Psychology is a multi disciplinary subject, it lies at the intersection of other different disciplines

like sociology, biology, medicine, physiology, linguistics, and anthropology. For example, health
and clinical psychology is closely related to medicine and neuropsychology is allied with biology.
The disciplines of psychology is wide-ranging, they include: health, clinical, developmental,
cognitive (memory & intelligence), evolutionary, forensic, social, occupational and
neuropsychology's. In every area of subject, psychologists apply scientific methodology to
formulate theories, and test hypotheses for explaining behaviours of individuals through
experimental observations, and statistical techniques. People may visit a psychologist for any
number of reasons like stress and chronic pain, depression and grief, sleeping and sexual
problems, performance and personal growth issues, developmental disorders (e.g. autism) and
behavioural difficulties etc.

Current Trend in Psychology

Health psychology

Even though psychology is employed in marketing, industries, education, fashion, social, and other
varying fields, psychology in health and related sciences is exciting area and have very notable
development. Over the last decade, health psychology focuses mainly on prevention and treatment
of disease, promotion and maintenance of health, improvement of health care and policy
information. In general, health psychology (bio-social model) focuses on how wide-range of factors like
social (cultural beliefs, relationships), behaviour, psychological (life style, stress levels), and biological
(inherited traits, genetic circumstances ) factors influence on illness and health.

Current research in health psychology is highly engaged on stress reduction, smoking cessation, weight
management, daily nutrition improvement, and reduction of sexual behaviours. Recently, psychologists
are conducting applied research on identifying associations between physiological and psychological
process, (like anxiety influence on heart diseases) and prevention of unhealthy behaviours through
working with individuals, and communities). The realization of feelings, thoughts, behaviours,
psychological, environmental and other social factors depends on how good people understand the
power/command of mind. Psychologically this factors play a major roles in managing addictions, illness,
health, along with disease genetic tendency. The division 38 (American psychological associations APA) of
health psychology engaged with understanding about health and illness relationship, and health care
policies.

Social psychology

Social psychology studies about social perception, how people's felling, or

thoughts, influenced by others, leadership and aggression. Parents and society
expectations, role of genders, racism, career choice and religious factors generally
cause a high amount of pressure/stress on someone to act and behave in
different manner and it finally have impact on overall health of that person. The
choice of work always have a direct relationship with physical and emotional
health of a person, the more risk and frustration in career, the more psychological
and/or emotional illness. Psychology study on early life stress and depression by
Heim et al. (2012), explained that early life stress related issues like childhood
abuse, neglect and loss, plays a major prominent role in developing depressive
disorders later in life. Recent research on physician's emotional neutrality related
to anger, shame revealed the importance of signals mediated by emotions (Hareli
et al., 2013).
Clinical Health Psychology

Clinical psychology answers the questions related to better understanding of

relationship between physical wellness, health and illness, and connection among
environment, body and mind. Psychologists find strategies to minimize/remove
pain and known about pain abnormalities like analgesia, neuralgia and phantom
limb pain. One of the difficult task for psychologists is, standard encouragement
and/or motivating people towards positive thinking, to stick to medical direction
and treatment. Psychology can help people towards physical fitness, support with
chronic pain reduction, and finally improve the quality of patient everyday life.
Clinical psychologies mental imagery domain have relevance to many social
phobia, clinical disorders, depressions, and post-anxiety disorders (Pearson et al.,
2013).
Cognitive psychology

Cognitive psychology deals with mental process such as perception, attention,

language use, decision-making, problem solving, intelligence, memory,
judgement, conceptual development, thinking and creativity. Cognitive
psychology is highly concerned about internal mental processes and it relies on
both subjective observations and scientific research methods. The psychology
method called cognitive behavioral therapy is highly useful in case of anxiety-
disorder treatment (frequent feeling of strong/extreme worry, fear, anger, and
other emotions). In general, cognitive control can assist us stay on track or
changing of tasks (Dreisbach, 2012). A recent study related to cognitive
psychology by Schneider et al (2012), explained the role of cognitive related stress
in theory-of-mind (ToM) processing.
Forensic psychology

