Applied Psychology - Fields /Scope

Various Scope

1. Pavithra NARASIMHAN Applied psychology,   the use of methods and findings of scientific  psychology  to solve practical problems of human and  animal behaviour  and experience. a more precise definition is impossible because the activities of applied psychology range from laboratory experimentation through field studies to direct services for troubled persons.

2. Pure vs applied PSYCHOLOGY applied' psychology -distinguishes between pure and applied sciences in terms of their aims, standpoint, scope and problem. Pure psychology is a theoretical science while applied is a practical one. The aim of pure psychology is to extend and improve human knowledge while the aim of applied psychology is to extend and improve the conditions and phases of human life and conduct

3. Educational Psychology It is a theoretical and research branch of modern  psychology , concerned with the learning processes and psychological problems associated with the teaching and training of students. The educational psychologist studies the  cognitive  development of students and the various factors involved in learning, including aptitude and learning measurement, the creative process, and the motivational forces that influence  dynamics  between students and teachers. Educational psychology is a partly experimental and partly applied branch of psychology, concerned with the optimization of learning. It differs from  school psychology , which is an applied field that deals largely with problems in elementary and secondary school systems.

4. Educational Psychology The major leader in the field of educational psychology, however, was the American educator and psychologist  Edward Lee Thorndike , who designed methods to measure and test children’s intelligence and their ability to learn. Thorndike proposed the transfer-of-training theory, which states that “what is learned in one sphere of activity ‘transfers’ to another sphere only when the two spheres share common ‘elements.’ ”

5. CLINICAL Psychology Clinical psychology,   branch of  psychology  concerned with the practical application of research  methodologies  and findings in the  diagnosis  and treatment of mental disorders. Psychologist classify their activities under 3 areas such as assessment  (including diagnosis), treatment, research.

6. Types of clinical research Treatment Research   generally involves an intervention such as medication, psychotherapy, new devices, or new approaches to surgery or radiation therapy.  Prevention Research   looks for better ways to prevent disorders from developing or returning. Different kinds of prevention research may study medicines, vitamins, vaccines, minerals, or lifestyle changes.  Diagnostic Research   refers to the practice of looking for better ways to identify a particular disorder or condition. 

7. Types of clinical research Genetic studies   aim to improve the prediction of disorders by identifying and understanding how genes and illnesses are related. Epidemiological studies   seek to identify the patterns, causes, and control of disorders in groups of people . 

8. ORG Psychology Industrial-organizational psychology ,  formerly called  industrial psychology , has application of concepts and methods from several subspecialties of the  discipline  (such as  learning ,  motivation , and  social psychology ) to  business  and institutional settings. The study of industrial-organizational (I-o) psychology  originated in the  United States  in the early 1900s through the work of psychologists  Hugo Münsterberg  and Walter Dill Scott(introduced scientific methods in staffing – measuring Pty , Intelligence unlike subjective techniques)

9. EXPERIMENTAL Psychology   a method of studying psychological phenomena and processes. The experimental method in  psychology  attempts to account for the activities of animals (including humans) and the functional organization of mental processes by manipulating variables that may give rise to behaviour . it is primarily concerned with discovering laws that describe manipulable relationships. The term generally connotes all areas of psychology that use the experimental method.

10. Fields of Psychology Behavioral science,    disciplines  dealing with the subject of  human  actions, usually including the fields of  sociology , social and  cultural anthropology ,  psychology , and behavioral aspects of biology,  economics , geography, law, psychiatry, and  political science . The term is often used synonymously with “social sciences,” although some writers distinguish between them. The term behavioral sciences suggests an approach that is more experimental than that connoted by the older term social sciences.

11. research in App.Psychology Quantitative Research - A type of educational research in which the researcher decides what to study. Qualitative Research - A type of educational research in which the researcher relies on the views of the participants.

12. Characteristic of research Qualitative Research : Ask broad, general Qs. Collecting data consisting largely of words (text) or image (picture). Descriptions and analysis of words for themes. Conducts inquiry in subjective, biased manner. Quantitative Research : Ask specific narrow Qs. Collects data from participants. Analyzes numbers using statistics. Conducts the inquiry in unbiased, objective manner.

