Scope of Psychology

Formidably, the roots of psychology are not in the present era, but in the classical era. According to the early definition of psychology, psychology was defined as the scientific study of the mind or the processes of the mind. But this definition changed with time. The scope of psychology started changing more towards the scientific study of behavior. The scope of psychology widened as it addresses a variety of issues pertaining to the behavioral and mental working of individuals. By studying psychology, a basic understanding of the nature of humans can be developed as it paves the way of dealing with many social and personal challenges effectively. Psychology in India is gaining attention and its demand is increasing as it is a highly rewarding and lucrative field of study. Needless to say, the scope of psychology, as a career, is huge.

Why Study Psychology?

As described above, there are many solid reasons to study this subject. There are reasons both from career prospects to the inherent personal interest. And there is no denying the fact that psychology is a fascinating and rich area of study as it helps in comprehending the behaviour of humans and the accompanied mental processes. 

Doing this, it allows the person to understand how he/she thinks, acts, and feels in a better way. We can say that psychology is an enticing and challenging subject but it has an inevitable role in developing many interpersonal skills. It helps in developing subject-specific knowledge, understanding oneself, understanding others, nourishing communication skills, developing analytical and critical skills, and consequently, it develops the ability to research. 

In the context of abroad, there is an expanding career scope of psychology as many students are going for specialization to unveil jobs as psychologists, guidance counsellors, and clinical psychologists.

Types & Scope of Psychology

Psychology is wide and is connected to almost all fields of life from the well-being of mental health, professional and personal development, medical sciences, nursing, family and relationships, and beyond. It is simply known as the study of the brain of humans and there are many branches of psychology. In simple words, psychology has an indispensable role in many other areas of study. Various classifications of psychology include Abnormal Psychology, Social Psychology, General Psychology, clinical psychology, positive psychology, counselling psychology, developmental psychology, and forensic psychology.

Types of Psychology

On the career front, the prominent types of psychology which are pursued are abnormal psychology, biopsychology, social, developmental, cognitive psychology, and personality psychology. The discussion of each type has been given below:

Abnormal Psychology

Abnormal psychology pays attention to the origin and construct of the mental illness and takes into account the patterns of behaviors, thoughts, and emotions which are not usual. In this type, there is an assessment, diagnosis, and clinical treatment of intellectual or mental disorders. It simply means "away from the normal", and interprets what is impacted by cultural belief systems, origin or family, religion, and other prevailing societal norms.

Biopsychology

In this type, emphasis is put on the underlying relationships between behavior and biology. It incorporates the role played by the brain and neurotransmitters in regulating and controlling the behavior of the person. Professionals in this field want to know how biological changes lead to changes in behavior. The understanding of the work processes of the brain can lead to jobs in marketing, education, technology companies, and even politics. Furthermore, in designing, researching, and producing new drugs for pharmaceutical companies, there is an integral role of bio psychologists.

Social Psychology

In this type, there is a study of what people are thinking and feeling and what the impact of others on one's behavior is. Attention is paid to group membership, prejudice and discrimination, attitudes and persuasion, and social influence of self-esteem. In the training of social psychologists, human behavior is combined with scientific research methods, job opportunities, and work settings because how someone views herself/himself in relation to the world is what impacts factor-like behavior and belief.

Cognitive Psychology

It looks at the mental processes relating to thinking, memory, and language. It also makes discoveries regarding these processes by observing the behavior. The majority of experts in this area are working in an academic setting where they teach, conduct research, or both. Experience in this area is important in many development areas like the interaction of human-computer, software development, and organizational psychology. Many professionals in this area directly work with clients and patients. The demand for cognitive psychologists is dynamic and has fluctuated throughout the years.

Personality Psychology

In this type of psychology, there is the study of personality and its difference among individuals. Theories pertaining to personality characteristics, evolution, biology, humanism, behavior, and social learning to evaluate the extent of the uniqueness of a person are important to understand because personality psychologists heavily rely on these theories. Proper understanding of the pattern of the development of personality and its similarities as well as variances among individuals, is most important, and personality psychologists evaluate, diagnose, and treat disorders of personality having a negative impact on the quality of life of a person.

