20 to 30 years ago, changes in the psychology profession were slow to occur. In the past decade, change in the profession began to take place at a more noticeable pace. More recently, there have been some notable changes and developments occurring in the field of psychology.
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Integration of Technology is More Widespread Today
As is the case with many other professions, the field of psychology has started to integrate technology to a larger degree in its work. Technology is being more widely utilized in research but also in the delivery of patient services. One relatively new adventure in integrating technology into the field of psychology involves patient services.
Thanks to communication platforms that permit audio and video transmissions, some psychology professionals are permitting the use of certain types of distant patient consults. While nothing will take the place of in-person patient sessions, using technology to allow for certain types of patient consuls is proving effective. For example, a follow consult with a patient can be quickly, efficiently undertaken using digital technology. This can prove expeditious if there is a need to connect with a patient for a more brief consult after a regular in-person session. A psychologist typically is able to discern more about a patient using audio-visual technology rather than connecting with a phone call.
Replication is Becoming More Respected and Important
Historically, the psychology profession took a dim view of what technically is known as replication. What this means is that in the past attempts to replicate attempts to closely reproduce previous methods were frowned upon. Some professional journals even created policies prohibiting replication studies or even the discussion of the concept of this type of research.
A new generation of psychologists takes the position that independent replication is vital for meaningful advancement in the profession. Moreover, there is a growing belief among this new generation of psychologists that independent replication and associated studies will aid in the psychology profession gaining broader credulity as a science, according to The Guardian.
The well-respected journal Perspectives on Psychological Science is an example of replication being more widely accepted in the field of psychology. The journal was one of the first of its kind to launch an initiative to specifically publish replications of previous psychological studies.
Growth of the Concept of Open Science in the Field of
Another change in the field of psychology involves the concept of open science. Open science generally means the sharing of data between members of the same professional.
The psychology profession has not been on the leading edge when it comes to inter-professional data sharing. This lack of sharing oftentimes is chalked up to the privacy rights of patients. With that acknowledged, there have always been appropriate, bona fide ways in which certain types of data could be shared without jeopardizing patient confidentiality.
Recently, there has been an uptick in the exchange of information and data within the field of psychology. This appears to be buttressing the ability of psychologists to better diagnose and treat patients.
Psychology is a growing profession. Many of the new entrants into the field come to the profession with markedly different backgrounds. As a consequence, innovations in the psychology field are expected to continue apace in the future.