Understanding what these subtopics represent can help you decide where your interests may lie.
Because human behavior is so varied, the number of subfields in psychology is constantly growing and evolving.
Each bang out of psychology represents a specific area of study focused on a particular topic.
Verywell / Ran Zheng
Oftentimes, psychologists specialize in one of these as a career.
The following are just some of the major branches of psychology.
For many of these, working in that specific area requiresgraduate studyin that particular field.
Counselors, clinical psychologists, and psychotherapists often work directly in this field.
Behavioral strategies such asclassical conditioningandoperant conditioningare often utilized to teach or modify behaviors.
For example, a teacher might use a reward system to teach students to behave during class.
However, behavioral techniques remain a mainstay in therapy, education, and many other areas.
People who work in this pop in of psychology often study howbrain injuriesand brain diseases impact human behavior.
Clinicians often work in private practices, but many also work in community centers or at universities and colleges.
you could even find clinical psychology professionals in hospital tweaks and mental health clinics.
Cognitive Psychology
Cognitive psychologyis a psychological area that focuses on internal mental states.
Comparative Psychology
Comparative psychologyis the branch of psychology concerned with the study of animal behavior.
Counseling Psychology
Counseling psychologyis one of the largest areas of psychology.
It is centered on treating clients in mental distress who may be experiencing a wide variety of psychological symptoms.
Cross-Cultural Psychology
Cross-cultural psychologyis a branch of psychology that looks at how cultural factors influence human behavior.
This may involve looking atdifferences between collective and individualist cultures, for instance.
Cross-cultural psychologists might also look at how cultures vary in terms of emotion, personality, or child development.
Developmental Psychology
Developmental psychologyfocuses on how people change and grow throughout life.
This area of psychology seeks to understand and explain how and why people change.
This psychology branch covers a huge range of topics, ranging fromprenatal developmenttoAlzheimer’s disease.
Educational psychologists often study how students learn.
They may also work directly with students, parents, teachers, and administrators to improve student outcomes.
Professionals in this punch in of psychology sometimes study how different variables influence individual students.
They may also studylearning disabilities, giftedness, and the instructional process.
Some of the methods used include experiments,correlational studies,case studies, andnaturalistic observation.
They utilize thescientific methodto study a range of human behaviors and psychological phenomena.
Forensic Psychology
Forensic psychologydeals with issues related to psychology and the law.
Those who work in this branch apply psychological principles to legal issues.
This may involve studying criminal behavior and treatment or working directly in the court system.
In many cases, people working in forensic psychology aren’t necessarily “forensic psychologists.”
They might also research how people cope with illnesses, helping patients learn moreeffective coping strategies.
Industrial-Organizational Psychology
Industrial-organizational psychologyapplies psychological principles to workplace issues.
It includes areas such as human factors.
Human factors psychologyfocuses on human error, product design, ergonomics, human capability, and human-computer interaction.
Its goal is to improve how people interact with products and machines.
Research in I/O psychology is known asapplied researchbecause it seeks to solve real-world problems.
These types of psychologists study topics such as worker attitudes, employee behaviors, organizational processes, and leadership.
Classictheories of personalityinclude Freud’s psychoanalytic theory of personality and Erikson’s theory of psychosocial development.
They may also be involved in the creation or administration ofpersonality tests.
School psychologists also collaborate with teachers, students, and parents to help create a healthy learning environment.
Some go into private practice and serve as consultantsespecially those with a doctoral degree in school psychology.
Social Psychology
Social psychologyseeks to understand and explain social behavior.
This branch of psychology also includes topics such as conformity, aggression, and prejudice.
Some sports psychologists work with professional athletes such as pro sports players and top Olympians.
Others utilize exercise and sports to enhance the health and well-being of non-athletes throughout their lifespan.
Takeaways
Psychology is always evolving and new fields and branches continue to emerge.
It is important to remember that no single branch of psychology is more important or better than any other.
American Psychological Association.Biological psychology.
American Psychological Association.Society of Counseling Psychology.
International Association for Cross-Cultural Psychology.Home page.
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