When you first think of it, psychology and computers could appear as two totally distinct areas. Psychologists study human behavior and health while computer scientists are involved in coding algorithms and developing software that allows people to complete everyday tasks. In the real world, these two disciplines overlap on a variety of levels. Some of the most exciting research in both fields is being carried out by combining psychology and computer science.

Computer science has made it easier to conduct studies in psychology. For example FMRI scanners allow psychologists to see what areas of the brain are active during specific thoughts or actions. And online questionnaires eliminate the biases that are inherent in paper and pencil surveys.

The collaboration between psychologists and computer scientists has revolutionized the way we interact with technology. The Psychology of Human-Computer Interaction which was published in 1983 by three researchers from Xerox Palo Alto Research Center, Stuart Card, Thomas Moran and Allen Newell, was one of the most significant events in the fusion.

It brought research into the way humans use computers into the domain of computer science, separating psychological methods from their human context and causing psychologists to catch up. Psychology branches that already dealt with evaluations by number like psychometricians found the computer science www.rebootdata.net/destructive-online-activity-and-computer-games/ method particularly suitable to their work.

Psychologists and computer scientists are working together to develop AI that can better comprehend human behavior. For instance psychologists are helping to shape the ethical guidelines for the development of algorithms that could help predict the risk of depression in a person by studying their social media activity. And psychologists are using cognitive behavioral therapy to create virtual reality, which can be used to treat anxiety and other disorders.