Fastest Growing Careers in Psychology

Many people choose to major in psychology because it’s an interesting field, but some don’t know exactly what they want to do after graduation. The options for people with psychology degrees are expanding. Healthcare employment has more job security than many other fields. However, for those who are persistent, well-qualified and passionate, psychology careers are available.

Here are a few of the fastest growing positions found within the field of psychology.

A School Counselor

Those with child psychology coursework may enjoy working as a school counselor at a high school. Teens face many issues and problems that impact their mental and emotional health. A top-notch counselor can help teens make good choices that will lead to success, or learn how to overcome bad choices they’ve made in the past.

Forensic Psychologist

Because of the popularity of TV shows, movies and books that highlight forensic psychologists, this career option has soared. A forensic psychologist works within the courts on different issues such as child custody cases, allegations of child abuse, or even disputed insurance claims involving mental anguish. They work directly with lawyers and judges to explain the effects that the case has on the individuals involved. They ultimately give an inside look at what those involved in the case are experiencing on a personal level.

Industrial-Organizational Psychologist

An I-O psychologist works in companies that want to increase worker productivity. This psychologist will sit with employees and discuss motivation, things that may be preventing them from achieving their fullest work potential and other work-related issues. Often, they will discover connections between job performance and mental health issues. This type of psychologist is also adept at tracking which employees would be great for promotions and for training other employees.

How Has Technology Changed The Field of Psychology?

Many 18th c. treatments for psychological dist...

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Technology has altered the field of psychology in many ways. First of all, there are many new categories of psychology that relate to technology. Human factors, for example, deals with making technology more user-friendly for non-technical people.

Other new psychology fields have sprung up in response to the effects of technology, too. For example, Internet addiction disorder is a concern, and psychologists are trying to decide whether it belongs in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV).

Technology has changed the way we live our lives, which has obviously impacted the psychology department as well. People communicate online, which has changed relationships. People date online, too, which has certainly been discussed in many psychology offices!

The Internet has changed daily lives, and, the general thoughts and patterns of the modern mind. In other words: the self that grows out of daily tweets, emails, multi-tasking and so on, is different than the pre-historic self that gathered fruit and hunted for animals.

More importantly: there are lots of new technical tools being used for psychological research. For example, there is new imaging equipment that allows researchers to study the visual complexities of the brain.

For example: psychologists now know which parts of the brain are involve in memory. It’s possible to see where short term, long term and sensory information are stored.

Here’s another thing: software is being used to track emotional health and moods. So, people can track their feelings over a period of time, which may help researchers gather data. Technology and psychology are so intertwined, that some universities, such as MIT, are considering combining the disciplines.

 

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