Psychology is the fifth most popular major in undergraduate collegiate studies. The undergraduate level gives students a broad understanding of the field, but for most psychology related work a graduate degree is required. Graduate degrees help the student focus on one particular area of the field. It is important for students to understand their options as they decide on which area of psychology to study further. This list of the top 30 Psychology Blogs of 2012 offers a variety of perspectives. These blogs are valuable resources for anybody already in a psychology related field or anybody still deciding on the area of psychology on which they desire to focus.
General Psychology
1. Psychology Today: The blog of the popular magazine Psychology Today. Readers will find articles on current research and discoveries concerning the broad field of psychology, making Psychology Today a great resource for those looking to stay up to date on the field in general.
Highlight: How Everyone Became Depressed
2. BPS Readers Digest: The British Psychological Society blogs on brain science and behavior. Many of the posts focus on interesting patterns in human conduct. The blog focuses on providing readers with commentary and critiques on the latest research.
Highlight: Why Are Older People Less Prone to Mind Wandering?
3. The Situationist: An ongoing project run by the Harvard Law School, The Situationist aims to promote the research and understanding of social psychology for use in law, policy making, and legal theory.
Highlight: Gender, Weight, Stereotypes, and Prejudice
4. Mind Hacks: Mind Hacks is the blog of Tom Stafford and Matt Web, who wrote a book by the same name. Their posts emphasize neuroscience and psychology tricks that will help you figure out what is going on inside of your brain.
Highlight: The Perfect Woman
5. PsyBlog : Created and written by Phd student Jeremy Dean, the posts source from current studies published in reputable psychology journals. The primary focus of the blog’s content is on scientific research dealing directly with the inner workings of the human mind.
Highlight: Reconstructing the Past: How Recalling Memories Alters Them
6. Generally Thinking: This eye-catching psychology blog is extremely reader friendly and is presented in a question and answer format. The blog utilizes easy to relate to examples from the author’s own experiences to make his points about various psychological topics.
Highlight: How To Improve Social Anxiety By Training Your Attention
7. World of Psychology: The collaborative general psychology blog of psychcentral.com. Read up on a wide range of topics surrounding psychology with posts from a varied pool of psychology professionals.
8. What is Psychology?: A fun and simple approach to the world of psychology. Get answers to the most basic of psychology questions or a simplified explanation to more complicated subject matter.
Highlight: Business Psychology – The Psychology of Customer Loyalty
Academic Blogs
9. Deric Bownds’ Mindblog: Follow psychologist Deric Bownds as he uses his blog to report new ideas and research on mind, brain, and behavior. Deric Covers a dearth of topics from psychology and philosophy, to the impact of neuroscience and neurobiology on the discipline.
Highlight: How Ambient Light Might Influence Our Mood
10. Bad Psychology Blog: The author of Bad Psychology is a student, and the blog covers numerous facets of the psychology industry, dealing with research, practice, and policy issues.
Highlight: The Storytelling Animal: How Stories Make Us Human
11. Advances in the History of Psychology: An interesting spin on the normal psychology blog, AHP takes a current look at the history of psychology with news, notes, and additional resources.
Highlight: Historicity in Psychology
12. The Splintered Mind: Eric Schwitzgebel delves into the philosophy of psychology with academic essays and collaborations with other philosophers. The focus of the blog is broad and it draws heavily from the author’s everyday experiences, spinning seemingly mundane happenstances and conversations into a philosophical conversation on human psychology.
Highlight: Empirical Evidence That the World Was Not Created Five Minutes Ago
13. NeoAcademic: Written by Richard N. Landers, Assistant Professor of Psychology at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, VA, USA, NeoAcademic specializes in the field of industrial/organizational psychology. The primary focus of the blog is on academic innovation in the field of psychology education.
14. Oscillatory Thoughts: Oscillatory Thoughts is the blog of Neuroscientist Bradley Voytek. This Post-doctoral Fellow shares his insights and theories in the field of neuroscience.
Highlight: Face processing in the brain: “That was a trip”
15. Teaching High School Psychology: This blog is a collaborative blog featuring the writings of three dedicated psychology teachers aimed at helping others that teach high school psychology.
