Psychology and Computers

When you first consider it, psychology and computers might appear to be two completely distinct areas. Psychologists study human behavior and health while computer scientists work on coding algorithms and creating software that aids people accomplish everyday tasks. But the truth is that these two fields have a lot in common. In fact some of the most exciting research being done in both fields involves mixing computer science and psychology.

Computer science has made it easier to conduct psychological research. For example FMRI scanners allow psychologists to determine which areas of the brain are activated during specific thoughts or actions. Online questionnaires eliminate the biases inherent in paper-and-pencil surveys.

But it’s the interaction between computer scientists and psychologists that has really transformed the ways we interact with technology. The Psychology of Human-Computer Interaction was published in 1983 by three researchers from Xerox Palo Alto Research Center, Stuart Card, Thomas Moran and Allen Newell, was one of the most significant moments in the merging.

It pushed studies of the way that humans use computers into the domain of computer science, dissociating psychological techniques from their human context, and causing psychologists to catch up. Psychological branches that were already dealing with evaluations by number, such as psychometricians, found the computer science method particularly suitable to their work.

Psychologists are now working together with computer scientists to develop AI that can better understand human behaviour. For instance, psychologists are helping shape the ethical guidelines for the development of algorithms www.rebootdata.net/destructive-online-activity-and-computer-games/ that could predict the risk of depression in a person by studying their social media usage. Psychologists are also using cognitive behavioral therapy to create virtual reality, which can be used to treat anxiety and other disorders.