At first glance, it could appear as if psychology and computing are two different fields. Computer scientists develop software and code algorithms to help people with their everyday tasks while psychologists study the psychology of humans and their mental well-being. In fact, these two fields are inextricably linked on many levels. Some of the most interesting research in both fields is being conducted by combining psychology with computer science.
Computer science has made it simpler to conduct research in psychology. For instance the fMRI scanners can help psychologists to determine which areas of the brain are activated when a particular thought or action is performed. Online questionnaires can eliminate the biases that are inherent in paper and pencil surveys.
However, it’s the collaboration between psychologists and computer scientists which has truly transformed the way we interact 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 merging.
It also brought research on how people use computers into the domain of computer science. This separated psychological methods from their human context and forced psychologists to catch up. Psychological branches that were already dealing with evaluations using numbers, such as psychometricians, discovered the computer science approach particularly suited to their work.
Psychologists are currently working together with https://rebootdata.net/what-are-virtual-data-room-costs-for-different-organizations/ computer scientists to develop AI that will help us better understand human behavior. Psychologists are helping develop ethical guidelines for algorithms able to determine the risk of depression from the social media activities of a person. Psychologists are incorporating cognitive behavior therapy into virtual reality to treat anxiety disorders as well as other diseases.
