Areas of Psychology

Malinda S. Kline

March 13, 2013

Module 1: Assignment 3

PSY:101 General Psychology A03

KlineM_W1_A3.doc

Instructor Angela Snelling

Areas of Specialization

|Number |Subjects of study in |Areas of specialization in |Definition and key points of this specialization (be|Rationale (reason why you matched |Possible research method of |
| |psychology |psychology (match with below |sure to use professional sources) |this subject of study with this |study (experimental, |
| | |options) | |specialization in psychology) |correlational, observational, |
| | | | | |case study, interview) and why |
| | | | | |this one may fit the best |
|1 | | |Definition |I chose Biological Psychology for |Observational Research- would be|
| |Studying the causes of |Biological psychology or |“A science concerned with the integration of |this subject of study because it |used to see when a person’s |
| |aggression in reaction to |Neuropsychologist |psychological observation on behavior and the mind |basically evaluates cause and |behavior changes and if any |
| |others in their environment.| |Neurological Observations on the brain and nervous |effect. If something is causing a |outside factors incited the |
| | | |system.” (Neuropsychology definition, 2013) |person to be aggressive to others |behavior. |
| | | | |in a certain environment then | |
| | | |Key Points |something Biological could be |Interview- would be used to ask |
| | | |“Biological principles to the study of mental |going on. Biological Psychology |the person why they became |
| | | |processes and behavior. The field examines the basic|and Neuropsychologists study this |aggressive to a person. By |
| | | |biological processes that underlie normal and |behavior to find out why, and how |asking the subject this directly|
| | | |abnormal behavior at the level of nerves, |to stop or prevent it further. |you get their side of the story |
| | | |neurotransmitters, and brain circuitry.” (Humphreys,| |and not just inferences. |
| | | |2011) | | |
|2 | | |Definition |I chose Developmental Psychology |Observational Research- could be|
| |Studying the period when a |Developmental psychology |“Branch of psychology concerned with changes in |for this subject because the time |used because it’s observing a |
| |newborn child recognizes his| |cognitive, motivational, psychophysiological, and |that a newborn child recognizes |subject’s behavior for something|
| |or her parent. | |social functioning that occur throughout the human |his parents is part of |specific or non specific. It |
| | | |life span.” (Developmental Psychology, 2013) |Development. Developmental |would be a good study because |
| | | | |Psychology studies the cognitive |the only way to tell the |
| | | |Key Points |functioning of a person over their|development of a child or person|
| | | |“Infant cognition, conceptual development, language |life span. It helps to say at what|is to observe them. |
| | | |acquisition, and the development of symbolic |point in life humans will develop | |
| | | |competence.” (University of Illinois Board of |certain traits, skills, and |Correlation Research- could be |
| | | |Trustees , 2009) |abilities. |used because it shows a |
| | | | | |relationship between two |
| | | |“Focuses on the psychological changes of the human | |variables. The variables would |
| | | |mind throughout the life span. Developmental | |be the child’s behavior, and how|
| | | |psychologists study infants, the elderly, and every | |other children this age behave. |
| | | |age in between.” (Humphreys, 2011) | | |
|3 | | |Definition |I chose Social and Personality |Correlation Research- would be |
| |Sharing some research about |Social and personality |“Understanding how people think, feels, and acts in |Psychology for this subject |good to evaluate what coping |
| |the best strategies to | |real-world social situations.” (Psychology |because it relates to how people |skills affect what stress. |
| |manage work place stress. | |Department, Cornell University , 2008) |respond to stress at work. Social | |
| | | | |and Personality Psychology studies|Interview- would be good because|
| | | |Key Points |a personality and how that |you can make a Case Study out of|
| | | |“How people make sense of the world around them.” |particular personality responds to|interviewing several people |
| | | |(Psychology Department, Cornell University , 2008) |different situations, like work |about their coping skills, and |
| | | | |stress as in the example. It helps|how they help them manage work |
| | | | |evaluate how people comprehend the|related stressors. |
| | | | |world around them and respond to | |
| | | | |the situations. | |
|4 | | |Definition |I chose Health Psychology for this|Case Study/ Experimental- would |
