Psychology’s Many Fields

1. Psychology’s Many Fields PhD Specializations

2. PhD Psychologists PhD areas 16 14 6 12 37 6 5 1997 data

3. PhD workplaces 17 34 11 10 6 22 PhD Workplaces 1997 data

4. Three primary areas • Psychologist’s interests often overlap. • Clinical • Research • Applied

5. Clinical Settings • Clinical Psychology • 4-5 years beyond BA • PhD with research • Clinical internship • Licensed by state • Hospital, clinic or private practice • “Psychologist”

6. Psychiatry • Started with Freud • Medical degree • MD – 4 yrs • Residency – 4 yrs • Prescribe drugs • Diagnosis and treatment • Little time to do therapy

7. Psychiatrists need help • Too busy and expensive to be therapists • Employ MSW’s • 2-3 yrs beyond BA • Clinical social workers • Case management

8. PhD or Psy D in Psychology Talk therapy Most cannot prescribe drugs Non-Freudians MD with psychiatric residency Drug therapy Can write prescriptions Only 1 out of 5 Freudian Clincial Psych vs Psychiatry

9. Counseling Psychology • MA or PhD • “Adjustment problems” • Fewer clinical skills • Marriage and Family, School, Rehabiliation • Schools of Education as at CCSU

10. Research Specializations • Science of Psychology • May be clinicians • More interested in testing theories • Developing new ideas • Many different interests • Chapters in Intro Psych book

11. Biopsychology (PSY 450) • Biological Basis of Behavior • Brain injury and recovery • Parkinson’s disease • Schizophrenia • Neuropsychology

12. Developmental (PSY 236) • Life-span development • Early childhood • Adolescence • Adulthood • Aging • Death and Dying • Geropsychology

13. Social Psychology (PSY 372) • Group influences on behavior • Social bonds • Prejudice and violence • Obedience to authority • Bystander intervention • Cults, hate groups • Cooperation and kinship

14. Experimental Psychology • Broad term includes faculty interested in • Learning and Memory (PSY 200) • Cognitive (PSY 281) • Motivation (PSY 440)

15. Applied Specializations School, Work and Community

16. School Psychologist • MA or PhD • Help teachers promote learning and social development • Tests and interviews • Develop individual plans • PPT (Parent, pupil, teacher)

17. Guidance Counselor • MA (CCSU) • Schools of Education • Don’t need to have been teacher • Activities vary • Some counseling • Some career/college work • Some administration • PPT’s (parents and teachers)

18. Community Psychology • MA (CCSU) or Phd • Help communities solve problems • Prevention of crime and illness • Organizing, mobilizing • Determine needs • Locate resources

19. Industrial/Organizational • IO (PSY 234) • MA or PhD • Workplace • Personnel • Consumer Relations • Human factors

20. Emerging Areas • Health Psychology (PSY 241) promotion of wellness prevention of disease stress reduction • Forensic Psychology legal issues jury selection eyewitness testimony victim advocacy

21. Do I need an advanced degree? • Yes, If you want to be a counselor, clinician, teacher, or researcher • Master’s degree sufficient in many cases • Lots of interesting careers in human services with just a BA • Here are some workplaces for BA grads

22. Post-graduation plans • Go to work or go to grad school? • Post-graduation paths for BA psych majors from 4 yr institutions. • Based on 1998 APA survey.

23. BA Career Paths %

24. Listening skills Ability to work in teams Getting along with others Interpersonal relationship skills Focus on customers or clients Desire and ability to learn Willingness to gain new, impt skills Adaptability to changing situations Ability to suggest solutions Problem-solving skills What employers want from psychology majors