The interaction between computers and psychology is a crucial juncture for 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.
Traditionally, psychological research relies on two fundamental methods of data collection: lab tests and surveys or interviews [1]. The former is a way to study a particular aspect in a small controlled setting, while the latter focuses on broader behaviors using self-reporting surveys or (potentially) structured interviews. Both have inherent weaknesses.
Computers, however, can record and analyze vast amounts of data at a high speed–and in ways that traditional methods can’t. This makes them powerful new tools for psychologists and open up a new field of research. 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 consisting of psychologists with domain expertise and computer scientists who have the skills required to construct large-scale systems, manage and analyze data.
But until recently, there was little collaboration between these fields. For instance, Google directors have been more inclined to study computer science and computational science (29% had studied it), than psychology (less than two percent). This has resulted in an absence of psychology in the leadership of tech companies. This has led to the result that many technology products do not incorporate psychological principles.
