Research plays a major role in psychology and each branch of this mind study science has its own peculiar ways and means of securing the knowledge it needs. While that is a known fact, it’s also important that psychology as a broad umbrella science oversees, protects, explains and promotes each area as a part of the whole field.
That makes each division not a star studded approach answerable to no one, but an integral part of an educational system that seeks to improve mankind. Psychology is defined as descriptions, analogies, comparisons, reasons, measurements, of the internal and external person is explored. In other words, people are learned about, their behavior comprehended, their thought processes measured and checked and compared.
Clinical psychology
Clinical psychology has the greatest number of practicing clinicians whose specialty is “diagnosing, treating and preventing mental disorders.” And even within this large division, specialists sometimes narrow their research and study efforts to certain clinical areas such as schizophrenia, bi-polar, or depression. They work in their own private practice, are employed by hospitals and clinics, as part of the work force of any large group of people, but probably their labeling will be of a descriptive nature, Geropsychologist—working with the elderly—or educational.
These professional groups are not allowed to give medicine or to personally treat patients, psychiatrist do that, but counseling services and making recommendations concerning their findings and possible treatment options are suggested to physicians. In addition, health, child psychology and neuropsychology all share the labeling of clinical psychology. Yet, each too are unique in that they have their own niche in the study and research fields of psychology.
Developmental
How the human develops and reacts to their environment, to their own thought processes—cognition—and their reactions to society and its peculiarities form the separate specialty of developmental psychology. Likewise their research and study may spill over into other specific areas such as educational, school, experimental and social psychology.
Educational
Educational psychology needs no introduction. Whatever involves schools and teaching methods, teachers, curricula, is under this heading. It’s their job to analyze teaching methods, change what needs to be changed, and to research and measure performance. Their primary interest is in how people learn best and under what situations. It too is a changeable science and is constantly reinventing its self to keep up with society and educators demand.
Under the educational umbrella one could logically and somewhat loosely place all the other sub-specialties of research titles in psychology. However, this would not set well with those who prefer their own prestigious and far reaching categories. Yet, for the sake of brevity, the argument will be made that anything pertaining to humanity, industry, organizations, physiology, society, experimentation, health, environment, family life, rehabilitation, sports, the law, deal with education and therefore might snuggle under its umbrella organization at various times.
And to be reasonable and fair to those whose job title might place them in one of the vast categories whose title is somewhat unclear such as psychometrics and quantitative psychology, additional comments must be made. To begin: What is psychometrics and why is it combined with quantity? Simply put it deals with the effectiveness of the many approaches to psychology.
It asks questions: Has No Child Left Behind legislation been effective and if so, to what extent is one example; what percentage of this country’s psychological educational system relates to other countries and which is more effective.
Psychometrics as a career choice deals with “applied measurement, applied statistics, program evaluation, and assessment.” As an example, how to measure the appropriateness of college, industrial and other testing methods of educational programs. Another newly developed specific sub-title is Forensic Psychology which deals with crime detection and making the process of who is guilty and who is not guilty easier.
All areas of life deal with psychology and this is an interesting field of research for truth seekers who want to know the real facts instead of settling for he said or she said blarney. No objective is left un-probed, untested, and unmeasured. All is thought through. Nothing but life itself is sacred to performing and dedicated psychologists. Let the dogs bark, the hens cackle, the roosters’ crow, but the caravan of truth seekers research on.
