Scope of Psychology

Have you ever wondered how the intricacies of the human mind work or how the emotions work affect our behavior? Well, the world of Psychology can provide the answers you are looking for. It is increasingly becoming a popular course option among students. But what is the scope of Psychology? You will be glad to know that Psychology offers a wide scope in all walks of life ranging from mental well-being, and personal and professional development to medical science and nursing, family and relationships, and beyond. Simply referred to as the study of the human brain, there are numerous branches of psychology. For instance, Pure Psychology includes General Psychology, Physiological Psychology, Abnormal Psychology, Social Psychology, etc. and Applied Psychology consists of Educational Psychology, Clinical Psychology, and Industrial Psychology, so on. Through this blog, we bring you all the key information about the scope of Psychology, its branches, nature, goals, jobs and careers, methods, and more!

Why Study Psychology? 

Before understanding the scope of psychology, let’s discuss why there is a need to study psychology. Elucidated below are some of the crucial reasons that will explain the same: 

• Psychology is an Interdisciplinary Science: Psychology is a bright-star discipline that intersects with practically every other field. As a result, the application of psychological concepts is broad, resulting in a variety of multidisciplinary developing disciplines.
• Behavior may be Studied Using Quantitative and Qualitative Methods in Psychology: Quantitative measures and qualitative approaches including subjective judgments can both be used to study human behaviour. As a result, students from many backgrounds can pursue a career in psychology.
• Increasing Mental Health Concerns: Because of the rising complexity of our lifestyle, public awareness of mental health has doubled in the previous two decades. People in today’s society recognize and comprehend the importance of understanding human behaviour in all aspects of life. Every company, without a doubt, needs the services of a psychologist!
• Highly Paid Jobs: In most firms, a consulting psychologist with specific knowledge is in great demand. These positions are usually well-paid and well-respected in the eyes of the public.

Scope of Psychology 

The scope of Psychology can be divided into Pure Psychology and Applied Psychology. Pure Psychology studies General Psychology, Abnormal Psychology, Social Psychology, Para Psychology, Geo Psychology, Physical Psychology and Experimental Psychology. Moreover, Applied Psychology has an even more immense scope as it can be classified into Educational Psychology, Industrial Psychology, Legal Psychology, Clinical Psychology, Military Psychology, Political Psychology and Criminal Psychology.

To help you understand its wide scope, let’s elaborate on the key branches of Psychology:

Clinical Psychology 

Clinical psychology mostly deals with mental health issues it primarily focuses on analysis, recognition, identification, and treatment of psychological disorders. Clinical psychology is applied in hospitals, drug rehabilitation centers, NGOs etc. Some of the major functions are as follows: 

• Biobehavioral responses to cancer diagnosis and treatment
• Testing and dissemination of psychological treatments for cancer patients
• Psychological and behavioral adaptation to chronic health problems
• Effects of exercise on psychological and cognitive functioning
• Neuroplasticity in healthy aging and neurological disorders
• Mindfulness and cognitive functioning in older adults
• The treatment of mood and personality disorders using cognitive behavioral therapies

Here is a list of popular Clinical Psychology courses!

Positive Psychology

Positive Psychology studies the positive aspects of human life including positive experiences, events, as well as states and traits. What is the scope of Positive Psychology? The scope of Positive Psychology is truly immense because of its essential focus on the positive facets of our lives, and the study of various characteristics from joy and happiness to positive thinking, empathy, hope kindness and altruism, amongst others. Here are the three levels on which the scope of Positive Psychology works:

• Subjective Level
• Individual Level
• Group Level

Counselling Psychology

Counselling psychologists are professionals whose main roles are to treat personal and individual problems that you may face on a day-to-day basis. The people to be treated are those who don’t suffer from any major mental health problems but may have some issues in their daily lives, some of which can turn to depression some of the applications of Counseling are as follows 

• Laughter Therapies
• Career counselling 
• Relationship and marital counselling
• Guidance counselling
• Rehabilitation counselling

Developmental Psychology

Developmental psychology is also called child psychology is a field devoted to the study of the development of human beings and change of behaviour over the course of time. Furthermore, it deals with the cognitive, psychomotor, emotional and social growth of children and newborns. Some of the major characteristics  of Developmental psychology are:

• Genetic and environmental influences on brain and behaviour
• Development of memory, categorization, and reasoning
• Development of numerical cognition and mathematical thinking
• How children learn the language and use it to understand their world
• How children grow beyond the superficial in their social and moral understanding  
• Learning and developmental change in cognition, behaviour, and the brain

Forensic Psychology

Forensic science represents a novel application of forensic psychology as its a tested and trusted tool to enhance the legal and justice systems, particularly in the context of testimony,  specific content and witness. It deals with cognitive analysis experimental, brain imaging, and model-based procedures to enhance perception, thought, decision making, action, and language. Some of  the major characteristics of forensic psychology are:

• Forensic psychologists play a vital role in identifying the psyche of the criminal, and the purpose of crime, and also in determining the quantum, and nature of sentencing
• Identification of  Sex-related differences in brain function especially towards women
• The creation of biologically plausible network models of human cognition

Other Branches of Psychology:

• Animal Psychology
• Media Psychology
• Educational Psychology
• Criminal Psychology
• Industrial Psychology
• Organizational Psychology

Nature of Psychology

Psychology is a very diverse field, one that is expected to see a tremendous career path in it. Let’s explore the nature of Psychology through the following characteristics:

• A psychologist may offer treatment that focuses on behavioural adaptations.
• A psychiatrist is a medical doctor who is more likely to focus on medical management of mental health issues.
• There are different types of psychology, such as forensic, cognitive, social, and developmental psychology.
• Psychology is the study of function and behaviour of the mind.
• A person with a condition that affects their mental health may benefit from assessment and treatment with a psychologist.

