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Experimental psychologists use a methodological approach to conduct experiments in controlled situations in order to examine or establish hypotheses about human behavior. These psychologists take nothing for granted as they scrutinize human responses to sensation, perception, motivation, memory, learning and physiological psychology. Experimental approaches are used in the fields of clinical, educational, social and child psychology as well. Experimental psychologists, who also play the role of natural scientists, additionally study current psychological laws (for example, the psycho-physical law that states, "In order to increase sensations by noticeable quantities, the quantity of stimulus must be increased by relatively the same quantity.") to assess their truth under rigorous testing. Experimental Psychologists perform the following duties: - Run experiments to study human behaviorism and mental phenomena
- Study behavior processes in animals
- Use findings to inform diagnoses and treatments for various social, behavioral and emotional disorders
 Experimental Psychologist Work Environment Experimental psychologists often work in private research centers and universities (where they are employed as professors), as well as nonprofit, business and government organizations. Their work is primarily focused on statistics, research and experimentation. Experimental Psychologist Training and Education Becoming an experimental psychologist should begin with an undergraduate degree in psychology. From there, individuals are free to pursue a Master of Arts or Master of Science degree (MA or MS) in experimental psychology, or simply psychology (MA and MS programs in psychology are more plentiful than programs in experimental psychology). These programs, which generally take two years to complete, will further expose students to the wide and fascinating field of psychology. However, this degree alone is not enough to enter the fiercely competitive field of experimental psychology. Most doctorate programs (PhD) in experimental psychology require individuals to have obtained their MA or MS degree in one of the psychological fields. PhD programs can take three years or more years to complete, depending on the individual's time frame. These programs provide students with the nuanced training and knowledge to perform their own empirical research, read data and conduct experiments. Learn More About Psychology Careers in this Side-by-Side Comparison Chart  |
 
Did You Know?- In the famous 1961 Milgram experiment, experimental psychologists ordered subjects to inflict electric shocks on an unseen stranger, despite the stranger's screams of protest. This experiment was designed to explore the subservient mentality of Germans and Nazis during the Holocaust.
- Experimental psychologists often face ethical issues, as was the case with the 1971 Zimbardo/Stanford Prison experiment. In this simulated prison at Stanford University, volunteers were separated into "guards" and "prisoners." The experiment was abandoned after just six days because of the sadistic tendencies of nearly a third of the "guards" and the visible stress on the "prisoners."
Salary Data The average income for experimental psychologists holding a PhD is $87,000 (and up to $112,000) according to a 2010 survey conducted by Payscale.com. Concurrently, professors in this field who hold a master’s degree earn roughly $55,000 per year. The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that the demand for psychologists will grow faster than the national average (between 18 and 26 percent) for all occupations, through the year 2014. Sources: apa.org, bls.gov |