Highlight: Stats–Not Awful or Boring!
16. We’re Only Human: Is the blog of a long time psychology journalist devoted to covering advances in psychology with a look at how studies impact our understanding of human nature.
Highlight: Contemplation: A Healthy State of Mind
17. Kendra Cherry: A resident psychology blogger at about.com, Kendra Cherry posts regularly with ideas on how to apply psychological principles into your everyday life.
Highlight: Advice from Psychology Majors
18. Research Blogging: Psychology: Research Blogging is a collaborative blog focused on commenting on current research in a variety of fields including psychology. This particular link is to the psychology portion of the site.
Case/Topic Specific Blogs
19. Society for Christian Psychology: A religious take on the topic of psychology, this blog is sourced from multiple Christian psychologists from all over the United States. The blog covers topics such as Christian approaches to psychological disorders, and the impact of core Christian ideas such as redemption on the philosophy of psychology.
20. Child Psychology Research: A resource oriented blog on children’s psychology for parents, educators, and child development professionals. The blog features articles on relevant topics such as minimizing the negative impact of divorce on children, and deciding whether or not a child is in need of therapy.
Highlight: How to Tone Down Parent Conflict During Separation and Divorce to Help Your Kids Adjust
21. Peak Performance Sports: In this creative application of behavioral psychology, learn how mental training can boost athletic ability. The blog features podcasts in addition to articles.
22. Idiolect: A blog from one of the co-authors of the popular psychology blog mindhacks.com. The blog often features thought provoking quotes by famous historical figures.
Highlight: An accommodation with the authority of common sense
23. Brain Blog: Dr. Anthony Risser, a consulting neuropsychologist, brings his readers the most up to date news from the field of neuropsychology, including current journal entries and reviews of recent academic lectures.
Highlight: Parkinson’s Disease: New Biomarker Effort
24. In the News: Forensic psychologist Dr. Karen Franklin is an adjunct professor at Alliant University in Northern California. Her blog focuses on material pertaining to forensic psychology, criminology, and psychology law.
Highlight: A Tale of Two Prison Systems: Whither the Future?
25. Influence People: Using methods developed by over 60 years of behavioral science research, Brian Ahearn teaches readers how to better influence those around them in work and other settings.
Highlight: Good Advice or Not – Expect the Worst and You’ll Never be Disappointed?
26. Julietta Skoog, School Psychologist: Julietta is an elementary school psychologist and also works on the preschool assessment team for Seattle Public Schools. She not only works with children, but also devotes much of her time to helping adults become better parents.
27. Child and Family Psychology: Dr. Renee Clauselle shares her expertise on working as a children’s psychologist. She runs a private practice out of Long Island, New York.
Highlight: Setting Boundaries with In-Laws
28. Neuronarrative: One of the blogs on Psychology Today, Neuronarrative posts mainly on thought processes and brain functions. Content isn’t overly technical, and most articles are accessible and aimed to help the general reader understand the impact of neuroscience on society.
Highlight: 10 Truths I’ve Learned from People Who Didn’t Go To College
29. Tech Psych: A blog resource to guide psychologists, therapists, and more on the effective use of modern technology and techniques for a wide range of professional applications.
Highlight: National Association of School Psychologists: Stigmatizing Mental Health or Developmental Disorders is Harmful
30. Pavlov’s Couch: Follow a London psychology undergraduate as he tries to navigate his college experience and give fresh eyes to a variety of psychology based topics.
Highlight: Through Different Eyes
In today’s fast-paced and demanding world, mental health has emerged as a critical facet of overall well-being. Individuals grappling with mental health conditions seek solace and guidance from dedicated mental health professionals who offer support, understanding, and evidence-based interventions. The field of mental health encompasses a wide spectrum of expertise, with clinical psychologists, counseling psychologists, and developmental psychologists, among others, actively contributing to the well-being of individuals facing diverse mental health challenges.
