At first, it might appear that computers and psychology are two distinct fields. Psychologists analyze human behavior and health while computer scientists develop algorithms and developing software that helps people perform everyday tasks. However, the reality is that these two disciplines overlap in a variety of ways. In fact some of the most exciting research currently being conducted in both fields involves the combination of psychology and computer science.

In terms of psychological research, technological advances in computer science have made it easier to conduct psychological experiments. For example FMRI scanners permit psychologists to discover www.rebootdata.net/how-to-keep-kids-and-teens-safe-on-the-internet/ which regions of the brain are stimulated when a particular thought or action is performed. Online surveys also eliminate the biases that are present in paper and pencil surveys.

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

It moved studies of how people use computers into the domain of computer science. This separated psychological techniques from their context in humans and forced psychologists to catch up. Psychometricians and other fields of psychology that focus on numerical evaluations found the computer science method to be particularly beneficial.

Psychologists are now working with computer scientists to develop AI that can help better understand human behavior. Psychologists are helping develop ethical guidelines for algorithms that could determine the risk of depression from the social media activities of a person. And psychologists are incorporating cognitive behavioral therapy into virtual reality, which could be used to treat anxiety and other disorders.