Psychology is a word that can mean almost anything. Since its roots in the late nineteenth century, the areas in psychology have grown from understanding the structure of the mind to dream analysis to behavior modification to a wide array of disciplines, including, but not limited to: educational psychology, parapsychology, comparative psychology, and neuropsychology. Students interested in psychology may feel overwhelmed at the outset of their undergraduate career. Some programs allow students to choose which path to take with the broad field of psychology, such as distinguishing between a clinical and experimental approach, or a basic and applied approach. But what do these words mean? And how can students in programs with general psychology majors prepare themselves for graduate careers?
Clinical Psychology
Clinical psychology is one of the most recognized areas of psychology. Clinical psychologists, or clinicians, are licensed to see clients. They "assess and treat mental, emotional and behavior disorders" (American Psychological Association, 2003, p. 3). These psychologists may work in practices or in hospitals. Though many spend much of their time seeing and treating clients, many also perform clinical research, such as determining the causes of schizophrenia, or finding favorable outcomes in post-partum depression treatment options. Students interested in this branch of psychology should take classes in abnormal psychology and counseling skills. In graduate school, students must complete both a practicum and an internship to help train them for independent practice. Counselors can be licensed with a masters degree, but a doctorate can give more freedom and experience in research.
Experimental psychology essentially encompasses "everything else." These psychologists focus on performing research, but also may hold teaching positions. They may work at a university or a research laboratory carrying out studies in cognitive, developmental, social or comparative psychology. There is a growing demand for psychologists in new fields, such as industrial/organization psychology, which "applies psychological principles and research methods to the work place in the interest of improving productivity and the quality of work life" (American Psychological Association, 2003, p. 5). Students interested in this branch should take experimental courses, such as sensation/perception, social psychology, and cognitive psychology. In graduate school, students are not expected to complete an internship, but will be expected to perform research in addition to the thesis or dissertation. Masters degrees are helpful for becoming research assistants in laboratories, or professors, but doctorates are usually needed to perform recognizable independent research.
Basic Psychology
Some disciplines in psychology are considered to perform "basic research." Basic, or pure, research answers questions the psychologist has about the world ("Basic vs. Applied Research," n.d.). For instance, a basic research study could explore whether there is a relationship between the amount of sexual education adolescent girls receive and the rates of adolescent pregnancies in a given geographical area. Basic research is performed for its own sake. Disciplines using basic research include cognitive psychology, abnormal psychology, social psychology, and neuropsychology; interested students should take classes in these disciplines.
Applied Psychology
Other disciplines rely on "applied research" to answer their questions. Applied research seeks to solve practical problems encountered in the world ("Basic vs. Applied Research, n.d.). Applied research uses the foundation of basic research to find uses in daily life. For instance, using the previous example of basic research about the relationship between education and pregnancy rates among adolescents, an applied research study may use that information to find a way to enhance sexual education programs to attempt to lower the pregnancy rates. Disciplines using applied research include educational psychology, health psychology, psychology and law, and industrial/organizational psychology; interested students should take classes in these disciplines.
There really is no right or wrong way to structure a general psychology major, particularly if you're unsure which path you will take. If you are undecided about what type of career in psychology is good for you, take a variety of classes, both clinical and experimental and basic and applied- doing so may help you find your niche, or may help you figure out what you do not want to do. The APA brochure listed in the reference section gives a better analysis of the disciplines in psychology, as well as possible career paths.
References
American Psychological Association (2003). Psychology: Scientific problem solvers, careers for the twenty-first century. Retrieved September 21, 2010, from http://www.apa.org/careers/resources/guides/careers.pdf
Basic vs. applied research. (n.d.) Retrieved September 21, 2010, from http://www.lbl.gov/Education/ELSI/research-main.html
I enjoyed this post, but have one question. Which type of research experience is better to pursue since I'm trying to get into a Ph.D. program? Is there a benefit to more basic, academic type of research since I want to go that route?
ReplyDeleteThat's a very good question. When you're trying to get into a PhD program, any research experience is good, regardless of the subject. If it's possible for you to do research in the area you'd eventually like to work, that is very helpful. But admissions committees care less about what the subject was of the research and more about your role in it. They want to know what research skills you have- have you co-authored, or helped design a study, or worked with data analysis? Demonstrating that you have the basic skills to perform research, in different venues, is much more valuable than working on one project in a limited role because it's what you want to do later.
ReplyDelete