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At first, it may seem that psychology and computers are two separate fields. Psychologists examine human behavior and mental health and computer scientists code algorithms and developing software that allows people to complete everyday tasks. However, the reality is that these two disciplines are in many ways similar. In fact some of the most interesting research being conducted in both fields is involving mixing computer science and psychology.
In terms of psychological research technological advances in computer science have helped make it easier to conduct psychological research. For instance FMRI scanners allow psychologists to see what areas of the brain are activated during particular thoughts or actions. Online questionnaires can eliminate the biases inherent in pen-and-paper surveys.
However, it’s the collaboration between computer scientists and psychologists that has really transformed the way we interact with technology. One of the most significant moments in this fusion occurred in 1983 with the publication of The Psychology of Human-Computer Interaction by three scientists from the Palo Alto Research Center of Xerox: Stuart Card, Thomas Moran, and Allen Newell.
It moved research into the way that humans use computers into the realm of computer science, dissociating psychological techniques from their human context and forcing psychologists to catch up. Psychology departments that dealt with evaluations by number, such as psychometricians, found the computer science approach particularly suited to their work.
In the present, psychologists and computer scientists are collaborating to develop AI which can better understand human behavior. Psychologists are helping to create ethical guidelines for algorithms that predict depression risk based on a person’s social media activity. Psychologists are using cognitive behavior therapy in virtual reality to treat anxiety disorders and other illnesses.