The intersection of psychology and computers is an important juncture to innovation and user-centered design in technology. It’s also a place where a lot of unintentional injuries 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.
In the past the collection of data in psychological research was based on two primary methods: lab tests and surveys [1]. The former study a particular aspect in a small, controlled setting, while the latter examine broader behavior using self-report questionnaires or (potentially structured) interviews. Both have their own limitations.
Computers are able to store and analyze large amounts of information at a high speed, and in ways that traditional methods are unable to. This creates powerful new tools for psychologists and open up a new field www.rebootdata.net/virtual-data-room-information-that-fulfill-your-business-needs/ 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 a team comprised of psychologists with expertise in the domain and computer scientists with the knowledge required to create large-scale systems, manage and model data.
There was little collaboration in the past. Google directors, for example are more likely have studied computational and computer science (29%) than psychology (less that 2%). This has led to an absence of psychology in the management of tech companies. This has led to the result that a lot of technology products do not take into account psychological principles.