So, you think you want to major in Psychology? The subject
matter of psychology is very broad. There is an astoundingly diverse range
of issues with which psychologists are concerned and settings in which
American psychologists work. Let's look at the various subfields of psychology,
keeping in mind that within each subfield, psychologists can engage in
many different activities. Most conduct research, teach, and/or apply psychological
principles to the solution of the real life problems of individuals and
society. Psychologists in some major subfields within psychology are described
in the booklet, "Psychology: Careers in the 21st Century" (APA,
1997, free):
Biopsychologists: take a comparative and ontogenetic perspective in
the experimental analysis of basic psychological processes as they relate
to the many ways in which animal species adapt, survive, reproduce and
evolve.
Child Psychologists: See
Child Clinical Psychologists, Developmental Psychologists, School Psychologists,
and Social Worker.
Child Clinical Psychologists: have about the same preparation as clinical
psychologists; in addition, they have the responsibility of becoming acquainted
with the developmental characteristics of preadolescent.
Clinical Psychologists: are concerned with the diagnosis and treatment
of psychological disturbances. After graduate preparation in an accredited
university or school of professional psychology, supervised postdoctoral
experience, and licensure or certification by the state, some clinical
psychologists enter independent practice/consulting roles. Others find
themselves responsible for a complete range of psychological services in
public settings. Their responsibilities range from administering and scoring
psychological tests, to engaging in therapy, to supervising the training
of graduate students in the delivery of mental health services, to administering
a community mental health program. Some clinical psychologists obtain faculty
positions in a college or university where they perform research and train
graduate students. Others serve as adjunct (or part-time) faculty, while
maintaining independent clinical practices. Many serve as consultants.
Ph.D. or Psy.D. needed.
Cognitive Psychologists: are concerned with what organisms know and
how they come to know it. They study how people perceive objects and events,
how they can store past events in memory, how they transform and manipulate
knowledge by thinking, and how they analyze their experience to emerge
with new and abstract notions.
Community Psychologists: are concerned with the application of concepts,
tools and skills from the fields of counseling, guidance and rehabilitation
psychology. Community psychologists are trained to counsel, treat and/or
refer outpatients and to assist in the development of community resources
for their clients.
Counseling Psychologists: are concerned with counseling, teaching,
consulting research, and/or administration. In their work, they are particularly
concerned with the role of education and work in an individual's functioning,
and with the interaction between individuals and the environments in which
they live. Typically, counseling psychologists work with normal or moderately
maladjusted persons, individually or in groups. This work includes use
of traditional counseling interview methods, interest, ability and personality
tests, and educational and occupational information. Most counseling psychologists
are employed in educational settings and most of those in colleges or universities.
A minority are employed in hospitals, (e.g., the VA), community mental
health or rehabilitation centers, industry, government, or in private or
community counseling agencies.
Developmental Psychologists: are concerned with growth and development
from conception through death. All aspects of the animal or human organism
(physiological, biological, physical, cognitive, emotional, social, cultural)
may be studied.
Educational Psychologists: are concerned with a range of activities
from initial design through development and evaluation of both materials
and procedures for education and training. Such positions exist in public
schools, in the military, in private research and development companies,
and in industrial concerns. They may deal with analyzing education and
training needs, with developing materials for instruction in various media,
with designing the best conditions for instruction, and with evaluating
the effectiveness of instructional programs.
Engineering Psychologists: are concerned with designing and using environments
and systems with which human beings live and work. Their job is to improve
the interaction between people and their environments. They may help design
work areas, equipment, and human-machine systems, as well as the training
devices, aids, and requirements needed to prepare people to make such systems
function. They work in many different settings, such as the aerospace industry,
communications and transportation industries, the military, and other governmental,
commercial and industrial enterprises.
Experimental Psychologists: a general title applied to a variety of
psychologists who are trained in designing and conducting research in specific
basic areas like learning, sensation and perception, human performance,
and motivation and emotion. A research oriented doctoral degree (Ph.D.)
is usually needed.
Health or Medical Psychologists: are concerned with understanding how
psychological factors can affect physical health. Some representative issues:
how certain attitudes and behaviors may cause heart disease; how the state
of physical health affects one's psychological well-being; and how living
with cancer can affect one's attitude and behavior. They also study the
psychology of how people can better cope with physical disease
Industrial / Organizational Psychologists: are concerned with the relation
between individuals and work. They are employed in business and industry,
in government, and in colleges and universities, and may perform a variety
of jobs. An industrial/organizational psychologist working in industry
may study how work is organized; suggest changes to improve the satisfaction
of employees, the quality of the organization's services, and productivity;
consult with management on the development of effective training programs
for employees; design programs for the early identification of management
potential; administer career counseling and preretirement counseling programs;
develop affirmative action programs; recommend changes in job definition;
design a system of performance evaluation. A master's degree in industrial/organizational
psychology is a minimum requirement for a position as a psychological associate
but a position as a psychologist requires a Ph.D.
