Applied psychology can be defined as psychology placed at the service of real life, because its ultimate goal is to solve problems related to everyday life. The main tools of applied psychology are the theories on human behaviour and on the functioning of cognitive processes and for this reason it cannot ignore theoretical psychology. Theoretical psychology, in fact, provides the applied psychology with the conceptual assumptions necessary to act effectively.
Applied psychology in turn is divided into various branches including:
-clinical psychology;
-occupational psychology;
- forensic psychology and sports psychology.
Its field of action, however, is constantly evolving and goes hand in hand with the progress of theoretical psychology. Here is in detail what the various branches of this fascinating discipline are and what they deal with.
Clinical psychology deals mainly with diseases of a psychological nature, whether of a relational, individual or family type. Its ultimate goal is the psychological and psychosocial well-being of the individual. More generally, this branch of applied psychology acts on the prevention and treatment of any form of personal discomfort and relationship, through the identification and classification of the factors underlying the onset of the disorder. It acts through counselling, interviews and psychological support techniques aimed at identifying and eliminating the causes of discomfort. Among the treatments most commonly used are cognitive-behavioural psychotherapy, relational psychotherapy and psychoanalysis.
Work psychology, also known as the psychology of organizations, studies people's behavior within the work environment and how they deal with both the relationship with colleagues and the acceptance of the rules inside the workplace. This part of applied psychology is used within companies mainly for personnel management and selection, group dynamics management, employee motivation and career evaluation and development. Its final objective is to promote the well-being of employees in the workplace and improve their psychological conditions and motivation in order to obtain maximum benefit from the work point of view.
Forensic psychology, on the other hand, is the branch of applied psychology that deals with the judicial and criminal fields. It has the task of investigating the psychological aspects of crimes and criminals. He often works in concert with other figures, including the criminologist. Forensic psychology provides trials with theories of human behavior in order to be able to find answers to even the most heinous crimes. It is to the forensic psychologist that judges and magistrates rely to determine the ability to understand and will of an accused, the risk of recidivism or the reliability of testimonies. One of the most important aspects of this branch of applied psychology, in fact, is the "psychology of testimony".
The psychology of sport applies psychological theories to the field of competition and sport. Its task is to investigate the psychological, social and pedagogical aspects of the various sports disciplines and athletes. Over the years, this branch of applied psychology has taken on an increasingly specific connotation. Currently it is mainly used in the motivational field to help athletes find the right motivation and concentration to face the races, manage the stress and anxiety that can result from competitive activity. Sports psychologists work for federations, organizations and gyms.
Recently, along with applied psychology, the so-called practical psychology has been singled out. In this case, it means that the practitioner does not conduct scientific research by itself, but only uses the available psychological knowledge to solve certain problems of clients. For example, when engaged in consultative or psychotherapeutic activities. However, such activity can be reasonably called applied.
As mentioned above, applied psychology is an area in continuous growth and evolution. Modern life, in fact, places man before new problems and more and more often it is up to the psychologist the arduous task of having to find a solution. Hence the flourishing of new lines of research and other areas of application that have given rise, in recent decades, the birth of economic psychology and institutional contexts. In the first case, psychological theories work side by side with economic analysis and theories, while in the second case, psychology is applied to institutional contexts.