What Is The Role Of A Research Psychologist?

While there has been growing awareness of therapy and the importance of mental health over the past several years, there are still many common misconceptions involving this field. For example, many people are unclear on the difference between a psychologist and a psychiatrist or don't understand exactly what a psychologist does. Further complicating the answers to these questions, there are many different types of psychologists, each with different roles and areas of focus. Here, we’ll give an overview of one of them: research psychologists. We’ll examine what these professionals do and how they improve the process of therapy by uncovering new data. 

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What is a psychologist?

Mistaken assumptions and misconceptions come to mind for many people when they hear the word “psychologist.” They might picture someone who listens and takes notes while a patient on a couch talks about their emotions or mental health challenges. While many psychologists do practice talk therapy, this isn’t true for all of them, as psychology is a broad field. 

In general, a psychologist is someone who is professionally trained and specialized in psychology, which is the study of the mind and its functions. According to the American Psychological Association, the definition of a psychologist is someone who studies “cognitive, emotional, and social processes and behavior by observing, interpreting, and recording how individuals relate to one another and their environments.” Psychologists typically have advanced educational credentials, such as master’s or doctorate degrees, as well as some type of specialization or focus in a certain field.

Types of psychologists

There are many different types of psychologists. While some of these do involve the popular image of talk therapy or other ways of interacting directly with patients or clients, there are many whose day-to-day roles don’t involve either of these. 

In the broad category of psychologists, there are two main subgroups: clinical psychologists and non-clinical psychologists. Clinical psychologists work directly with individual patients or clients, whereas non-clinical psychologists focus on the application of psychology, such as conducting research or teaching classes on psychology. 

There’s a lot of variety within these two categories. Some psychologists might specialize in studying and/or treating members of the military, or in the behavior and habits of consumers for marketing research purposes, for example. Others, such as comparative psychologists, might study the relationship between human and animal behavior—and these are just a few of many examples. The field of psychology is wide and provides many different paths and avenues of research for those interested in pursuing a career in this area. 

What does a research psychologist do? 

Research psychologists, also called “experimental psychologists,” apply the scientific method to examine the workings of the human mind and human behavior. They conduct experiments and report findings for universities, the government, businesses, or research firms. They might submit their work to peer-reviewed journals or give presentations at universities or psychology conferences. 

Within the broad definition of “research psychologist,” there are many specific areas of focus that a professional could choose to pursue. There are also many different types of organizations willing to provide paths of opportunity for those interested in a career as a research psychologist, since research is always needed in virtually every aspect of psychology as the general field continues to evolve.

Those interested in pursuing a career in the field of psychological research usually need to obtain a doctorate degree, with their education involving classes that specialize in statistical analyses or methods of research. These help provide researchers with the skills they need to detect error or bias in studies and facilitate the discovery of reliable new data to help the field of psychology continue to grow and improve.  

How research psychologists help improve mental health care

Research is of vital importance to therapy and other forms of mental health care. The reason certain types of therapy are recommended for certain types of situations or disorders—such as cognitive behavioral therapy for anxiety or eye movement desensitization and reprocessing for trauma—is that research psychologists devised, conducted, and interpreted the results of various studies designed to test their effectiveness. Through the work that they do, research psychologists enable a better understanding of the best methods of treatment for various mental health conditions. 

To put it simply, all of the established methods used by licensed therapists today have come from the findings of research psychologists. As new research establishes new data, the field of psychology adapts in order to provide the most effective care for those experiencing mental health challenges.

What research psychologists have uncovered about online therapy

Research psychologists observe emerging mental health needs of the general public and engage in studies to help measure the effectiveness of new methods to meet those needs. For example, the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic spurred a new body of research on the effectiveness of other ways of providing mental health care that don’t involve the potential health risks of in-person contact during a pandemic. Since then, a wealth of research on the topic of online therapy has emerged, as one example.

For example, some findings facilitated by research psychologists since 2020 about the impact of online therapy include suggestions like:

• It may result in “sustained and clinically meaningful improvements” in anxiety and depression symptoms. 
• Video can be an effective delivery modality for therapy when it comes to treating adults with a variety of mental health concerns.
• Virtual therapy may be “no less efficacious” than in-person talk therapy treatment for mood disorders.

Thanks to research psychologists around the world, there are now studies on the effectiveness of online therapy for treating all kinds of mental health challenges among many different populations. Findings like these have empowered people around the world to take advantage of online therapy options, allowing many to receive care when they otherwise wouldn’t have been able to. It’s just one example of how research psychologists can make a significant impact on the psychology community and those it serves.