When you first consider it, computers and psychology might appear to be two completely distinct areas. Psychologists study human behavior and health while computer scientists code algorithms and designing software that allows people to do their daily tasks. However, the reality is that these two fields overlap in a variety of ways. In fact, some of the most exciting research being done in both fields is involving combining psychology and computer science.

In the field of psychological research technological advances in computer science have helped make it easier to conduct psychological research. For example the fMRI scanners can help psychologists to see what areas of the brain are activated during particular thoughts or actions. Online questionnaires eliminate the biases inherent in pen-and-paper surveys.

The collaboration between computer scientists and psychologists has revolutionized the way we interact with technology. The Psychology of Human-Computer Interaction, published in 1983 by three researchers from Xerox Palo Alto Research Center, Stuart Card, Thomas Moran and Allen Newell, was one of the most significant events in the convergence.

It also brought research on the way people use computers into the domain of computer science. This separated psychological methods from their human context and made it necessary for psychologists to catch up. Psychometricians as well as other areas of psychology that focus on numerical evaluations found the computer science method to be particularly useful.

Psychologists useful link are now working with computer scientists in the development of AI that can better understand human behavior. Psychologists are helping to develop ethical guidelines for algorithms that could predict depression risk based on the social media activities of a person. Psychologists are taking cognitive behavior therapy into virtual reality to treat anxiety disorders and other illnesses.