Careers in Psychology

Psychology is the scientific study of mental processes and functions and how they affect human behavior. It comprises various subfields: social, cognitive, health, developmental, family, and industrial-organizational psychology. As a health science major in professional development and advanced patient care, it is possible to integrate various subfields of psychology into my career path to ensure high-quality patient care and promote the care provider’s mental wellness.

Careers in Psychology

Health Psychology

Health psychology is essential in clinical practice and is currently the most studied subfield. It seeks to explain the interplay between biology, behavior, and social context (Hilton, 2017). Behavioral influences include drug and alcohol abuse, irresponsible sexual behavior, and cigarette smoking. Social context stretches from religious and cultural beliefs to economic status, while biological factors include genetic conditions and inherited traits. The interplay of these factors may explain health-promoting and health-damaging behaviors among individuals.

Role of Health Psychologists, Their Workplace and Populations Served

Health psychologists play a vital role in the promotion of health. Some of their roles include identifying and discouraging health-damaging behavior such as alcoholism, promoting healthy lifestyles such as exercise, studying the psychological impact of disease on patients, families, and communities, conducting research, and developing policies for health promotion (American Psychological Association, n.d.).

Health psychologists work with doctors, nurses, and other healthcare providers. They work in hospitals, schools and universities, private firms, community outreach programs, and research institutions. They serve a wide range of people of all ages, including healthy individuals at risk of a disease and those with disease, families, and communities.

Integration Into Professional Development and Advanced Patient Care

Health psychology is crucial in understanding emotional and psychological influences on health and illness. It can be integrated into advanced patient care as it explains health-seeking behaviors, drug adherence, lifestyle, and behaviors that affect health. It may be used in discouraging health-damaging behavior. Advanced patient care can only be made more accessible by health psychologists since diagnosis and treatment will be improved, and health policies and interventions can be tailored toward individual patient needs, thus improving the quality of care.

Cognitive Psychology

Cognitive psychology is a branch of psychology that seeks to understand how the brain takes in, processes, and integrates information, thus explaining learning, memory, attention, decision-making, problem-solving, and intelligence. Various parts of the brain are involved in cognitive function, with the frontal lobe being responsible for higher cognitive skills such as learning and problem-solving ( Jawabri, 2023). This subfield enables psychologists to detect defective reasoning and beliefs that inform unhealthy lifestyles and behavior.

Role of Cognitive Psychologists, Their Workplace and Populations Served

Cognitive psychologists evaluate one’s thought process and, if dysfunctional, devise strategies to correct this. They also conduct research to understand mental functioning better. They work with researchers, doctors, nurses, and specialists such as neurosurgeons. They operate in schools, universities, hospitals, clinics, private corporations, research, and mental health treatment facilities. They serve individuals with cognitive developmental disorders such as autism, other populations with Alzheimer’s, learning disabilities, and other mental illnesses.

Integration Into Professional Development and Advanced Patient Care

Cognitive psychology is essential in understanding the thought process; thus, in professional development and advanced patient care, it can help identify and detect dysfunctional thought processes that may cause unhealthy lifestyles, such as cigarette smoking—understanding this background results in more informed and personalized strategies being put in place to promote health and alleviate disease (Troy, 2018). The future of patient care can only be improved by cognitive psychology since it helps to improve learning, problem-solving, and decision-making; thus, patients choose healthier and safer lifestyles.

Health psychology and cognitive psychology are both subfields of psychology that can be integrated into professional development and advanced patient care. Health psychology encompasses the interplay between biological, behavioral, and social influences and can be used to evaluate health-promoting and health-damaging behaviors. Cognitive psychology seeks to explain learning, memory, attention, decision-making, and problem-solving processes. Integrating these subfields in clinical practice is vital in providing high-quality patient care and promoting health.

References

PSY 102 Careers in Psychology Instructions

Directions:

  1. Describe a subfield in psychology related to your major or career path. (For example, if you are a business major, you might explore Industrial Organizational Psychology).
  2. Describe the role of a psychologist who works in the subfield. (For example, what does an IO psychologist do? Describe their tasks, who they work with, environments they work in, populations they serve, etc.)
  3. How does this subfield complement your major? In what ways might the work of a psychologist in this subfield impact your future career?
  4. Describe another subfield in psychology related to your major or career path. (For example, if you are an Information Security major, you might explore Quantitative Psychology).
  5. Describe the role of a psychologist who works in the subfield. (For example, what does a quantitative psychologist do? Describe their tasks, who they work with, environments they work in, populations they serve, etc.)
  6. How does this subfield complement your major? In what ways might the work of a psychologist in this subfield impact your future career?

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