Scope of Psychology

SCOPE OF PSYCHOLOGY Psychology is progressing day by day and the demand of psychologist is also increasing in different areas of life. The scope of psychology can be understood by various subfields of psychology making an attempt in meeting the goals of psychology. DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY: Developmental Psychology studies are with respect to how people grow and change throughout their life from prenatal stages, through childhood, adulthood and old age. Developmental psychologists work in a variety of settings like colleges, schools, healthcare centers, business centers, government and non-profit organizations, etc. They are also very much involved in studies of the disturbed children and advising parents about helping such children. HEALTH PSYCHOLOGY: Health Psychology explores the relations between the psychological factors and physical ailments and disease. Health psychologists focus on health maintenance and promotion of behavior related to good health such as exercise, health habits and discouraging unhealthy behaviors like smoking, drug abuse and alcoholism. Health psychologists work in healthcare setting and also in colleges and universities where they conduct research. They analyze and attempt to improve the healthcare system and formulate health policies. Clinical Psychology: Clinical Psychology deals with the assessment and intervention of abnormal behavior. As some observe and believe that psychological disorders arise from a person's unresolved conflicts and unconscious motives, others maintain that some of these patterns are merely learned responses, which can be unlearned with training, still others are contend with the, knowledge of thinking that there is biological basis to certain psychological disorders, especially the more serious ones. Clinical psychologists are employed in hospitals, clinics and private practice, They ten works closely with other specialists in the field of mental health. COUNSELLING PSYCHOLOGY: Counselling Psychology focuses primarily on educational, social and career adjustment problems. Counselling psychologists advise students on effective study habits and the kinds of job they might be best suited for, and provide help concerned with mild problems of social nature and strengthen healthy lifestyle, economical and emotional adjustments. They make use of tests to measure aptitudes, interests and personality -characteristics. They also do marriage and family counselling; provide strategies to improve family relations. Educational Psychology: Educational psychologists are concerned with all the concepts of education. This includes the study of motivation, intelligence personality, use of rewards and punishments, size of the class, expectations, the personality traits and the effectiveness of the teacher, the student-teacher relationship, the attitudes, etc. It is also concerned with designing tests to evaluate student performance. They also help in designing the curriculum to make learning more interesting and enjoyable to children. Educational psychology is used in elementary and secondary schools, planning and supervising special education, training teachers, counselling students having problems, assessing students with learning difficulties such as poor writing and reading skills and lack of concentration. SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY: Social Psychology studies the effect of society on the thoughts, feelings and actions of people. Our behavior is not only the result of just our personality and predisposition. Social and environmental factors affect the way we think, say and do. Social psychologists conduct experiments to determine the effects of various groups, group pressures and influence on behavior. They investigate on the effects of propaganda, persuasion, conformity, conflict, integration, race, prejudice and aggression. These investigations explain many incidents that would otherwise be difficult to understand. Social psychologists work largely in colleges and universities and also other organizations. INDUSTRIAL AND ORGANIZATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY: Industrial-organizational psychology is characterized by the scientific study of human behavior in organizations and the work place. The specialty focuses on deriving principles of individual group and organizational behavior and applying this knowledge to the solution of problems at work. In organizational and industrial sectors not only the psychological effects of working attitude of the employees are considered but also the physical aspects are given importance to make workers feel healthy. ENVIRONMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY: Environmental Psychology focuses on 'the relationships between people and their physical and social surroundings, for example, the density of the population and its relationship with crime, the noise pollution, its harmful effects and the influence of overcrowding upon lifestyle etc. SPORTS PSYCHOLOGY: Sports Psychology studies the role of motivation in sport. social aspects of sport and physiological issues like importance of training on muscle development, the coordination between eye and hand, and the muscular coordination in track and field, swimming and gymnastics. INTRODUCTION OF APPLIED AREAS OF PSYCHOLOGY CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY: Clinical psychologists often work in medical settings, primary practice or in academic positions at universities. and colleges. Some clinical psychologists work directly with clients, often those who suffer from severe psychiatric disorders. Some of the job roles performed by those working in clinical psychology include: 1.Assessment and diagnosis of psychological disorders 2.Treatment of psychological disorders 3.Offering testimony in legal settings 4.Teaching 5.Conducting research 6.Creating and administering program to treat and prevent such problems 7.Drug and alcohol treatment problems Other clinical psychologists may work in private therapy such settings offering short-term and long-term outpatient services to client who need help coping with psychological distress. Some clinical psychologist's work in other settings, often preforming research, teaching university-level courses and offering consultation services. INDUSTRIAL ORGANIZATIONAL PSYCOLOGY: Industrial-organizational psychology is the branch of psychology applies psychological theories and principles to organizations, often relate to as I-O psychology, this field focuses on increasing workplace product and related issues such as the physical and mental well-being of employs. Industrial-organizational psychologists perform a wide variety of including studying worker attitudes and behavior, evaluating, companies, and conducting leadership training. The