In this brief guide we are going to answer the question ‘’What are the 10 branches of psychology?’’ We will highlight the main branches of psychology, their job opportunities and the importance of the role of the psychologist in each of them.
What are the 10 branches of psychology?
- Clinical and health psychology. …
- Educational and developmental psychology. …
- Industrial-organizational psychology. …
- Marketing and consumer psychology. …
- Sports psychology. …
- Social psychology. …
- Neuropsychology. …
- Forensic psychology.
- Sexology
- Community psychology
If you are interested in studying the mind, you cannot miss this article. Here we will talk about the different branches of Psychology, because, as you surely know, it is a rich field of knowledge divisible into specialities.
Just as the human mind and soul represent very complex concepts, so is the science that studies them. That is why we suggest you continue reading, to begin to untangle the dense skein that is undoubtedly our brain.
Clinical psychology
Of the different branches of Psychology that exist, this is the most common, the one that we all know plainly under the name of “Psychology”. It focuses on studying, diagnosing and intervening psychological problems that impact the life of each person. Sometimes psychological abnormalities are caused by a disorder whose treatment requires referral to a psychiatrist.
Despite its comprehensive name and role, Clinical Psychology is practised by professionals under very diverse currents. Some prefer psychoanalysis and others gestaltism, to give just a few examples. The treatment to be followed will depend on the preferences of each patient and how comfortable they feel in front of the chosen professional.
Educational psychology
We are facing one of the branches of Psychology that studies learning processes. It seeks to design and implement strategies to ensure that learning is carried out satisfactorily and thus, a good didactic experience is given between teachers and students.
It is important to bear in mind that, for this area, education is not only that which is imparted in official establishments but also that which takes place within the family, the community, extracurricular and complementary courses, and even in those who are self-taught.
Organizational psychology
Also known as Work Psychology or Industrial Psychology, Organizational Psychology analyzes and intervenes in the labor field to improve the performance of workers. To achieve this, consider the profile and needs of the company or organization, as well as that of each member.
In general, organizational psychologists work in the area of HR (Human Resources) within commercial companies and organizations of other types, or from outside, offering their services through courses, group coaching sessions, advising agencies that select workers, etc.
Psycho-Marketing
We could understand Psycho-Marketing as a derivation of Organizational Psychology, since it also deals with business needs. However, its objective differs, because it does not focus on personnel but on those processes that stimulate the placement of products and services on the market.
In simpler words, thanks to Psycho-Marketing it is possible to increase sales, through research that creates and promotes tempting proposals for potential clients. For this, among the various branches of Psychology, Psycho-Marketing seeks the most effective way of communicating the messages that the company wants to sow in consumers so that they acquire its products or services.
Advertising by graphic and digital media, slogans, packaging are issues that play a fundamental role when it comes to achieving sales, and for this, companies use Psycho-Marketing, which studies the way in which the brain and the mind respond to marketing stimuli carried out by brands.
Sports psychology
As you surely know, the mind and the body form a whole in each person. Therefore, it is not surprising that there is a discipline that deals with guaranteeing the mental balance necessary for an athlete to achieve maximum physical performance.
Sports Psychology seeks that the good psychological state of competitors or those who train in general, allows them to improve their performance at an individual and group level. Only by enjoying optimal mental well-being, the athlete will be able to take his physical capacities to the top.
Social psychology
You may not know much about the subject, but among the branches of Psychology that exist, this is one of the most relevant today. It focuses on interpersonal relationships in a given context and on collective feelings, thoughts, opinions, tendencies and actions. Thanks to Social Psychology, it is possible to understand the behavior of the masses and certain social phenomena typical of our time.
In fact, Social Psychology is related to other branches of Psychology such as Psycho-Marketing, since advertising is currently a mass phenomenon, as well as consumer fashions and trends. In order to place a certain product or service on the market, it is necessary to know the characteristics of the social niche to which it is directed.
Neuro-Psychology
It’s not news that the person responsible for human behavior, thoughts, emotions, sensations and feelings is above all the Nervous System, both central and peripheral. Thus, it is not surprising that Psychology is closely related to Neurosciences, and from this fact a new science called Neuro-Psychology has been born.
This discipline investigates the mental processes that are produced from certain alterations in the performance of the brain. In easy words, Neuro-Psychology deals with the relationship between our behaviors, thoughts and brain phenomena that appear due to diseases of the Nervous System.
Forensic psychology
When the Justice investigates responsibilities in crimes and other criminal acts, the intervention of Forensic Psychology is necessary, which performs psychological tests to determine -for example- the veracity of the testimonies of the subjects involved, the degree of awareness of the person executing the criminal act, etc.
An interesting fact is that Forensic Psychology collaborates with governments to create behavioral profiles that help find fugitives from justice or predict the actions of people with criminal records.
Sexology
You may not know it, but many sexual problems originate in the mind and have no primary physical cause (for example, there may be erectile dysfunction from stress or anorgasmia from relationship problems). At the same time, difficulties in sexual performance affect the psychological balance of patients and can lead them to develop insecurities, depression, etc.
Against this background, Sexology tries to respond from a discipline that combines the sexual with the psychological, understanding that both human edges are intrinsically related.
It should be clarified that here we are not talking about the purely biological (such as the male or female genital area, its characteristics and problems) since that is what medical sciences such as Urology and Gynecology deal with. On the contrary, we refer to the relationship of the sexual with the mind; In this sense, its approach belongs to one of the branches of Psychology, Sexology.
Community psychology
This speciality is very particular because it is derived from the previous one when investigating and trying to solve problems of specific contexts and determined social groups. Community Psychology seeks to achieve concrete changes in the live scene where people move but also in their relationships, to improve social dynamics.
Instead of working with individuals or peers – as Clinical Psychology or Couple Psychology would do – Community Psychology focuses on specific groups of people and the context in which they live and socialize.
In this brief guide we answered the question ‘’What are the 10 branches of psychology?’’ We highlighted the main branches of psychology, their job opportunities and the importance of the role of the psychologist in each of them.
If you have any comments or questions please let us know!
References
How Different Branches of Psychology Study the Brain and Behavior. Retrieved October 16, 2020, from Verywell Mind website: https://www.verywellmind.com/major-branches-of-psychology-4139786
Ritchie, P. L. J., & Grenier, J. (2009). Branches of psychology. PSYCHOLOGY–Volume I, 62.