Methods of Psychology

To test and evaluate different theories, various research methods are used in psychology. In psychological research, either a qualitative or a quantitative research method is employed which further depends on the objective of research. In addition to this, under each of the two main categories, there are distinct approaches. These are as followed:

Experimental Methods

The procedure used to carryout to support or reject a proposed hypothesis. Real insights are provided into cause-and-effect by demonstrating what outcome occurs when a specific variable is manipulated. Experimental studies are generally classified as quantitative research. In experimental methods, there are four types of experiments which are laboratory experiments, field experiment, natural experiments, and quasi-experiments.

Observational Techniques

In this technique, researcher observes the way of behavior of people and act to gain more insights regarding their ideas, actions and beliefs. Observational techniques are most qualitative in nature but these can be quantitative. There are generally two main observational techniques which are participant observation and non-participant observation. Moreover, observations can also be categorized as overt, covert, naturalistic and controlled.

Self-report Techniques

These are the techniques in which there is an approach of data collection in which participants report information regarding them and there is no interference from the experimenter. Therefore, in this method, it is crucial that respondents give responses to a set of pre-set questions by the researcher. This technique can include but is not limited to questionnaires, interviews, and psychometric testing.

Correlational Studies

In this method, strength and the direction of the statistical relation is measured. Statistical relationship is gauged between two co-variables and these are quantitative in nature. Findings of correlational studies are manifested in scatter grams.

Eligibility to Pursue Psychology in Abroad

The requirements for undergraduate studies are roughly classified by the type of degree offered by the university. BA or Bachelor of Arts would prefer a student with a background in Arts and Humanities, whereas a BSc or Bachelor of Science in Psychology would prefer Science disciplines - Biology, Organic Chemistry, and Mathematics.

While colleges in other countries may simplify and need a previous degree in Psychology for a master's programme, institutions.  A bachelor's degree in the arts or sciences may qualify you. This would, however, differ from programme to programme and university to university.

• For BA in psychology - you must be completed your 12th in arts or humanities subjects.
• For BSc in psychology - you must be completed your 12th degree in biology, mathematics and organic chemistry subjects.
• For MA in Psychology - Completed a degree in BA Psychology.
  
• For MSc in Psychology - Completed a degree in BSc Psychology.
  

Psychology Abroad – Programme Structure and Length

• A 3-4 year undergraduate study in Psychology would typically help you create a firm foundation for understanding Psychology as a topic. 
• A master's degree, on the other hand, would allow you to Specialise in Psychology. 
• Some of the master's subjects would be research-based. 
• A PhD in Psychology is a three-year research-only degree that also requires applicants to have a solid foundation in Psychology.

Top Universities for Psychology in Abroad

Here is the universities is famous for psychology in abroad.

Scope of Psychology in Abroad

Scope of Psychology in India

There is a vast scope of psychology in India and it is gaining importance day by day. After having a degree in psychology, there are many opportunities for professionals to work in different areas. For example, jobs are offered to counselors in NGOs, Old age homes and rehabilitation centers etc. Similarly in the education sector, psychologists are required as school counselors, trainers, career counselors. Furthermore, clinical psychologists are in great demand in the contemporary time. Lastly, yet importantly, organizational psychologists work for MNCs and organizations and the HR departments in order to assist challenges being faced by employees and to train them how to handle these problems effectively. 

Students can seek jobs in many types of institutions because they study the subjects like General Psychology, Clinical Psychology, Social Psychology, Developmental Psychology, organizational behavior etc.

Goals of Psychology

In other words, the primary goals of psychology are to articulate, explain, forecast, and change behavior, and these goals of psychology aim at dealing with many real-world problems. Psychology aims to change, impact, or control behaviors in order to prompt positive, result-yielding and sustainable changes in the lives of people and to influence their behavior for the better. This is considered the crucial goal of psychology.

Psychology Jobs

In India, there is a huge demand of a psychologist. Employees are earning an average of 26 lakhs INR per month, mostly ranging from 12 lakhs per year to 50 lakhs INR per year. Moreover, through private practice, an educational psychologist can earn even more money in an easy way. Highest paying psychologist's jobs in India are psychiatrist, industrial-organizational psychologist, and neuropsychologist.

Top 10 highest paid psychology jobs are as followed:

Are you looking to study psychology abroad? AECC Global experts will assist you in deciding where to apply, we have produced a list of the top countries to study psychology. Contact us today and get FREE guidance from us.

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