Scope of Social Psychology

The scope of social psychology can be elaborated in three main ways:

• Social Psychology focuses on the behaviours, thoughts as well as feelings of individuals and the impact of the group on the individual;
• Social Psychology studies the influence of individual perceptions and behaviours on the behaviour of groups;
• Social Psychology sees groups as behavioural entities. It also studies the relationships and impact of a group over another.

Scope of Psychology in Nursing

Psychology plays a quintessential role especially in nursing as it helps the nurse understand the concerns of the patient better. Often the physical injuries have a psychological impact and the scope of psychology in nursing here becomes important. Here is why there is a vital scope of psychology in nursing:

• Understanding the psychology of a patient, a nurse will be able to communicate better with them in terms of inquiring about their pain as well as psychological trauma, if any.
• Psychology in nursing also helps in providing the best solutions to a patient in terms of care after the injury whether it’s through exercise, rehabilitation, etc.

Scope of Psychology in Education

Another specialisation that has an immense scope in the current era is Educational Psychology. Whether it’s in school or colleges or even after completing schooling, the scope of educational psychology is massive and its applications vast. The scope of psychology in education studies the behaviour of teachers, students and every other individual who is involved in an academic environment. It helps in making learning an efficient and effective process. Here is how the scope of psychology in education is important:

• It focuses on making the learning environment and experience and ensures both these are efficient and effective.
• The most important elements of Psychology of education are the teacher and the student. It studies their relationships, offers ways to boost their communication and make the education process more engaging.
• It also fosters essential life skills and behavioural skills in students through applying useful techniques and methods in the learning process.
• It boosts the personality development of students and ensures an overall holistic journey by underlining their social, psychological, personal, educational and individual growth.

Methods of Psychology

Psychology is considered a science of behaviour or a scientific study of the behavioural activities and associated experiences”. According to the American Psychological Association (APA) psychology the study of the human brain implicitly defines how it works, and how it affects human behaviour. There are various methods that help a psychologist to identify or diagnose the underlying cause of any malfunctioning of the brain. Some of the important methods of Psychology are: 

• Introspection Method 
• Observation Method 
• Anecdotal Method 
• Experimental Method
• Case Study Method
• Questionnaire Method

Before you move on to the scope of Psychology, have a look at the best Psychology books of all time!

Scope of Psychology Slideshare

The scope of psychology from Nitika Verma

Scope of Psychology in India

There is an emerging career scope of Psychology in India with many students opting for this specialisation to explore jobs as psychologists, guidance counsellors, clinical psychologists, amongst others. The average salary of a Psychologist in India is 2 Lakhs INR to 3 Lakhs INR per annum and as per Payscale, a psychologist with 1-4 years of experience can earn around ₹317,617 while a mid-career psychologist with 5-9 years of experience can expect around ₹511,934. The most popular courses to become a Psychologist in India are:

• BA Psychology
• BSc Psychology
• MA/MSc Psychology
• MSc Clinical Psychology
• Diploma in Psychology

Here’s how you can become a Psychologist in India!

Goals of Psychology

The science of Psychology sets out to solve many real-world problems through its four main goals, i.e. Describe, Explain, Predict and Change. Let’s elaborate upon each of these four goals:

• Describe the behaviour of the individual and assessing whether it’s normal or abnormal.
• Explain various aspects of human behaviour, whether in individual or universal aspects
• Predict how we think and act by understanding the underlying causes of our actions
• Change or impact behaviour to bring constructive changes in the affected person’s life.

Psychology Jobs

Psychology is a job-oriented program and the students can explore various career options depending on their education qualification level and experience. A degree in psychology offers you a stable job with an excellent growth path with decent salary packages which however vary by geographic location, sector, and speciality. Here are the most popular careers in Psychology:

• Psychiatric Technician
• Social Work Assistant
• Administrative Service Manager.
• Community Service Manager
• Health Educator
• Correctional Officer 
• Rehabilitation Counsellor
• Veterans Counsellor
• Probation/parole Officer
• Guidance Counsellor
• Army Psychologist
• Family Services Worker
• Child Protection Specialist
• Sports Psychology Professor
• Social Worker
• Rehabilitation Adviser
• Consulting Services Director
• Pain Psychologist
• Sport Rehabilitation Therapist
• Business Intelligence Specialist
• Supervisory Clinical Psychologist

Highest Paying Psychology Jobs in India

Psychology, which is expected to increase at a pace of 14% per year, is a discipline that will always experience significant development since it aids in understanding what causes issues in individuals in the first place, rather than merely in addressing them. Here’s a rundown of some of the best-paying psychology careers in India, along with their average base salaries.

Highest Paying Jobs	Average Estimated Base Salary, Per Annum
Psychiatrist	INR 4.5 – 5 lakhs
Industrial/Organizational Psychologist	INR 4.5 – 5 lakhs
Neuropsychologist	INR 5 lakhs
School Counsellor/Psychologist	INR 2.9 – 3.5 lakhs
Clinical Psychologist	INR 3.5 – 4 lakhs
Forensic Psychologist	INR 4 lakhs
Counselling Psychologist	INR 3 – 3.6 lakhs
Sports Psychologist	INR 5 – 5.8 lakhs
Education Psychologist	INR 7 – 7.7 lakhs
Child Psychologist	INR 4.4 – 4.8 lakhs

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FAQs

Hence, we hope that this blog has helped you understand the career scope of psychology, as well as an array of opportunities that you can discover in this specialised domain. Want to pursue a course in psychology and are confused about how to proceed? Get in touch with experts at Leverage Edu who will not only help you to find a suitable course but also a well-fit university!