Psychology and Computers

Some people view psychology and computer science as two distinct fields with nothing in common. The prevailing view is that computer science has an extremely rigorous and quantitative research culture, while psychological studies are rooted in more qualitative research into human behavior and perception.

In reality, a lot of modern computer science is influenced by psychology. The design of technology interfaces – from car dashboards, to airplane cockpits and from operating systems for computers www.rebootdata.net/dealing-with-stress-in-kids-and-teens to games controllers – is largely developed by psychologists working closely with computer scientists. Likewise, a huge amount of psychological research is a statistically intensive and requires sophisticated software to process large data sets.

Psychologists are also increasingly using technology to broaden their reach. The traditional methods of research in psychology, which involve examining the behavior of a specific person in an environment controlled by a psychologist or assessing larger patterns of behavior using self-report questionnaires or interviews have inherent limitations. (Experiments are typically limited to a single experiment while longitudinal studies are uncommon due to the difficulty in collecting and analyzing large amounts of data.)

Computer technology has provided new ways of understanding people’s behavior. For example the brain-imaging technology fMRI would not be possible without computers. The technology lets researchers match specific areas of the brain to specific cognitive processes, for example, memory or reading. EEG (electroencephalography) is another example of a technology that uses computer processing to record and analyze brain activity.

Furthermore, the UK’s National Health Service now recognizes CCBT (computerized cognitive behavioral therapy) as a viable treatment for mild-to-moderate presentations of anxiety and depression. Artificial intelligence (AI) is on the other hand, is poised to transform psychotherapy by replacing the therapist and treating patients via online robots.

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