The demand for mental health training and expertise has been steadily rising, as these professionals play a pivotal role in diagnosing, assessing, and treating various mental health conditions. From the assessment of a person’s mental health to the application of therapeutic interventions, mental health professionals are equipped with the knowledge and skills to address the unique complexities of each individual’s experience.
At the forefront of the mental health field are licensed psychologists, who hold doctoral degrees and undergo rigorous professional training. Clinical psychologists, for instance, specialize in the evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment of mental illness, often employing evidence-based practices such as dialectical behavior therapy. Their expertise extends to prescribing medication and collaborating with medical doctors to address the interplay between mental and physical health.
Counseling psychologists, on the other hand, focus on fostering personal and interpersonal growth, providing guidance to individuals dealing with behavioral disorders and life challenges. Their dedication to promoting mental health resonates in diverse settings, including schools, workplaces, and private practices, making their contribution to society invaluable.
As our understanding of mental health deepens, so does the need for professionals specializing in this domain. Forensic psychologists, for instance, delve into the interface between the law and mental health, offering crucial insights in legal proceedings. These experts bridge the gap between the complexities of mental health conditions and the justice system, ensuring fairness and sensitivity in their assessments.
With the Occupational Outlook Handbook projecting robust growth in the field of clinical psychology and related mental health professions, it is evident that the demand for mental health professionals will continue to soar. As a result, those pursuing careers in this field can look forward to fulfilling opportunities to make a profound difference in the lives of countless individuals.
In this comprehensive resource guide, we navigate the multifaceted world of mental health, shedding light on the qualifications, expertise, and responsibilities of mental health professionals. Whether you are considering a career in a mental health-related field or seeking support for your own mental health journey, this guide equips you with the knowledge and insights to navigate the intricacies of mental health with compassion and confidence. Keep reading for what we believe to be the top 40 websites for professional psychologists…
Associations, Academies, Research Organizations and Societies
The American Psychological Association is the premier psychological association in the United States. The APA provides many resources for psychology professionals across many fields and is the primary psychology accrediting body for academic institutions.
The Academy for Eating Disorders is the foremost global association for psychology professionals dealing primarily with eating disorders.
The International Association of Forensic Criminologists is an association devoted to furthering the field of the behavioral profiling of criminals.
The American Board of Medical Psychology is a professional association for psychologists working or interested in the field of medical Psychology.
The Academy of Psychosomatic Medicine is an organization dedicated to furthering the field of medical science, education and and healthcare for those with psychiatric and general medical conditions.
This non-profit association seeks to advance the field of psychological science and increase its representation on a national and global scale. It does this through the publishing of various journals, representation at conventions, and by publishing regular relevant articles on its website.
The Association for Behavior Analysis International is a global organization devoted to benefiting the world through its research into behavioral analysis as well as its efforts to educate professionals on that research.
The Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies seeks to advance the field of mental health through its research and education oriented efforts at developing and advancing the fields of behavioral and cognitive therapy.
The Association for Humanistic Psychology seeks to contribute to the general improvement of the human experience through advancing the evolution of the human consciousness and a focus on cultivating trust based, authentic relationships between individuals.
The Behavior Genetics Association is devoted to the advancement of the study of the relationship between genes and human behavior.
The Cognitive Neuroscience Society is devoted to the advancement of the study of neuroscience and the development of its influence on Psychology.
The Federation of Associations in Brain and Behavioral Sciences is a collection of scientific societies and associations that are devoted to the advancement of the field of psychology through the study of the brain and behavior.
The International Association of Investigative Psychology is devoted to the advancement of investigative psychological techniques and the role psychology plays in the criminal investigation and the justice system.
The IAAP, founded in 1920, is the oldest international association of psychologists. Its official languages are English and French. The association has over 1,500 members from 80 different countries and is one of the most diverse professional psychological organizations in the world.
The International Psycholanalytical Association is the world’s primary accrediting and regulatory body for the field of psychoanalysis and is devoted to the advancement of the field on an international level.
Psi Chi is the international honors society in psychology and was founded in 1929 with the goal of catalyzing scholarly excellence in psychology education.
