How Are Computers Used in Psychology?

Computers are essential to the health care industry. Doctors of all specialties are finding ways to use computers to conduct their daily continuum of work, which, in turn, allows them to improve their delivery of care to patients. Psychologists use computers as instruments that help them study the human condition.

Significance

• Psychology is the study of the mind, and how the mind impacts human behaviors, thoughts, decisions and overall functioning. Many psychologists consider the brain to be a sort of neurological computer for the body. As such, it can be argued that there is a strong correlation between psychology and computer science.

Cognitive Psychology and Neuroscience

• According to the Carnegie Mellon Psychology Department, the study of cognitive psychology encompasses perception, learning, language, memory, problem-solving and reasoning. Cognitive neuroscience is the focus on the link between psychological functioning and neural mechanisms. Psychologists who study this specialty rely on computers to specify precisely the mechanisms that are underlying a patient's cognitive processes. Psychologists test neural circuits, brain modules and neural responses through imaging applications that are seen through a computer to understand a patient's cognitive functioning abilities.

Developmental Psychology

• Developmental psychology is the study of how humans form their behaviors, functioning abilities, thoughts and motor skills. Developmental psychology uses computers to capture information on how people develop appropriately. For example, computer simulations can test children's behavioral and motor skills. Digital testing programs can assess how long it takes children to answer questions or perform electronic tasks assigned to them by a computer program. Automated scoring and statistics can help psychologists arrive at more accurate diagnoses.

Forensic Psychology

• Polygraphs, or "lie detector" tests, are computer-based devices that frequently come to mind when people think of forensic psychology. Forensic psychologists use the results of polygraphs to analyze human thought patterns and how they may link to criminal behavior. However, according to an October 2008 article published on Argosy University's website, MRIs are actually better capable of capturing lies than polygraphs are. This is because an MRI can scan the brain to look for abnormalities when a person is telling a lie. As such, some forensic psychologists prefer the MRI method when it comes to assessing criminal psychology.

Sleep Testing

• Psychologists can order polysomnography tests for patients whose psychological distress may be the result of a hidden sleep disorder. According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, polysomnography tests are sleep studies that analyze patients' breathing, eye movement and brain activity during slumber. Psychologists can use the results of the tests to formulate a more accurate psychological patient diagnosis.