overall goal of this field is to study and understand human behavior in the workplace. Industrial organizational psychologists work in six major subject areas: Training and development: Professional in this area often determines develop and evaluate employee training programs. Employee Selection: This area involves developing employee selection assessments, such as screening tests to determine if job applicants are qualified for a particular position. Ergonomics: The field of ergonomics involves designing procedures and equipment designed to maximize performance and minimize injury. Performance Management: I-O psychologists who work in this area develop assessments and techniques to determine if employees are doing their jobs well. Work Life: This area focuses on improving employee satisfaction and maximizing the productivity of the workforce. I-O psychologists in these areas might work to find ways to make jobs more rewarding or design programs that improve the quality of life in the workplace. Organizational Development: I-O psychologists who work in this area help improve organizations, often through increasing profits, redesigning products, and improving the organizational structure. COUNSELLING PSYCHOLOGY: The branch of psychology that focuses on personal problems not classified as serious mental disorders, such as academic, social, or vocational difficulties of students. - This is similar to clinical psychology, except that most of the issues addressed by counselling psychologists are less "serious". For example, a Clinical psychologist would be more likely to deal with schizophrenia and other "serious" psychological disorders than a counselling psychologist. interpersonal functioning across the life span. The specialty pays particular attention to emotional, social, vocational, educational, health-related, developmental, and organizational concerns. resources to cope with everyday problems and serious adversity. career and work problems, they pay attention to how problems and people differ across the life span, and they have great respect for the influence of differences among people (such as race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, disability status) on psychological well-being. things, including qualities of the individual (e.g., psychological, physical, or spiritual factors) and factors in the person's (e.g., family, society, and cultural groups). . Counselling Psychology serve persons of all ages and culture backgrounds in both individual and group settings. They also consult regularly with organizations seeking to Eliance their effectiveness or the well-being of their members. FORENSIC PSYCHOLOGY: "Forensic psychology' Involves applying psychology to the field of criminal investigation and the law ". Forensic psychologists utilize their knowledge of psychological principles and use it to understand different aspects of the legal system. Forensic psychology is defined as "the intersection of psychology}: and the law ", but forensic psychologists can perform many roles so this definition can vary. In many cases, people working within forensic psychology are not necessarily "forensic psychologists." These individuals might be clinical psychologists, school psychologists, neurologists, or counsellors who lend their psychological expertise to provide- testimony, analysis or recommendations in legal or criminal cases. For example, a clinical psychologist night provides mental health services such as assessment, diagnosis and treatment to individuals who have come into contact with the criminal justice system. Clinicians might be asked to determine if a suspected criminal suffers from a mental Innen, or may be asked to provide treatment to individuals suffering from substance abuse arid addiction issues. Psychologists interested in this line of applied work may be found working in prisons, jails, rehabilitation centers, police departments, law firms, schools, government agencies, or in private practice, to name a few. They may work directly with attorneys, defendants, offenders, victims, pupils, families, or with patients within the state's corrections or rehabilitation centers. They may work in colleges, universities, government agencies, or in other settings interested in researching and examining the interaction of human behavior, criminology, and the legal system. Forensic psychologists are often involved in both criminal and civil matters. A few examples include custody disputes, insurance claims, and civil lawsuits. Some professionals work in family courts and offer psychotherapy services, perform Child custody evaluations, investigate reports of child abuse, and conduct visitation risk assessments. often assess competency, provide second opinions, and provide psychotherapy to crime victims. Professionals working in the criminal courts conduct evaluations of mental competency, work with child witnesses, and provide an assessment of juvenile and adult offenders. SPORTS PSYCHOLOGY Sports psychology is the study of how psychology influences sports, athletic performance, exercise, and physical activity. Sport psychology is the study of the psychological basis, processes and effects of sport.' Sport Psychology addresses the interactions between psychology and sport performance, including the psychological aspects of optimal athletic performance, the psychological care and well-being of athletes, coaches, and sport organizations, and the connection between physical and Psychological Functioning (APA Div. 47) The topics covered here, personality, attitudes, aggression, stress, and anxiety, group dynamics, motivation and skill -acquisition, should both of academic interest and applicable to work with athletes. 1.Sports psychology helps athletes to overcome obstacles and achieve their full potential. 2.Sports Psychology helps athletes to deal with pressure from parents, coaches and even their own expectation. 3.Sports psychology helps athletes in tolerating rain and adjusting being sidelined after an injury. It also works to improve performance of athletes and recover from injuries. But sports psychologists do I just work with elite and professional athletes. 4.Sports psychology helps athletes who take exercise regularly but unable to fulfil their goals, sports psychologist helps to fulfil their goals by increasing motivation and to tackle any related concerns. It a utilizes exercise and sports to enhance people's lives and well-being throughout the entire lifespan. 5.Sports psychology teaches athletes relaxation techniques, rehearsals and cognitive restructuring. 6.Sports psychology often helps athletes to cope with the intense press that comes from competition and overcome problems with focus motivation. 7.They also help regular people learn how to enjoy sports and learn stick to an exercise program.