Experimental Psychology T he COOL for Experimental Psychology emphasizes specific coursework for psychology majors who wish to study the science of normal human behavior, and the academic or scientific, rather than the applied, aspects of psychology. Most experimental psychologists work in academic settings, but some experimental psychologists work in industrial or federal research laboratories on applied problems. Developmental psychologists study how we develop intellectually, socially, and emotionally over the lifespan. Developmental psychologists usually do research and teach in academic settings, but many act as consultants to daycare centers, social service agencies, etc.
Social psychologists study how our beliefs, attitudes and behaviors are affected by other persons.
Some topics of interest are attitude formation and change, aggression, prejudice, interpersonal attraction, and social influence. Most social psychologists work in academic settings, but some work in federal agencies, businesses and health care settings doing applied research. The focus of Experimental Psychology programs is on training individuals to carry out research and to teach in their specialty area. When you apply to graduate school, in most cases you will be applying for a program in a specialized area of psychology, rather than for a general psychology degree. For example, you would apply to a developmental program, a cognitive psychology program, etc.