History and Approaches ❮ 57mainly involved in treatment grew enormously. Specialties in treating children, adolescents,
students, older people, and athletes emerged. Industries and organizations hired psycholo-
gists to help them prosper. The field became more fragmented and specialized.
Research and applied psychologists deal with a huge number of topics. Topics can be
grouped into broad categories known as domains. Psychologists specializing in different
domains identify themselves with many labels. Examples include the following:
Clinical psychologists evaluate and treat mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders.
People experiencing a temporary psychological crisis, such as grief, addiction, or social
challenges, and individuals suffering from a chronic psychiatric disorder may seek
therapy from a clinical psychologist. Clinical psychologists can be generalists who
work with a wide variety of populations, or specifically work with unique groups such
as children, the elderly, or those with specific disorders. They may work in hospitals,
community health centers, or private practice.
Counseling psychologists help people adapt to change or make changes in their lifestyle.
Counseling psychologists’ roles are very similar to those of clinical psychologists, except
that they work more with modifying a person’s behavior and lifestyle rather than those
with psychological disorders. This type of psychologist can be found working in schools
and universities, community mental health centers, and private practice.
Developmental psychologists study psychological development throughout the lifespan.
They study how people develop intellectually, socially, emotionally, and morally. Some
will specialize in one period of life, such as adolescent or geriatric. Developmental psy-
chologists can be found working in schools and daycare centers, social service agencies,
or senior centers and geriatric facilities.
Educational psychologists focus on how effective teaching and learning take place. They
are concerned with how humans learn and study the various aspects of learning, with
the goal to produce materials and strategies to assist and enhance the learning process.
Educational psychologists can be found in universities, research laboratories, and pub-
lishing houses.
Engineering psychologists and human factors psychologists promote the development
and application of psychology to improve technology, consumer products, energy
systems, communication and information, transportation, decision making, work set-
tings, and living environments. They focus on improving and adapting technology, equip-
ment, and work environments to enhance human behavior and capabilities. Their interests
include ergonomics, understanding the capabilities and limitations of human behavior, and
developing and modifying systems to maximize these abilities and prevent errors.
Forensic psychologists apply psychological principles to legal issues. They are concerned
with the numerous facets of the law, such as determining a defendant’s competence to
stand trial, or whether a victim has suffered psychological or neurological trauma. They
can be found working in law schools, law firms, and correctional institutions.
Geropsychologists draw on psychology, sociology, biology, and other disciplines to study
factors associated with the development and aging of the older adult. They may investi-
gate how the brain changes as humans age and the effect of these changes on behavior,
coping mechanisms, and social strategies. Geropsychologists may be found working in
hospitals, senior living facilities, and community health programs.
Health psychologists concentrate on biological, psychological, and social factors involved
in health and illness. They are concerned with psychology’s role in the promotion and
maintenance of good health and the prevention and treatment of illness. This might
include the design and promotion of programs to help individuals to modify their life-
style and improve their health, such as quitting smoking, dieting, stress management,