What is applied psychology?

Abstract

Defines 'applied' psychology and distinguishes between pure and applied sciences in terms of their aims, standpoint, scope and problem. Pure psychology is a theoretical science while applied is a practical one. The aim of pure psychology is to extend and improve human knowledge while the aim of applied psychology is to extend and improve the conditions and phases of human life and conduct. The standpoint of pure science is of objectivity and universal validity while that of applied is of subjective particularity. The scope of pure sciences depends upon inherent similarity of all facts of knowledge, while the scope of applied science depends upon inherent frequency of factors composing concrete events. The problem faced by pure sciences is discovering similarity, tracing the development and noting the causes, while in the case of applied sciences it is to analyze situations, trace their interrelations and modify it. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)