When you first think of it, computers and psychology might seem like two completely separate domains. Computer scientists develop software and code algorithms to aid people with their daily tasks psychology studies human behavior and mental wellbeing. However, the reality is that these two fields are in many ways similar. Some of the most interesting research in both fields is being done by combining psychology and computer science.
For psychological research, technological advances in computer science have helped make it easier to conduct psychological experiments. For instance the fMRI scanners can help psychologists to determine which areas of the brain are stimulated when a particular thought or action is performed. Online questionnaires also eliminate the biases inherent in paper and pencil surveys.
The collaboration between psychologists and computer scientists has transformed the way that we interact with technology. One of the most significant moments of this fusion took place in 1983 when the publication of The Psychology of Human-Computer Interaction by three researchers at the Palo Alto Research Center of Xerox: Stuart Card, Thomas Moran, and Allen Newell.
It also pushed research on how humans use computers firmly into the domain of computer science, separating psychological methods from their human context and causing psychologists to catch up. Psychometricians and other psychology branches that deal with numerical evaluations found the computer science approach to be particularly beneficial.
Now, psychologists are working with computer scientists to develop AI that can help better understand www.rebootdata.net/how-to-keep-kids-and-teens-safe-on-the-internet/ human behavior. For instance psychologists are helping develop the ethical guidelines for the development of algorithms to predict the likelihood of a person developing depression by studying their social media usage. Psychologists are also using cognitive behavioral therapy to create virtual reality, which could be used to treat anxiety and other disorders.