Career Possibilities & Real World Usefulness of Research in

Psychology
Matthew Weitz
November 12,, 2015
PSY/335
Dina Fransico

Careers in Psychology
Psychologist-~$47,000
Psychiatrist-~$59,000
Counselor- ~$46,000 per year
Special Education Teacher-~$47,000
(Cherry,2015)

There are specialists in each

department that make considerably
more, but most careers in psychology
use research as an essential tool.

(Salaries are aproximate)

METHODS

Types of Research

Common approaches and data

collection methods for psychology
research include:
Case Studies: A thorough analysis of
a single person, small group, or event,
such as studying a man with a rare,
incurable brain disease.
Content Analysis: A study of recorded
human communications, such as
books, laws and art. Examples include
the analysis of the speeches of
Kennedy and Nixon in televised
debates, or the examination of graffiti
of males and females in public
bathrooms.
Cross Sectional Study: Samples of a
population sheds light on information
relating to specific measures. An
example is a researcher who questions
whether sugar consumption affects a
specific health concern.
Field Experiments: Traveling to
hunter-gatherer regions in South
America to test out universal
relationship behaviors is an example of
research that studies subjects in his or
her natural setting.
Survey: Random sampling of a
population using a question-format
collects valuable information.
Examples include public health, market
research, and government surveys.

Alcohol and Drug Research: Example

studies of interest include the impact of
alcohol and drug abuse, fetal alcohol
syndrome, long-term effects of a drug on
the central nervous system, or a drugs
impact on a pregnancy.
Experimental Research: Researchers
that enjoy conducting experiments in a
lab often explore the cause and effect of
human behavior, physiology, and
psychology. They rely heavily upon test
results, surveys, questionnaires, and
observations.
Medical School Research: Speaks best
to graduates with an interest in medicine,
academia, obtaining grants/fellowships,
and lecturing.
Military Research: Researchers may
study post-traumatic stress disorder, the
effects of war on soldiers during
enlistment, depression and aggression
within the armed forces, and drug use
after retirement.
Nutrition Research: Questionnaires,
surveys, and interviews help researchers
study the eating habits of males and
females, and sometimes involve issues,
such as bulimia, anorexia, excessive
weight control and malnutrition.
Social Research: Surveys, interviews,
and observation helps with the field study
of social issues, such as criminal activity,
homelessness, and poverty.

("Choosing To Focus On Research As A

Psychologist", 2015)

("Choosing To Focus On Research As A

Psychologist", 2015)

Zimbardo's Stanford Prison

Experiment
Zimbardos Stanford Prison Experiment
was a study that addressed real world
problems; it delved deep into social roles
and how the y can alter our behavior.
This particular study was a break through in
the area of human response to captivity
and the real world issues of prison life.
It was held in 1971 by Phillip Zimbardo,
who originated from Stanford University.
Volunteers names were basically thrown in
a hat and drawn to be either prisoner or
guard. The experiment was as real as
could be. The prisoners were in prison
garb and treated as prisoners. The
guards were given full authority.
Some of the guards became abusive
towards the prisoners until the
experiment was ended to prevent anymore
abues. The experiment got out of hand.
It is said that Zimbardo, who also
participated as the warden, controlled the
direction the experiment took.
References
Cherry, K. (2015). Top 10 Psychology Career
Trends. Retrieved from
http://psychology.about.com/od/careersinpsychology/tp/p
sychology-career-trends.htm
Choosing to Focus on Research as a
Psychologist. (2015). Retrieved from
http://careersinpsychology.org/choosing-to-focus-onresearch-as-a-psychologist/
Psychology Career FAQ. (2015). Retrieved from
http://www.careerprofiles.info/psychology-careers-faq.ht
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For additional information please contact:
Jamie Ralston
Psychologist
University of Phoenix
Jamielenpartin@uaphoenix.edu