Technology touches or influences the entirety of our lives and it’s no different when it comes to psychology. In the same way that technology affects the way people behave, think, and work, psychologists make use of technology to understand, study, and even treat mental disorders. Technology also helps psychologists with their research, enabling them to gather and analyze data much faster and more precisely than they otherwise. Technology is an integral part of psychology research and treatment. From using computers to perform fMRI imaging, to developing electronic tools to track and evaluate symptoms in patients with depression or anxiety.

Technology can also impact the relationship that humans have with the digital systems with which they interact daily. Many of the most renowned technology companies in the world have large departments with psychologists that are experts in human cognition and perception. They conduct research to see how users react to certain designs and then offer suggestions based on their findings. In the majority of cases, when you are using a piece technology, such as your phone or Facebook you are benefiting from the interaction between psychology and computer science.

Sidney D’Mello, a researcher at Notre Dame University, is one of the many researchers who work at the intersection of psychology and computers. His research is focused on “affective computing,” which is the study of how computers can recognize and interpret emotions. For example, his team has developed a system that can allow computers to determine when a user is about to become angry or anxious, so it can intervene before it happens.

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