Which subfield is a basic research specialization in which psychologists focus on peoples traits?

Areas of Specialization

Students planning to do graduate work in psychology must choose an area of specialization. You indicate your preferred specialization on your graduate school applications, and the decision about whether to accept you to a program is typically made by faculty members in that particular area. The American Psychological Association has compiled descriptions of some of the main areas within psychology. Here is a partial list:

• Clinical psychology
• Cognitive and perceptual psychology
• Counseling psychology
• Developmental psychology
• Educational psychology
• Environmental psychology
• Forensic psychology
• Health psychology
• Industrial/organizational psychology
• Neuropsychology
• School psychology
• Social Psychology
• Sports Psychology

In many of these subfields some psychologists work primarily as researchers, others work primarily as practitioners, and many do both. Indeed, one of psychology's most important characteristics is its coupling of science and practice.

Northwestern students interested in clinical psychology can consult our document Considering Graduate Study in Clinical Psychology. You can read about differences between Ph.D. and Psy.D. programs and about alternative careers involving the treatment of clients (including some not requiring doctoral-level training). The document also addresses entrance requirements for clinical graduate programs, how to choose a program that's best for you, and other relevant issues.

Have you ever thought about majoring in psychology? An undergraduate degree in psychology can give you access to a variety of jobs:

You can greatly expand your opportunities (and your income) by getting a graduate degree, either a master's or a doctorate. If you were to go to graduate school to earn an advanced degree in psychology, you would be required to specialize in a particular area. Following is a list of some of the specialties:

• Clinical and counseling psychologists (the most widely practiced specialization in psychology) diagnose and treat people with psychological problems. A clinical psychologist typically has a doctoral degree in psychology, which requires 3 to 4 years of graduate work, plus 1 year of internship in a mental health facility. Clinical psychologists and psychiatrists both treat mental health problems. However, psychiatrists are doctors of medicine and can prescribe drugs; clinical psychologists cannot.
• Experimental psychologists use an experimental strategy in their work and often conduct basic research. Key aspects of behavior that experimental psychologists study are sensation and perception, cognitive processes (such as memory), learning, motivation, and emotion.
• Behavioral neuroscience and comparative psychologists focus on biological processes, especially the brain's role in behavior. Many of these scientists use animals in their research. Their research interests range from how the brain processes information to the effects of hormones on behavior. Comparative psychology is a branch of psychologythat studies animal behavior.
• Developmental psychologists are concerned with how people become who they are, from conception to death. For many years the major emphasis of developmentalists was child development. However, an increasing number of today's developmental psychologists show a strong interest in adult development and aging. Their inquiries range across the biological, cognitive, and social domains of life.
• Social psychologists study people's social interactions, relationships, social perceptions, and attitudes. They believe we can better understand mind and behavior if we know something about how people function in groups.
• Personality psychologists focus on the relatively enduring traits and characteristics of individuals. They study such topics as self-concept, achievement, and aggression.
• Health psychologists take a multidimensional approach to physical and mental health that encompasses psychological factors, lifestyle, and the health care delivery system. Many health psychologists study stress and coping. Some are members of multidisciplinary teams that conduct research or provide clinical services.
• Community psychologists focus on providing accessible care for people with psychological problems, especially those who traditionally have been underserved by mental health professionals. They work to create supportive communities and try to prevent mental health problems by identifying high-risk groups, intervening with appropriate services, and stimulating new opportunities in the community.
• School and educational psychologists are concerned with children's learning and adjustment in school. In elementary and secondary schools, they test children, make recommendations about educational placement, and work on educational planning teams. At colleges and universities, they teach classes and do research on teaching and learning.
• Industrial and organizational (I/O) psychologists focus on workers and on the organizations that employ them. More specifically, industrial psychology, which is increasingly referred to as personnel psychology, involves personnel and human resource management. Organizational psychology examines the social and group influences of organizations.
• Environmental psychologists study transactions between people and the physical environment. Topics they might study range from the influence of building and room arrangements on behavior to strategies for getting people to reduce behavior that harms the environment.
• Cross-cultural psychologists study of the effect of culture on behavior, thought, and emotion. They compare psychological processes in different cultures, with a special interest in whether or not psychological phenomena are universal or culture specific.
• Forensic psychologists apply psychological concepts to the legal system. Increasingly, research on topics related to psychology and law is conducted by social and cognitive psychologists. Forensic psychologists are hired by legal teams to provide input about jury decision making and also are called as expert witnesses in the courtroom.
• Sport psychologists apply psychology's principles to improving sport performance and making sport participation more enjoyable. Sports psychology is a relatively new field but it is rapidly gaining acceptance. At the 2000 Olympics, more than twenty sport psychologists worked with U.S. athletes and coaches.

1		Which of the following psychologists would be most likely to study the effects of stress and coping in a person's life?
		A)	A social psychologist.
		B)	A personality psychologist.
		C)	A health psychologist.
		D)	A school psychologist.
2		Which of the following services would a community psychologist most likely provide?
		A)	Consulting with school personnel about ways to improve student achievement.
		B)	Conducting workshops on the effects of exercise on depression.
		C)	Studying the attitudes that are keeping a work group from functioning effectively.
		D)	Informing civic groups about available psychological services.
3		A company that wanted to improve its personnel selection procedures would be most likely to hire a(n) __________ psychologist.
		A)	counseling
		B)	educational
		C)	industrial/organizational
		D)	social
4		Which of the following characteristics distinguishes clinical psychologists from psychiatrists?
		A)	Clinical psychologists primarily work with children and adolescents.
		B)	Psychiatrists have a doctor of medicine degree.
		C)	Clinical psychologists can prescribe drugs.
		D)	Psychiatrists treat a more limited number of psychological problems.
5		College students who are having difficulty deciding on a major because they are unsure about the career they want to enter would probably seek help from a __________ psychologist.
		A)	personality
		B)	social
		C)	counseling
		D)	environmental
6		An educational psychologist would be most likely to conduct a study to ______________________________.
		A)	measure the attitudes of students toward student government officers
		B)	implement a new treatment for depression among teachers
		C)	assess the effect of a new desk design on student alertness
		D)	test a new method for teaching a foreign language
7		A psychologist who assists lawyers as they are preparing cases is a __________ psychologist.
		A)	forensic
		B)	social
		C)	personality
		D)	counseling
8		A psychologist who probes depressed clients' thoughts to identify the cause of the depression and conducts therapy to help them become more psychologically healthy is a psychologist.
9		The president of a company who wanted to improve personnel selection practices would consult an / psychologist.
10		A study to describe the pattern of weight changes in groups of people from age 18 months to 65 years of age would be conducted by a psychologist.
11		A study to examine the attitudes of group members toward the leaders of the group would most likely be conducted by a psychologist.
12		The study of the relatively enduring traits and characteristics of individuals is most likely to conducted by psychologists.
13		A factory owner who wanted advice about whether installing more lighting would improve production would seek the services of an psychologist.
14		A college student who wanted to compile a list of crisis intervention and support groups for a class project would get the most information from a psychologist.
15		Clinical psychologists can prescribe drugs to treat psychological problems.
		A)	TRUE
		B)	FALSE
16		Psychology is a vast discipline with numerous subfields. Areas of specialization are being added all the time. For the current list of subfields, check www.apa.org/students/brochure/contents.html. Are you surprised at the number of job possibilities in psychology? Which areas look most interesting to you? What level of education do you need to pursue careers in those areas?

Which subfield is a basic research specialization in which psychologists focus on people's traits?

What are the subfields of research psychology?

Which specialization in psychology focuses on how people think about influence and relate to each other?

Which psychologists are involved in basic research?