The intersection of computers and psychology is a crucial point for creativity and user-centered design in technology. However, it’s also where a lot of harmful effects to people are unintentionally caused. That’s why we need psychologists www.rebootdata.net/ to play a bigger role in tech development–particularly given that many technology companies change human behavior at scale and profit from behavioral changes, and generally embrace scientific innovation.
Traditionally, psychological research is based on two primary methods of collecting data such as lab research and surveys or interviews [1]. The first study a specific aspect in a controlled, small setting, while the latter examine larger behavior with self-report surveys or (potentially structured) interviews. Both have inherent limitations.
Computers, however, can record and analyze vast amounts of information at high speed. They can also do this in ways traditional methods can’t. This makes them powerful new tools for psychological researchers and open up a new field of study. 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 group comprised of psychologists who have domain expertise and computer scientists with the knowledge needed to construct large-scale systems, manage and analyze data.
However, until recently, there was not much collaboration between these fields. Google directors, for instance are more likely to have completed studies in computational and computer sciences (29%) than psychology (less than 2%). This has likely led to psychologists being under-represented in leadership at tech companies. The result is that technology products are often unable to take psychological factors into account.
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