The Intersection of Psychology and Computers

The interaction between computers and psychology is a crucial juncture for innovative design and user-centered technology. It’s also a place where many unintentional injuries to people happen. That’s why we need psychologists to play a bigger role in tech development–particularly given that many technology companies change human behavior at scale and profit check my reference from behavioral changes, and generally embrace scientific innovation.

In the past the collection of data in psychological research was based on two fundamental methods: laboratory tests and surveys [1]. The former focus on a particular aspect in a controlled, small setting; while the latter measure the behavior of a larger group using self-report questionnaires or (potentially structured) interviews. Both suffer from inherent limitations.

Computers, however, can record and analyze vast quantities of data at a rapid speed and in ways that traditional methods are unable to. This makes them powerful new tools for psychological researchers and open up a new realm of investigation. For example, a new field called Psycho(neuro)informatics is emerging that merges psychology and computer science to develop models of human brains and intelligence. This requires a team comprised of psychologists with domain expertise and computer scientists who have the skills required to construct large-scale systems, manage and analyze data.

However, until the last few years, there was no cooperation between the two fields. For instance, Google directors have been more inclined to study computer science and computational science (29 percent had studied it) and psychology (less than 2%). This has led to the absence of psychology within the leadership of tech companies, which has the result that many tech products fail to incorporate psychological principles.