13. Types of Qualitative RESEARCH Case study   Ethnography   Phenomenological Research  Narrative Research  Historical Research 

14. Types of Quantitative research Descriptive Survey Research  Experimental Research  Single — Subject Research  Causal — Comparative Research  Correlational Research

15. Business Psychology is an applied science that investigates how to make people and organisations more effective .  It uses social scientific research methods to study people, workplaces and organisations in order to better align their multiple and sometimes competing needs. Its goal is to create healthy, productive and mutually beneficial relationships between people and organisations. As an applied science, Business Psychology can inform organisations about what constitutes effective organisational practice. It has a reciprocal relationship with business, drawing insights from those with experience of what works at work to enable psychological research to be applied pragmatically in ways that are appropriate to the situation . It also allows a cross fertilisation of experience: from business into psychology, and of academic knowledge and rigour from psychology into business. Business Psychology

16. Practitioners of Business Psychology Advise   - as independent professionals who can be trusted to offer an unbiased, scientifically credible perspective, practitioners can advise on a wide range of people issues at work – from careers to large scale organisational change. Diagnosis   – helping organisations to better understand issues and challenges (e.g. high turnover and low engagement), using social scientific research methods to investigate human behaviour at work Design   – creating solutions to organisational challenges (e.g. designing a psychometric tools or assessment exercises to improve employee selection) Delivery  – implementing solutions to organisational problems through facilitation rather than by taking ownership of the problem for the client Evaluation  ­– demonstrating evidence of the individual and organisational benefits of interventions is a core principle of Business Psychology.

17. Engineering psychology  Engineering psychology is a field of psychology that focuses on the relationship between humans and the products that we use everyday. Engineering psychologists also play a role in making certain products easier to use and safer. Human factors and engineering psychologists study how people interact with machines and technology. They use psychological science to guide the design of products, systems and devices we use every day. They often focus on performance and safety.

18. man—machine model engineering psychologists regard man as an element in a man-machine system.  sense something and to perceive – Display sensed a machine output, the man next has to interpret what the display means, understand it, - Higher mental process factors involved in selecting the correct control for a job, control-display ratios, direction-of-movement relationships – Machine Controls environmental factors on gross behavior

19. Organisational development Organisational development is a collection of change method that try to improve organisational effectiveness and employee well –being. Organisation development encompasses a collection of planned-changed interventions built on humanistic democratic value that seek to improve organisational effectiveness and employee well-being

20. Features of organizational development Planned Change Comprehensive Change Long-range change Dynamic process Participation of change agent Emphasis on intervention Emphasis on action research Normative educational process

21. Need for organizational development To place emphasis on humanistic values To Treat each human being as a complex person To increase the level of trust among members To increase the level of enthusiasm at all levels To increase the level of self & group responsibility in planning

22. OD Process Three basic components of OD programs: Diagnosis Continuous collection of data about total system, its subunits, its processes, and its culture Action (All activities and interventions designed to improve the organization’s functioning Program & activities designed to ensure success of the program)

23. Interventions Organization Development (OD) OD interventions techniques: 1. Survey feedback 2. Process Consultation 3. sensitivity Training 4. The Managerial grid 5. Goal setting and Planning 6. Team Building and management by objectives 7. Job enrichment, changes in organizational structure and participative management and Quality circles, ISO, TQM

24. CONSUMER BEHAVIOR Consumer psychology is a specialized branch of social psychology, and it is the study of consumers and their behavior . This includes their wants and needs, as well as what influences their purchasing habits Businesses will often use consumer psychology to make consumers more willing to buy certain products or services. The results of consumer psychology research, for instance, can help these businesses present their products or services in a more appealing light, which may make consumers more likely to part with their hard earned money. This can include little details, like packaging, shelf placement, and advertising. The roots of consumer psychology began back in the 1940's, with a psychologist named John Watson. It was Watson that first used consumers' emotions to help sell products.