So, You're a Psychology Student...

After my first year as a psychology student, I found that there were many misconceptions about the field. Chances are, you have heard about Sigmund Freud and his bold theories or Pavlov and his famous conditioning experiments. Many of my fellow students imagined me either sitting around discussing strange and abstract theories or experimenting with rats. Some of my favorite psychology errors that I have been asked so far have been:

"Can you read my mind?"

"Are you able to psychoanalyze me?"

"Oh now that you're in psychology you'll be able to figure out what's wrong with me, right?"

To start off: 

-Psychology is the scientific study of behavior and mental  processes-

Over the course of my schooling I expect to examine a few of the big myths that surround the field of psychology. Today I am going to address the common misconception that all psychologists are bespectacled, sit next to their client that is comfortably sprawled across a leather sofa, and talk about feelings.

This is actually very wrong! Clinical and counseling psychologists in the United States right now actually only occupy less than 11% of all jobs held by psychologists (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2014). Here is a small overview of all of the other kinds of psychologists that you may not know about! I do strongly suggest researching on your own about these different occupations, especially if one catches your interest!

Types of Psychologists

• Clinical
• Clinical psychologists are usually the type of psychologists that most people have in mind when they think about the field.  "Study, diagnose, and treat persons who experience emotional, behavioral, and psychological problems or disorders" (Kuther, 2006, p. 3). These disorders can range from ADHD to Schizophrenia to Narcissistic Personality Disorder.

• Counseling
• Counseling psychology is another area of study that is common for people to think of when the field of psychology is mentioned. These psychologists do a variety of work spanning from providing psychotherapy in their own practice to working in an academic or hospital setting. Unlike clinical psychologists who work with clients that typically have more severe mental illnesses, counseling psychologists

• Social
• Social psychologists "study how people interact with each other and how they are influenced by the social environment" (Kuther, 2006, p. 7). They research various topics ranging from personality to how people are attracted or prejudiced to each other. These psychologists work in a variety of settings including colleges or universities or government offices where they either have the chance to research or put their research into practice.

• Industrial-Organizational Psychology
• This is an often forgotten area of psychology  that actually reaches more areas of our daily life than one would expect. These psychologists take psychological principles and use them to increase the efficiency and improve the quality of the workplace. They examine how to "recruit, select, train, and evaluate employees" (Kuther, 2006, p.6) in all kinds of companies and organizations.

• School
• School psychologists are trained to help students succeed in all areas of the school environment. They work to improve the social, emotional, and academic areas of the students involvement in the school. These psychologists may provide counseling, conduct evaluations, or design academic or behavioral programs. They work closely with students, parents, and teachers.

• Forensic
• These psychologists are often confused with criminal profilers which isn't entirely true. They do work in the criminal justice system and in courts but are actually applying the same psychological principles that many other psychologists use. Forensic Psychologists often give assessments, conduct evaluations, and provide psychotherapy to victims of crimes. 

• Developmental
• Developmental psychologists study the changes that occur throughout the life of humans. Some specialize in early childhood development while others study the other end of the human life span. The changes that they study are not limited to physical changes, but are cognitive and emotional growth as well.

• Neuropsychologist
• Neuropsychologists study the relationship between behavior and our brain. They look into what kinds of effects certain chemicals and neurotransmitters have on the brain and also study the roles of different areas of the brain. We can thank these psychologists for the finding of information that has helped us better understand our own brains and the effects that injuries and drugs can have on it.

• Human Factors
• These psychologists study the way in which humans interact with the environment and the products in it. They study the different ways in which they can better the experience of the individual with a certain type of product. The most common place that you will find this type of psychologist is in a government or industry position.

Kuther, Tara L.. The psychology major's handbook. 3nd ed. Belmont: Wadsworth, 2006. Print.

 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, n.d. Web. 23 May 2014. http://www.bls.gov/ooh/life-physical-and-social-science/psychologists.htm#tab-6.