Applied psychology: what is it and what are its objectives?
Although today psychology is known primarily for its applications, the truth is that this science has not always been so interested in practice.
The emergence of what we know as "applied psychology" was key in the development of current psychology . In this article we will analyze what applied psychology is and what its objectives and most important aspects are.
- Related article: "What is Social Psychology?"
Applied psychology: definition and objectives
Applied psychology consists of the use of the knowledge obtained and the methods developed by basic psychology in order to solve everyday problems, increase the quality of life or make groups of people function more adequately.
Although applied psychology is a very broad discipline, we can say that this concept refers to the practical side of psychology . Unlike applied psychology, psychological science in general does not necessarily deal with intervention but studies behavior and mental processes.
Thus, while basic psychology includes disciplines such as social psychology, experimental psychology, evolutionary psychology or development psychology, applied psychology puts into practice the knowledge obtained by the aforementioned branches, as in the cases of clinical psychology, education or that of human resources.
However, the distinction between applied psychology and other aspects of psychology is not always clear, since theory and practice feed back to each other in a lively and constant way.
- Article to expand concepts: "The 12 branches (or fields) of Psychology"
Münsterberg and the foundation of this discipline
It is considered that the main pioneer of applied psychology was the German psychophysiologist Hugo Münsterberg . After studying with Wilhelm Wundt and founding a psychological laboratory in Freiburg, Münsterberg met William James, who invited him to work at Harvard University. It was in the United States where he gained more recognition and fame.
Münsterberg's works contributed to the development of many of the future fields of applied psychology , among which are the clinical psychology, the forensic and the organizations.
The work of Münsterberg would be a fundamental reference for the application of psychological knowledge during the following decades, in particular after the creation of the International Association of Applied Psychology and of the Second World War, when the US government began hiring public psychologists to increase your chances of winning the conflict.
Shedding of applied psychology
The concept of "applied psychology" is very broad and therefore includes a large number of subdisciplines. We will focus on briefly describing the objectives of the most well-known and defining branches of applied psychology .
1. Community psychology
Community psychologists mainly use the knowledge obtained by social psychology with the aim of improving the quality of life of large groups, such as residents of slums. The greatest peculiarity of community psychology is that it focuses on macrosocial aspects starting from a territorial perspective.
2. Organizational and human resources
The psychology of organizations focuses on preventing and solving problems that arise in the context of the company . For its part, the concept of "human resources" refers more specifically to the selection, training and management of personnel in terms of the objectives of the organization.
3. Educational
Educational psychology is the application of scientific psychology to learning , fundamentally the one carried out by children and adolescents during basic education. Educational psychology drinks from theoretical branches such as developmental or cognitive psychology.
4. Clinic
Clinical psychology, probably the most well-known branch of psychological science, is concerned with studying, preventing and treating dysfunctional behavior and improving mental well-being . Within clinical psychology, behavior modification therapy is the theoretical orientation closest to the objective of applying the knowledge obtained through scientific research.
5. Environmental
This discipline applies the knowledge of psychology to the relationship of people with their environment , understanding the term in a broad sense; thus, environmental psychology would include both the provision of furniture to enhance work performance and the applications of psychology in the conservation of nature, among many other examples.
6. Health
The psychology of health analyzes the relationship between behavior and physical disorders, particularly chronic ones, such as cardiovascular problems or asthma. This branch of psychology partially overlaps with the clinic and focuses as much on prevention as on the treatment and management of diseases.
7. Sport
Sports psychology works the factors that affect athletic performance in order to enhance it. Among others, the psychology of sports deals with the management of group conflicts in team sports and the reduction of anxiety in high performance competitions.
8. Forensic
Forensic psychology focuses on applying scientific psychology to legal processes. In addition to contributing to the investigation of crimes, forensic psychology can be used to resolve child custody disputes or analyze the validity of witness testimony, among other utilities.
9. Advertising
The application of psychological knowledge to advertising is one of the oldest forms of applied psychology given its economic potential for private companies. The well-known subliminal images, for example, emerged in the context of psychology applied to advertising.
