Psychologists Nature of the Work Psychologists study human behavior and mental processes to understand and explain people's actions. Some research psychologists investigate the physical, emotional, or social aspects of human behavior. Like other social scientists, psychologists collect and test the validity of data and formulate hypotheses. Research methods depend on the topic under study. Computers are widely used to record and analyze this information.
Psychologists usually specialize.
Personality psychologists study human nature, individual differences, and the ways in which those differences develop. Comparative psychologists study the behavior of humans and lower animals. Physiological psychologists study the relationship of behavior to the biological functions of the body. Psychologists in the field of psychometrics develop and apply procedures for measuring psychological variables such as intelligence and personality. Clinical psychologists generally work in hospitals or clinics, or maintain their own practices.