When you first think of it, computers and psychology could appear as two totally distinct fields. Computer scientists develop software and code algorithms to aid people with their everyday tasks while psychologists study human behavior and mental well-being. In real life, these two fields are inextricably linked on many levels. In fact some of the most exciting research currently being conducted in both fields is involving combining psychology and computer science.
In terms of psychological research, technological advances in computer science have made it easier to conduct psychological tests. For example FMRI scanners allow psychologists to determine which areas of the brain are active when a particular thought or action is performed. And online questionnaires eliminate the biases in paper-and-pencil surveys.
However, it’s the cooperation between psychologists and computer scientists which has truly transformed the interaction we have with technology. The Psychology of Human-Computer Interaction, published in 1983 by three scientists from Xerox Palo Alto Research Center, Stuart Card, Thomas Moran and Allen Newell, was one of the most significant moments in the combination.
It also pushed www.rebootdata.net/how-to-delete-apps-on-apple-watch/ research on how humans use computers firmly into the domain of computer science. It separated psychological techniques from their human context and forcing psychologists to catch up. Psychology branches that already dealt with evaluations based on numbers, such as psychometricians, found the computer science method particularly suited to their work.
Now, psychologists and computer scientists are working together to create AI that will better comprehend human behavior. For instance psychologists are helping define the ethical guidelines for the development of algorithms that could predict the risk of depression in a person by studying their social media usage. And psychologists are using cognitive behavioral therapy to create virtual reality, which can be used to treat anxiety and other disorders.