A.

TOPIC CONTENT/NOTES
LECTURE 4

BRANCHES OF PSYCHOLOGY

4.1 Introduction

A branch of psychology is an area of specialization in psychology. Since

psychology became a formal scientific discipline various branches of

psychology have evolved. The methods of study and schools of

psychology discussed in the previous lecture have contributed immensely

towards the development of specialized fields in psychology.

Psychologists perform a wide variety of roles in our society today. This

shows how diverse the discipline has become. In this lecture, we are going

to discuss some of these areas. As we discuss these branches of

psychology try to reflect on their implications to profession of a police.

4.2 Learning Outcomes

At the end of this lecture, you should be able to:
• Identify various branches of psychology.
• State areas of psychology related police science.
• Explain the various branches of psychology.
• Discuss contexts in which psychology is applied in the day-to-day activities in
your society.
• Relate various branches of psychology to the military processes.
4.3 Major Branches of Psychology

The following are the major branches of psychology:

i. Physiological Psychology
Physiological psychology is also known as biopsychology. It studies the

relationship between the brain and the rest of the nervous system to

behaviour. It is concerned with the body as a biological and neurological

system. Physiological psychologists study perception, thought, learning,

personality and behaviour in relation to the underlying neurological

activity – all of which are of interest to psychologists and professionals

concerned about police science.

ii. Developmental Psychology

Developmental psychology focuses on development from conception to

death. Developmental psychologists study growth and development in

various stages of development (i.e., prenatal, infancy, childhood,

adulthood, and old age). Issues studied include, physical, cognitive,

personality, moral, language, emotional and social development.

Learning Activity:

Identify developmental factors that may contribute to criminal behavior.

iii. Social Psychology

This field of psychology studies the behaviour of people in group

situations. It focuses on the interaction between people, their perceptions

of one another and the effect of groups on the individual’s behaviour.

Some of the topics studied include; social perception, impression

formation, aggression and violence, formation and change of attitudes,

leadership, conformity and social influence. In our schools today, most

cases of indiscipline and riots can be attributed to peer influence and

children’s need to conform to the social norms of the groups to which

they belong.

Learning Activity:

How does the wider members of the public perceive a police officer.

iv. Personality Psychology

Personality psychology is concerned with the study of consistency and

change of behaviour over time. It focuses on individual differences, that

is how people differ in terms of their characteristics such as anxiety,

motivation, aggression, emotional stability and so on. It also looks at the

causes of individual differences and personality characteristics.

Personality and group dynamics will be dealt with in a later lecture in this

module.

Learning Activity:

Identify developmental factors that may contribute to criminal behavior.

v. Clinical Psychology

Have you ever felt anxious, depressed, psychologically disturbed and

unable to sleep? Clinical psychologyis a branch of psychology concerned

with how human behaviour and mental processes become disordered,

what causes abnormal behaviour and its treatment. Clinical psychology is

applied in the diagnosis and treatment of psychological disorders. Clinical

psychologists work in hospitals and clinics. It is applicable in the police

service especially in handling policemen experiencing psychological

problems.

Learning Activity:
If you had an opportunity to seek counseling services, which issues

would you wish to be assisted in.

vi. Counselling Psychology

Counselling psychology is similar to clinical psychology but is generally

concerned with advising and helping people solve milder emotional and

personal problems. Counselling psychologists assist people having

problems with drug abuse, career choice and development, family living,

study habits, subject choice, stress management and so on. Police officers

may need counseling matters such as career decisions, issues to do with

adjustment to the working environment and family problems.

vii. Industrial Psychology

This is a field of specialization concerned with the human factor in the

industrial or technological settings, that is, how satisfied workers are with
their jobs, how to increase morale and productivity, how to improve

services, and how to develop better job training and placement

procedures. Industrial psychology has contributed to the human

engineering discipline referred to as ergonomics, which involves the

design of equipment and machinery that are more efficient and easier to

use because they fit the actual size, strength and capabilities of human
beings who use them (Sindabi&Omulema, 2000). The production of police

equipment that is user friendly to police personnel is the concern of every

country.

Learning Activity:

What actions, if taken, do you think would make your work as a police
enjoyable? .

viii. Consumer Psychology

This is a field of psychology that studies buying habits and the effects of

advertising on buyer behaviour. It also studies marketing strategies,

determines characteristics of consumers and so on. You might have fallen

victim to consumer psychology by buying something because the offer

looked very attractive. For example, in a sale offer in a supermarket you

are promised a free gift for purchases worth a certain amount of money,

or prices of a few items are drastically reduced while those of others are

increased.