Forensic psychology deals with implementation of psychological principles,

insights, skills and concepts in better understanding and functioning of the legal,
judicial, correctional and law systems. Forensic psychology have broad range of
role in criminal law system from justice enforcement to offenders treatment.
Forensic psychology is a organizational psychology, it rooted to other areas
including social, clinical, medicine, cognitive, experimental, political science,
anthropology, philosophy, management and linguistics. Forensic psychology also
have unique structure of research which deals about risk assessment of potential
for violence, criminal behaviour, aggression, jury behaviour and selection, legal
competency, domestic violence and anti-social behaviour. The APA division 41,
covers the forensic psychology. Recent studies on forensic psychology is well
advanced and identified two genes (MAOA and CDH13) which are linked with
violent crimes by examining offenders in Finland (Tiihonen et al, 2014).
Non-pharmacological interventions in psychology

Recently, some traditional non-pharmacological treatments are using for certain

diseases like dementia and alzheimer's. There is a strong research evidence that
art therapy, music therapy, and other non-pharmacological therapies are very
useful in treating diseases like autism, depression, dementia, alzheimer's, and
anxiety. In case of dementia, non-pharmacological therapies like behavioural
therapy, validation therapy, reality orientation, reminiscence therapy, cognitive
therapy, aroma and multisensory therapies are first choice than pharmacological
treatments (Douglas et al, 2004). In non-pharmacological treatment of
alzheimer's art therapy, music therapy, cognitive stimulation, aroma therapy, doll
and interpersonal therapies are using quite regularly. Eventhough, this all non-
pharmacological therapies explains there important role in the treatment of
diseases, there is a much need of advanced further reliable and valid date analysis
for wide recognition of these non-pharmacological therapies.
Conclusion
Psychology is a growing discipline by using other related disciplines. The wide range of psychology applications are
identified and recognized by society. These aspects with good number of opportunities are very encouraging,
motivating and at the same time very favourable to psychology subject to make as highly encouraging and existing
one. It may not be a full list of current research in psychology (not included fashion psychology, colour psychology
and other related psychologies), but it provides a good outline of current trend that are happening in psychology.

New topics, such as evolutionary psychology, positive psychology, and dual processing, have come on
stage. New methods, such as brain imaging, are informing an expanding cognitive neuroscience. New
events, from terrorism to climate change, have stimulated fresh applications of psychology’s insights.

The biological revolution has vastly enhanced our understanding of human commonalities and individual
differences. Biomedical and behavioral genetic advances, and more recently astonishing findings in the
emerging field of epigenetics, have put an end to the nature-nurture debate in the study of personality,
mental abilities, child development, mental disorders, and many other fields. Evolutionary psychology has
expanded beyond its original focus on sex differences (as controversial now as then) to show the
influence of our species’ past history on language, cognition, social relations, perception, emotion, and
many other areas.

Evolutionary Psychology Different schools of thought have dominated psychology at different points in
time. The growing interest in evolutionary psychology may be an indicator that evolutionary psychology
will be one of the main schools of thought in psychology in the very near future. Interestingly, Darwin
(18xx) himself predicted that evolutionary thought would provide a new foundation for psychology
emphasizing acquiring cognitive processes with the capacity to gradate. Today, evolutionary psychology
can be defined as an approach to psychology that is “explicitly informed by evolutionary knowledge and
reasoning (Dess, 2001, p. 14).” This approach is currently guiding research in empathy, conflict
monitoring, cross-cultural psychology, and emotion regulation. Only time will let us know the extent to
which evolutionary psychology influences all areas of psychology.

Psychology continues to grow as a discipline. The applications of psychology are also becoming widely
apparent. These trends are very favorable for new psychologists because they offer a wide range of
opportunities. Industrious students of psychology may find themselves on the cutting edge of
psychological development and application. The future of psychology, however, may depend on how
well psychology maintains its scientific roots while meeting the needs of the public and adapting to a
changing technological world.