The connection between psychology and computers is an important juncture to creativity and user-centered design in technology. However, it’s also where the majority of accidental harms to people happen. 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.
Traditionally, research in psychology relies on two primary methods of data collection that are lab research and surveys or interviews [1]. The former examines a specific aspect in a small controlled setting, while the latter assesses broader behavior by using self-reporting questionnaires or (potentially) structured interviews. Both have inherent weaknesses.
Computers can, however, record and analyze vast quantities of data at a high speed, and in ways which traditional methods aren’t able to. This makes them powerful new tools for psychologists which opens up a new field of study. 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 experts from a team of psychologists with domain knowledge and computer scientists who have the knowledge to design large-scale tracking systems and to manage and model the data that results from it.
But until recently, there was little collaboration between these fields. Google directors, for example are more likely to have a degree in computer and computational sciences (29%) than psychology (less that two percent). This is likely to have led to psychologists being under-represented as leaders in tech companies, resulting in that technology products often fail to take psychological aspects into account.
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