists who may consult with people involved in the child's life, counsel children and/or parents and otherwise help to ensure an atmosphere conducive to learning. Schools generally require at least a Master's in Psychology and a teaching certificate for School Psychologist positions.
Art Psychology
Art Psychology usually refers to art therapy, but it may instead mean the psychology of art wherein a work of art is explained in psychological terms. Art therapy is a term used to describe the creation of art for therapeutic purposes, such as healing emotional wounds, learning to problem-solve and even to decrease stress. There are Art Therapists who have degrees in that, but some other therapists use art therapy too. It's often used along with other therapy methods as well. The Psychology of Art, on the other hand, is the study of art works for what they reveal about the effects of the period, culture and other circumstances on human beings at the time.
Organizational or Industrial Psychology
Organizational, or Industrial, Psychology studies the work environment and is used to improve work results and, sometimes, worker conditions. Many settings, including businesses, universities and non-profit organizations hire people with Organizational Psychology training for human resources, management, other administrative and consultation roles.
Psychology Majors
Psychology is an excellent field of study because it offers multiple psychology majors for one to work and study under. Possible psychology majors that exist are those of human services, administration, community relations, public relations, market research, teaching and sales.
In the business area, popular jobs earned by psychology majors are those of an advertising trainee, insurance agent, personnel worker, employment counselor, occupational analyst and warehouse manager. A minor in business also goes a long way with these jobs.
For the mental health/social services area, jobs earned by psychology majors are those of a behavior analyst, director of volunteer services, probation officer, day care supervisor and a social service director. A minor in family and child studies would be very beneficial with these jobs.
With other positions, jobs earned by psychology majors consist of an affirmative action officer, community relations officer, hospital service representative, community recreation worker and a technical writer.
Psychology majors are college educated and job availability is very promising. Numerous colleges across the world offer excellent programs for a degree to be earned.
Forensic Psychology
Forensic Psychology is concerned with providing expert testimony within the judicial system, but is more broadly defined as applicable to any situation involving psychology and the legal justice system. As well as providing expert witness testimony, Forensic Psychologists may provide consultation to law enforcement, help shape criminal justice policy, treat people charged with sex crimes or any number of other activities within the legal system, other government systems, prisons, hospitals, private practice or elsewhere. They are most often concerned with mental illness, or psychiatric disorders, and crime.
Psychology Therapy
Psychology therapy consists of four psychodynamic models. These models are psychoanalysis, humanistic therapies, behavioral therapies and cognitive therapies.
Beginning with psychoanalysis, this deals with repressed anxieties about unresolved childhood conflicts. Developed by Sigmund Freud, techniques used to resolve the conflict are free association, interpretation of dreams and analyzing transference.
For humanistic therapies, causes under this theory are environmental stresses related to social issues. Effective therapy techniques for this are person-centered therapy and unconditional positive regard. The purpose is to improve one’s self concept.
For behavioral therapies, an evident cause is that of overgeneralization. Therapy methods are those of classical conditioning and operant conditioning. Created by Pavlov, classical conditioning is summed up as associative learning because a subject learns the relationship between stimuli.
For cognitive therapies, patients often have a poor belief system and have a great degree of helplessness attached to them. Patients are often depressed, the best methods to cure depression under this therapy are cognitive-behavioral therapy. Cognitive-behavioral therapy does not require medication but still focuses on changing one’s attitudes and beliefs through behavioral therapy techniques.
Clinical Psychology Tip
Clinical psychology is concerned with the treatment of abnormal mentation and behavior. If one doesn’t have the temperament to deal with deviant behavior then another field in psychology may be of best interest.
In clinical psychology, it is vital to have human qualities of understanding and preventing. These are two traits that cannot be taught in any classroom and can rarely be acquired throughout one’s life. A clinical psychologist needs to show empathy toward their patients and quickly forgive them and also put patients in environments around people where they can best succeed and be prevented from causing harm to others.
Relieving psychologically based distress and promoting well being is key in this field. Treatment for diseased of the brain, emotional disturbance and behavior problems is what being a clinical psychologist is about. The patients typically have a biological predisposition to behave in such a way they cannot control or they went through a severe form of psychological trauma somewhere in life.
To earn a job in this field, one must go through a doctoral program where techniques on counseling these patients will be taught.
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