Clinical psychology prepares individuals to integrate research with clinical skills. The field studies psychological distress and ways in which people cope with, reduce or prevent distress. A clinical psychologist might work in university departments of psychology, at medical schools or as a private clinician with clients.
Social psychology examines the study of human behavior as it relates to social situations and groups of people, in addition to how people's behavior affects that of others. Social perception and social interaction also contribute largely to understanding social behavior. Social psychologists frequently conduct research in university departments, as well as work with corporate companies to target how factors such as advertising can influence behavior.
Neuroscience focuses on the biological and evolutionary bases of behavior. It is most commonly studied at the molecular and cellular level. Research in the field examines how the brain controls processes and decision making. Conversely, neuroscience considers how behavior influences the brain and physiological processes. A career in neuroscience could lead to working in research labs, examining non-human subjects or attending medical school.
Cognitive psychologists study internal processing of information, including how individuals think, see and perceive behavior. Specifically, they focus their research on perception, attention, memory, decision making, learning and language processing. Most cognitive psychologists conduct research at the university level.