The Society for Personality and Social Psychology: The Society for Personality and Social Psychology was founded in 1974 when it split from the APA and incorporated as an independent organization. SPSP today consists of over 7,000 members from myriad countries all united in the study of personality and social psychology.
Journals and Publications
The Observer: The Observer is a journal published 10 times per year by the Association for Psychological Science. The journal’s goal is to inform practitioners of advancements in research, academia and applied psychological disciplines.
The American Psychologist journal is the official journal of the APA published nine times per year. The journal primarily covers the science and practice of psychology as well as psychology’s impact on public policy.
The American Behavioral Scientist is a peer reviewed journal published monthly and targeted at scholars, researchers, practitioners and students.
The Behavioral and Brain Sciences journal is an internationally respected journal that follows an innovative Open Peer Commentary system. The journal publishes significant and controversial papers from the disciplines of psychology, behavioral biology, neuroscience, and cognitive science.
The International Journal of Psychology is the journal of the International Union of Psychologists. The journal’s unique goal is to facilitate and advance dialogue between psychology scholars and practitioners on an international level.
The Journal of Applied Psychology is published by the APA and emphasizes the publication of new applications of psychology and the contributions of new knowledge to the field of psychology.
Another APA journal, the Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied publishes original empirical investigations in experimental psychology. Among the journal’s goals is the distribution and testing of models of cognitive processing and/or cognitive processing and behavior particularly in specific situations.
Perspectives of Psychological Science is a bi-monthly peer reviewed journal with articles covering the myriad of perspectives in the psychological community. From book reviews to meta-analyses and theoretical statements.
An APA publication, the Psychological Bulletin publishes reviews of research and interpretations of issues in scientific psychology.
Psychological Science is the top ranked journal in the discipline of psychological science. This peer-reviewed journal prides itself on keeping subscribers informed about the most cutting edge developments in the psychological science field.
Review of General Psychology publishes the most cutting edge information available across the field of psychology as a whole. The journal has an eye for innovative theories, methodologies and concepts that have the potential to change the field of psychology for the better.
Basic and Applied Social Psychology features articles on empirical research, literature reviews, criticism and theoretical statements covering the entire range of social psychology research and practice.
Conferences
This site lists conferences of all sizes across a number of industries including psychology. There are over 250 psychology conferences listed on the site which is updated regularly with current information.
Association for Research in Personality: This annual conference is held by the Asssociation for Research in Personality. The conference deals with subject matter relevant to the study and development of human personalities.
Berkeley Interdisciplinary Research Conference: The Berkeley Interdisciplinary Research Conference brings together the top students and many distinguished professors in the fields of psychology, neuroscience, anthropology, linguistics, cognitive science and education for a weekend of multidisciplinary presentations and discourse.
This is the annual conference of the Society of Industrial-Organizational Psychologists. SIOP is a division of the APA making this the foremost conference on the subject in the United States.
This APA site catalogues the various events, conventions and conferences held by the APA and its various divisions throughout the year.
APS Conference: At the Association for Psychological Science convention there are numerous papers presented reflecting significant research in the field plus end of day workshops and other events organized by the Society for Teaching Psychology.
Blogs
A blog run by the British Psychological Association, BPS-Research Digest is a blog that tracks new psychological research and its potential impact on the field.
Mindhacks is a blog covering whatever aspects of psychology interest its writer, from cool psychology and brain themed t-shirts, to commentary on psychology in mass media to British Psy Ops, this eclectic blog is a fascinating read for those with a cursory interest in psychology to practitioners.
Neurocritic is more about the discipline of neuroscience than psychology proper but seeing as both fields study the brain and the results of its workings, the blog is an interesting read for those in psychology interested in the neuroscience perspective.
This blog is concerned with all scientific research into the workings of the human brain.
The “We’re Only Human” section of the Association for Psychological Science’s website is a blog featuring articles about psychology news and events.
This is the blog section of Psychology Today. Many of the authors are respected in their fields and the articles range in target from layman to practitioner.
This blog mostly concerns itself with mentioning and describing the various psychological literature being read by the author. It’s a great site to follow if you are looking for copious amounts of book suggestions and descriptions pertaining to the field of psychology.