| |Determining which chemical |Health psychology |“Physical Health can be affected by the things that |subject because health psychology |be good because you are actually|
| |or neurotransmitter might be| |people do, by the way they process information, |studies how chemicals affect a |testing the question. You are |
| |activated when people use | |career choice, family dynamics, life troubles and |person’s health, and mental |performing an experiment by |
| |coffee as a memory or | |the environment in which we live.” (Dr. Cheryl |health. Health psychology studies |taking subjects and exposing |
| |performance “enhancer”. | |MacDonald, 2013) |how certain contributing factors |them to certain chemicals and |
| | | | |can affect a person’s ability to |studying the results of tests, |
| | | |Key Points |remember things, or activate |brain scans, simple questions, |
| | | |“Exploring biological, psychological, cultural, |different neurotransmitters in the|etc. |
| | | |societal, and environmental factors of life, and how|brain. | |
| | | |each of these affects physical health.” (Dr. Cheryl | | |
| | | |MacDonald, 2013) | | |
|5 | | |Definition |I chose Cognitive Psychology for |Observational Research- would be|
| |Reviewing the thought |Cognitive psychology |“A branch of psychology concerned with mental |this subject because this studies |good for this situation because |
| |process of someone who has | |processes (as perception, thinking, learning, and |the mental processes of the brain.|the subject may be able to |
| |difficulties remembering | |memory) especially with respect to the internal |If a person is having problems |remember certain things, or only|
| |things long-term. | |events occurring between sensory stimulation and the|remembering things somewhere there|can remember things for a |
| | | |overt expression of behavior—compare” (Merriam |is a miss communication in the |certain amount of time. This is |
| | | |Webster Incorperated, 2013) |brain affecting the person’s |where Case Study or Experimental|
| | | | |memory. Cognitive Psychology |Research could be used as well |
| | | |Key Points |studies the brain to find a way to|to study the brain further. Te |
| | | |“ (1) Human cognition can at least in principle be |help people remember or find out |see why the subject is |
| | | |fully revealed by the scientific method, that is, |how to correct the problem with |forgetting things and what the |
| | | |individual components of mental processes can be |the memory, either by medication |person is forgetting. |
| | | |identified and understood” ((Costall and Still, |or possible medical procedures or |Interview- will also work good |
| | | |1987; Dreyfus, 1979; Searle, 1990) (Dosher, 2007)) |a specific learning interaction. |because you have to interview a |
| | | | | |person to see what they can and |
| | | |“(2) Internal mental processes can be described in | |can’t do. |
| | | |terms of rules or algorithms in information | | |
| | | |processing models. There has been much recent debate| | |
| | | |on these assumptions.”( (Costall and Still, 1987; | | |
| | | |Dreyfus, 1979; Searle, 1990) (Dosher, 2007)) | | |
|6 | | |Definition |I chose Clinical Psychology for |Interview Research- would be the|
| |Methods to gain possible |Clinical Psychology or |“The field of Clinical Psychology integrates |this subject because this is the |best option for this situation |
| |diagnoses in efforts to |Clinical Psychologists |science, theory, and practice to understand, |beginning process of mental health|because you have to interview a |
| |understand emotional | |predict, and alleviate maladjustment, disability, |treatment. Clinical Psychologists |person to find out how they are |
| |problems. | |and discomfort as well as to promote human |perform evaluations on patients to|feeling, to find out how they |
| | | |adaptation, adjustment, and personal development.” |diagnose and treat mental |respond to situations. |
| | | |(American Psychological Association, 2013) |illnesses, or help people cope | |
| | | | |with stressful situations in their|Observational Research- is |
| | | |Key Points |lives by teaching coping skills. |another good study for this |
| | | |“intellectual, emotional, biological, psychological,|Clinical psychology is a form of |situation because sometimes a |
| | | |social, and behavioral aspects of human functioning |treatment to gain information |person can say something but |
| | | |across the life span, in varying cultures, and at |about a person in order to treat |their actions are the opposite. |
| | | |all socioeconomic levels” (American Psychological |them for emotional disturbances |For example if a person says |
| | | |Association, 2013) |they may be having, so they can |they’re not sad but their |
| | | | |live a better and more gainful |actions are crying you can tell |
| | | | |life. |with observation that the person|
| | | | | |is really sad. |

