Types of Psychology

 The world makes much less sense than you think. The coherence comes mostly from the way your mind works. Daniel Kahneman

Through the study of psychology, we will find that knowing a little bit about the human brain and, through some effort and decisive action, we can create the best possible versions of ourselves. In spite of the way we were brought up, our deeply-rooted patterns and tendencies, the opportunities for self-improvement are endless.

In truth, the different types of psychology should be studied by everyone, whether they’re completing a degree course or not. This is because, once you get a grasp of certain psychology topics, you will be in a better position to forge healthy relationships with family, friends, acquaintances and colleagues.

So, without further delay, let’s get our teeth into some psychology – colour, cognitive, criminal, educational and social.

Criminal Psychology

In recent times, a great deal of interest has been shown in documentaries that relate to real-life crimes that have been committed around the globe. A number of Netflix shows have been produced to satisfy the needs of viewers who are fascinated by criminal personalities and their activities. If anyone would like to ramp up their passion for criminology, there are quite a number of career options they could pursue in forensic or criminal psychology.

But, what is criminal psychology exactly?

Also called criminological psychology, it perfectly combines psychology and criminal justice.

What is the purpose of criminal psychology?

It serves as a study of the behaviour, actions, motives and reactions of criminals and perpetrators of crime.

To attain the rank of a criminal psychologist, you will need to achieve above-average grades at matric level, obtain a BSc-degree at varsity and successfully complete an internship programme.

Then you’ll be ready to join the workforce!

Once you have completed your studies, the following career options will be available to you:

• Behavioural Therapist
• Crime Analyst
• Criminal Psychologist
• Criminal Profiler
• Expert Witness
• Forensic Psychologist
• Victim Advocate.

According to the website  Jobted, “In South Africa, a Psychologist working in the field of Forensic and Investigative Psychology, with less than three years of experience, can expect to earn an average compensation of R330 510 gross per year."

If you want to learn more about a career in criminal psychology, consult a Superprof tutor! For now, let’s take a look at a few branches of psychology!

Cognitive Psychology

What exactly is cognitive psychology?

It can best be described as the scientific study that deals with mental processes, such as attention, creativity, language use, memory, problem-solving, perception and reasoning.

Cognitive psychology is both psychological and scientific, because it delves deep into the human psyche, as well as the science that explains how the mind works.

Since the discipline of cognitive psychology is so broad and covers many aspects of human behaviour, theories about it abound. Here, are three of the main theories of cognitive psychology:

• Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning
• Cognitive Load Theory
• Dual Coding Theory

To gain a better understanding of these theories, it would be advisable to seek out some authoritative texts on them and cognitive psychology, in general. The following titles are highly recommended:

• Blink by Malcolm Gladwell
• Cognitive Psychology for Dummies by Dr Peter J. Hills
• How the Mind Works by Steven Pinker
• Thinking Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman

All of the above publications allow readers to process important cognitive psychology aspects and find out more about themes, such as:

• Connectionism
• Conscious Processing
• Interactivity
• Implicit Memory
• Metacognition
• Automatic Processing
• Serial Processing
• Top-Down Processing.

In South Africa, you will need to follow a three-year psychology degree course, followed by a year-long honours course. Another two years of study will see you graduate with a Master’s degree in Clinical Counselling and Research Psychology,  at which point you will be able to consult and assist patients. Dealing with patients is where you will be able to employ the methods of cognitive psychology.

If you want some help with understanding the principles of cognitive psychology, why not seek out an experienced cognitive psychologist who offers tutorials on the Superprof website? The best-written blogs and textbooks or YouTube channels are no match for a seasoned professional who can advise you.

Colour Psychology

We’re pretty sure that you either like bright colours or avoid them like the plague!

It is, of course, fine to like a particular colour, but did you know that, in psychology, every colour is said to signify something? What's more, psychology has a subgenre, known as colour psychology.

While, initially, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe examined how colour had an impact on emotion and mood, it was Carl Jung who further expanded on those ideas in the 20^th century.

This aspect of psychology analyses how different colours impact human beings.

Psychologists have, over time, conducted much research and experimentation which has shown how colour, positively or negatively, impacts human behaviour.

Interestingly, in contrast to other aspects of psychology, colour psychology varies from place to place, because different cultures assign different interpretations to specific colours and their impact on people.

This portion of psychology is very intriguing and the following texts can help cast a light on the core concepts of colour psychology:

• The Interaction of Colour by Josef Alber
• The Little Book of Colour by Karen Haller
• The Secret Lives of Colour by Kassia St Clair.

Since colour psychology theories have been shown to be true, countless marketing agencies have used specific colours to evoke emotions in people in the hope that they would feel motivated to buy a particular product.

To broaden your exploration of colour psychology, why don’t you seek the assistance of a Superprof expert in psychology to help you on your way? Enjoy the journey!

Educational Psychology

Educational psychology is a great field of study for anyone who is keen on education as well as psychology. It is a sub-discipline of psychology which has become increasingly popular in recent times, since it explores how learners acquire new academic knowledge, particularly, in a traditional setting.

Educational psychology has its roots in a number of other branches of psychology, such as behavioural psychology, cognitive psychology and developmental psychology.

Educational psychologists spend some time learning about various perspectives of the discipline, such as the cognitive perspective, the developmental perspective and the behavioural perspective, among others.

Typically, psychology courses delve into the nitty-gritty of educational psychology, curriculum development, gifted learners, instructional design and special education.

This research and theoretical branch of psychology has, in recent years, become very important as educationalists seek to assist learners with learning disabilities and try to ensure that they progress at a similar pace to their peers.

Many educational psychologists work in public or private schools, alongside learners and teachers, to establish a cohesive learning environment.

If you are thinking about following a career in educational psychology, it will interest you to know that psychology courses are offered by universities across South Africa, including:

• The University of Cape Town,
• Stellenbosch University,
• The University of the Western Cape,
• Rhodes Universit, and
• The University of KwaZulu Natal.

While the above institutions offer full-time courses, part-time courses are also offered by UNISA (the University of South Africa). You would definitely benefit from working with a tutor if you were to pursue this avenue!

Social Psychology

Human beings really are intriguing creatures, each one unique from the other.

How people interact with one another, in various social settings, is proof of this. Social psychology is a discipline which analyses why individuals act and react in particular ways when they engage with other people.

One of the most popular psychology disciplines, social psychology assesses social interactions, how they originated and the effects they have on people.

Social psychology students will review the following topics:

• Aggression
• Conformity
• Group behaviour
• Leadership
• Non-verbal behaviour
• Prejudice
• Social perception.

Social psychology is definitely a sphere which will be of interest to anyone who is fascinated by human behaviour, especially how people interact within different group settings.

To gain a better overview of the topic, dive into some of these recommended reading texts:

• Influence: Science and Practice by Robert B. Cialdini
• Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell
• The Paradox of Choice by Barry Schwartz
• The Social Animal by Elliot Aronson
• The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell.

You can buy all of these books on Amazon.

But where in SA can you study social psychology?

Just about anywhere in the country!

The most reputable courses are offered at the Universities of Cape Town, Johannesburg, Pretoria, Stellenbosch and Witwatersrand.

A course at any one of these respected institutions will set you on a path to making sense of the fellow humans you share this planet with and what makes them tick.

Still, if you are ever in doubt about any aspect of this wide-ranging discipline, psychology, do not hesitate to make contact with one of the psychology tutors at Superprof!