Personnel Psychologists: Compared to industrial/organizational psychologists,
personnel psychologists focus more specifically on the hiring, assignment,
and promotion of employees. Such a psychologist may be involved in the
continued development and validation of assessment tools for selection,
placement, classification and promotion of employees. Although positions
as test administrators and interviewers are available for those with B.A.'s
and M.A.'s, a Ph.D. is a general prerequisite for a position as a psychologist.
Psycholinguists: are concerned with discovering the psychological significance
of the properties of language, of linguistic organization, the meaning
of words, syntax and how children acquire language.
Psychometric (Quantitative) Psychologists: are directly concerned with
the measurement of behavior (mostly through the use of tests) and the design
of research investigations. Such a psychologist may be analyzing complex
sets of data; designing, developing pilot testing, or validating versions
of intelligence, personality, or aptitude tests; or deriving new statistics
with which to analyze data. The psychometric psychologist is typically
well-trained in mathematics, statistics, and in the programming and use
of computers.
Psychotherapists: A very broad term. Generally, anyone can call him
or herself a "Psychotherapist", but ONLY a person with a Ph.D. in
Psychology and a license can use the term "Psychologist". Psychotherapists
can include anyone without a Ph.D. who tries to help people deal with their
problems. Counselors and Social Workers are psychotherapists, but not
Psychologists.
School Psychologists: are concerned with increasing the effectiveness
of schools in improving the intellectual, social and emotional development
of children. They may also serve as consultants in education for the handicapped,
mentally disturbed or mentally retarded; or in developing special programs
in adult education. They typically function in various roles within the
school system. They may assist in implementing and evaluating special education
programs, may serve as leaders of in-service training programs for teachers,
or as consultants to teachers regarding specific teaching or classroom
related problems. They may also help to treat children's psychological
and educational problems that influence problems in school. They may also
administer tests and interpret their results. An M.A. and certification
by the State Board of Education are generally required, and a Ph.D. may
be required for supervisory positions.
Social Psychologists: study the ways in which the social context affects
the behavior of the individual and groups in the real world and the laboratory.
Social psychologists focus on topics such as social roles, attitude formation
and change, affiliation, interpersonal attraction and interaction, conformity,
and group processes.
Social Workers: attempts to meet social needs by providing leadership
in the development of social policy and practice in the field of social
welfare. Social Workers help advance the professional practice of social
work by enhancing the social functioning of individuals, groups, families,
and communities. Two subfields exists in the field of Social Welfare, such
as specializations in either direct practice, or management concentrations.
To give you an idea of how varied the interests of psychologists
are, here is a list of Divisions (interest groups) of the American
Psychological Association. Visit the web site of or write to the ones
in which you're interested for information about careers, study, etc. If
a site does not have a link, or the link has become inactive, descriptions
and addresses (regular and e-mail) are available for all the Divisions
listed below on the APA
Divisions Page. Student membership is generally very low ($5-$10) for
students who are affiliates of APA. Many of the Divisions also have listserves
in which you can participate whether or not you are a member.
Division
1 - General Psychology
Division
2 - Society for the Teaching of Psychology
Division 3 - Experimental Psychology
Division 5 - Evaluation, Measurement, and Statistics
Division 6 - Behavioral Neuroscience and Comparative Psychology
Division
7 - Developmental Psychology
Division
8 - The Society of Personality and Social Psychology
Division 9 - Society
for the Psychological Study of Social Issues (SPSSI)
Division 10 - Psychology and the Arts
Division 12 - Clinical Psychology
Division
13 - Consulting Psychology
Division 14 - The Society
for Industrial and Organizational Psychology
Division
15 - Educational Psychology
Division
16 - School Psychology
Division 17 - Counseling
Psychology
Division 18 - Psychologists in Public Service
Division 19 - Military Psychology
Division
20 - Adult Development and Aging
Division 21 - Applied Experimental and Engineering Psychology
Division
22 - Rehabilitation Psychology
Division
24 - Theoretical and Philosophical Psychology
Division
25 - Experimental Analysis of Behavior
Division
26 - History of Psychology
Division
27 - Society for Community Research and Action: Division of Community Psychology
Division
28 - Psychopharmacology and Substance Abuse
Division
29 - Psychotherapy
Division
30 - Psychological Hypnosis
Division 31 - State Psychological Association Affairs
Division 32 - Humanistic Psychology
Division 33 - Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities
Division 34 - Population and Environmental Psychology
Division 35 - Psychology of Women
Division 36 - Psychology of Religion
Division 37 - Child, Youth, and Family Services
Division
38 - Health Psychology
Division
39 - Psychoanalysis
Division 40 - Clinical
Neuropsychology
Division
41- The American Psychology-Law Society
Division 42 - Psychologists in Independent Practice
Division 43 - Family Psychology
Division
44 - Society for the Psychological Study of Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual
Issues
Division 45 - Society for the Psychological Study of Ethnic
Minority Issues
Division 46 - Media Psychology
Division 47
- Exercise and Sport Psychology
Division
48 - Peace Psychology
Division 49 - Group Psychology and Group Psychotherapy
Division 50 - Addictions
Division 51 -
The Society for the Psychological Study of Men and Masculinity
Division 52 - Division of International Psychology
10/20/98
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