There are a number of areas in psychology, which include:
- clinical psychology
- counselling psychology
- developmental psychology
- forensic psychology
- health psychology
- occupational psychology
- teaching and research in psychology
“During the 19th and early 20th centuries, developmental psychologists were concerned primarily with children, which included the social and mental development concerned with infants and children, this field then expanded to include adolescence and adult development, aging, and the entire life span”. (Slater, Alan and Bremner, Gavin) This field examines change across a broad range of topics including motor skills and other psycho-physiological processes; cognitive development involving areas such as problem solving, moral understanding, and conceptual understanding; language acquisition; social, personality, and emotional development; and self-concept and identity formation.
Developmental psychology includes issues such as the extent to which development transpires through the build up of knowledge or the extent to which children are born with natural mental structures in opposition to learning throughout experience. Various psychologists are interested in the fundamental interaction between individual attributes, the individual's behavior, and environmental factors including social context and their impact on development.
A child psychologist may work as a therapist with most of their work centred on counselling children, they may also be part of a research team that evaluates learning disabilities in children and they may work as an adviser to a school district and help in formulating programs.
Psychologists’ work environments differ by subfield and place of employment. For example, clinical, school, and counselling psychologists frequently have their own offices and set their own hours in a private Practise. However, they usually offer evening and weekend hours to accommodate their clients. Those employed in hospitals, nursing homes, and other health care facilities may work shifts that include evenings and weekends, those who work in schools and clinics generally work regular daytime hours. Most psychologists in government and industry sectors have structured schedules.
To become a psychologist you would require an honours degree in psychology, or an equivalent qualification, accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS) to meet the Graduate Basis for Registration (GBR) as a chartered psychologist. Full-time degree courses usually last three or four years.
A psychologist usually has a Ph.D. in psychology from an accredited graduate school. It requires:
- 4 years of undergraduate work in psychology
- 2 years of Masters level graduate work
- 3 years of Ph.D.-level graduate work
Referencing
Encyclopaedia Britannica published in 2009 available at http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/160133/developmental-psychology accessed on 15/10/09
Slater, Alan and Bremner, Gavin (2003). An introduction to developmental psychology. Cornwall: Blackwell publishing ltd.
Smith, S,E . (2007). what does a psychologist do. Available at: //wisegeek.com/what-does-a-psychologist-do-html . Last accessed 27/09/2009.
Wagner Van Kendra (2009). Psychology career profile. Available at: http://psychology.about.com/od/psychologycareerprofiles/pschoopsych.html . Last accessed 08/10/09.
Wood SE, Wood CE and Boyd D (2006). Mastering the world of psychology (2 ed.). Allyn & Bacon
An introduction to developmental psychology
Alan slater and gavin bremner
Blackwell publishing 2003
