Applied Experimental and Engineering Psychology is at the intersection of psychology and technology. It is a growth field with immense potential for rewarding career opportunities.

The person with a creative, exploring mind, an inclination toward research and practice, who works well in a team setting with other professionals, and who has an abiding interest in psychology has a bright future in Applied Experimental and Engineering Psychology. For the laboratory psychologist or engineer who is interested in redirecting, but not completely redefining, his or her career path, Applied Experimental and Engineering Psychology presents an attractive option. In an applied setting, issues are addressed that overlap with many specialties in psychology, including experimental psychology, clinical and counseling psychology, educational psychology, industrial-organizational psychology, military psychology, and consumer psychology.

Opportunities exist and are expanding in all major employer groups: government, not-for-profit institutions, consulting firms, private industry, and academic institutions. For example, government work areas include the Department of Defense, Department of Transportation, Federal Aviation Administration, National Aviation and Space Administration, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, among others.

Work settings range from classroom, to laboratory, to the industrial design team. We develop human-centered approaches to the design of insturments and controls on the flight deck, in space, in air traffic control centers, and on ships, planes, and other vehicles. We also are involved in the development of part-task and full-scale simulations to enhance communications, improve training, and evaluate crew resource management. Human-computer interaction and information technology applications are prominant themes pertaining to the design, deployment, and evaluation of information systems. Efforts are also directed toward identifying improved techniques to monitor and enhance human performance in operational environments and to develop countermeasures that will reduce fatigue-related performance changes in humans operating in a 24-hour society. Applied Experimental and Engineering Psychology is increasingly employed in design and evaluation of medical instrumentation and processes and forensic work involving product and workplace safety.

Salaries are competitive with those of engineers and other professionals who work in similar settings.

Some typical work descriptions in various fields are:

Business/Industry

• Human factors and usability engineer
• Computer system designer
• Staff scientist
• Designer and evaluator of medical instrumentation
• Information technology specialist

Academia: Professor/Researcher/Administrator

• Explore techniques that optimize performance when the user is compromised by fatigue, distraction, or excessive demands
• Explore issues that revolve around the topics of aging, expertise, and human performance

Government

• Environmental research psychologist
• Engineering research psychologist
• Personnel psychologist
• Human factors engineer

Non-profit Organization

• Staff scientist and analyst