Learning Activity:
Have you ever bought something, only later to realize that you did not

get value for your money? Why does this haven?

This field explains why manufacturers and companies spend millions of

shillings on advertisements and promotions as a result of which they make

good profits. For example, you may be aware that private schools and

institutions choose an attractive name (such as, St. Joseph’s Academy) and

use very attractive or persuasive language to advertise their programmes

(such as, an offer for free computer lessons, transport, uniform,

educational tours etc). These are marketing gimmicks and may have no
truth in them.

ix. Educational Psychology

This is an area of applied psychology concerned with the application of

psychological principles, knowledge, concepts, and techniques to

problems in education. Educational psychologists help in analyzing

educational needs, developing curriculum and teaching materials, and

evaluating instructional programmes. It also focuses on how people learn

and which teaching methods are effective.

x. Health Psychology

This is an area of psychology that studies the relationship between

psychological factors and physical ailments and diseases. For example,

how stress affects physical health. It is also concerned with ways of

promoting behaviour related to good health (such as increased exercise)

or discouraging unhealthy behaviour (such as smoking and drinking of

alcohol). As a police officer you need to be in good health to perform

your duties effectively.

Learning Activity:
Sick in mind, sick in body. Discuss this statement in view of health

psychology.

xi. Environmental Psychology

This is a field of psychology that is concerned with studying the

relationship between a person’s physical environment and his/her

behaviour. A person’s physical environment can affect his/her behaviour.

For example, our religious beliefs, attitudes, prejudices and eating habits

can be attributed to our experiences in the immediate environment. The

policing profession has established traditions and unique environments

that greatly contribute towards the behaviour of police officers and their

efficiency.
xii. Forensic Psychology

Forensic psychology is a branch of psychology that focuses on how

psychology is related to the law. The main part of forensic psychology is

working with the criminal justice system in order to better study the

human mind and crime. Most of a forensic psychologist’s time is spent in

a courtrooms working as a witness for the court, answering questions

based on the interviews and discussions with people suspected of a crime.

The job of the forensic psychologist is to decide on the suspect’s ability to

stand trial, and his or her thoughts about the crime. A forensic
psychologist acts as an expert who uses psychology to study a suspect to

see if they were capable of doing the crime in question.

Forensic psychology has some major roles in a court that bring psychology
into a legal arena. The first is "malingering", where a defendant is

pretending to have a mental illness, or is lying to the court about his state

of mind. A forensic psychologist keeps in mind that a defendant may have

a mental disorder but also keeps in mind to watch for signs of deception,
or errors in the defendant’s story. Another job of a forensic psychologist

is to investigate the state of mind of the defendant at the time he or she

committed the crime. Another is to see whether or not the defendant is

able to be charged with the crimes due to his or her mental condition.

Another job is to evaluate the defendant to see if he or she is able to be

rehabilitated, or if he or she might commit the crime again. These are a

few of the jobs that forensic psychologists do. Their work in and out of

courtrooms and with police and criminals extends to all different

directions in the world of criminal justice and psychology.

xiii. Criminological Psychology

Criminology comprises the body of knowledge dealing with the causes

and consequences of crime. Criminology also involves study of criminal

behaviour and the impact of laws on human behaviour. Both the positivist

and classical schools take a consensus view of crime – that a crime is an

act that violates the basic values and beliefs of society.

There are two types of laws:

 • Natural laws are rooted in core values shared by many cultures.

Natural laws protect against harm to persons (e.g. murder, rape,

assault) or property (theft, larceny, robbery).

• Statutory laws are passed by legislatures and reflect current cultural

mores. In the United States, such laws include those that prohibit

marijuana use and gambling. When it comes to such laws, there is

often great societal debate rather than consensus.

Definitions of crimes will vary from place to place, in accordance to the

cultural mores. Criminology is a multi-disciplinary field; criminologists

may have degrees in criminology, law, sociology, psychology, social policy,

political science, anthropology, or others. Popularly, criminology may

involve crime statistics, criminal psychology, forensic science, law

enforcement, and investigative methods; academically, these areas are

somewhat marginal to criminology.