Technology has an impact on or affects practically every aspect of our lives today and it’s no different with regard to psychology. Similar to how technology influences how people behave, work, and think psychologists also utilize technology to investigate and understand mental illnesses, and to treat them. Technology also helps psychologists with their research, allowing them to gather and analyze data much more efficiently and precisely than they otherwise. From the use of computers in fMRI imaging to the development of electronic symptom assessments and tracking tools for patients suffering from depression and anxiety technology is a major element of psychological treatment and research.
Technology also influences the way humans interact with the digital systems they interact with on a daily basis. Many of the most renowned technology companies around the globe have departments that include psychologists that are experts in human cognition and perception. They conduct research studies to determine how people react to certain designs and then make recommendations accordingly. In reality, the majority of the time you’re using a technology, whether it’s your phone or Facebook you’re benefiting from the collaboration between computer science and psychology.
At Notre Dame, Sidney D’Mello is one of the researchers working on the intersection point of psychology and computers. His research is primarily focused on “affective computing,” which is the study that examines how computers can recognize, and interpret, emotions. For example, his team has created a model that could allow computers to detect when a user is about to become angry or anxious, and can intervene before it occurs.
