- Identify common subfields within psychology
- Describe the value of studying psychology
- Describe careers in psychology
Subfields and Careers in Psychology
Beyond the five major domains, psychology includes many specialized subfields that apply psychological principles in different contexts. These subfields provide career opportunities in research, clinical practice, education, business, law, health, and more.
Industrial-Organizational Psychology
Industrial-Organizational (I-O) psychology applies psychological research and theory to the workplace. I-O psychologists focus on:
- Personnel decisions: recruitment, hiring, training, promotion.
- Workplace performance: productivity, motivation, efficiency.
- Organizational structure: leadership, management, and employee satisfaction.
I-O psychology is both applied (helping businesses improve workplace outcomes) and scientific (researching human behavior in organizational settings) (Riggio, 2013).
Multicultural and Cross-Cultural Psychology
Multicultural psychology examines how culture influences individuals and groups within a single country. Cross-cultural psychology compares people across different nations and cultural settings.
Key contributions:
- Demonstrates that psychological theories based primarily on WEIRD (Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, Democratic) populations do not always apply universally (Betancourt & López, 1993).
- Studies differences in mental health treatment outcomes across racial/ethnic groups. For example, research on binge eating disorder found significant differences among Latinx, Black, and White Americans, showing that one group’s data cannot simply be applied to others (Franko et al., 2012).
While cross-cultural psychology has sometimes been descriptive rather than experimental, these fields continue to highlight the importance of context, diversity, and equity in psychological research and practice.
Sport and Exercise Psychology
Sport and exercise psychology explores the psychological aspects of athletic and physical performance. Topics include:
- Motivation and performance anxiety.
- Mental and emotional well-being in athletes.
- Benefits of physical activity on mood and cognition.
This field also extends beyond athletics to demanding performance contexts such as firefighting, military service, artistic performance, and surgery, where both mental focus and physical endurance are critical.
Forensic Psychology
Forensic psychology applies psychology to the legal and criminal justice system. Forensic psychologists may:
- Assess competency to stand trial.
- Evaluate defendants’ mental states.
- Consult on child custody cases, sentencing, and treatment recommendations.
- Provide expertise on eyewitness testimony and jury selection.
- Offer psychological treatment within prisons or rehabilitation programs.
They often serve as expert witnesses, translating psychological research into a form that courts can use (American Board of Forensic Psychology, 2014). While criminal profiling is the most publicized role, it represents only a small portion of the field.