Understanding Specializations in Psychology

Psychologists are trained professionals who understand the inner workings of the human brain and psyche. A psychologist studies thoughts and behaviors, mental processes and emotions, and, using his or her accumulated knowledge and training, assesses the mental and physical states of a person by studying the individual and talking with him or her. BA degree in psychology train learners to express empathy to others, to evaluate and understand the best needs of clients, and to work in the best interest of those around them. As a result, many psychology students enter into teaching, market analysis, and customer service. Bachelor of arts degrees in psychology provide students opportunities for careers in psychology and related fields. For graduates with a BA in psychology who attend graduate school and become psychology professionals, the field will experience 14% job growth by 2026. Because the curriculum for a BA offers a range of coursework in the arts, humanities, and social sciences, it opens up professional opportunities in business, law, criminal justice, and journalism. A BA program provides students with the communication and critical thinking skills applicable to positions like social service case workers, human resource specialists, and nonprofit program associates.

Behavioral neuropsychologists and Neuropsychologists
They explore the relationships between brain systems and behavior. They study the way the brain creates and stores memories, or how various diseases and injuries of the brain affect emotion, perception and behavior. They design tasks to study normal brain functions with imaging techniques such as positron emission tomography (PET), single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Clinical neuropsychologists also assess and treat people.

Clinical psychologists
They assess and treat mental, emotional and behavioral disorders- from short-term crises, such as difficulties resulting from adolescent conflicts, to more severe, chronic conditions, such as schizophrenia, phobias or clinical depression.

Cognitive and perceptual psychologists
They study human perception, thinking and memory and are interested in questions such as how the mind represents reality, how people learn and how people understand and produce language. Cognitive psychologists also study reasoning, judgment and decision making.

Community psychologists
They work to strengthen the abilities of communities, settings, organizations and broader social systems to meet people’s needs. They help people access resources and collaborate with others to improve their lives and communities. They help empower people to change those circumstances, prevent problems and develop stronger communities.

Counseling psychologists
They help people recognize their strengths and resources to cope with everyday problems and serious adversity. They do counseling/psychotherapy, teaching and scientific research with individuals of all ages, families and organizations. They help people understand problems. They believe that behavior is affected by many things, including qualities of the individual and perso'd environment.

Developmental psychologists
Until recently, the primary focus was on childhood and adolescence. But they are becoming increasingly interested in ageing, especially in researching and developing ways to help older people stay as independent as possible.

Educational psychologists
They concentrate on how effective teaching and learning take place. They consider a variety of factors, such as human abilities, student motivation and the effect on the classroom of the diverse races, ethnicities and cultures

Evolutionary psychologists
They study how evolutionary principles such as mutation, adaptation and selective fitness influence human thought, feeling and behavior. They study mating, aggression, helping behavior and communication.

Forensic psychologists
They apply psychological principles to legal issues and can help a judge decide which parent should have custody of a child or evaluate a defendant’s mental competence to stand trial. Forensic psychologists also conduct research on jury behavior or eyewitness testimony.

Health psychologists
They specialize in how biological, psychological and social factors affect health and illness. They study how patients handle illness, why some people don’t follow medical advice and the most effective ways to control pain or change poor health habits. They usually team up with other health care professionals

Industrial/organizational psychologists
They apply psychological principles and research methods to the workplace in the interest of improving productivity, health and the quality of work life. Many serve as human resources specialists, helping organizations with staffing, training and employee development. They may work in areas as strategic planning, quality management and coping with organizational change.

Rehabilitation psychologists
They work with stroke and accident victims, people with mental disabilities and those with developmental disabilities caused by conditions like cerebral palsy, epilepsy and autism. They help clients adapt to their situation and improve their lives, and they frequently work with other health care professionals. They deal with issues of personal adjustment, interpersonal relations, the work world and pain management.

Sport psychologists
They help athletes refine their focus on competition goals, become more motivated, and learn to deal with the anxiety and fear of failure that often accompany competition. The field is growing as sports of all kinds become more competitive and attract younger children.