Differential Psychology Essay Example

Differential Psychology Essay Example Differential Psychology Essay Differential Psychology Essay Differential Psychology studies the ways in which individuals differ in their behavior. This is distinguished from other aspects of psychology in that although psychology is ostensibly a study of individuals, modern psychologists often study  groups  or biological underpinnings of cognition. EXAMPLE In evaluating the effectiveness of a new therapy, the mean performance of the therapy in one  treatment group  might be compared to the mean effectiveness of a  placebo  (or a well-known therapy) in a second, control group. In this context, differences between individuals in their reaction to the experimental and control manipulations are actually treated as errors rather than as interesting phenomena to study. This is because  psychological research  depends upon statistical controls that are only defined upon groups of people. Individual difference psychologists usually express their interest in individuals while studying groups by seeking dimensions shared by all individuals but upon which individuals differ. Importance of individual differences Individual differences are essential whenever we wish to explain how individuals differ in their behavior. In any study, significant variation exists between individuals. Reaction time, preferences, values, and health-linked behaviors are just a few examples. Individual differences in factors such as  personality,  intelligence,  memory, or physical factors such as body size, sex, age, and other factors can be studied and used in understanding this large source of variance. Importantly, individuals can also differ not only in their current state, but in the magnitude or even direction of response to a given  stimulus. Such phenomena, often explained in terms of  inverted-U  response curves, place differential psychology at an important location in such endeavours as  personalized medicine, in which diagnoses are customised for an individuals response profile. Areas of study Individual differences research typically includes  personality,  motivation,  intelligence, bility,  IQ,  interests,  values,  self-concept,  self-efficacy, and  self-esteem  (to name just a few). There are few remaining differential psychology programs in the United States, although research in this area is very active. Current researchers are found in a variety of applied and experimental programs, includingeducational psychology,  Industrial and organizational psychology,  personality psychology,  social psychology, and  developmental psycholog y  programs, in the  neo-Piagetian theories of cognitive development  in particular.