What is the difference between organizational psychology and general psychology

Press ESC to cancel. Skip to content Home Sociology Is psychology and industrial psychology the same? Ben Davis March 8, Is psychology and industrial psychology the same?

What is the main difference between industrial and organizational psychology? Why is it important to consider both the industrial psychology and organizational psychology in the workplace?

What makes General Psychology different from Io? What are the areas of industrial psychology? What is industrial psychology in simple language? The psychology field consists of a wide variety of specialty areas i. In fact, most psychologists work with diverse populations i. Regardless of the specialty, all psychologists hold a doctorate Ph. They also have licenses and certifications in their chosen fields.

Truth-be-told, with all of the variety, trying to understand the differences between the specialties can get quite confusing. Lucky for you, I am here to help you understand the mesmerizing, but overwhelming branches of psychology. One of the main differences between organizational psychology and general psychology is that organizational psychology focuses on the workplace organizations. While general psychology primarily focuses on human thought processes and behaviors. Moreover, general psychologists treat a variety of psychological disorders and mental illnesses, while organizational psychologists provide counseling and coaching services to employees.

Organizational psychology, also referred to as industrial psychology, and industrial-organizational psychology , is the study of workplace practices.

In other words, this type of psychology typically occurs in organizations i. These mental health professionals also refer employees to outside services, if needed. Organizational psychologists , in general, focus on the emotional well-beings of employees. This type of psychology is also used in hiring and evaluating workers. Forensic psychology is the application of psychology in the field of criminal justice. Forensic psychologists are often called as expert witnesses regarding the fitness of a witness to testify in a trial.

They also can testify in court cases involving child custody, personal injury or insanity pleas. Some forensic psychologists help hire or evaluate law enforcement officers, and some provide law enforcement agencies with criminal profiles or polygraph interpretations. It studies the formation of personal beliefs, attitudes, prejudices, stereotypes and biases and the influence that society has in that formation.

This is a relatively new, research-based field that concerns itself with measurable values. Social psychologists look at the social conditions that cause people to feel or act a certain way. They also study the influence that television and other social media have on people. Social psychologists place a heavy reliance upon empirical findings and laboratory experiments, and their theories tend to be focused and specific rather than general or universal. They make liberal use of the theories and findings of anthropology and sociology, applying them in their psychological studies of individuals.

But while anthropologists and sociologists focus mainly upon the effects of large societies and cultural values upon individuals, social psychologists focus more upon the interactions individuals have with smaller groups of people, such as gangs, clubs, committees, church groups, juries or groups of friends.