Psychology is no different. Technology influences or touches virtually every aspect of life today, including psychology. Similar to how technology influences how people behave, think, and work, psychologists make use of technology to study, understand, and even treat mental disorders. Technology can also assist psychologists in their research by permitting them to gather and analyze data much faster and more accurately than they might be in a position to. From using computers in fMRI imaging to the development of electronic symptom evaluation and tracking tools for patients with depression and anxiety, technology is a huge component of psychological treatment and research.
Technology can also impact the relationship that humans have with the digital systems with which they interact daily. A lot of the most well-known technology companies have large departments with psychologists that are experts in human cognition and perception. They conduct studies to determine how people react to specific designs and give recommendations based on that. The majority of the time when you use a piece of technology, such as your phone or Facebook you are benefiting by the collaboration between psychology and computer science.
At Notre Dame, Sidney D’Mello is among the many 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 detect and interpret emotions. His team, for instance, has developed a mathematical model that could assist computers in predicting when a person is about to become angry or frustrated, so that it can take the appropriate action before the event occurs.