The interaction between computers and psychology is an important juncture to creativity and user-centered design in technology. However, it’s also where the majority of unwanted harms to individuals occur. That’s why we need psychologists to play a bigger role in tech development–particularly given that many technology companies change human behavior at scale and profit from behavioral changes, and generally embrace scientific innovation.
In the past, data collection in psychological research was based on two fundamental methods: laboratory tests and surveys [1]. The former examines a specific aspect in a small controlled setting, while the latter focuses on broader behavior using self-reporting questionnaires or (potentially) structured interviews. Both have inherent weaknesses.
Computers, however, can record and analyze vast quantities of data at a high speed, and in ways which traditional methods aren’t able to. This is why they are powerful tools for psychologists and opens up a completely new field of investigation. For example, a new field called Psycho(neuro)informatics is emerging that merges psychology and computer science to develop models of human brains and intelligence. This requires a team consisting of psychologists with domain expertise and computer scientists with the knowledge needed to construct large-scale systems, manage www.rebootdata.net/virtual-data-room-information-that-fulfill-your-business-needs and model data.
However, until the last few years, there was no collaboration between the fields. For instance, Google directors have been more likely to be interested in computer and computational science (29 percent have did so) as opposed to psychology (less than two percent). This has likely resulted in psychologists being under-represented in leadership at tech companies. The result is that technology products often fail to take psychological principles into consideration.
No Comments