Part II -
ERGONOMICS FIELDS
Psychology is both an applied and academic field that studies the human mind and behavior. Research in psychology seeks to understand and explain how we think, act and feel. Applications for psychology include mental health treatment, performance enhancement, self-help, ergonomics and many other areas affecting health and daily life.
Areas of Psychology
Psychology is a broad and diverse field. A number of different subfields
and specialty areas have emerged. The following are some of the major areas of
research and application within psychology:
· Abnormal Psychology is the study
of abnormal behavior and psychopathology. This specialty area is focused on
research and treatment of a variety of mental disorders and is linked to psychotherapy and clinical psychology.
· Biological
Psychology, also known as biopsychology, studies how biological processes
influence the mind and behavior. This area is closely linked to neuroscience
and utilizes tools such as MRI and PET scans to look at brain injury or brain
abnormalities.
· Clinical Psychology is focused
on the assessment, diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders. It is also
considered the largest employment area within psychology.
· Cognitive Psychology is the study
of human thought processes and cognitions. Cognitive psychologists study topics
such as attention, memory, perception, decision-making, problem-solving and language acquisition.
· Comparative Psychology is the
branch of psychology concerned with the study of animal behavior. This type of
research can lead to a deeper and broader understanding of human psychology.
· Developmental Psychology is an area
that looks at human growth and development over the lifespan. Theories often
focus on the development of cognitive abilities, morality, social functioning,
identity and other life areas.
· Forensic Psychology is an
applied field focused on using psychological research and principles in the legal
and criminal justice system.
· Industrial-Organizational Psychology is a field
that uses psychological research to enhance work performance, select employee,
improve product design and enhance usability.
· Personal Psychology looks at the
various elements that make up individual personalities. Well-known personality
theories include Freud's structural model of personality and the ''Big Five'' theory of personality.
*source from http://psychology.about.com
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Toxicology is the study of the adverse effects of chemicals on living organisms. It is the study of symptoms, mechanisms, treatments and detection of poisoning, especially the poisoning of people.
The relationship between dose and its effects on the exposed organism is of high significance in toxicology. The chief criterion regarding the toxicity of a chemical is the dose, i.e. the amount of exposure to the substance.
scope of toxicology
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Mechanical engineering is a diverse subject that derives its breadth from the need to design and manufacture everything from small individual parts and devices (e.g., microscale sensors and inkjet printer nozzles) to large systems (e.g., spacecraft and machine tools). The role of a mechanical engineer is to take a product from an idea to the marketplace. In order to accomplish this, a broad range of skills are needed. The mechanical engineer needs to acquire particular skills and knowledge. He/she needs to understand the forces and the thermal environment that a product, its parts, or its subsystems will encounter; to design them for functionality, aesthetics, and the ability to withstand the forces and the thermal environment they will be subjected to; and to determine the best way to manufacture them and ensure they will operate without failure. Perhaps the one skill that is the mechanical engineer’s exclusive domain is the ability to analyze and design objects and systems with motion.
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