Overview
This lecture surveys the major subfields of contemporary psychology, highlighting their focus areas, key research interests, and influential figures or concepts.
Psychological Organizations and Diversity
- The American Psychological Association (APA) is the largest organization representing psychologists, with 54 divisions covering diverse specialties.
- The Association for Psychological Science (APS) was founded to promote scientific psychology and publishes research journals.
- There are several psychology organizations dedicated to specific ethnic or cultural groups, such as NLPA, AAPA, ABPsi, and SIP.
- G. Stanley Hall was the first president of the APA and a notable early psychologist.
Biopsychology and Evolutionary Psychology
- Biopsychology studies how biology, especially the nervous system, influences behavior.
- Neuroscience is an interdisciplinary field that includes biological psychology.
- Evolutionary psychology examines the genetic bases and evolutionary origins of behavior.
- Behaviors with genetic causes are expected across all human cultures but proving adaptation is difficult.
Sensation and Perception
- Sensation and perception research explores how we receive sensory input and interpret it as perceptions.
- Our experiences are shaped by attention, prior experiences, and cultural background.
Cognitive Psychology
- Cognitive psychology investigates mental processes such as thinking, memory, language, and problem-solving.
- The field is interdisciplinary, often termed "cognitive science."
Developmental Psychology
- Developmental psychology studies physical, cognitive, and social changes throughout the lifespan.
- Jean Piaget is known for outlining stages of cognitive development in children, including object permanence.
Personality Psychology
- Personality psychology examines patterns of thoughts and behaviors unique to individuals.
- Freud developed psychosexual stages; recent research focuses on trait measurement, especially the Big Five personality traits.
Social Psychology
- Social psychology studies interactions, group influence, and social behaviors like prejudice and attraction.
- Stanley Milgram's obedience experiments revealed people's willingness to follow authority, influencing research ethics.
Industrial-Organizational Psychology
- I-O psychology applies psychological theories to workplace issues like personnel selection, productivity, and structure.
Health Psychology
- Health psychology focuses on how biological, psychological, and sociocultural factors interact to influence health (biopsychosocial model).
Sport and Exercise Psychology
- This subfield studies psychological factors affecting sport and exercise performance, motivation, anxiety, and broader high-performance activities.
Clinical Psychology
- Clinical psychology involves diagnosing and treating psychological disorders.
- Counseling psychology helps with emotionally healthy individuals.
- Influential approaches include psychoanalysis, client-centered, behavior, and cognitive therapies.
Forensic Psychology
- Forensic psychology applies psychological expertise within the legal system, including competency evaluations, expert testimony, and criminal profiling.
Key Terms & Definitions
- APA (American Psychological Association) — Largest U.S. professional organization for psychologists.
- Biopsychology — Study of how biology influences behavior.
- Evolutionary Psychology — Study of how behaviors have evolved through natural selection.
- Sensation — Receiving sensory signals from the environment.
- Perception — Interpreting and understanding sensory information.
- Cognitive Psychology — Study of mental processes like memory, language, and decision-making.
- Developmental Psychology — Study of how people grow and change across the lifespan.
- Personality Traits — Consistent patterns of thought and behavior.
- Big Five/Five Factor Model — Personality model: conscientiousness, agreeableness, neuroticism, openness, extraversion.
- Social Psychology — Study of how people interact and influence each other.
- I-O Psychology — Application of psychology in workplace settings.
- Biopsychosocial Model — Model explaining health through biological, psychological, and social factors.
- Clinical Psychology — Diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders.
- Forensic Psychology — Application of psychology in legal and criminal justice settings.
Action Items / Next Steps
- Review textbook chapters covering the subfields for deeper understanding.
- Prepare definitions and examples for each subfield.
- Read about ethical guidelines in psychological research.