nterpretation of psychological tests (“About clinical psychology”, 2009).
The techniques involved in clinical psychology are psychotherapy, psychoanalysis, behavior therapy, marital and family therapy, group therapy, biofeedback, cognitive retraining and rehabilitation, social learning approaches, and environmental consultation and design- all of which aim at satisfaction, adaptation, social order, and health (“About clinical psychology”). Forensic psychology is another sub discipline of psychology that is closely related to the legal system.
Goldstein (2006) commented that in comparison to early decades, it has now matured as a specialty, and offers evaluation in traditional criminal cases. It is concerned with the collection, examination and presentation of evidences for judicial purposes or in short, provides psychological information for the purpose of facilitating a legal decision (“What is forensic psychology”? 2009). Educational psychology, a vital sub discipline, has numerous applications in the learning process, which have been documented as early as 1922 by Breitweiser et al. , who conducted a unique survey based on standard tests of psychology.
Educational psychology contributes to the education of teachers as well as learners, and finds application in planning, delivering, and evaluating teaching (Elliott, et. al. , 2000). These authors have also demonstrated that, with the knowledge of certain key concepts and their relationships to the instruction and learning process, this discipline could be of profound use to teachers. They are, understanding the meaning of teaching, knowledge of students, understanding the learning process and instructional strategies, and understanding the assessment strategies.
An important characteristic of psychology is its diversity which has been discussed by Ruben (2007), who opines that “the nature of psychology, its subject matter, its level of analysis, its scientific laws, its relationship with other disciplines, and its social relevance, has been a matter of great concern and interest”. The recognition that psychology is not only a science but a practice comprising an alliance of sub disciplines is the factor which makes the tools of psychology valid in various fields.
Despite the fact that the key interests of various sub disciplines are different, the diverse nature of psychology has in fact become the strength of the discipline, instead of acting as a barrier. The fact is supported by Melba & James (2007) who suggested that an increase in diversity in psychology promotes robust exchange of ideas that would be of value to all. It is also apparent that the increased number of specialties and diversity of the discipline demands an interdisciplinary approach. In the same manner, the applications of psychology to other disciplines are also diverse.
Forensic Psychology and legal psychology are applied in law and legal systems. An important application in this area is the trial consulting, wherein psychological tools are used for resolving disputes or legal issues. Various types of researches are being conducted by psycho-legal consultants including those relating to employment law, cognitive psychology, social psychology and clinical psychology (Psychology and the Law, 2009. ) In order to demonstrate the potential practical relevance of this discipline in emerging areas, application of psychology in a specialized field such as that in aviation may be considered.
The aviation psychologists can help in tackling air sickness and in managing anxiety. (Richmond, 2009). According to Green (1983), better understanding of the problems faced by crew members on the flight deck can be made use of to manage the workload of pilots. In summary, psychology and its diverse sub disciplines are considered promising fields that address various issues of real world. The core problems in all sectors are related to human behavior. Hence, in spite of the diversity and broadness of the discipline, psychological tools are reliable and are depended on to deal with them, thus promoting personal and socia