The Intersection of Psychology and Computers

The connection between psychology and computers is a critical juncture for creativity and user-centered design in technology. However, it’s also where a lot of accidental harms 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 is based on two fundamental methods of collecting data such as lab experiments and surveys, or interviews [1]. The first study a specific aspect in a small, controlled setting; while the latter measure broader behavior using self-report questionnaires or (potentially structured) interviews. Both have inherent limitations.

Computers, however, are able to capture and analyze huge amounts of information at a rapid speed in ways that conventional methods are unable to. This makes them powerful new tools for psychological researchers and opens up a new realm of investigation. 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 of experts: psychologists with domain expertise, and computer scientists who have the ability to create large-scale tracking systems and manage and analyze the resulting data.

However, until the last few years, there was no collaboration between the fields. For instance, Google directors have been more inclined to study computer and computational science (29 percent have studied it) as opposed to psychology (less than two percent). This has led to a lack of psychology in the management of tech companies, which has the result that many tech products do not consider psychological factors.

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