Public Policy
There are many ways the field of psychology can inform public policies and programs, and thus many ways that the fields intersect. Developmental psychology has long informed policies that affect families, children, and education. These include social programs to provide housing, health care, and food assistance to low-income families, interventions to improve family well-being, including home visiting programs and other parenting interventions, and programs to directly improve children’s academic skills, including Early Head Start, Head Start, Universal Pre-Kindergarten programs, early education, and K – 12 education policy and curricula. More recently, social and clinical psychology research has informed perspectives on and policies around technology and youth well-being, including smartphone and social media use and restrictions.
A typical pathway into these fields would start with a research assistant position at a nonprofit, policy-oriented research firm, a governmental agency position, or a position in a university-based lab focusing on applied psychological research. Examples of nonprofit organizations in this space include the Urban Institute, Child Trends, MPR, RAND Corporation, and the Brookings Institution. Examples of government agencies include the Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation and the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation at the Department of Health and Human Services. To advance in this field, there are a range of graduate training options, including earning a Master’s in Applied Psychology, a Master’s in Education, as well as a PhD in Developmental or Applied Psychology.
Preparation: Research and Practical Steps
The Department has a number of labs that do applied psychology research. Working as a research assistant in one of these labs would prepare students for this field:
- Context, Development, and Social Policy Lab
- Happy Tech Lab
- Georgetown Early Learning Project
- Stress, Health, and Development Lab
- Math Brain Lab
- Community Research Group
Professional organizations:
- The Society for Child and Family Policy and Practice (Division 37 of APA)
Relevant Courses in Psychology
The Georgetown Psychology Department offers several courses that align with this field. Taking any of these courses would prepare students for this field:
- PSYC 2400 Social Psychology
- PSYC 2600 Lifespan Development
- PSYC 2700 Psychology and the Legal System
- PSYC 3600 Early Child Development
- PSYC 3620 Early Childhood Education
- PSYC 3650 Adolescence and Emerging Adulthood
- PSYC 3800 Community Psychology
- PSYC 3220 Health Psychology
Want to find out more? Chat with Profs. Rebecca Ryan or Kostadin Kushlev.
