Applied psychology differs from general psychology in that it includes all areas of psychological studies that use research-based findings.
And because it encompasses such a wide range of disciplines, it also offers many opportunities for a career in psychology other than general psychology, which is beneficial for those who want to access different behaviors in the field.
What is Applied Psychology?
Applied psychology is a branch of psychology that uses specific knowledge and training to resolve the behavioral issues and practical problems of humans and animals.
Since it is such a specialized area of psychology, it also has its own areas, objectives, and perspectives to approach its problems.
Some perspectives include behavioral, biological, cognitive, humanistic, psychodynamic, and more.
How It Differs from General Psychology
This specialized branch of psychology differs from general psychology in various ways, including its aims to improve well-being and mental health through different phases of human growth rather than simply bringing attention to how the inner mind affects the functioning of human beings as a whole.
Experts in applied research also use a more subjective approach, whereas theory researchers are typically more objective in theirs. Likewise, they also differ in their tasks.
The Major Branches of This Psychology
This area of psychology is divided into different branches to help make it easier to comprehend and approach the behavior; however, the major branches include:
- Counseling Psychology – Helps families, professionals, students, and more solve their issues in a particular area.
- Sports Psychology – Studies the educational, social, and psychological factors impacting sports behavior in regards to attaining above-average performance and athletics.
- Management Psychology – Attempts to apply the laws, methodology, and principles of general psychology to the employees in the field of management in an effort to answer questions related to the actions of the staff employed in different companies.
- Criminal Psychology – Examines the emotions and motivations that prompt the offense and the best way to apply a scientific method of treatment to cure them. It also studies criminality in its various stages, from the discovery of the crime to the prosecution of the offender and more.
- Forensic Psychology – Includes specifically the expert material of witness testimony and concern and their understanding of the fundamental legal principles concerning the judicial system so they can communicate effectively with legal professionals.
- Commercial Psychology – Studies the buying motives and needs of consumers as well as their psychological attitudes towards existing products via testing and more.
It also studies the psychology of advertisement, including its design, type, the understanding between the seller and buyer, and more.
These are just some of the major branches of this area of psychology. Some other exciting branches include Clinical Psychology, Military Psychology, Court Psychology, Health Psychology, and more. So don’t be limited by a career in general psychology when your true passion can go towards improvement in an area of psychology that matters to you and where you can make the most difference. For more information, you can check out sites like CareersInPsychology.org.
