B-2 APPENDIX B
B.4 List the kinds of careers that are available to someone with a
bachelor’s degree in psychology.
B.5 Describe some areas of specialization in psychology.
B.6 Describe how psychology interacts with other career fields.
B.7 Explain the fields of industrial/organizational psychology and
human factors psychology.
B.8 Describe how the I/O field has evolved throughout its history.
B.9 Identify techniques used by sports psychologists.What Is Applied Psychology?
B.1 Define applied psychology.
The term applied psychology refers to using findings from psychological research to
solve real-world problems. The psychological professional, who might be a psychiatrist,
a psychologist, or even a psychiatric social worker (as described later in this appendix),
may do testing or use some other type of assessment and then describe a plan of action
intended to solve whatever problem is of concern. As is evident in the opening com-
ments about John Gambon, you can see that his training in psychology and his special-
ized knowledge enabled him to testify in court as an expert witness. This is a practical
application of psychological tools to a real problem—the professional literally “applies”
psychology.It seems to me that psychology could be useful in a lot of different
areas, not just education. In fact, wasn’t that what all those “Applying
Psychology” sections at the end of each chapter were about?Every chapter in this text (and even this appendix) does end with some application
of psychology to the real world. The field of applied psychology isn’t just one field but
rather a lot of different areas that all share the common goal of using psychology in a
practical way. A large number of areas can be considered applied psychology, includ-
ing one of the broadest areas of psychology: clinical and counseling psychology. For
example, health psychologists examine the effects of stress on physical as well as mental
health; educational and school psychologists look for ways to improve student learning
and apply the findings to the classroom; sports psychologists help athletes prepare them-
selves mentally for competition; human factors psychologists deal with the way peo-
ple and machines interact; forensic psychologists deal with psychological issues within
the legal system; and industrial/organizational (I/O) psychologists deal with the work
environment. In addition, environmental psychologists examine the interaction of peo-
ple with their surroundings at work, in social settings, and in schools, homes, and other
buildings. Those surroundings include not just the physical structures but also the par-
ticular population of people who live, work, and play in those surroundings. Other psy-
chologists look at the factors that influence people to buy certain products, analyze the
best ways to market a product, and examine the buying habits of the typical consumer.
This appendix includes information on the different roles of psychological profes-
sionals and the type of education required for many professions, along with a brief over-
view of many of the specialized areas in psychology. The remainder of this appendix
briefly explores how psychology can be used in practical ways in several different areas
of life: the environment, law, education, the military, sports, and the world of work.applied psychology
the use of psychological concepts in
solving real-world problems.Z02_CICC7961_05_SE_APPB.indd 2 9/2/16 6:26 PM