Bibliography

American Psychological Association. (2013). About Clinical Psychology. Retrieved March 11, 2013, from American Psychological Association, Division 12 Society of Clinical Psychology: http://www.apa.org/divisions/div12/aboutcp.html

Developmental Psychology. (2013). Retrieved March 11, 2013, from Merriam Webster Encyclopedia: http://www.merriam-webster.com/concise/developmental+psychology?show=0&t=1363046372

Dosher, Z.-L. L. (2007). Cognative Psychology. Retrieved March 11, 2013, from Scholarpeida, 2(8):2769 : http://www.scholarpedia.org/article/Cognitive_psychology

Dr. Cheryl MacDonald, R. P. (2013, Febuary 20). Health Psychology Center Presents: What is Health Psychology? Retrieved March 11, 2013, from Health Psychology Center: http://healthpsychology.org/what-is-health-psychology/

(2008). Psychology and Life; Research Methods in Psychology. In R. J. GERRIG, & P. G. ZIMBARDO, Psychology and Life, 18th Edition (p. Chapter 1; Chapter2). Boston: Pearson Education Inc.

Humphreys, K. (2011, April 9). What are the Areas of Study within Psychology? Retrieved March 12, 2013, from Psychology In Action Communicateing Interesting and Relevant Psychological Research to the Public: http://www.psychologyinaction.org/2011/04/09/what-are-the-areas-of-study-within-psychology/

Linda M. Woolf, P. (2013). Developmental Research Methods. Retrieved March 12, 2013, from Professor of Psychology, Webster University: http://www2.webster.edu/~woolflm/methods/devresearchmethods.html

Merriam Webster Incorperated. (2013). Cognitive Psychology. Retrieved March 11, 2013, from Merriam Webster Dictionary: http://www.merriam-webster.com/medical/cognitive%20psychology

Neuropsychology definition. (2013). Retrieved March 11, 2013, from Merriam Webster Dictionary: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/neuropsychologist

Psychology Department, Cornell University . (2008). Social and Personality Psychology. Retrieved March 12, 2013, from Cornell University Department of Psychology: http://www.psych.cornell.edu/SocPsych

University of Illinois Board of Trustees . (2009). Developmental Division. Retrieved March 12, 2013, from Psychology University Of Illinoise: http://www.psychology.illinois.edu/about/divisions/developmental/

UYEMURA, B.-A. (2011). An Overview of Health Psychology. Retrieved March 11, 2013, from Psych Central: http://psychcentral.com/lib/2011/an-overview-of-health-psychology/all/1/

Bibliography: American Psychological Association. (2013). About Clinical Psychology. Retrieved March 11, 2013, from American Psychological Association, Division 12 Society of Clinical Psychology: http://www.apa.org/divisions/div12/aboutcp.html Developmental Psychology Dosher, Z.-L. L. (2007). Cognative Psychology. Retrieved March 11, 2013, from Scholarpeida, 2(8):2769 : http://www.scholarpedia.org/article/Cognitive_psychology Dr (2008). Psychology and Life; Research Methods in Psychology. In R. J. GERRIG, & P. G. ZIMBARDO, Psychology and Life, 18th Edition (p. Chapter 1; Chapter2). Boston: Pearson Education Inc. Merriam Webster Incorperated. (2013). Cognitive Psychology. Retrieved March 11, 2013, from Merriam Webster Dictionary: http://www.merriam-webster.com/medical/cognitive%20psychology Neuropsychology definition Psychology Department, Cornell University . (2008). Social and Personality Psychology. Retrieved March 12, 2013, from Cornell University Department of Psychology: http://www.psych.cornell.edu/SocPsych University of Illinois Board of Trustees UYEMURA, B.-A. (2011). An Overview of Health Psychology. Retrieved March 11, 2013, from Psych Central: http://psychcentral.com/lib/2011/an-overview-of-health-psychology/all/1/