Psychology and Computers

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Psychology is no different. Technology is a factor that affects or influences virtually every aspect of life today including psychology. Similar to how technology influences how people behave and think as well as work, psychologists employ technology to explore, understand and even treat mental illness. Technology also aids psychologists in their research by allowing them to collect and analyze data quicker and more accurately than they could otherwise. From using computers in fMRI imaging to the development of electronic symptom assessments and tracking tools for patients suffering from depression and anxiety Technology is an integral part of psychological treatment and research.

Technology also influences the relationship humans have with the digital systems they interact with daily. Many of the world’s well-known technology companies have large departments staffed with psychologists who are experts in the field of human cognition and perception and conduct research to study how people react to certain designs, and then recommend changes accordingly. In reality, the majority times you’re using a technology, whether it’s your phone or Facebook, you’re benefiting from the collaboration between computer science and psychology.

At Notre Dame, Sidney D’Mello is one of the researchers who are working at the intersection the two fields of psychology and computers. His research is focused on “affective computing,” which is the study of how computers recognize and interpret emotions. His team, for instance, has developed an algorithm that can assist computers in predicting when a person is about to be angry or stressed, so that it can take appropriate action before the event occurs.